Proverbs(谚语) are quite common in spoken English. We do not normally put them in a composition or letter. Sometimes it is helpful if you know what common proverbs mean. Here are a few examples:

Once bitten, twice shy. If a dog bites me, I shall be twice as careful in future when I see it. This proverb is also used to apply to many things and not only to dogs. If you have been cheated at a shop, you will not go to the same shop again. 

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. If I am a hunter, trying to catch birds, it is better to catch one bird than to see two birds in a bush but not be able to catch them. Thus this means that what you have already got is better than the chance of being able to get something bigger in the future.   

Too many cooks spoil the broth(soup). When too many people do something together, they get in each other’s way and cannot do a good job.

To pour oil on troubled waters Is to try to calm things down. Oil is lighter than water. If a ship is in trouble at sea, another ship may come to help it. The second ship can send small boats to rescue people. However, it may first pour oil on the sea to make the sea less rough.

Don't be a dog in a manger(马槽). Means “ Don’t be selfish.” In a stable(马厩), the manger is the place where the horse’s food is put. Sometimes a dog will sleep in the manger and bard when a horse comes to get its food. The dog does not want to eat the hay in the manger but it will not let the horse eat it.

He’s sitting on the fence. Means that somebody will not say whether he is in favour of a plan or against it. He is sitting on a fence between two opposing sides, perhaps waiting to see which side will win.

He who pays the piper calls the tune. A piper is a musician . The man who employs or pays a musician can say what tunes the man will play. Thus this means that if a man provides the money for a plan, he can say how it will be carried out.

You can’t get blood out of a stone means that you can’t get something out of a person who has not got any of the things you want. For example, you cannot get a million dollars from a poor man.

1.Peter had a bicycle which was much too small for him but he did not want to let his younger brother ride on it. His mother was angry and said to him : “______”.

2.Mr Wang paid for a new school. Some people did not like the design of the school but they did not argue with Mr Wang because ________.

3.Mrs Chen wanted to buy a new dress. Her husband suggested that she buy it from a shop near their home. Mrs Chen disagreed because she had been cheated by that shop. Then she said: “ I won’t go there again because___.”

4.Mr brown had quite a good job in Hong Kong but he thought that if he went to Singapore he might get a much better job with more money and a large house. His wife did not want him to leave his job in Hong Kong and she warned him that _____.

Proverbs are quite common in spoken English. We do not normally put them in a composition or letter. Sometimes it is helpful if you know what common proverbs mean. Here are a few examples:

1) "Once bitten, twice shy." If a dog bites me, I shall be twice as careful in future when I see it. This proverb is also used to apply(应用) to many things and not only to dogs. If you have been cheated at a shop, you will not go to the same shop again.

2) "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." If I am a hunter, trying to catch birds, it is better to catch one bird than to see two birds in a bush but not be able to catch them. Thus this means that what you have already got is better than the chance of being able to get something bigger in future.

3) "Too many cooks spoil the broth." When too many people do something, they get in each other's way.

4) "To pour oil on troubled waters."is to try to calm things down. Oil is lighter than water. If a ship is in trouble at sea, another ship may come to help it. The second ship can send small boats to rescue people. However, it may first pour oil on the sea to make the sea less rough.

5) "Don't be a dog in the manger(马槽)" means "Don't be selfish." In a stable(马房), the manger is the place where the horse's food is put. Sometimes a dog will sleep in the manger and bark when a horse comes to get its food. The dog does not want to eat the hay in the manger but it will not let the horse eat it.

6)"You can't get blood out of a stone." means that you cannot get, something from a person who has not got any of the things you want. For example, you cannot get a million dollars from a poor man.

60. Peter had a bicycle which was much too small for him but he did not want to let his younger brother ride on it. His mother was angry and said to him,"________."

A. You can't get blood out of a stone

B. Don't be a dog in the manger

C. The early bird gets the worm

D. Once bitten, twice shy

61. Mr and Mrs Smith had a quarrel. Their friend, Mr Brown, went to talk to them. When he came back, he told his wife that he had been trying to help the Smiths by ________.

A. pouring oil on troubled waters

B. getting blood out of a stone

C. being a dog in the manger

D. saying the early bird gets the worm

62. Mrs Chen wanted to buy a new dress. Her husband suggested that she buy it from a shop near their home. Mrs Chen disagreed because she had been cheated by that shop. Then she said, " ________."

A. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

B. I don't want to be a dog in the manger

C. Once bitten, twice shy

D. Too many cooks spoil the broth

63. Mr Brown had quite a good job in Hong Kong but he thought that if he went to Singapore he might get a much better job with more money and a large house. His wife did not want him to leave his job in Hong Kong and she reminded him that ________.

A. a bird in the hand was worth two in the bush

B. too many cooks spoiled the broth

C. he couldn't get blood out of a stone

D. he shouldn't pour oil on troubled waters

The financial climate, the job market, family tensions, Obama moving into the Lincoln bedroom. Even the climate’s getting in on the list. Yup, change is everywhere in 2009.

If you’re not careful, all kinds of strange things might happen in your otherwise ordered life, so it’s best to work at avoiding change whenever it rears its head.(抬头)

Here are 5 ways to do just that:

Imagine if everyone went around listening to what they really wanted and acted on it - chaos.

No, best to ignore it and carry on with what you’re doing.

64．The purpose of writing this passage is _______.

 A．to attract the readers’ interest in change in 2009    

B．to introduce ways to avoid change in 2009

C．to discuss whether people should change in 2009       

D．to tell the readers the news of American New President－ Obama

65．Supposing you are safe, warm and comfortable now, you should _______.

A．set your expectations low       B．keep on running and don’t look back 

C．ignore any opportunities        D．ignore that little voice inside

66．The underlined sentence “You don’t want to bite off more than you can chew” implies_____.

A．you are too small to eat too much food.

B．you have big challenges to fight.

C．you are afraid of challenging some difficult tasks.

D．there are some big challenges you can’t fight.

67．The best way of dealing with that little voice inside is _______.

A．to change something at once                         B．to have a chat with the speaker

C．to ignore it and go on with what you are doing    D．to discuss it with the trouble maker

C
The financial climate, the job market, family tensions, Obama moving into the Lincoln bedroom. Even the climate's getting in on the list. Yup, change is everywhere in 2009. If you're not careful, all kinds of strange things might happen in your otherwise ordered life, so it's best to work at avoiding change whenever it rears its head(出现).
Here are 5 ways to do just that:

1．Ignore any opportunities How many times have you taken a chance, only for things to go wrong? How many times have you seized an opportunity only/'or it to slip between your fingers? There's always another mess waiting for you, so it's better to stay right where you are. Where you are right now is a known quantity－it's safe, warm and comfortable. Doesn't that sound better than going out there, messing up and looking stupid?

2．Set your expectations low If you're one of the people out there looking to make a change in 2009 rather than having change made for you, you'd better set your expectations low.

3．Keep on running and don't look back The best thing to do is to set things out so that you can do everything. It's good to be busy and running around after everyone else will mean that everyone's happy and there's no room for change to happen. It's a win－win!

4．Recognize that most changes are too big Face it; there are some tasks you're just not up to. Landing that exciting new job, getting a promotion, taking on the 'big project' or building a relationship that really works－these are all big challenges and you don't want to bite off more than you can chew.

5．Ignore that little voice inside You might sometimes hear a little voice in your head that tells you you're not happy or that something has to change. This little trouble maker can speak up at any time and throw the Spanner of Confusion in the works, and it has only one thing on its mind－to take you out of your comfort zone and make you change.