Learning English grammar and English vocabulary can be hard enough, but trying to understand English sayings can be more difficult. Some are just hard to figure out and others don’t make any sense at all. Here are four funny English sayings that you can use every day.
I’m happy as a clam(蛤).
Think of a clam. It doesn’t have to do anything. It just sits on a beach or on the bottom of the ocean all day doing nothing. It never has to work. That sounds like happiness, doesn’t it? If someone asks, “How are you today?” you can answer “I am happy as a clam” to let him or her know what a great mood you are in.
I wouldn’t touch that (or him/her) with a ten-foot pole.
Maybe there is a person who you don’t want to be friends with or even talk to. Well, this saying means that you dislike him or her so much that you don’t want to touch or go near him or her, even within ten feet!
You don’t have a leg to stand on.
This saying doesn’t mean that the person you’re talking to has no legs. It means that his or her argument is incorrect. He or she doesn’t have a leg to stand on because he or she has no facts to support what he or she is saying. This saying is a good way to tell people that you think they’re wrong.
Break a leg!
This saying actually means the opposite of what it sounds like. If you tell this to a person, you’re wishing him or her good luck！The saying comes from a superstition(迷信) that whatever you say aloud, the opposite will come true.The first paragraph mainly tells us____________________.
| A．learning English grammar is hard |
| B．learning English vocabulary is hard |
| C．we should use English sayings every day |
| D．it can be harder to understand English sayings |
Which of the following is TRUE about a clam?
| A．It can be used to show happiness. | B．It needs to do many things. |
| C．It needs to eat a lot. | D．It can only live on the beach. |
The saying “I wouldn’t touch him with a ten-foot pole” means___________.
| A．I hate him. | B．I want him to be my friend. |
| C．I like him. | D．I want to argue with him. |
We can learn from the passage that______________________.
| A．the saying “You don’t have a leg to stand on” means someone loses his legs |
| B．the saying “Break a leg” means someone hurts his or her leg |
| C．if we say “Break a leg” to someone, we give him or her a good wish |
| D．if we say “I am ill” aloud, we will become healthy |
For hundreds of years, scientists have been trying to answer what things have an effect on people’s emotions (情感). How you feel is controlled by many things. Your emotions can be affected by your personality, by the actions of others and by events around you. Perhaps you don’t know your emotions can be influenced by the weather as well.
People often say they feel good when the sun is shining and sad when it is cloudy.In fact, sunlight makes us feel good.When sunlight hits our skins,our bodies produce a vitamin. Vitamins are natural chemicals(化学物质)which we all need to stay healthy.Sunlight helps our bodies produce vitamin D.Vitamin D helps our bodies make a special chemical.This special chemical affects our brains(大脑)and makes us feel happy.For example, there are long, dark winters of little sunlight in Sweden and Norway,so many peple in these countries often feel sad.Without much sunlight, their bodies produce less vitamin D.Without enough vitamin D, their bodies make less of this special chemical which makes them feel good.To help the people in these countries feel better,special “sunrooms”with artificial(人造的)lights have been built.People can go there and get “sunlight”for an hour or two!
The weather can also affect people’s emotions in other ways. Hot weather can make people angry because people feel uncomfortable when they are hot. In the same way, rain can make people angry because being wet can be unpleasant. As you can see, the weather can have an effect on the chemicals which control our brains. Through these ways, the weather can influence our emotions. Sadly, while the weather can change us, we can hardly change the weather.Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a factor (因素) that can affect one’s emotions?
| A．Weather. | B．Actions of others. |
| C．Personality. | D．Age. |
Which of the following is true about vitamin D according to the passage?
| A．It is a kind of artificial chemical. |
| B．It makes us worried by affecting our brains. |
| C．It is needed by us all to keep fit. |
| D．It is in the sunlight. |
What can we infer (推断) from the passage?
| A．We feel good when we are in the bright cool weather. |
| B．We will be happy when we are caught in the rain. |
| C．All people in Norway and Sweden feel sad in winter. |
| D．The more vitamin D you have, the happier you’ll be. |
What may be the best title for this passage?
A. Why Do We Feel Sad?
B. The Weather Influences People’s Emotions.
C. People Need More Vitamin D.
D. We Can Hardly Change the Weather.
You may not have heard the words “freshman fifteen” before, but they are very important for students who are entering university(大学). A freshman is a first-year college student. “Fifteen” means fifteen pounds---the fifteen pounds added to a student’s weight in his or her first year. There are a number of reasons why first-year university students gain(增加) weight; but it’s encouraging to know that freshmen don’t have to add these harmful fifteen pounds.
Mistakes choosing food
University kitchens serve(供应) many kinds of food. Some students choose unhealthy food, because now their patents are not nearby to help them choose. Some students visit the kitchen many times while studying. Late at night, some students get harmful fast food such as fish and chips with Coke to drink. Students also have less time for walking, running, and doing sports because of their schoolwork.
Eating right
If you’re careful, you don’t have to add fifteen pounds. Here are some ideas:
Think more about what you eat.
Eat plenty of vegetables and healthy meats.
Don’t eat desserts full of sugar; have fruit after dinner.
Try not to eat so much unhealthy food while you study.
It’s all right to have a little fast food sometimes---but not often.
Write down the foods you eat.
Walk, run, do sports---move and you will feel better!
Remember that the “freshman fifteen” can happen to anyone. Talk to your friends about it. Together, try to eat healthy food and not to eat unhealthy food. Walking, running, and playing sports is always more fun with friends. Help each other and you can have a healthy and happy freshman year.The “freshman fifteen” is _______.
| A．weight that high school students gain |
| B．weight that first-year university students can gain |
| C．fifteen pounds of food that first-year students eat |
| D．fifteen students who eat unhealthy food |
Which of these mistakes is not mentioned（提及）in the passage?
| A．Choosing unhealthy food. | B．Visiting the kitchen while studying. |
| C．Getting fast food at night. | D．Eating too much chocolate. |
Which of these ideas would the writer probably agree with?
| A．You’d better not eat unhealthy food. |
| B．Not eating unhealthy foods is easier with friends’ help. |
| C．Gaining fifteen pounds can help you study better. |
| D．Some students can eat anything they want. |
“My dear lady,” says Holmes. “You’re shaking. Are you cold? Do you want a cup of hot tea?”
“I’m not cold,” the woman replies, “I fear for my life!”
“We are here to help you. Don’t worry about anything. I don’t know you. But I know many things about you. For example, I know how you travel. You came to London by train. You also ride to the train station on a horse-drawn wagon(马车).”
“Why, yes. You’re right. But how do you know these things?”
“I see a return ticket in your glove. I see fresh mud(泥土) on the left arm of your dress. Now tell us your problem.”
“My name is Helen Stoner,” she states, “My mother and father are dead. I am living with my stepfather(继父), Dr Grimesby Roylott. He comes from a rich family. But they are no longer rich. They have nothing except a small piece of land and a big old house. We are living in the house. Dr Roylott is using my mother’s money for expenses(开支). Part of it was for my sister and me. It was for our marriages.”
Holmes is sitting in his chair. His eyes are closed. He is listening carefully to Helen’s story. He hears every detail.
Helen continues. “My stepfather has no friends. He fights with everyone. He is strong and gets angry quickly. Everyone is afraid of him.”
“He has no friends at all?” asks Holmes.
“No. He talks to no one except the gypsies（吉普赛人）. They are poor people who travel from place to place. A band of gypsies is staying on our land right now.”
“Are you and your sister afraid of the gypsies?”
“My dear Mr Holmes. You are making me so sad. My sister is dead. That is why I am standing here in this room.”Paragraph 6 beginning with “My name is …” is mostly about ________.
| A．Helen’s dead sister | B．Helen’s trip to London |
| C．the house Helen lives in | D．Helen’s stepfather and the family |
What is Holmes doing while Helen is telling her story?
| A．Walking slowly. | B．Listening carefully. |
| C．Standing sadly. | D．Writing quickly. |
Which of the following can best describe the gypsies according to the passage?
| A．They are very rich. | B．They are afraid of other people. |
| C．They live on a horse-drawn wagon. | D．They move from one place to another. |
King’s College Summer School is an annual (年度的) training program for high school students at all levels who want to improve their English. Courses are given by the teachers of King’s College and other colleges in New York. Trips to museums and culture centers are also organized. This year’s summer school will be from July 25 to August 15. More information is as follows:
| Application date ▼ Students in New York should send their applications before July 18, 2013. ▼ Students of other cities should send their applications before July 16, 2013. ▼ Foreign students should send their applications before July 10, 2013. |
Courses ▼ English Language Spoken English: 22 hours Reading and Writing: 10 hours ▼ American History: 16 hours ▼ American Culture: 16 hours |
| Steps ▼ A letter of self-introduction ▼ A letter of recommendation(推荐) The letters should be written in English with all necessary information. |
Cost ▼ Daily lessons: $200 ▼ Sports and activities: $100 ▼ Travel: $200 ▼ Hotel service: $400 You may choose to live with your friends or relatives(亲属) in the same city. |
| Please write to: Thompson, Sanders 1026 King’s Street, New York, NY10016, USA E-mail to: KC-Summer School @ yahoo.com |
The summer training program includes all of the following except ______.
| A．doing a part-time job | B．taking courses |
| C．having sports | D．travelling |
If you want to live at a relative’s home in New York, you will have to pay the school ______.
| A．$ 200 | B．$ 400 |
| C．$ 500 | D．$ 900 |
Which of the following statements is True?
| A．The program will last two months. |
| B．You can e-mail or call the school. |
| C．You should write to Thompson only in English. |
| D．Students in China can send applications only on July 10. |
Saying no starts small
“All right then — just one more piece...” Words every girl has said when they are faced with the delicious cheesecake. Of course, many of us know we may eat the whole thing in the end.
It isn’t just girls. Most of us find it hard to say “no” to something attractive. However, scientists now say that willpower is very important to success and a happy life.
Scientists in different countries have been studying the effects of willpower on people’s lives for a long time. The results are similar, according to an article on February 7 in the Guardian, a famous British newspaper.
In one experiment, scientists told young children that they could either have a marshmallow (圆形软糖) now, or two marshmallows in 15 minutes. Waiting obviously needed more willpower. Scientists then continued studying the children as they grew up. They wanted to see if some children always had stronger willpower. They also wanted to see how having stronger willpower affected their lives.
Years later, scientists found that the children who had waited for two marshmallows were all healthier, happier and richer adults. Oppositely, the children who had shown weaker willpower at that young age were more likely to be in low-paid jobs, to be overweight, to have social problems.
But there is hope, Roy F Baumeister, an American social psychology(心理学) professor (教授) told the Guardian. Baumeister says we can train our willpower just like we train our muscles（肌肉）. Even a little practice can strengthen（加强） our overall self-control if we do it regularly.
You could start by making yourself stand up straight, speaking in complete sentences, or using a computer mouse with the other hand. Scientists have found that people who manage to change little habits often perform much better in laboratory willpower tests.
Like muscles, willpower can “get tired”. Don’t try to do too many things at the same time, or when you don’t have enough energy, for example when you are ill. If you already feel tired, you can try to recharge(恢复) your willpower with a good night’s sleep and by eating well.The example of a girl eating cheesecake is used to
| A．prove that girls have weak willpower |
| B．introduce the topic of willpower to the readers |
| C．show that cheesecake is especially attractive to girls |
| D．show the connection between willpower and success |
What can we infer from the experiment?
| A．The scientists had already known the results before the experiment. |
| B．It showed that willpower is the most important to success and a happy life. |
| C．The children who chose to wait were more likely to be successful in their lives. |
| D．The children who chose only one marshmallow at first had stronger willpower. |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned about the training of willpower?
| A．You should have a goal every day. |
| B．Good rest and proper diet can help. |
| C．Willpower needs to be exercised regularly. |
| D．Keep willpower from being used too much. |
What is the article mainly about?
| A．How willpower and muscles are similar and how they can be trained. |
| B．How willpower affects people’s lives and how it is similar to muscles. |
| C．How willpower is important to success and how we can make it stronger. |
| D．How willpower is connected with success and how they affect each other |