Question

Americans use many expressions with the word dog. People in the United States love their dogs and treat them well. They take their dogs for walks, let them play outside and give them good food and medical care. However, dogs without owners to care for them lead a different kind of life. The expression, to lead a dog’s life, describes a person who has an unhappy life.

Some people say we live in a dog-eat-dog world. That means many people are competing for the same things, like good jobs. They say that to be successful, a person has to work like a dog. This means they have to work very, very hard. Such hard work can make people dog-tired. And, the situation would be even worse if they became sick as a dog.

Still, people say every dog has its day. This means that every person enjoys a successful period during his or her life. To be successful, people often have to learn new skills. Yet, some people say that you can never teach an old dog new tricks. They believe that older people do not like to learn new things and will not change the way they do things.

Some people are compared to dogs in bad ways. People who are unkind or uncaring can be described as meaner than a junkyard dog. Junkyard dogs live in places where people throw away things they do not want. But mean dogs are often used to guard this property. They bark or attack people who try to enter the property. However, sometimes a person who appears to be mean and threatening is really not so bad. We say his bark is worse than his bite.

Dog expressions also are used to describe the weather. The dog days of summer are the hottest days of the year. A rainstorm may cool the weather. But we do not want it to rain too hard. We do not want it to rain cats and dogs.

1.What does the passage mainly discuss?

A. Dogs in our daily lives

B. Expressions with dogs

C. The role dogs take in America

D. Attitude of the American citizens to dogs

2.What does “dog-tired” describe in the passage?

A. Describe a very successful person.

B. Describe the dogs are very tired after a long walk.

C. Describe a rainy and cloudy weather.

D. Describe the heavy degree of exhaustion of people after long time work.

3.How are people compared to dogs in bad ways?

A. By mean dogs and junkyard dogs.

B. By lazy dogs and bad dogs.

C. By sick dogs and tired dogs.

D. None of them is right.

4.What can we learn from the text?

A．Everyone can be successful if he learns from the old.

B．It might be difficult for the young to learn new skills.

C．Junkyard dogs are careful in money arrangement.

D．Fierce persons aren’t so awful as their appearance sometimes.

Answer

1.B

2.D

3.A

4.D

【解析】

试题分析：本文属于文化说明文，介绍了一些与dog有关的英语短语并解释了这些短语的意思以及使用语境。

1.B 主旨大意题。根据文章第一句Americans use many expressions with the word dog.说明在美国人的语言中有很多与dog有关的词组，接下来在文章中作者列举了很多有dog这个单词的短语并解释了这些短语的意思以及使用语境。故B正确。

2.D 推理判断题。根据第二段最后两句Such hard work can make people dog-tired. And, the situation would be even worse if they became sick as a dog.说明艰苦的工作会让dog-tired，该词是形容人们经历了艰苦的工作以后的疲惫程度。所以D项正确。

3.A 细节理解题。根据第四段前两句Some people are compared to dogs in bad ways. People who are unkind or uncaring can be described as meaner than a junkyard dog.可知mean dogs和junkyard dogs这两个短语表示的都是不好的方面的人。故A正确。

4.But mean dogs are often used to guard this property. They bark or attack people who try to enter the property. However, sometimes a person who appears to be mean and threatening is really not so bad. We say his bark is worse than his bite.可知mean dog指那些保卫财产的人，虽然他们显得很有侵略性，但是他是为了保护自己的财产。他们的出发点是好的，所以这些人并不像表面那么的糟糕。故D项正确。

【名师点睛】

本文5.

1）文首开门见山, 提出主题, 随之用细节来解释, 支撑或发展主题句所表达的主题思想. 最常见的演绎法写作方式.

例1.The panda is a popular animal. Stories about the panda in the Washington Zoo are always front page news and important features on television newscasts. Stuffed pandas are among the most popular toys for children, and panda postcards are always in demand in zoo gift shops.

2).文尾，在表述细节后, 归纳要点, 印象, 结论建议或结果, 以概括主题. 这是英语中最常见的归纳法写作方式

例2.A human body appears to be rather soft and delicate, compared with that of a wild animal, but it is actually surprisingly strong. In deed, its very softness and looseness is an advantage; it makes man good at moving about movement of all living things of his own size, because he can do so many different things with his limbs. Man’s games show how he can control his own body. No other land creature can swim as skillfully as man; more has such varied grace; very few lives as long as he; none is so strong in its natural resistance to disease. Therefore man has a great advantage in his battle against the risks of damage and death that threaten him.

3).文中，通常前面只提出问题， 文中的主题由随之陈述的细节或合乎逻辑的引申在文中导出, 而后又作进一步的解释, 支撑或发展.

例3.Nothing is as useful as a flashlight in a dark night if a tire goes flat. Few inventions are so helpful to a child who is afraid of the dark. In fact, the modern flashlight brings light to many dark situations. Finding something in the back of a closet is easy with a flashlight in hand a camper also needs one after the light of the campfire has been out.

4).首尾呼应，为突出主题, 作者先提出主题, 结尾时再次点出主题, 这种首尾呼应的写作方式较为多见. 但前后表述主题的句子不是简单的重复, 后面的表述往往有进一步的引申或发展的意味。

例4.（首段）Shu Pulong has helped at least 1000 people bitten by snakes, “ It was seeing people with snakes bites that led me to the career.“she said…

&O1472;（尾段）“The sad story touched me so much that I decided to devote myself to helping people bitten by snakes.”Shu said.

5).无主题句，即主题句隐含在全文中, 没有明确的主题句. 必须根据文篇中所提供的事实细节，进行全面考虑，综合分析，然后找出共同的东西，归纳成一般概念。必须注意的是，既不能以偏概全，也不能在概括时过于宽泛，要恰如其分。

例5.Joshua Bingham studied 4 years at the University of Paris and decided to leave his graduation. He transferred to the University of Berlin and graduated with honors. Harvard Law School and, later, Boston College provided him with an excellent legal background. He is presently a corporation lawyer in Miami, Florida.

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