Question

    People use languages to communicate. Any language has its ways to express people’s minds. One of the ways in common is the use of idioms. An idiom is a group of words. It has a special meaning that is different from the usual meaning. For example, under the weather is an idiom meaning ill. So when people say “I’m under the weather," they are saying that they’re not feeling well. Another example, in all weathers means in all kinds of weather. So, “There are homeless people sleeping on the streets in all weathers" tells us that homeless people sleep on the streets no matter whether it is cold or hot.

Different languages may have different ways to make idioms. For people who are learning a foreign language, idioms could cause misunderstandings and bring them endless headaches. On the other hand, if things are done right, idioms can also be a fun way of looking into a new culture and understanding how the people think and talk.

Metaphor (比喻) is often used in idioms. Let’s read the following two examples:

● It makes my blood boil (煮沸) when people litter.

● The night was dark and quiet; my blood ran cold when I heard a strange noise outside at dark night.

In neither situation above, our blood can reach the point so high or so low in temperature. Yet, with the situations the two sentences created, it is not difficult to work out the unhappy feelings of really angry in the first example and very afraid in the second.

Of course, not all idioms are this easy to understand. When we come to idioms of a foreign language, a good dictionary of idioms is always suggested.

1.This passage tells us something about __________ in the English language.

A.grammar B.writing C.reading D.idioms

2.If your brother breaks your computer, you can say to him, “__________.”

A.I’m under the weather B.I’m there in all weathers

C.You’ve made my blood boil D.My blood runs cold

3.What is the writer’s advice when you come to an expression like under the weather?

A.We should look it up in a good idiom dictionary.

B.We should try to express our minds with it.

C.We should find an interesting way to learn it.

D.We should create situations to guess its meaning.

Answer

1.D

2.C

3.A

【解析】

本文介绍了人们是用语言去交流，而习语是表达人们想法的一种方式，有的时候习语会引起误会，也会让人很头疼，但是另一方面，习语是了解一种新文化的有趣方式。

1.

主旨大意题。根据One of the ways in common is the use of idioms及下文的介绍，可知，本文是告诉我们英语中关于习语的一些知识。故选D。

2.

细节理解题。根据It makes my blood boil (煮沸) when people litter及it is not difficult to work out the unhappy feelings of really angry in the first example，可知，make my blood boil形容人在生气时的不愉快情绪，所以当你的哥哥弄坏你的电脑时，你一定是生气的，可以用make my blood boil表达。故选C。

3.

细节理解题。根据When we come to idioms of a foreign language, a good dictionary of idioms is always suggested，可知，当我们碰到一种外国语言的习语时，我们应该在一本好的习语字典里进行查阅。故选A。