The nose is used in many popular expressions. Some people are able to lead other people by the nose. For example, if a wife leads her husband by the nose, she makes him do whatever she wants him to do. Some people are said to be hard-nosed. They will not change their opinions or positions on anything.
It is always helpful when people keep their nose out of other people’s business. They do not interfere (干涉). The opposite of this is someone who noses around all the time. Such people are interested in other people’s private matters. They’re considered nosy. Someone who keeps his nose to the grindstone (磨石) works very hard. This can help a worker keep his nose clean or stay out of trouble.
One unusual expression is that is no skin off my nose. This means that a situation doesn’t affect or concern me. We also say that sometimes a person cuts off his nose to spite his face. That is, he makes a situation bad for himself by doing something foolish because he is angry.
More problems can develop if a person looks down his nose at someone or something. The person acts as if something is unimportant or worthless. This person might also turn up his nose at something that he considers not good enough. This person thinks he is better than everyone else. He has his nose in the air.
In school, some students thumb their nose at their teacher. They refuse to obey orders or do any work. Maybe the students do not know the correct answers. My mother always told me when I was a student, “If you study hard, the answers should be right under your nose or easily seen.”If we say a wife leads her husband by the nose, we probably mean she _____.
| A．loves her husband very much |
| B．controls her husband’s actions |
| C．gets on well with her husband |
| D．does whatever her husband wants her to do |
Which of the following expressions could be used to tell someone to stay away from your private affairs?
| A．Don’t keep your nose to the grindstone. |
| B．Keep your nose out of my business. |
| C．Please keep your nose clean. |
| D．You are really hard-nosed. |
We can use the expression “has his/her nose in the air” to describe someone _____.
| A．who is too proud of himself/herself |
| B．who is very angry about something |
| C．who often makes a situation bad |
| D．who doesn’t care about anything |
If a student thumbs his/her nose at his/her teacher, the teacher would most probably feel _____.
| A．happy | B．excited | C．angry | D．relaxed |
In his lowest days when few people bought his records, Taiwan singer Steve Chou (周传雄) lived alone in Canada and did little. One day, he passed by a local CD store and accidentally heard a song that greatly enchanted (迷住) him. His passion for music was suddenly rekindled (重新点燃).
“My heart tells me that music is the thing I truly want to do, not for fame or money,” Chou told Teens. “So I asked myself, ‘why not start all over again?’”
That's how we luckily regained this music genius, who has since then composed lots of hits for the pop music charts (排行榜). His emotional voice is enthralling (迷人的). "Sometimes we need to get close to nature to look deeply into our souls and see what we genuinely (真正地) want to follow," he said.
Following the success of Turkey in Blue, he has recently released his latest work Lovers Genesis. In this album he explores human relationships in the Internet age. This time, he takes the role of a calm observer rather than a struggling insider. "Technology itself is a good thing, but it depends on how you're going to use it," is Chou's advice to teenagers. Chou often gets his music ideas from trips. He has traveled to many places around the world and believes that learning a country's language is the fastest way of experiencing the culture behind it.How was Steve Zhou’s passion for music rekindled?
| A．He was encouraged by his friends. |
| B．When he passed by a store and heard a song that enchanted him. |
| C．He decided to rebuild his reputation. |
| D．A good idea suddenly occurred to him. |
Which of the following songs belongs to Steve Zhou ?
| A．Heal the world | B．I swear | C．Lovers Genesis | D．Lemon tree |
How does Zhou get his music idea ?
| A．From his work life | B．From his trips | C．From his friends | D．From musical books |
What does the underlined sentence mean?
| A．Technology is always a good thing. |
| B．Technology by no means is a good thing. |
| C．If you use it properly, it will be helpful to your life. |
| D．We should not believe technology too much. |
Ottawais the capital ofCanada. It is the second largest city inOntarioand the fourth largest city in the country.
The Centre Blockis the main building on Parliament Hill (国会山). It is also the location of several ceremonial spaces, such as the Hall of Honor and the Memorial Chamber. The present Centre Block is the second iterationof the building，after the first was destroyed by fire in 1916，and it is one of the most recognizable buildings in Canada.
Downtown Ottawais the commercial and economic centre of the city. Most of the buildings are office towers. While most ofOttawa’s high tech industry is based elsewhere, it has a significant presence in the downtown core. The downtown also contains a number of apartments, hotels, and the older single family homes and townhouses along its edges.
The National Gallery of Canadais one of Canada’s premier art galleries. The Gallery has a large and varied collection of paintings, drawings, sculpture and photographs. Although its focus is on Canadian art, it also holds works by some noted American and European artists.
The Rideau Canalis the oldest continuously operated canal system inNorth America. At the very beginning，the purpose of the Rideau Canal was military, as it was intended to provide a secure supply and communication route between Montreal and the British naval base in Kingston. It remains in use today primarily for pleasure boating, with most of its original structures undamaged. The locks on the system open for navigation in mid-May and close in mid-October.The underlined word "iteration" in the 2nd paragraph probably means _____.
| A．repair | B．design | C．copy | D．landmark |
In the core of Downtown Ottawa, we could see _____.
| A．a large number of tall towers |
| B．head offices ofOttawa’s high tech industry |
| C．a number of apartments and hotels |
| D．the older single family homes and townhouses |
Collections in the National Gallery of Canada are mainly _____.
| A．paintings and drawings | B．sculpture and photographs |
| C．works by Canadian artists | D．artwork by Americans and European |
Which of the following is true about theRideau Canal? _____.
| A．It is the oldest canal system inNorth America |
| B．It was originally for the military purpose |
| C．The original structures remain never changed |
| D．People can only go boating from May to October |
What do former American president Bill Clinton and rock musician Pete Townshend have in common.'? Both men have hearing damage from exposure(暴露，接触) to loud music, and both now wear hearing aids（助听器） as a result. As a teenager, Clinton played saxophone in a band. Townshend, who has the more severe hearing loss, was a guitarist for a band called the Who. He is one of the first rock musicians to call the public's attention to the problem of hearing loss from exposure to loud music.
Temporary（暂时） hearing loss can happen after only 15 minutes of listening to loud music. One early warning sign is when your ears begin to feel warm while you listen to music at a rock concert or through headphones. One later is that an unusual sound or a ringing is sometimes produced in your head after the concert.
"What happens is that the hair cells in the inner ear are damaged, but they're not dead," says physician and ear specialist Dr. Sam Levine. According to Dr. Levine, if you avoid further exposure to loud noise, it's possible to recondition the cells（细胞） somewhat. However, he adds, "Eventually, over a long period of time, hair cells are permanently damaged." And this is no small problem.
What sound level is dangerous? According to Dr. Levine, regular exposure to noise above 85 decibels (分贝) is considered dangerous. The chart below offers a comparison of decibel levels to certain sounds. Here's another measurement you can use. If you're at a rock concert and the music is so loud that you have to shout to make yourself heard, you' re at risk for hearing loss. That's when wearing protective devices such as earplugs becomes critical.
The facts are pretty frightening. But are rock bands turning down the volume.'? Most aren't. "Rock music is supposed to be loud," says drummer Andrew Sather."I wouldn't have it any other way. And neither would the real fans of rock. "
Continued exposure to loud music and the failure to wear earplugs can lead to deafness, according to Dr. Levine. He states, "There's no cure for hearing loss. Your ears are trying to tell you something. That ringing is the scream of your hair cells dying. Each time that happens, more and more damage is done. "
| Levels of Common Noises Normal conversation 50 — 65 dB Food blender 88 dB Jet plane flying above a person standing outside 103 dB Rock band during a concert 110 — 140 dB |
From Paragraph 1, we can learn that ___________ .
| A．loud music is a major cause of hearing loss |
| B．famous people may have hearing problems |
| C．teenagers should stay away from school bands |
| D．the problem of hearing damage is widely known |
In Paragraph 3, the underlined word "recondition" means__________ .
| A．not to be seen | B．to fill with sound |
| C．to become larger in size | D．to make good again |
The purpose of the chart at the end of the article is to show__________ .
| A．a list of harmful sounds |
| B．the effect of rock concerts |
| C．the noise levels of sounds |
| D．relationship between daily activities and hearing loss |
Which of the following statements will Dr. Sam Levine probably agree?
| A．When your ears feel warm, your hair cells are dead. |
| B．Drummer Andrew Sather gives good advice. |
| C．Many are at the risk of losing hearing. |
| D．Doctors know how to deal with hearing loss. |
Dear Alcohol,
You've been around forever. I can remember all the pain you've caused for me.
Do you remember the night you almost took my father's life? I do. He loves you. Sometimes I think he loves you more than he loves me. He's addicted to you, to the way you promise to rid him of his problems only to cause more of them. You just sat back and laughed as his car went spinning through the street, crashing into two other cars. He wasn't the only one hurt by you that night.
Do you remember the night of my first high school party? You were there. My friends were intrigued by you. They treated you as if they were never going to see you again, drinking all of you that they could. I spent two hours that night helping my friends who had fallen completely. "I'm so embarrassed," they said as I held their hair back so that they could vomit (呕吐). "I'm sorry," they said when I called taxies for them, walking them out and paying the driver in advance. "This won't happen again," they said as they were sent to the hospital to have their stomachs pumped. Two 15-year-old girls slept in hospital beds that night thanks to you.
Do you remember the night when you took advantage of my 17-year-old neighbor who had to drive to pick up his sister from her dance lessons? Do you know how we all felt when he hit another car and killed the two people in the other car? He died the next morning too. His sister walked home from her dance lesson, and passed police cars and a crowd of people gathering on the sidewalk just two blocks away from the dance studio. She didn't realize her brother was in the midst of it all. She never saw him again. And it's all your fault.
I wish you'd walk out of my life forever. I don't want anything to do with you. Look at all the pain you've caused. Sure, you've made people happy too from time to time. But the damage you've caused in the lives of millions is inexcusable. Stop luring (引诱) in the people I love. Stop hurting me, please.
Sincerely,
AnonymousWhat is author's purpose in writing to alcohol?
| A．To introduce Mr. Alcohol to the readers |
| B．To describe the harm alcohol did to his family. |
| C．To show how much alcohol can hurt people. |
| D．To show the great fun that alcohol can bring to people's life. |
What did alcohol do to the author's father?
| A．It made him crash into two other cars and killed his life. |
| B．It made him drink too much and he had to get his stomach pumped. |
| C．It made him kill two other people when driving. |
| D．It made him get into a car accident and badly injure himself. |
The underlined phrase "were intrigued by" is closest in meaning to ______.
| A．were familiar with | B．were interested in |
| C．were disappointed with | D．were satisfied with |
What is the tone of the article?
| A．Critical. | B．Doubtful. | C．Unconcerned. | D．Humorous. |
Handshaking, though a European practice is often seen in big cities of China. Nobody knows exactly when the practice started in Europe. It is said that long long ago in Europe when people met, they showed their unarmed(无武器的) hands to each other as a sign of friendship. As time went on and trade in cities grew rapidly, people in cities began to clap each other's hands to make a deal or to reach an agreement. This practice was later changed into shaking hands among friends on meeting or leaving each other. "Let's shake (hands) on it" sometimes means agreement reached.
Do the Europeans shake hands wherever they go and with whomever they meet? No. Sometimes the Chinese abroad reach out their hands too often to be polite. It is really very impolite to give your hand when the other party, especially when it is a woman, shows little interest in shaking hands with you and when the meeting does not mean anything to him or-her. Even if, for politeness, he holds out his unwilling hand in answer to your uninvited hand, just touch it slightly. There is generally a misunderstanding(误解) among the Chinese that westerners are usually open and straightforward, while the Chinese are rather reserved(保守的) in manner. But in fact some people in western countries are more reserved than some Chinese today. So it is a good idea to shake hands with a westerner only when he shows interest in further relations with you.In the old days in Europe, people put out their unarmed hands to each other ______.
| A．to make a deal | B．to greet each other |
| C．to show friendliness | D．to reach an agreement |
The first paragraph mainly tells us ______.
| A．where handshaking was first practised |
| B．how handshaking came about |
| C．about the relationship between handshaking and trade |
| D．about the practice of handshaking both in Europe and in China |
According to the text, which of the following statements is true?
| A．Westerners are more reserved than the Chinese. |
| B．Westerners are unwilling to shake hands. |
| C．We should make a judgement before shaking hands. |
| D．We shouldn't shake hands with European women. |
The main purpose of the text is ______.
| A．to tell us some differences between the East and the West |
| B．to offer us some important facts about handshaking |
| C．to introduce us to some different customs in the West |
| D．to give us some advice before we travel abroad |