Expressions about water are almost as common as water itself. But many of the expressions using water have unpleasant meanings.
The expression “to be in hot water” is one of them. It is a very old expression. “Hot water” was used 500 years ago to mean being in trouble. One story says it got that meaning from the custom of throwing extremely hot water down on enemies attacking a castle.
That no longer happens. But we still get in “hot water”. When we are in “hot water”, we are in trouble. It can be any kind of trouble---serious or not so serious. A person who breaks a law can be in hot water with the police. A young boy can be in hot water with his mother if he walks in the house with dirty shoes.
Being in “deep water” is almost the same as being in hot water. When you are in deep water, you are in a difficult position. Imagine a person who cannot swim being thrown in water over his head. You are in deep water when you are facing a problem that you do not have the ability to solve. You can be in deep water, for example, if you invest in stocks without knowing anything about the stock market.
“To keep your head above water” is a colorful expression that means staying out of debt. A company seeks to keep its head above water during economic hard times. A man who loses his job tries to keep his head above water until he finds a new job.
“Water over the dam” is another expression about a past event. It is something that is finished. It cannot be changed. The expression comes from the idea that water that has flowed over a dam cannot be brought back again.
Another common expression, “to hold water”, is about the strength or weakness of an idea or opinion that you may be arguing about. It probably comes from a way of testing the condition of a container. If it can hold water, it is strong and has no holes in it. If your argument can hold water, it is strong and does not have any holes. If it does not hold water, then it is weak and not worth debating.
“Throwing cold water” also is an expression that deals with ideas or proposals. It means that one doesn’t like an idea. For example, you want to buy a new car because the old one has some problems. But your wife throws cold water on the idea because she says a new car costs too much.
This is our Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. It was written by Marilyn Christiano. I’m Rich Kleinfeldt. See you next time.According to the passage, expressions about water __________.
A.are very common | B.have unpleasant meanings |
C.are very interesting | D.are easy to understand |
The expression “hot water” _________.
A.is not used nowadays | B.has a long history |
C.means arguing with others | D.only means serious trouble |
Which of the following expressions have the similar meaning?
A.“Throwing cold water” and “deep water” |
B.“Hot water” and “water over the dam” |
C.“Deep water” and “water over the dam” |
D.“Hot water” and “deep water” |
If you signed an agreement with Tom yesterday and want to change it now, Tom may say “_______”.
A.You should keep your head above water |
B.You can’t throw cold water |
C.It is water over the dam |
D.Don’t be in deep water |
What would be the best title for the passage?
A.Water | B.Expressions about water |
C.Several common expressions | D.Water and everyday English |
Perhaps the most famous theory, the study of body movement, was suggested by Professor Ray Birdwhistell. He believes that physical appearance is often culturally programmed.In other words, we learn our looks ---- we are not born with them.A baby has generally unformed face features.A baby, according to Birdwhistle, learns where to set the eyebrows by looking at those around family and friends.This helps explain why the people of some areas of the United States look so much alike, New Englanders or Southerners have certain common face features that cannot be explained by genetics(遗传学).The exact shape of the mouth is not set at birth, it is learned after.In fact, the final mouth shape is not formed until well after new teeth are set.For many, this can be well into grown-ups.A husband and wife together for a long time often come to look somewhat alike.We learn our looks from those around us.This is perhaps why in a single country there are areas where people smile more than those in other areas.In the United States, for example, the South is the part of the country where the people smile most frequently.In New England they smile less, and in the western part of New York State still less.Many Southerners find cities such as New York cold and unfriendly, partly because people on Madison Avenue smile less than people on Peachtree Street in Atlanta. People in largely populated areas also smile and greet each other in public less than people in small towns do.
60.Ray Birdwhistle believes physical appearance
A.has little to do with culture. B.has much to do with culture.
C.is ever changing. D.is different from place to place
61.According to the passage, the final mouth shape is formed
A.before birth. B.as soon as one's teeth are newly set.
C.sometime after new teeth are set. D.around 15 years old.
62.Ray Birdwhistle can tell what area of the United States a person is from by
A.how much he or she smiles. B.how he or she raises his or her eyebrows.
C.what he or she likes best. D.the way he or she talks.
63.This passage might have been taken out of a book dealing with.
A.physics B.chemistry C.biology D.none of the above
第三部分:阅读理解(共20小题,每题2分,满分40分)
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出最佳选项。
The United States has introduced a new and comprehensive (综合的) exam for students who seek to study in American and other English – speaking countries, Xinhua News Agency reported from New York. The exam, which stands for a great change from the current English level test, was disclosed by Theresa Changwhei Jen, associate director of the International Service of the US college Board, America's leading educational organization.
The Advanced Placement International English Language (APIEL) will be offered throughout the world on May 10, 2002, said Jen.
However, the APIEL is a strange title to most Chinese students, and it is unlikely to soon gain the similarity of other already existing exams, such as the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), the GRE (Graduate Record Examination), or the IELTS(International English Language Testing System).
“I have never heard of such a test and I would prefer the IELTS if I need another exam,” said Xu Jingyan, a graduating student from Beijing University of Aeronsutics and Astronautics, who wants to study in England and has already taken the TOEFL.
Most of Xu's classmates have never heard of the APIEL. “The APIEL is designed for international students who wish to get university studies in English-speaking countries, including the United States, Britain, Canada, and Australia.” said Jen.
The APIEL has been adopted, said Jen, because the TOEFL can no longer accurately reflect the abilities of students to use the English language comprehensively in an academic environment. Xinhua reported that a fairly large number of foreign students who earned high scores in TOEFL exam turned out to be very ordinary educational performers after admission.
Compared with the TOEFL, the APIEL measures a student's ability to read, write, speak and understand English through testing his or her skills in listening comprehension, speaking with accuracy (精确) and resourcefulness, and writing with clarity and fluency (流畅), Jen said.
56.The United States will introduce a new exam because .
A.more and more students want to get further education in the USA
B.the Chinese people pay special attention to English studies with China's entry into the WTO
C.the already existing exam systems seem to be far from perfect
D.it will bring the US government quite a lot of money
57.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A.It will take quite a period of time for people to accept the APIEL.
B.The TOEFL is better than the IELTS.
C.A student will have to take the APIEL if he or she wants to study in English-speaking countries from 2004.
D.Chinese students will prefer the IELTS rather than the APIEL even in the future.
58.The underlined word current in the second paragraph means .
A.modern B.present C.standard D.formal
59.Please decide which of the following would be the best title for this news report.
A.The Key to English-speaking Countries
B.The Four Skills in Learning English
C.TOEFL, IELTS and GRE to be Out of Date
D.New Exam Designed for Students
Level 2 first aid in one day
The name of the course |
Course in first aid (2) —apply first aid |
The aim of the course |
To develop people’s ability and confidence in providing emergency first aid. |
The requirement for age |
Be at least fourteen years old. |
The contents of the course |
Apply first aid management skills to burns. Describe the recognition and management of bleeding and wounds. Apply first aid management skills to bone injuries. Manage emergency situations. Apply first aid management skills to bites, stings and poisoning. Manage severe illnesses. Describe the recognition and management of facial injury. Describe the structure and the function of the human body. Apply first aid management skills chest, hand and head injuries. |
The requirements for successful course completion |
Attend all parts of the course. Actively take part in group activities and discussions in the training program. Successfully complete either a written test; demonstrate(演示)practical use of skills or answer questions one by one by the end of the course. |
Course length |
1.5 to 2 hours online quiz. About 7 hours’ face-to-face lecture. |
Places |
In our training rooms. On the spot. |
Class size |
Mini: 10 people. Maximum: 20 people |
72.The whole course lasts at least.
A.7 hours B.7.5 hours C.8 hours D.8.5 hours
73.Which of the following is TRUE of the course?
A.One must get required marks for the course.
B.One’s performance in the class will be very important.
C.One must have given first aid before.
D.One must pass a written test and an online quiz.
74.What can we infer from the passage?
A.People don’t need to learn all the contents of the course.
B.Few people will be interested in the course.
C.The course is a short-term training program.
D.Students can choose their lessons as they like.
75.Who are the intended readers of the passage?
A.Children and parents. B.Teenagers and adults.
C.Teenagers only. D.Adults only.
For better health, many people turn to doctors or self-help books.But they don’t realize that their friends could help them fight illness and sadness, slow aging and help them live a longer life.Researchers are only now starting to pay attention to the importance of friendship in whole health.A 10-year Australian study found that old people with a large circle of friends were 22 percent less likely to die during the study than those with fewer friends.
“In general, the role of friendship in our lives isn’t well appreciated,” said Rebecca G.Adams, a professor of the University of North Carolina.“Friendship has a bigger influence on us than family relationships.” Why friendship has such a big effect isn’t clear.While friends can pick up medicine for a sick person, the advantages go well beyond physical help.
Last year, researchers studied 34 students at the University of Virginia, taking them to the foot of a steep(陡峭的)hill and fitting them with a heavy backpack.They were then asked to estimate the steepness of the hill.Some of them stood next to their friends during the research, while others were alone.The students who stood with their friends judged the hill to be lower than the hills in other students’ eyes.And the longer the friends had known each other, the less steep the hill appeared.
“People with stronger friendship feel like there is someone they can turn to,” said Karen A Roberto, director of the medical center at Virginia Tech.“Friendship is a great resource, but many people don’t realize it.The message of these studies is that friends make your life better.”
64.We can learn from Paragraph 1 that.
A.friends could take the place of doctors and medicine
B.researchers have studied the importance of friendship for a long time
C.people with few friends usually die at a young age
D.people with many friends can live longer
65.Which of the following is RTUE of Professor Adams?
A.She thinks friends affect us more than family members.
B.She likes making friends with different people.
C.She advises people to choose a close friend.
D.She knows the role of friendship in her life.
66.The underlined word “estimate” in Paragraph 3 means “ ”.
A.judge B.find C.learn D.imagine
67.What’s the best title for the passage?
A.How to keep healthy B.How to make friends
C.The importance of friendship D.The meaning of real friends
When the school year starts, it can be difficult to get up early.After a few early mornings, extreme tiredness might make you feel like you’re going to fall over.The amazing thing is that you probably manage to stay awake all day long and into the night.But how?
A chemical in the brain called dopamine(多巴胺)might be part of the answer.According to new research, dopamine is what keeps people who don’t get enough sleep from conking out.The chemical also has a complicated influence on your ability to think and learn when you don’t get enough sleep.
To study sleep loss and its effect on the brain, scientists rounded up 15 healthy volunteers.The scientists tested each person’s memory and ability to pay attention twice: once after a good night’s sleep and once after being kept up all night long.During the tests, the scientists measured levels of dopamine in the brains of the volunteers.
The results showed that when the volunteers stayed up all night, dopamine levels increased in the brain.Higher levels of dopamine kept the volunteers awake even though they felt tired.Some people are amazingly able to think clearly and react quickly, even when they haven’t had much sleep.Other people have a really hard time paying attention when tired, and their reactions are slow.All of these may be related to the dopamine levels.However, the researchers found that higher levels of dopamine don’t remove the trouble people have thinking and learning while sleep-deprived (缺乏睡眠的).
60.The underlined phrase “conking out” in the second paragraph probably means.
A.staying awake B.falling asleep
C.paying attention D.falling over
61.With a higher level of dopamine, one.
A.will not dream dreams at night B.may have trouble in falling asleep
C.can still stay awake after staying up D.can do better in learning and working
62.We can infer from the last paragraph that.
A.not all people can react quickly after they stay up late
B.dopamine in our brain does not work when we are sleeping
C.lack of sleep has no influence on one’s learning and thinking ability
D.the higher the dopamine levels are, the more quickly one reacts
63.The passage is developed by.
A.setting up a point and discussing it
B.giving examples and drawing a conclusion
C.pointing out similarities and differences
D.showing a fact and explaining the cause