Many everyday American expressions are based on colors.
Red is a hot color. Americans often use it to express heat. They may say they are red hot about something unfair. When they are red hot they are very angry about something. The small hot tasting peppers found in many Mexican foods are called red hots for their color and their fiery taste.
Pink is a lighter kind of color. People sometimes say they are in the pink when they are in good health. It probably comes from the fact that many babies are born with a nice pink color that shows that they are in good health.
Blue is a cool color. The traditional blues music in the United States is the opposite of red hot music. Blues is slow, sad and soulful. Someone who is blue is very sad.
The color green is natural for trees and grass. But it is an unnatural color for humans. A person who has a sick stomach may say he feels a little green. A passenger on a boat who is feeling very sick from high waves may look very green. If a person is green at his job, he may be a newcomer and inexperienced. Sometimes a person may be upset because he does not have something as nice as a friend has, like a new sports car. That person may say he is green with envy. Some people are green with envy because their friend has more dollars.
The color black is used often in expressions. People describe a day in which everything goes wrong as a black day. The date of a major tragedy is remembered as a black day.
1.If a person feels blue, he is _____.
A. annoyed B. depressed C. stressed D. encouraged
2.If someone says “you are still green”, he probably means that _______.
A. you are very young B. you are in a bad mood C. you are inexperienced D. you are in good health
3.Which of the following statements is CORRECT according to the passage?
A. After two days’ rest, the soldiers were all in the pink.
B. They had a fierce quarrel so they all felt black about it.
C. David got hurt by a bike so his face looked blue.
D. When we meet something unfair, we feel very green.
4.What’s the main idea of the passage?
A. Different colors have different meanings.
B. What different colors stand for.
C. The story about different colors.
D. Colors used in American expressions.
A man accused of failing to return more than 700 children’s books to five different libraries in the county was released from prison after a book publisher agreed to post his bond (保释金) of $1,000. The publisher said, “There’s a story here. This is a man who loves books. He just can’t let go of them. He hasn’t stolen a single book. So what’s the crime? We think that Mr Barush has a story to tell. We plan to publish his story.”
When asked why he didn’t return the books, Mr Barush said, “Well, how could I? They became family to me. I was afraid to return them, because I knew that kids or dogs would get hold of these books and chew them up, throw them around, tear the pages, spill soda on them, get jam and jelly on them, and drown them in the toilet.”
He continued, “Books are people, too! They talk to you, they take care of you, and they enrich you with wisdom, humor and love. A book is a guest in my home. How could I kick it out? I repaired torn pages. I dusted them with a soft clean cloth. I turned their pages so they could breathe and get some fresh air.”
“Every week I reorganized them on their shelves so they could meet new friends. My books were HAPPY books. You could tell just by looking at them. Now they’re all back in the library, on the lower shelves, on the floors, at the mercy of all those runny-nosed kids. I can hear them calling me! I need to rescue them. Excuse me. I have to go now.”
1.Why was the man put into prison?
A. Because the book publisher persuaded the police to do so.
B. Because he stole 700 children’s books from the five different libraries.
C. Because he refused to return the books that he had borrowed.
D. Because he wanted to publish his story.
2.How did the man treat books?
A. He treated them as real people.
B. He treated them as his own children.
C. He treated them as his furniture.
D. He treated them as his job.
3.From the passage we can learn that the man is _____.
A. a thief B. a writer C. crazy about books D. unfortunate
4.What is mainly talked about in this passage?
A. A funny thief who loves stealing books.
B. A person who refuses to return borrowed books and wants to look after them.
C. A person who is crazy about books so he keeps stealing them from the library.
D. A person who may have some mental problems.
The British people are among the world’s greatest readers of newspapers．It’s been the custom ever since most people could read．
But why do people want to do nothing but read while traveling to work in a train? Perhaps they are tired, or else they sit behind a newspaper to shut themselves off from the world．All the same, most men would notice a woman struggling with a heavy case and jump up to help her and a pretty girl sitting opposite wouldn’t escape their attention either．In this case a paper is useful because they can have a good look at her from behind it without her knowing．Perhaps they do nothing but read．There are stories of girls and young men who met in the rush hours, got married, and went on traveling in the same train hand in hand．
1.The main idea of this passage is that______．
A．people in Britain are great newspaper readers
B．why people read newspaper when they travel by train
C．people do nothing but read in a train
D．when people go to work in a train, they do different things
2.According to this passage, reading newspaper______．
A．is a custom just among men who can read B．is something the British do only traveling in a train
C．is a daily activity most people enjoy D．can help people in many ways
3.A man might be reading a newspaper in a train for the following reasons except that ______．
A．he is trying to get some business news B．he wants to have a rest
C．he hopes to escape the attention of a pretty girl
D．he doesn’t want to talk with other people around him
4.The writer said that most men in the train would help a woman struggling with a heavy thing．The implication(含义) is that ______．
A．It is interesting for a man to help a woman in trouble
B．it is considered a man’s duty to offer help to a woman in need
C．the woman is too weak to carry a heavy case
D．men are often more interested in other things than reading newspapers, especially when women are in trouble
It was freezing outside my car and I did not want to get out of it. We were passing by a small shop when I noticed an old man 36 with cold. It was freezing that night. 37, here he was, seated in the corner, waiting for anyone who would give him a(n)38 coin or a cup of hot tea.
I asked my husband to go over and 39 a packet of biscuits to this old man. He looked into my husband’s face 40 and smiled. I felt so happy and 41 I prayed for him to live through the cold night.
I 42 to visit again and find out 43 he was the next day. I did so the next evening, and he was still there.44 my car, the old man came up to my 45 and smiled at me. I became 46 once more and this time I gave him a bag of food, which I brought with the 47 of finding him in the same spot. He 48 for the bag and I gave him my hand. He 49 my hand and said，“ May God bless you. Thanks for your help.” With his cap on his head and the 50 of his hand and the smile on his face, he 51 me of my father.
At a closer 52, I saw my father in this old man, waiting for anyone to show him some 53 or love. Maybe one day, it could 54 to one of us, so do not pass by a poor person without offering at least a word of 55 and a kind smile or an act kindness of any kind.
1.A. standing B. shaking C. walking D. crying
2. A. Therefore B. Finally C. Instead D. However
3. A. new B. extra C. single D. remaining
4. A. buy B. hand C. throw D. order
5.A. seriously B. angrily C. carefully D. gratefully
6.A. in fact B. in addition C. in turn D. in all
7.A. agreed B. promised C. managed D. decided
8.A. where B. what C. how D. whom
9.A. Recognizing B. Following C. Stopping D. Leading
10.A. place B. window C. way D. seat
11.A. nervous B. happy C. excited D. sad
12.A. hope B. aim C. plan D. idea
13.A. looked up B. stood up C. reached out D. set out
14.A. accepted B. pulled C. touched D. held
15.A. size B. warmth C. power D. shape
16.A. reminded B. informed C. told D. convinced
17.A. appearance B. look C. inspection D. survey
18.A. favor B. respect C. support D. mercy
19. A. go B. appear C. exist D. happen
20.A. romance B. admiration C. love D. passion
-- How do you find the dance music?.
-- .
A. My sister told me B. By surfing the internet C. Excellent D. By chance
If we hadn’t _________ energy, we would have won the match.
A. run out B. used up C. let out D. carried out
