What is an idiom? An idiom is a group of words which, when used together, has a different meaning from the one which the individual words have. For example, “---How do you know that Sid and Nancy have separated ?” “---I heard it on the grapevine(葡萄藤)”.
Of course, the second speaker does not mean he heard the news about John by putting his ear to a grapevine! He is conveying the idea visually of information spreading around a widespread network, similar to a grapevine. We use idioms to express something that other words do not express as clearly or as cleverly. We often use an image or symbol to describe something as clearly as possible and thus make our point as effectively as possible. For example, "in a nutshell" suggests the idea of having all the information contained within very few words. Idioms tend to be informal and are best used in spoken rather than written English.
One of the best ways to learn an idiom is by looking at the context in which it is used. This can be done by concentrating on the rest of the sentence and try to guess the meaning. Many idioms are not that difficult to understand when considered in their context. For example: We are going to have a surprise party for Tom tomorrow. It's a secret so please don't let the cat out of the bag.
'Let the cat out of the bag' is an idiom. Imagine you don't know what this idiom means; by looking at the words preceding, it should be easy to guess that the speaker does not want you to tell Tom about the surprise party. Therefore, 'let the cat out of the bag' must mean something like' reveal a secret' or 'tell a secret'.Which of the following sentences is NOT similar to “I heard it on the grapevine. ” in figures of speech(在修辞方面)？
| A．The exam was a piece of cake. |
| B．You will be paid under the table. |
| C．You eat with that mouth? |
| D．It rained cats and dogs yesterday. |
“I was feeling under the weather so I went to see a doctor.” The underlined idiom means____.
| A．blue | B．homesick | C．unhappy | D．ill |
It is most probable that idioms will be seen______.
| A．in a paper | B．in an preface(序言) | C．in a notice | D．in online chatting |
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
| A．Other words can express something as vividly as idioms. |
| B．Written English with spoken English does not use idioms at all. |
| C．There are plant, food, animal idioms used to express something. |
| D．Contexts play not a bit important part in guessing the meaning of idioms. |
C
The number of speakers of English in Shakespeare’s time is estimated (估计) to have been about five million. Today it is estimated that some 260 million people speak it as a native language, mainly in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. In addition to the standard varieties of English found in these areas, there are a great many regional and social varieties of the language as well as various levels of usage that are employed both in its spoken and written forms.
In fact, it is impossible to estimate the number of people in the world who have acquired an adequate (足够的) working knowledge of English in addition to their own languages. The purpose for English learning and the situations in which such learning takes place are so varied that it is difficult to explain and still more difficult to judge what forms an adequate working knowledge for each situation.
The main reason for the widespread demand for English is its present-day importance as a world language. Besides serving the indefinite needs of its native speakers, English is a language in which some of important works in science, technology, and other fields are being produced, and not always by native speakers. It is widely used for such purposes as meteorological and airport communications, international conferences, and the spread of information over the radio and television networks of many nations. It is a language of wider communication for a number of developing countries, especially former British colonies. Many of these countries have multilingual populations and need a language for internal communication in such matters as government, commerce, industry, law and education as well as for international communication and for entrance to the scientific and technological developments in the West.
65. What would be the best title for this passage?
A. The Difficulties of Learning English B. International Communications
C. The Standard Varieties of English D. English as a World Language
66. Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. Some 260 million people in the world have an adequate working knowledge of English.
B. There are some 260 million native speakers of English in the world.
C. It is almost impossible to estimate the number of people with an adequate working knowledge of English.
D. People learn English for a variety of reasons.
67. What forms an adequate working knowledge of English?
A. The ability to read a newspaper.
B. It is difficult to judge because it differs for each situation.
C. Being a multilingual.
D. Being a native speaker.
68. What type of developing countries would be most likely to use English?
A. Those geographically close to the United States.
B. Those interested in the culture of the United States.
C. Former colonies of Great Britain.
D. Countries where international conferences are held.
B
After the American Revolution won in 1787, the new government in the U.S.A. had to choose a capital city. The thirteen states quarreled about this. So the government decided to build a completely new capital. The land on the River Potomac was given the name District of Columbia (D.C). The new Capital was built on the north bank of the river. It was named after George Washington, the president of the U.S.A.
Washington D. C., a government city, is an important cultural (文化) center as well as a big tourist (游览) center.
Most capital cities have simply grown from small cities. Washington, however was planned as the capital of a great nation. It was designed by a French artist who first made a study of many capital cities of Europe. In general, his plan followed the plan of the beautiful French city of Versailles (凡尔赛).
61. When the new capital was built , America was made up of ____ states.
A. thirteen B. thirty C. fifty D. fifteen
62. Washington D.C. is the name of _______.
A. an American president B. America’s capital
C. a famous river D. a beautiful garden city
63. According to the passage we can conclude that America’s capital_____.
A. lies in the center on the country B. came from a small city
C. was built by French workers D. lies on the River Potomac
64. According to the passage we can infer that Washington D.C. is the center of America’s ______.
A. economy (经济), sports and culture B. culture, traveling and sports
C. politics, culture and traveling D. politics, culture and economy
三
、阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
请阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选题，并在答题卡上将该选项的标号涂黑。
A
Every student can learn rope jumping.
You can jump alone or with your classmate. You can also help turn a long rope for many others to jump over, one at a time. If you jump alone, you will need a short rope and it will be just enough for your height. Try ropes of different lengths until you find a right one for your size.
A rope should be turned slowly. It must also he turned high enough to let you jump freely and safely. Turning the rope freely and safely needs careful timing. In rope jumping, timing means turning the rope slowly enough for you to jump over at the right time without its striking your feet.
When you jump rope, your heart beats faster and your face has a healthy color. But if you jump too many times at first, you will get fired. You must learn when to stop for a rest before you jump again, If you practice, you can increase the number of limes you jumpers without resting.
56. This passage is about _______.
A. a game B. a rope C. rope jumpers D. careful timing
57. How many people can join in rope jumping?
A. One alone. B. Two. C. One or more. D. Two or more.
58. The word “one” in the last sentence of the first paragraph means _______.
A. man B. rope C. thing D. size
59. Before you do rope jumping, you must _______.
A. fined a good player B. tries whether the rope will be right for you
C. stops to rest for an hour D. tries whether the rope will be strong enough
60. Which of the following is true?
A. A rope must be turned as slowly as possible.
B. A rope must be turned as high as possible.
C. People can do rope jumping without resting.
D. Careful timing is needed to turn a rope.
E
The impression you make at the beginning of an interview is very important. Employers often decide to hire someone in the first three minutes of the interview. They judge you by your appearance，attitude (态度)and manners.
A friendly smile when you walk into the room is important. A smile shows a confident（自信的）and positive attitude.
When you introduce yourself，make eye contact with the interviewer. Some interviewers offer a handshake. Others don’t.
Try to be as natural as possible. But pay attention to your body language. The way you sit，walk，gesture，use your voice and show feelings on your face is all part of your body language. It makes the interviewer know how you feel about yourself and the situation you are in. Are you feeling positively about yourself? Your abilities? Your interest in the job?
Speak clearly and loudly enough. Show interest and enthusiasm in your voice. When you speak，look at the interviewer. Also，don’t say negative things about yourself，or former employer.
Listen to questions carefully. If you don’t understand a question，ask the interviewer to repeat or explain：
“I’m sorry，but I didn’t catch that.”
“I’m not sure exactly what you mean.”
Almost everyone is nervous in a job interview. Interviewers know that. They don’t expect you to be totally calm and relaxed. But they expect you to try to control your nervousness. They expect you to show confidence in your ability to do the job.
At the end of the interview，thank the interviewer for her or his time.
It’s a good idea to send a short thank-you letter right after the interview，or deliver it by hand.
Phone the company if you have not heard anything after one week. Ask if they have made a decision about the job.
Good luck！
72. It can be inferred from the passage that______.
A. you should always put on a smile when meeting the employer
B. you should stand still with respect before the employer
C. the first impression is very important in an interview
D. employers understand and like employees’ nervousness
73. Why should we pay attention to our body language?
A. Because it can help us win the employer’s positive impression.
B. Because it can help us feel about the employer.
C. Because it is needed by our employer.
D. Because we need it to improve our feelings.
74. The main purpose of the passage is______.
A. to give you some advice on the art of finding a job
B. to tell right from wrong about job interviews
C. to explain why we should do something about an interview
D. to suggest not being shy in an interview
75. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
A. A Friendly Smile B. Making a Good Expression
C. Don’t Be Nervous D. Sending a Thank-You Letter
D
People believes that climbing can do good to health. Where can you learn the skill of climbing then? If you think that you have to go to the mountains to learn how to climb, you’re wrong. Many Americans are learning to climb in city gyms (体育馆). Here, people are learning onclimbing. The climbing wall goes straight up and small holding places for hands and feet.
How do people climb the wall? To climb, you need special shoes and (保护带) around your chest to hold you. There are ropes (绳索) tied to your. The ropes hold you in place so that you don’t fall. A beginner’s wall is usually about 15 feet high, and you climb straight up. There are small pieces of metal that stick out for you to stand on and hold on to. Sometimes it’s easy to see the new piece of metal. Sometimes, it’s not. The most difficult is your fear. It’s normal for humans to be afraid of falling, so it’s difficult not to feel fear. But when you move away from the wall, the ropes hold you, and you begin to feel safe. You move slowly until you reach the top.
Climbing attracts people because it’s good exercise for almost everyone. You use your whole body, especially your arms and legs. This sport gives your body a complete workout. When you climb, both your mind and your body can become stronger.
68. What can we infer from the passage?
A. People are fairly interested in climbing nowadays.
B. It is impossible to build up one’s body by climbing.
C. People can only learn the skill of climbing outdoors.
D. It is always easy to see holding places in climbing.
69. The most difficult thing to do in wall climbing is _______.
A. to tie ropes to your B. to control your fear
C. to move away from the wall D. to climb straight up
70. The word “workout” underlined in the last paragraph most probably means _________.
A. settlement B. exercise C. excitement D. tiredness
71. Why does the author write this passage?
A. To tell people where to find gyms.B. To prove the basic need for climbing
C. To encourage people to climb mountains. D. introduce the sport of wall climbing