Below is adapted from an English dictionary
| figure/fīg ə / noun, verb ●noun 1. [C, often pl.] a number representing particular amount, especially one given in official information: the trade /sales figures 2. [C] a symbol rather than a word representing one of the numbers between 0 and 9: a six-figure salary 3. [pl] (informal) the area of mathematics that deals with adding, multiplying, etc 4. a person of the type mentioned: Gandhi was both a political and a religious figure in Indian history. 5. the shape of a person seen from a distance or not clearly 6. a person or an animal as shown in art or a story: a wall with five carved figures in it 7. [C] the human shape, considered from the point of view of being attractively thin: doing exercise to improve one’s figure 8. [C] a pattern or series of movements performed on ice: figure-skating [IDM] be/become a figure of fun: be/become sb. that others laugh at cut a…figure: (of a person) to have a particular appearance He cut a striking figure in his dinner jacket. put a figure on sth.: to say the exact price or number of sth. |
a fine figure of man/woman: a tall, strong-looking and well-shaped person figure of speech: a word or phrase used in a different way from its usual meanings in order to create a particular mental image or effect figurehead: someone who is the head or chief in name only (with no real power or authority) ●verb 1. to think or decide that sth. will happen or is true: I figured that if I took the night train, I could be in Scotland by morning. 2. to be part of a process, situation, etc. especially an important part: My opinion of the matter didn’t seem to figure at all. 3. to calculate an amount or the cost of sth.: We figured that attendance at 150,000. [PHRV] 1. figure in: to include (in a sum): Have you figured in the cost of hotel? 2. figure on: to plan on; to expect sth. to happen: I haven’t figured on his getting home too late. 3. figure out: to work out; understand by thinking: Have you figured out how much the trip will cost? [IDM] It/That figures! (informal): That seems reasonable, logical and what I expect. |
I didn’t really mean my partner is a snake; it was just a ______.
| A．figure of eight | B．figure head | C．figure of speech | D．a fine figure |
—She was coming late again.
—______! That’s typical of her.
| A．It figures her out | B．It figures | C．It cuts a poor figure | D．She is a figure of fun |
What does “watch my figure” in the sentence “Don’t tempt me with chocolate; I am watching my figure.” mean?
| A．add the numbers | B．have sports | C．try not to get fat | D．watch games |
No one can figure out the reasons for the Poland president plane crash in 2010. Here figure out means:_________
| A．watch out | B．work out | C．understand well | D．break out |
—Promise you don’t wear this kind of clothes? People will play a joke on you.
—I don’t care whether I am________. I just want to keep warm.
| A．a figure of fun | B．a healthy figure | C．a figure head | D．a bad figure |
Pasta is the world’s favorite food. Asurveytaken in 17 countriesconfirmedthat pasta is what people like to eat most. Not only is pasta the number one food in its home country -Italy, but is alsoenjoyedin faraway places like the Philippines, Mexico andSouth Africa.
Pasta has become popular, for one thing, because it is cheap and easy to prepare. Just cook noodles or other forms of pasta, make a sauce to go with it and you’re finished. Many different types of meals can becreatedwith pasta. It tastes good and fills your stomach. It produces energy in the form ofcarbohydrates(碳水化合物)， which is whyathleteseat pasta regularly. Pasta can also be kept for a longer time. You don’t have to use it up at once.
Pasta has also become popular because it stands for the Italian way of life. People all over the world like it because it’s so simple. It has two basic ingredients(成分), wheatand water, just like bread.
Legend has itthat Marco Polo brought pasta back to Italy with him but this is not true. Arabs probably brought a noodle-likedishtoSicilyin the 8th century. Farmers have been growing wheat, the mainingredientof pasta, there for ages.
The worldwide sales of pasta have risen sharply over the past decade. Italy leads the pasta-eatingcommunityof the world. The Italians are the number one consumers followed by Venezuela and Tunisia.In which country do people eat pasta most?
| A．Mexico | B．Venezuela | C．The Philippines | D．South Africa |
Sports people often have pasta because_________.
| A．it costs less money |
| B．it can be kept longer |
| C．it provides proper energy |
| D．it contains no carbohydrates |
One reason why pasta is favored is that_______.
| A．people like a simple lifestyle |
| B．it smells just like bread |
| C．it is rich in nutrition |
| D．Italian food stands for fansition. |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A．The origin of pasta |
| B．Italians’ love for pasta |
| C．Pasta is changing people’s way of life |
| D．Pasta—the world’s favorite food |
International students studying in the UK
The UK has a long history of welcoming international students to study in its universities and colleges. In the UK last year there were over 104,000 international students. Choosing which university or college to go to was like a life-changing decision. Do as much research as possible so that you choose the right course for the right reason.
How to apply for higher education
All applications for higher education courses are made using our online application system, which is available 24 hours a day. You fill in the application form online and it does not need to be completed all at once. Please see the When to Apply page to check the dates by which we should receive your completed application.
Choosing a higher education course to study
Try to do a lot of research when deciding which courses to apply for. You will probably want to find out even more before you accept an offer of a place on a course. When you accept an offer of a place, make sure that all of your questions have been answered. Ask teachers if there is anything to prepare before the course starts. They may suggest that you look at certain books on the course reading list or that you improve your computer skills.
Other help and advice
Unistats is a website that can help you to research subjects and universities before deciding where to apply. You can compare subjects, compare universities and explore useful information about getting a job after graduation. Unistats has statistical (统计的) information on universities, colleges, subjects and teaching style.
Yougo is a student-only networking site where you can meet other applicants online and talk about what you hope to study and the university you hope to attend.
If you have any questions, please call us at 0044-330-333-0230.One who wants to get into a university in the UK________.
| A．must have a good reason to study abroad |
| B．can make an application on the Internet |
| C．should create more learning programs |
| D．will be asked to send a plan to a teacher |
We can learn from the passage that it is a wise idea to ________.
| A．learn basic computer skills in the UK when possible |
| B．get to know as many teachers as possible in the UK |
| C．do much research before choosing a college major |
| D．borrow certain books before going abroad to study. |
Unistats is a website that works to help students ________.
| A．select the best university and subject |
| B．meet other teenage students online |
| C．study further after finishing a course |
| D．compare colleges at home and abroad |
What’s the author’s purpose in writing this passage?
| A．To give information about higher education in the UK. |
| B．To describe the types of universities across the UK. |
| C．To introduce the UK education system to students. |
| D．To attract international students to study in the UK. |
A woman was waiting at an airport one night, with several long hours before her flight. She bought a book and a bag of cookies in the airport shop, and found a place to drop.
She was interested in her book, but the man sitting beside her grabbed a cookie or two from the bag in between, which she tried to ignore to avoid an argument.
So she ate the cookies noisily and watched the clock, as the cookie thief diminished (使……变少) her stock. She was getting angrier as the minutes passed, thinking,“Oh, brother, if I wasn’t so nice, I would blacken your eyes.”
With each cookie she took, he took one, too. When only one was left, she wondered what he would do. With a smile on his face, he took the last cookie and broke it in half. He offered her half, and he ate the other. She got it from him and thought, “ This guy has some nerve (胆量) and he’s also rude. Why didn’t he even show any gratitude?”
She had never known when she had been so angry. She gathered her bag and headed for the gate, refusing to look back at the thieving ingrate (忘恩负义者).
She boarded the plane and then she sought her book, which was almost complete. As she reached in her bag, she was shocked— there was her bag of cookies. “If mine are here,” she thought, “the others were his. It’s too late to apologize.”Why did the woman ignore it when she found the man eating the cookies?
| A．She didn’t want to get into an argument. |
| B．She was full of pity for the man. |
| C．The man was dangerous and brave. |
| D．She was too careless to notice it. |
When offered her half of the last cookie, the woman______.
| A．felt a bit disappointed. |
| B．felt deeply thankful. |
| C．considered the man unthankful. |
| D．saw the man as his brave brother. |
We can infer that the man________.
| A．might have returned the bag of cookies secretly. |
| B．tried to share his cookies with the woman. |
| C．was thankful for the woman’s kindness. |
| D．was really a thief. |
Hello! My name is Lisa, and I am a lioness. I live on the open grasslands of Africa with my family. Lions living in a group are called a pride.
My father is strong and powerful. He and his cousin are the leaders of our pride. The other members are my mother, her sisters, and their children.
The area where a pride lives is big! We roar (咆哮) to tell each other where we are and to warn strangers to stay away.
Meet my new baby brother. His name is Leon. See the spots on his fur? We lions are born spotted or striped (有条纹的). As we grow older, the spots gradually disappear.
Lionesses usually spend their entire lives with their birth pride, but Leon will leave when he is about three years old. He’ll run around with a male (雄性的) friend or relative for a few years until they take over a pride of their own.
But for now, we have lots of fun together. We often play and fight for hours, which can help us practice skills that we will need for hunting. )
We lions keep ourselves very clean. Just like a house cat, I clean my fur (毛with my tongue. We clean for each other, too, to show we’re friends.
Lions like to sleep for most of the day. We hunt in the cool evening. Female (雌性的) lions hunt more often than male lions. We work together as a team. At the right moment, we attack and kill our prey. Then we share it. Male lions usually eat first. Females eat next. Baby lions are the last to eat. The smallest one gets the least food.
Since we are full, it’s time to go to find a nice place for a sleep. Bye!Lisa in this passage is the name of _____.
| A．a girl | B．a male lion | C．a female lion | D．a pride |
According to the passage, Leon _____.
| A．hunts more often than his sisters |
| B．will have spots on his fur for the whole of his life |
| C．will leave his birth pride when he is about three |
| D．will take over his birth pride when his father dies |
The underlined word “prey” in the passage probably means _____.
| A．the animal that is hunted | B．the animal that is dangerous |
| C．the animal that is powerful | D．the animal that is ill |
The passage is written for _____.
| A．doctors | B．tourists | C．children | D．hunters |
One day a student was taking a walk with his teacher. As they went along, they saw a pair of old shoes lying in the path. They were a poor farmer’s, who was working in the nearby field.
The student turned to the teacher, saying: “we will hide his shoes, and hide ourselves behind those trees, and wait to see what he will do.”
“My young friend,” answered the teacher, “we should never make fun of the poor. Why not put a coin in each shoe, and then we will hide ourselves and watch?” The student did so and they both hid themselves behind the trees. The poor man soon finished his work, and came across the field to the path where he had left his coat and shoes.
After putting on his coat, he put his foot into one of his shoes, and felt something hard. Then he bent (弯腰) down to feel what it was, and found the coin. Surprised, he looked at the coin, turned it around and looked at it again. He then looked around, but no person was seen. He put the money into his pocket, and continued to put on the other shoe. His surprise was doubled on finding the other coin.
He couldn’t control his feelings and fell to his knees, looked up to the sky and expressed his thanks. Then he spoke of his wife, sick and helpless, and his children without bread. He said the help would save them from dying.
The student stood there deeply moved, and his eyes filled with tears. “Now,” said the teacher, “are you not much happier than if you had hidden the shoes?”When the student saw the shoes, he wanted to _____.
| A．steal them | B．find their owner |
| C．play a joke on the owner | D．give the owner some money |
According to the passage, the teacher is _____.
| A．quiet and honest | B．kind and friendly |
| C．patient and clever | D．strict and careful |
At the end of the story, the student _____.
| A．was very proud of himself |
| B．was very pleased with his life |
| C．felt very sorry about his first idea |
| D．felt sad for not taking his teacher’s advice |