The saying “a penny for your thoughts” is an ...

The saying “a penny for your thoughts” is an English idiom simply asking people to volunteer their opinions on an issue being discussed. In modern usage, it is often stated as an indirect way of asking what someone is thinking about.

This phrase is basically a proposal (提议), and the speaker is offering to pay to hear the listener’s thoughts. It is an idiom, of course, and not meant literally (字面上的) so no real payment generally takes place.

When the saying originated, a penny was worth a lot more than it is in the 21st century. Therefore, “a penny for your thoughts” likely indicated the thoughts were more valuable to those asking the listener for them than they are by today’s standards. This loss of value can be used ironically(讽刺地), however, through tone(语气) of voice; it can be used to indicate that someone’s idea is bad or worth a penny in modern value.

The phrase is generally credited to a man by the name of John Heywood, who was born sometime just before the 16th century. During his life, he was a writer who penned many plays and a book in 1546, later known as The Proverbs of John Heywood. It is likely Heywood did not actually come up with the phrase “a penny for your thoughts”. Rather, he was simply the first person to have set the phrase down in written form. The actual origins of the term are unknown, and since his book was simply a collection of common idioms and expressions, it was probably familiar to people in the mid 1500s.

Another phrase similar to “a penny for your thoughts” is offering “your two cents” after making a statement. Someone might give his or her opinion and then say, “that’s my two cents,” to indicate the value of his or her idea. While, much like a penny, “two cents” is relatively low in value now, it would have been more valuable at one time and the expression is used in much the same way.

1.When someone says “a penny for your thoughts”, he or she ___________.

A.wants to ask you for advice

B.considers your thoughts unique

C.is curious about what’s on your mind

D.will pay for what you’re thinking about

2.The modern meaning of “a penny for your thoughts” ____________.

A.is more closely connected to the value of the penny

B.can differ greatly according to a speaker’s manner

C.can confuse the listener easily

D.is more popularly accepted

3.In what way is Heywood related to the phrase “a penny for your thoughts”?

A.He came up with it while he was writing.

B.He helps to explain the origins of it.

C.He contributed to the wide use of it.

D.He was the first person to use it.

4.What do we know about the phrase “your two cents”?

A.It is usually used at the end of a statement.

B.It comes from “a penny for your thoughts”.

C.It has witnessed some changes since the 16th century.

D.It is more familiar to people than “a penny for your thoughts”.

高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

There are many idioms in English. An idiom is a phrase that we can't understand from the meaning of each word. The following are some of them.

As the crow flies

When a bird flies from place to place, it takes the most direct route. But when people drive, they have to follow roads and often go farther. When people give a distance "as the crow flies", they mean the shortest distance between the two points, not the distance you would have to travel by following roads.

As Dan and his mum drove along the river, they could see the beach on the opposite side. Dan asked "How far is it to the beach?"

"It's only about a quarter of a mile as the crow flies" his mother said.

Blow hot and cold

In one of Aesop's Fables, a man blows on his fingers to warm them up and then blows on his soup to cool it down. In both cases, the man is opening his mouth, but what comes out is different. If a person says one thing and later says the opposite, we say that the person is blowing hot and cold.

"Is Felicia going to try out for the soccer team this year?" Stacy asked.

"I don't know," Tricia replied." Last week she was saying yes, but this week she's saying no. She's really blowing hot and cold."

Break the ice

Nowadays people use the phrase to refer to ending an awkward silence by beginning a conversation.

It was the first day of summer camp. The four girls began to make their beds in silence. None of the girls knew each other, and no one knew what to say. Finally, one of them broke the ice by saying" Hey, where's everybody from?"

Bury the hatchet

In native American culture, when two nations agreed to end their war, they buried the hatchet. So to bury the hatchet is to make peace with someone else.

Colin could not excuse his sister for breaking his tennis racket. Finally, his sister said, "Colin, can't we bury the hatchet?"

1.What does "as the crow flies" mean?

A. In the smoothest way.　　 B. In a straight line.

C. By plane.　 　　　　　　　　　 D. At top speed.

2."Blow hot and cold " can be used to talk about someone's ______.

A. dishonesty　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. changing attitudes

C. communication skills　　　　　　　　　　 D. bad manner

3.It can be inferred that Colin's sister hoped that Colin would ______.

A. buy a new tennis racket

B. stay away from her

C. forgive her mistake

D. make an apology to her

4.Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?

A. What Felicia thought was different from what he said.

B. Dan and his mother need drive a quarter of a mile to the beach.

C. “Bury the hatchet” is an idiom from Aesop’s Fables.

D. It’s difficult to understand the meaning of an idiom by each word.

高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

If you say, “The cat’s out of the bag” instead of “The secret is given away,” you’re using an idiom. The meaning of an idiom is different from the actual meaning of the words used. “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” is a proverb. Proverbs are old but familiar sayings that usually give advice. Both idioms and proverbs are part of our daily expressions. Many are very old and have interesting histories. See how many of these expressions you know.

“Bury the hatchet.”

Native Americans used to bury weapons to show that fighting had ended and enemies were now at peace. Today, the idiom means to make up with a friend after an argument of fight.

“A close shave.”

In the past, student barbers learned to shave on customers. If they shaved too close, their customers might be cut or even hardly escape serious injury. Today, we use the idiom if a person narrowly escapes disaster.

“Raining cats and dogs.”

In Norse mythology the dog is associated with wind and the cat with storms. This expression means it’s raining very heavily.

To “shed crocodile tears.”

Crocodiles have a reflex that causes their eyes to tear when they open their mouths. That makes it look as though they are crying while swallowing their food. In fact, neither crocodiles nor people who shed “crocodile” tears feel sorry for their actions.

“Saved by the bell.”

In 17th-century England, a guard at Windsor Castle was accused of falling asleep at his post. He claimed he was wrongly accused and could prove it; he had heard the church bell chime (鸣响) thirteen times at midnight. Townspeople supported his claim and he was saved. Today we think of the bell that ends a round in boxing, often saving the boxer from injury, or the bell at the end of a class period, saving you from more work. Now this idiom means rescue from a situation at the last possible moment.

1.The best title of this passage will probably be ___________.

A. Everyday Expressions　　 B. Not Idioms But Proverbs

C. Idioms and proverbs are old　　 D. Idioms or proverbs

2.The purpose of this article is to ________.

A. compare some useful and interesting idioms and proverbs

B. tell us some idioms and proverbs which can be used today

C. explain the meaning of some interesting everyday expressions

D. show the importance of using proverbs and idioms in your writing

3.It can be inferred from the article that _________.

A. idioms and proverbs are a must in our life

B. proverbs are more common than idioms

C. idioms are more interesting than proverbs

D. it is difficult to guess the meaning of idioms

4.Which of these statements is an example of “a close shave”?

A. My brother bought a new computer yesterday.

B. My friend will come to my city to see me.

C. A car nearly hit me on my way to school.

D. No one in my school has ever been to Canada.

高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

No dictionaries can _____ all the English idioms.

A. say        B. tell             C. show                         D. cover

高一英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

There is an English saying, “Laughter is the best medicine.” Until recently, few people took the saying seriously. Now however, doctors have begun to look into laughter and the effects it has on the human body. They have found that laughter really can improve people’s health.

Tests were carried out to study the effects of laughter on the body. People watched funny films while doctors checked their heart, blood pressure, breathing and muscles. It was found that laughter has similar effects to physical exercise. It increases blood pressure, makes the heart beat quicker and makes people breathe deeper; it also works several groups of muscles in the face, the stomach, and even the feet. If laughter exercises the body, it must be beneficial.

Other tests have shown that laughter appears to be able to reduce the effect of pain on the body. In one experiment doctors produced pain in groups of students who listened to different radio programs. The group that tolerated (忍耐) the pain for the longest time was the group which listened to a funny program. The reason why laughter can reduce pain seems to be that it helps to produce a kind of chemical in the brain which reduces both stress and pain.

As a result of these discoveries, some doctors in the United States now hold laughter clinics, in which they help to improve their patients’ condition by encouraging them to laugh. They have found that even if their patients do not really feel like laughing, making them smile is enough to produce beneficial effects similar to those caused by laughter.

高一英语其他题中等难度题查看答案及解析

There is an English saying: “Laughter is the best medicine.” Until recently, few people took the saying seriously. Now, however, doctors have begun to look into (调查) laughter and the effects it has on the human body. They have found that laughter really can improve people’s health. Tests were carried out to study the effects of laughter on the body. People watched funny films while doctors checked their heart, blood pressure, breathing and muscles. It was found that laughter has similar effects to physical exercise. It increases blood pressure, the heart beating and breathing; it also works several groups of muscles in the face, the stomach, and even the feet. If laughter exercises the body, it must be beneficial (有益的).

Other tests have shown that laughter appears to be able to reduce the effect of pain on the body. In one experiment doctors produced pain in groups of students who listened to different radio programs. The group that tolerated (忍受) the pain for the longest time was the groups which listened to a funny program. The reason why laughter can reduce pain seems to be that it helps to produce a kind of chemicals in the brain which reduce both stress (紧张；压力) and pain.

As a result of these discoveries, some doctors in the United States now hold laughter clinics (诊所), in which they help to improve their patients’ condition by encouraging them to laugh. They have found that even if their patients do not really feel like laughing, making them smile is enough to produce beneficial effects similar to those caused by laughter.

1.The underlined phrase “took the saying seriously” in the first paragraph probably means “________”.

A．treat the saying as important               B．treat the saying as interesting

C．treat the saying as dangerous              D．treat the saying as funny

2.The main idea of the passage is _______.

A．laughter and physical exercises have similar effects on the human body

B．smile can produce the same effects as laughter

C．pain can be reduced by laughter

D．laughter is the best medicine

3.Doctors hold laughter clinics _______.

A．to give better condition to their patients

B．in order to improve patients’ health

C．to make patients smile

D．to prove smile and laughter have the same effect

高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

There is an English saying: “Laughter is best medicine.” Until recently, few people took the saying seriously. Now, however, doctors have begun to look into laughter and the effects it has on the human body. They have found that laughter really can improve people’s health.

Tests were carried out to study the effects of laughter on the body. People watched funny films while doctors checked their heart, blood pressure, breathing and muscles. It was found that laughter has similar effects to physical exercises. It increases blood pressure, the heart beating and breathing. It also works several groups of muscles in the face, the stomach, and even the feet. If laughter exercises the body, it must be beneficial.

Other tests have shown that laughter appears to be able to reduce the effect of pain on the body. In one experiment doctors produced pain in groups of students who listened to different radio programs. The group that tolerated(忍受) the pain for the longest time was the groups which listened to a funny program. The reason why laughter can reduce pain seems to be that it helps to produce a kind of chemicals in the brain which diminish both stress and pain.

As a result of these discoveries, some doctors in the United States now hold laughter clinics, in which they help to improve their patients’ condition by encouraging them to laugh. They have found that even if their patients do not really feel like laughing, making them smile is enough to produce beneficial(有益的) effects similar to those who are caused by laughter.

1.The main idea of the passage is ________.

A.laughter and physical exercises have similar effects.

B.smile can produce the same effects as laughter

C.pain can be reduced by laughter

D.laughter is best medicine

2.The underlined word “diminish” is similar to ________.

A.test B.stop C.reduce D.increase

3.Doctors hold laughter clinics ________.

A.to give better condition to their patients

B.in order to improve patients’ health

C.to make patients smile all the time

D.to prove smile and laughter have the same effect

高一英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

There is an English saying: "Laughter is best medicine." Until recently, few people took the saying seriously. Now, however, doctors have begun to look into laughter and the effects it has on the human body. They have found that laughter really can improve people's health.

Tests were carried out to study the effects of laughter on the body. People watched funny films while doctors checked their heart, blood pressure, breathing and muscles. It was found that laughter has similar effects to physical exercises. It increases blood pressure, the heart beating and breathing. It also works several groups of muscles in the face, the stomach, and even the feet. If laughter exercises the body, it must be beneficial.

Other tests have shown that laughter appears to be able to reduce the effect of pain on the body. In one experiment doctors produced pain in groups of students who listened to different radio programs. The group that tolerated(忍受) the pain for the longest time was the groups which listened to a funny program. The reason why laughter can reduce pain seems to be that it helps to produce a kind of chemicals in the brain which diminish both stress and pain.

As a result of these discoveries, some doctors in the United States now hold laughter clinics, in which they help to improve their patients' condition by encouraging them to laugh. They have found that even if their patients do not really feel like laughing, making them smile is enough to produce beneficial(有益的)effects similar to those who are caused by laughter.

1.The main idea of the passage is ____________.

A. laughter and physical exercises have similar effects.

B. smile can produce the same effects as laughter

C. pain can be reduced by laughter

D. laughter is best medicine

2.The underlined word "diminish" is similar to____________.

A. test　　 B. stop　　 C. reduce　　 D. increase

3.Doctors hold laughter clinics _____________.

A. to give better condition to their patients

B. in order to improve patients' health

C. to make patients smile all the time

D. to prove smile and laughter have the same effect

高一英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

There is an English saying :“laughter is best medicine .”Until recently ,few people took the saying seriously .Now however ,doctors have begun to look into laughter and the effects it has on the human body .They have found that laughter really can improve people’s health .

Tests were carried out to study the effects of laughter on the body .People watched funny films while doctors checked their hearts ,blood pressure ,breathing and muscles .It was found that laughter had similar effects to physical exercise .It increases blood pressure ,the heart beating and breathing ; it also works several groups of muscles in the face ,the stomach ,and even the feet .If laughter exercises the body ,it must be beneficial .

Other tests have shown that laughter appears to be able to reduce the effect of pain on the body .In one experiment doctors produced pain in groups of students who listened to different radio programmes .The group that tolerated(忍耐)the pain for the longest time was the groups which listened to a funny programme .The reason why laughter can reduce pain seems to be that it helps to produce a kind of chemicals in the brain which diminish both stress and pain .

As a result of these discoveries ,some doctors in the United States now hold laughter clinics ,in which they help to improve their patients’ condition by encouraging them to laugh .They have found that even if their patients do not really feel like laughing ,making them smile is enough to produce beneficial effects similar to those caused by laughter .

1.Doctors have proved the following EXCEPT that.

A．smiling does good to health

B．laughter can be tolerated

C．there is a way to reduce pain

D．laughter can work the muscles in the feet

2.The main idea of the passage is .

A. laughter and physical exercise have similar effects on the human body

B smile can produce the same effects as laughter

C. pain can be reduced by laughter

D. laughter is the best medicine

3.The students who________tolerated the pain for the longest time .

A．listened to different radio programmes

B．could produce a kind of chemical

C．don’t have stress of pain

D．listened to a funny programme

4.The underlined word “diminish” is similar to .

A．test              B．stop              C．reduce           D．increase

5.Doctors hold laughter clinics _________.

A．to give better condition to their patients

B．in order to improve patients’ health

C．to make patients smile

D．to prove smile and laughter have the same effect

高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

There is an English saying：“1.” Until recently, few people took the saying seriously. Now, however, doctors have begun to look into laughter and the effects it has on the human body.  2.

Tests were carried out to study the effects of laughter on the body. People watched funny films while doctors checked their hearts, blood pressure, breathing and muscles. It was found that laughter has similar effects to physical exercise.  3.  If laughter exercises the body, it must be beneficial.

Other tests have shown that laughter appears to be able to reduce the effect of pain on the body. In one experiment doctors produced pain in groups of students who listened to different radio programs. The group that tolerated(忍耐) the pain for the longest time was the group which listened to a funny program.4.

5. They have found that even if their patients do not really feel like laughing, making them smile is enough to produce beneficial effects similar to those caused by laughter.

A. Laughter is the best medicine.

B. The reason why laughter can reduce pain seems to be that it helps to produce a kind of chemicals in the brain which diminish both  stress and pain.

C. Although laughter helps cure the disease, doctors still can not put  this theory into clinic practice.

D. Laughter can prolong one's life.

E. As a result of these discoveries, some doctors in the United States now hold laughter clinics in which they help to improve their  patients' condition by encouraging them to laugh.

F. They have found that laughter really can improve people's health.

G. It increases blood pressure, the heart beating and breathing；it also works several groups of muscles in the face, the stomach and even the feet.

高一英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析