A year ago, I paid no attention to English idioms, ____36___ my teacher said again and again that it was important.

One day, I ____37____ to meet an Englishman on the road, and soon we began to talk. As I was talking about ___38_____ I was studying English, the foreigner shook his head, saying, ‘You don’t say! You don’t say!’ I was ___39___. I thought, perhaps this was not a ___40__ topic. Well, I’d ___41___ change the topic. So I said to him, “Well, shall we talk about the Great Wall? ___42___ the way, have you ever ____43___ there?’

‘Certainly. Everyone back home will ____44____ me if I leave China without seeing it. It is great!’

I said, ‘The Great Wall is one of the wonders in the world. It is a place of ____45___.’ But soon I was ___46___ again by his words, ‘___47_____!’ I couldn’t help but __48____, ‘Why did you ask me not to talk about it?’

‘Well, I ___49____ ask you to do so,’ he answered, gently surprised.

I said, ‘Didn’t you say “You don’t say”?’

Hearing this, the Englishman ___50_____ to tears. He began to ___51______, “‘You don’t say!” actually means ‘really?’ It is an ___52_____ of surprise. Perhaps you don’t pay attention to English _____53______.’

Then I knew I had made a fool of ___54___. Since then I have been more __55____ with idioms

He met her at a party. She was so outstanding that many guys were chasing after her, while he was so ordinary. At the end of the party, he invited her to have coffee with him. She was surprised but due to being being polite, she promised.

  They sat in a nice coffee shop, he was too nervous to say anything, and she felt uncomfortable, too. Suddenly he asked the waiter, “Would you please give me some salt? I’d like to put it in my coffee.” Everybody stared at him. It was so strange! His face turned red but still, he put the salt in his coffee and drank it. She asked him curiously, “Why do you have this hobby?” He replied, “When I was a little boy, I lived near the sea, I liked playing in the sea, I could feel the taste of the sea, just like the taste of the salty coffee. Now every time I have the salty coffee, I always think of my childhood, my hometown, and my parents who are still living there.” While saying that tears filled his eyes. She was deeply touched. Then she also started to speak, speaking about her faraway hometown, her childhood, and her family.

  That was a really nice talk, also a beautiful beginning of their love. They continued to date. She found that actually he was a man who met all her demands. He had tolerance, kind-hearted, warm and careful. Thanks to his salty coffee! They married. And, every time she made coffee for him, she put some salt in the coffee, as she knew that was the way he liked it. After 40 years, he passed away and left her a letter which said, “My dearest, please forgive my whole life’s lie. Remember the first time we dated? I was so nervous at that time, actually I wanted some sugar, but said salt. It was hard for me to change so I just went ahead. I didn’t like the salty coffee then, what a strange bad taste! But I have had the salty coffee for my whole life, for it was prepared by you.”

1. The man was nervous at the coffee shop, because _______.

 A. everybody stared at him at that time

 B. many guys chased after the woman

 C. he didn’t feel himself a match for the woman

 D. he had the strange habit of drinking salty coffee

2. From this passage, we can infer that ________.

 A. the man’s lie won the woman’s love

 B. the man’s parents onced lived near the sea

 C. the woman talked with the man, for they had the same experience

 D. the woman realised what salty coffee had to do with a good man

3. What can be concluded about the man?

 A. He had intended to give his wife a surprise at his death

 B. He unwillingly developed a taste for salty coffee after marriage

 C. He was so stubborn as to drink for a life what he didn’t like

 D. He enjoyed his lifelong bitter salty coffee out of love

4. Which of the following could be the best title for this passage?

 A. A Foolish Lie               B. Salty Coffee

C. A Sad Love Story        D. Love in a Coffee Shop

It is sometimes said that the English are polite people. This can make life difficult for foreigners. Suppose a foreign boy asks an English girl to go out with him and she says. "If I finish my work, I'll meet you in the cafe at 7 o'clock." Is she saying "yes" or "no" to his invitation?

In grammatical terms, she is using the conditional structure (假设结构). By using the conditional, speakers of English can avoid giving a "yes" or "no" answer to a question. It enables people to be diplomatic(有策略). If the girl doesn't want to go out with the boy, she won't turn up at the place she will let him understand she is still working. If she wants to go out with him, but doesn't want to appear too easy to catch, she has achieved that with her reply. But in this case, as she uses the first conditional which shows probability, she is quite likely to turn up at the caf. Being polite can make life very difficult. 

The conditional is often used by people in the news-politicians, for example-who wish to avoid speaking out their ideas. This is very important if they are on their way to discuss an agreement. No one wants to give away his or her points before he or she starts. A government spokesman might say to a group of workers, "if we could pay you more, we would" .The use of the conditional here makes room for argument although the speaker is using the second conditional form, which shows improbability. So it is unlikely the workers will get their rise.

 "If" is a small word, which appears often in the English language. It can show politeness and conditionals such as the First-probability-if I can come to your party, I will, the Second - improbability - if I saw you tomorrow. I'd give you the book, and the Third-impossibility(meaning it is too late to change something that has happened)-if you had told me. I would have helped you.

77.The use of conditional can make a speech________.

       A.clearer     B.quicker         C.more polite       D.more exciting

78.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

      A.Language used in the news should make room to argue.

      B.Usually English girls are not easy to catch.

       C.English people never speak out their ideas in public

       D.The word "if" can show different meanings.

79.In the passage, "If we could pay you more, we would." probably means________.

       A.the workers make more money       B.the spokesman doesn't promise anything

      C.the spokesman keeps his word         D.the workers' problems aren't difficult

80.If someone says, "If I were free now, I would go with you", he means that________.

       A.he is very polite to you      B.he will go with you

       C.he regrets that he didn't go with you  D.he refuses to go with you

It is sometimes said that the English are polite people. This can make life difficult for foreigners. Suppose a foreign boy asks an English girl to go out with him and she says. “If I finish my work, I’ll meet you in the cafe at 7 o’clock.” Is she saying “yes” or “no” to his invitation?

In grammatical terms, she is using the conditional structure (假设结构). By using the conditional, speakers of English can avoid giving a “yes” or “no” answer to a question. It enables people to be diplomatic(有策略). If the girl doesn’t want to go out with the boy, she won’t turn up at the place she will let him understand she is still working. If she wants to go out with him, but doesn’t want to appear too easy to catch, she has achieved that with her reply. But in this case, as she uses the first conditional which shows probability, she is quite likely to turn up at the café. Being polite can make life very difficult.  

The conditional is often used by people in the news-politicians, for example-who wish to avoid speaking out their ideas. This is very important if they are on their way to discuss an agreement. No one wants to give away his or her points before he or she starts. A government spokesman might say to a group of workers, “if we could pay you more, we would” The use of the conditional here makes room for argument although the speaker is using the second conditional form, which shows improbability. So it is unlikely the workers will get their rise.

 “If” is a small word, which appears often in the English language. It can show politeness and conditionals such as the First-probability-if I can come to your party, I will, the Second – improbability – if I saw you tomorrow. I’d give you the book, and the Third—impossibility (meaning it is too late to change something that has happened)—if you had told me. I would have helped you.

1．The use of conditional can make a speech         .

       A．clearer                B．quicker                C．more polite          D．more exciting

2．Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

     A．Language used in the news should make room to argue.

     B．Usually English girls are not easy to catch.

       C．English people never speak out their ideas in public.

       D．The word “if” can show different meanings.

3．In the passage, “If we could pay you more, we would.” probably means       .  

       A．the workers make more money

     B．the spokesman doesn’t promise anything

     C．the spokesman keeps his word

     D．the workers’ problems aren’t difficult

4．If someone says, “If I were free now, I would go with you”, he means that        .

       A．he is very polite to you

       B．he will go with you

       C．he regrets that he didn’t go with you

       D．he refuses to go with you