Some expressions in English can be really puzzling. Have a look at the following to see how it challenges your brainpower.
Homeric laughter
The "Homer" in this expression is the Greek poet. People laugh differently. Some laugh silently, while others tend to laugh loudly. "Homeric laughter" refers to laughter of the latter kind. It is at times uncontrollable, and the entire body shakes during the process. This kind of laughter is called Homeric laughter because this is how the gods laughed in Homer's classics.
A three-ring circus
When you refer to a situation as being a three-ring circus, you are saying that it is a situation of complete confusion. There are so many activities taking place all together that they leave you confused or annoyed. The expression comes from the world of entertainment — the circus. The area where the artists perform their acts is called the "ring". In the past, some of the circuses were so grand that they had three acts taking place simultaneously in three different "rings". The audience had to decide which "ring" they wanted to focus on.
In the swim (of things)
When someone is in the swim of things, the individual is actively participating in the things happening around him, as in "I've been ill, but soon I’ll be back in the swim of thing." In the world of fishing, fishermen use the word "swim" to refer to the section of the lake/river where fish can be found in plenty. So, if you are a fisherman and wish to catch a lot offish, where would you be? You would be "in the swim".
Chickens have come home to roost
The word "roost" refers to the place where birds rest. It could be anything — the branch of a tree, a henhouse, etc. The expression is normally used to mean that the bad things that someone did in the past have come back to bite or upset the individual. In other words, one has to face the consequences of the deeds done in the past. The original form of this 700-year-old expression was "curses are like chickens; they always come home to roost".
1.Which of the following can best describe the picture?
A. Homeric laughter B. A three-ring circus
C. In the swim (of things) D. Chickens have come home to roost
2.What does the underlined word "simultaneously'(Paragraph 3) mean?
A. At the same time. B. Step by step.
C. All of a sudden. D. One after another.
3.lf you want to know more about such expressions, which website will you probably visit?
A. www.chinadaily.com.cn/sports/China.html
B. www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/university.html
C. www.chinadaily.com.cn/culuture/language.html
D. www.chinadaily.com.cn/entertainment/fashion.html
4.The passage is written to .
A. tell readers some old and interesting stories
B. indicate the development of English phrases
C. correct some misunderstandings about words
D. explain the meanings and origins of some phrases
Ever since Jerusha started her college, she began to write letters. Through a series of letters, from freshman to senior in college, she shared her life and study with an unknown gentleman, who never wrote back. Here is the very first letter.
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Dear Mr. Kind, Here I am! I traveled yesterday for four hours in a train. It's a funny experience. I never rode in one before. College is the biggest, most confusing place — I get lost whenever I leave my room. I will tell you more later when I'm feeling less puzzled. Now I want to write a letter first just to get me familiar to you. It seems strange to be writing letters to somebody you don't know. It seems strange for me to be writing letters at all — I've never written more than three or four in my life, so please overlook it if they are not a model kind. Before leaving yesterday morning, Mrs. Lippett and I had a very serious talk. She told me how to behave, especially towards the kind gentleman who is doing so much for me. I must take care to be very respectful. I have been thinking of you a great deal this summer; having somebody take an interest in me after all these years makes me feel as though I had found a sort of family. It seems as though I belonged to somebody now, and it's a very comfortable feeling. I must say, however, that when I think about you, my imaqination has very little to work upon. There are just three things that I know: I .You are tall. II .You are rich. III. You hate girl. I suppose I might call you Dear Mr. Girl-Hater. Only that's rather unpleasant to me. Or Dear Mr. Rich-Man, but that's unpleasant to you, as though money were the only important thing about you. Maybe you won't stay rich all your life; But at least you will stay tall all your life! So I decide to call you Dear Daddy-long-legs. I hope you won't mind. It's just a private pet name — we won't tell Mrs. Lippett. The ten o'clock bell is going to ring in two minutes. Our day is divided by bells. We eat and sleep and study by bells. There it goes! Lights out. Good night. You can see how strictly I obey rules due to my training in the John Grier Home. Yours most respectfully, Jerusha Abbott |
1.Which of the following is NOT the reason for Jerusha to write the letter to Mr.Kind?
A. To get her familiar to him. B. To present her thankfulness to him.
C. To share her brand-new college life with him.
D. To apologize to him for not writing letters too often.
2.If Mrs. Lippett learned that the writer calls the man she writes to Daddy-long-legs, she would probably .
A. burst into laughter B. think it acceptable
C. criticize the writer D. inform the man
3.By "when I think about you, my imagination has very little to work upon.", the writer intends to tell us that .
A. the man she writes to is dull and boring
B. she is not familiar with the one she writes to
C. it is not interesting at all to write to a stranger
D. she lacks imagination when it comes to writing a letter
4.Jerusha was probably while she worked on the letter.
A. curious B. light-hearted C. serious D. skeptical
One cold rainy evening last October, as a medical student, I was in a hospital, gathering data
for my graduation paper.
Holding a patient questionnaire 34 some simple yes-or-no questions, I walked towards a 43-year-old patient who lay in bed alone. I was worried whether she would approve of my demands at such a late hour. 35 , she treated it with consideration. Soon I finished and prepared to leave. 36 I could stand up, she spoke up in a weak voice asking where I was from and why I was working so late in the evening.
Then she started talking about herself as well as her 37 , "My husband died about a year ago, 38 me the only breadwinner of my family. My pay as a cleaner is 39 enough for me and my three kids. I don't know what my children would be if something bad happened to me."
I didn't know what to say. I desperately tried to remember the lessons from a communication skills class I had taken years earlier, but my mind was 40.
Without realizing it, I had begun 41 her hand. Now that I didn't have anything to say, I just sat quietly while she talked. That's when it occurred to me that she was not expecting any 42 from me. She 43 wanted me to listen. All 1 did was nod my head as a way of showing my 44.
The conversation went on for about 20 minutes. Finally, she stopped talking. "I'm very sorry for keeping you here to listen to my problems, but I feel 45 now. I had no one to 46 out my problems to. Thank you so much, doctor."
Sometimes patients do not need expensive medicine or advanced technology. 47 , they just need someone with the 48 to lend an ear and spare a little of their time. For me, that is one of the best things a doctor can do for a patient, doesn't it?
1.A. made up of B. fed up with C. put up with D. come up with
2.A. Calmly B. Excitedly C. Gladly D. Eagerly
3.A. When B. Before C. As D. After
4.A. job B. illness C. family D. children
5.A. causing B. getting C. forcing D. leaving
6.A. extremely B. exactly C. especially D. absolutely
7.A. casual B. clear C. steady D. blank
8.A. holding B. shaking C. carrying D. treating
9.A. thanks B. praise C. warmth D. reply
10.A. even B. ever C. just D. still
11.A. sympathy B. support C. sorrow D. respect
12.A. relaxed B. awkward C. fragile D. satisfied
13.A. leave B. pour C. try D. find
14.A. However B. Otherwise C. Instead D. Besides
15.A. emotion B. patience C. experience D. preference
— Oh! Must you? Stay a bit longer, please.
— , but I've got an early start tomorrow.
A. No problem B. All right C. Thanks anyway D. Never mind
If they had known what was coming next, they __ their mind.
A. may change B. could change C. must have changed D. might have changed
New Zealand's universities offer a wide __ of courses in many fields, including the arts, economics, communications and technology.
A. range B. process C. trend D. bunch
