There are many American expressions about insects--- like bees, for example. Bees are known as very hard workers. They appear to be busy, moving around their homes, or hives (蜂窝). So you might say you were as busy as a bee if you spent your weekend cleaning your house. In fact, you might say your house was a beehive of activity if your whole family was helping you clean. You also might say you made a beeline for something if you went there right away. When we go to see a movie, my friend always makes a beeline for the place where they sell popcorn (爆米花) .
Here is an expression about bees that is not used much any more, but we like it anyway. We think it was first used in the 1920s. If something was the best of its kind, you might say it was the bee’s knees. Now, we admit that we do not know how this expression developed. In fact, we do not even know if bees have knees!
If your friend cannot stop talking about something because she thinks it is important, you might say she has a bee in her bonnet (女帽). If someone asks you a personal question, you might say “that is none of your beeswax”. This means none of your business.
Speaking of personal questions, there is an expression when their children ask, “Where do babies come from?” Parents who discuss sex and reproduction (生殖) say this is talking about the birds and bees.
Butterflies are beautiful insects, but you would not want to have butterflies in your stomach. That means to be nervous about having to do something, like speaking in front of a crowd. You would also not want to have ants in your trousers. That is, to be unable to sit still.
1. If you make a beeline for something, you ______ .
A. are as busy as a bee B. go quickly and directly towards it
C. always go to the same place D. buy something at a certain place
2. The underlined expression “ it is the bee’s knees” _______ .
A. is not used at all now B. was first used in the 1820s
C. reminds us that bees have knees D. means “it is very good”
3. If you ask your American friend Jack “How old is your wife?” he may say “______.”
A. It is none of your beeswax B. You have a bee in your bonnet
C. It is the bee’s knees D. You are talking about the birds and bees
4. When you have butterflies in your stomach, you ______ .
A. are too sick to sit still B. have ants in your trousers
C. are nervous about something D. have a stomachache
5. The passage mainly tells us _______.
A. some interesting and useful insects B. some expressions about insects
C. the way of learning expressions D. some newly-invented expressions
高二英语阅读理解简单题
There are many American expressions about insects--- like bees, for example. Bees are known as very hard workers. They appear to be busy, moving around their homes, or hives (蜂窝). So you might say you were as busy as a bee if you spent your weekend cleaning your house. In fact, you might say your house was a beehive of activity if your whole family was helping you clean. You also might say you made a beeline for something if you went there right away. When we go to see a movie, my friend always makes a beeline for the place where they sell popcorn (爆米花) .
Here is an expression about bees that is not used much any more, but we like it anyway. We think it was first used in the 1920s. If something was the best of its kind, you might say it was the bee’s knees. Now, we admit that we do not know how this expression developed. In fact, we do not even know if bees have knees!
If your friend cannot stop talking about something because she thinks it is important, you might say she has a bee in her bonnet (女帽). If someone asks you a personal question, you might say “that is none of your beeswax”. This means none of your business.
Speaking of personal questions, there is an expression when their children ask, “Where do babies come from?” Parents who discuss sex and reproduction (生殖) say this is talking about the birds and bees.
Butterflies are beautiful insects, but you would not want to have butterflies in your stomach. That means to be nervous about having to do something, like speaking in front of a crowd. You would also not want to have ants in your trousers. That is, to be unable to sit still.
1. If you make a beeline for something, you ______ .
A. are as busy as a bee B. go quickly and directly towards it
C. always go to the same place D. buy something at a certain place
2.The underlined expression “ it is the bee’s knees” _______ .
A. is not used at all now B. was first used in the 1820s
C. reminds us that bees have knees D. means “it is very good”
3. If you ask your American friend Jack “How old is your wife?” he may say “______.”
A. It is none of your beeswax B. You have a bee in your bonnet
C. It is the bee’s knees D. You are talking about the birds and bees
4. When you have butterflies in your stomach, you ______ .
A. are too sick to sit still B. have ants in your trousers
C. are nervous about something D. have a stomachache
5.The passage mainly tells us _______.
A. some interesting and useful insects B. some expressions about insects
C. the way of learning expressions D. some newly-invented expressions
高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
There are many American expressions about insects--- like bees, for example. Bees are known as very hard workers. They appear to be busy, moving around their homes, or hives (蜂窝). So you might say you were as busy as a bee if you spent your weekend cleaning your house. In fact, you might say your house was a beehive of activity if your whole family was helping you clean. You also might say you made a beeline for something if you went there right away. When we go to see a movie, my friend always makes a beeline for the place where they sell popcorn (爆米花) .
Here is an expression about bees that is not used much any more, but we like it anyway. We think it was first used in the 1920s. If something was the best of its kind, you might say it was the bee’s knees. Now, we admit that we do not know how this expression developed. In fact, we do not even know if bees have knees!
If your friend cannot stop talking about something because she thinks it is important, you might say she has a bee in her bonnet (女帽). If someone asks you a personal question, you might say “that is none of your beeswax”. This means none of your business.
Speaking of personal questions, there is an expression when their children ask, “Where do babies come from?” Parents who discuss sex and reproduction (生殖) say this is talking about the birds and bees.
Butterflies are beautiful insects, but you would not want to have butterflies in your stomach. That means to be nervous about having to do something, like speaking in front of a crowd. You would also not want to have ants in your trousers. That is, to be unable to sit still.
1. If you make a beeline for something, you _____ .
A.are as busy as a bee | B.go quickly and directly towards it |
C.always go to the same place | D.buy something at a certain place |
2. The underlined expression “ it is the bee’s knees” ______ .
A.is not used at all now | B.was first used in the 1820s |
C.reminds us that bees have knees | D.means “it is very good” |
3. If you ask your American friend Jack “How old is your wife?” he may say “_____.”
A.It is none of your beeswax | B.You have a bee in your bonnet |
C.It is the bee’s knees | D.You are talking about the birds and bees |
4. When you have butterflies in your stomach, you _____ .
A.are too sick to sit still | B.have ants in your trousers |
C.are nervous about something | D.have a stomachache |
高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
There are many American expressions about insects--- like bees, for example. Bees are known as very hard workers. They appear to be busy, moving around their homes, or hives (蜂窝). So you might say you were as busy as a bee if you spent your weekend cleaning your house. In fact, you might say your house was a beehive of activity if your whole family was helping you clean. You also might say you made a beeline for something if you went there right away. When we go to see a movie, my friend always makes a beeline for the place where they sell popcorn (爆米花) .
Here is an expression about bees that is not used much any more, but we like it anyway. We think it was first used in the 1920s. If something was the best of its kind, you might say it was the bee’s knees. Now, we admit that we do not know how this expression developed. In fact, we do not even know if bees have knees!
If your friend cannot stop talking about something because she thinks it is important, you might say she has a bee in her bonnet (女帽). If someone asks you a personal question, you might say “that is none of your beeswax”. This means none of your business.
Speaking of personal questions, there is an expression when their children ask, “Where do babies come from?” Parents who discuss sex and reproduction (生殖) say this is talking about the birds and bees.
Butterflies are beautiful insects, but you would not want to have butterflies in your stomach. That means to be nervous about having to do something, like speaking in front of a crowd. You would also not want to have ants in your trousers. That is, to be unable to sit still.
1. If you make a beeline for something, you ______ .
A. are as busy as a bee B. go quickly and directly towards it
C. always go to the same place D. buy something at a certain place
2. The underlined expression “ it is the bee’s knees” _______ .
A. is not used at all now B. was first used in the 1820s
C. reminds us that bees have knees D. means “it is very good”
3. If you ask your American friend Jack “How old is your wife?” he may say “______.”
A. It is none of your beeswax B. You have a bee in your bonnet
C. It is the bee’s knees D. You are talking about the birds and bees
4. When you have butterflies in your stomach, you ______ .
A. are too sick to sit still B. have ants in your trousers
C. are nervous about something D. have a stomachache
5. The passage mainly tells us _______.
A. some interesting and useful insects B. some expressions about insects
C. the way of learning expressions D. some newly-invented expressions
高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
There are so many expressions in American English that sound good but are not.
“Face the music” is a good example. When someone says they have to face the music, it does not mean they are going to a musical show or concert. To face the music means to accept the bad results of an action.
Imagine a friend asks you to take care of her beautiful red sports car. She gives you the keys and says, “Thanks so much for watching my car while I’m away. But please do not drive it. It is a very fast car and you are not on the insurance (保险).”
But you do not listen. You want to show it to some friends and pretend (假装) the car is yours. So, you drive it around town one night. As bad luck would have it you lose control of the car and drive it into a stop sign. The damage is serious. When your friend returns you must tell her what you have done and “face the music”.
The “music” here is the result of your actions. It could be losing her friendship or paying for repairs to her sports car or both. Whatever the music is, you must face it.
There are other American expressions that mean the same as “face the music”.
To “take your medicine” means to accept the results from something bad you have done. And if someone says, “You made your bed. Now lie in it.” He means you created a bad situation and now you will experience the results, or as we say in American spoken English, you must deal with it!
“Pay the piper” also means the same as “face the music”. But, that expression has its own very interesting beginning. We will talk about that in the next Words and Their Stories.
1.What’s the main idea of this text?
A.To invite a friend to go to a musical performance.
B.To tell people how to deal with a bad situation.
C.To give people a lesson on an action.
D.To introduce some expressions.
2.Which action belongs to “take your medicine”?
A.You broke the traffic rules and caused an accident.
B.You worked hard but failed in the exam.
C.You caught a cold and took some medicine.
D.You moved to a new city and lost touch with your old friends.
3.What may the next programme talk about?
A.Other words and their stories.
B.The beginning of “pay the piper”.
C.The wider use of “face the music”.
D.An example of “take your medicine”.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Here below we will talk about the American expressions using the word “Dutch”. Many of the “Dutch” expressions heard in American English were first used in England in the seventeenth century. Britain used to be called “empire on which the sun never sets”,which gained its supreme(至高无上的) power mostly by its naval(海军的 )military forces. The period of the Anglo-Dutch Wars was a time of fierce naval competition between England and the Netherlands. At that time, the British used “Dutch” as a word for something bad, or false, or mistaken.
A “Dutch agreement” was one made between men who had drunk too much alcohol. “Dutch courage” was the false courage produced by the effects of drinking alcohol. And “Dutch leave” was what a solider took when he left his base(基地)without permission.
Some of these old expressions are still used today with a little different meaning. “Dutch treat” is one example. Long ago, a Dutch treat was a dinner at which the invited guests were expected to pay for their own share of the food and drink. Now, Dutch treat means that when friends go out to have fun, each person pays his own share.
Another common expression heard a few years ago was “in Dutch”, which simply referred to the country then. Nowadays, if someone says to you, you are in Dutch, they are telling you that you were in trouble. An important person, a parent or teacher perhaps, is angry with you.
Some of the Dutch expressions heard in American English have nothing to do with the Dutch people at all. In the 1700s, Germans who moved to the United States often were called Dutch. This happened because of mistakes in understanding and saying the word “Deutsch”, the German word for German. Families of these German people still live in the eastern United States, many in the state of Pennsylvania. They are known as the Pennsylvania Dutch.
During the American Civil War, supporters of the northern side in the central state of Missouri were called Dutch, because many of them were German settlers. In California, during the Gold Rush, the term Dutch was used to describe Germans, Swedes, and Norwegians as well as people from the Netherlands.
President Theodore Roosevelt once noted that anything foreign and non-English was called Dutch.One expression still in use, “to talk to someone like a Dutch uncle”, did come from the Dutch.The Dutch were known for the firm way they raise their children. So if someone speaks to you like a Dutch uncle, he is speaking in a very severe way. And you should listen to him carefully.
1.According to paragraph 1, the British used “Dutch” as a word for something bad and mistaken because ___________.
A.it was the long-lasting habit of the British language. |
B.the Netherlands was the closest rival(竞争对手) for naval supremacy then. |
C.there was a close connection between “Dutch” and “Deutsch”. |
D.anything foreign and non-English was called “Dutch”. |
2.Most probably, a man with Dutch courage would _________.
A.invite his friends to dinner. |
B.beat a strange passer-by without any reason. |
C.speak to a Dutch uncle. |
D.become angry with the teacher. |
3.Which one of the following has nothing to do with the Dutch?
A.The expression “to talk to someone like a Dutch uncle”. |
B.When friends go out to have fun, they choose Dutch treat. |
C.Germans who moved to the United States were called Dutch. |
D.A solider took “Dutch leave” during wars. |
4.What is mainly talked about in the passage?
A.Language causes of the Anglo-Dutch Wars |
B.Language of the Netherlands |
C.Deutsch VS Dutch |
D.Dutch expressions in American English |
高二英语阅读理解极难题查看答案及解析
Many everyday American expressions are based on colors.
Red is a hot color. Americans often use it to express heat. They may say they are red hot about something unfair. When they are red hot they are very angry about something. The small hot tasting peppers found in many Mexican foods are called red hots for their color and their fiery taste.
Pink is a lighter kind of color. People sometimes say they are in the pink when they are in good health. It probably comes from the fact that many babies are born with a nice pink color that shows that they are in good health.
Blue is a cool color. The traditional blues music in the United States is the opposite of red hot music. Blues is slow, sad and soulful. Someone who is blue is very sad.
The color green is natural for trees and grass. But it is an unnatural color for humans. A person who has a sick stomach may say he feels a little green. A passenger on a boat who is feeling very sick from high waves may look very green. If a person is green at his job, he may be a newcomer and inexperienced. Sometimes a person may be upset because he does not have something as nice as a friend has, like a new sports car. That person may say he is green with envy. Some people are green with envy because their friend has more dollars.
The color black is used often in expressions. People describe a day in which everything goes wrong as a black day. The date of a major tragedy is remembered as a black day.
1.If a person feels blue, he is _____.
A. annoyed B. depressed C. stressed D. encouraged
2.If someone says “you are still green”, he probably means that _______.
A. you are very young B. you are in a bad mood C. you are inexperienced D. you are in good health
3.Which of the following statements is CORRECT according to the passage?
A. After two days’ rest, the soldiers were all in the pink.
B. They had a fierce quarrel so they all felt black about it.
C. David got hurt by a bike so his face looked blue.
D. When we meet something unfair, we feel very green.
4.What’s the main idea of the passage?
A. Different colors have different meanings.
B. What different colors stand for.
C. The story about different colors.
D. Colors used in American expressions.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
To be a good listener, there are many things to do. For example, you need to be 1. about covering the story. Only if you have a good 2. for a story, can you 3. all information that you need. Besides, listening is also important. You have to listen for detailed facts, 4. you have to prepare the next question 5. on what the person says.
高二英语其他题中等难度题查看答案及解析
Drivers should be careful near schools in particular, ________ there are likely to be many children.
A.though B.but C.so D.because
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
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.
1.According to the passage, expressions about water __________.
A. are very common B. have unpleasant meanings
C. are very interesting D. are easy to understand
2.The expression “hot water” _________.
A. is not used nowadays
B. has a long history
C. means arguing with others
D. only means serious trouble
3.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”
4.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
5.What would be the best title for the passage?
A. Water
B. Expressions about water
C. Several common expressions
D. Water and everyday English
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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.
1.According to the passage, expressions about water __________.
A. are very common B. have unpleasant meanings
C. are very interesting D. are easy to understand
2.The expression “hot water” _________.
A. is not used nowadays B. has a long history
C. means arguing with others D. only means serious trouble
3. 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”
4. 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
5. What would be the best title for the passage?
A. Water B. Expressions about water
C. Several common expressions D. Water and everyday English
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析