英语习语篇章阅读.pdf

《英语习语篇章阅读.pdf》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《英语习语篇章阅读.pdf（55页珍藏版）》请在得力文库 - 分享文档赚钱的网站上搜索。

1、英语习语篇章阅读习语在英语中的地位举足轻重，学生了解习语并掌握其用法是个关键。由于习语是一些固定词语，其意义不可能由构成它的词义简单推出，因而学起来有一定难度。英语在这方面的比喻义、引申义往往高于字面义。例如，g o t o t h e w a l l并非仅仅简单地说“走到一堵墙边”，深层含义是“破产、钱财毁于一旦”。因此，我们以英语习语为主题，作为校本课的素材，旨在使学生初步了解习语的一些用法，能自如地运用地道的语言。本书包括十章，每章三-五篇短文。每篇文章包含：1.关于习语的特写文章；2.一套自测习题。C h a p t e r IP a s s a g e 1.St o n e B r

2、e a k e rA l i t t l e b i r d t o l d t h e s o l d i e r s t h a t a n e w s t r i c t o f f i c e r w o u l d c o m e.A tt h a t d a y,h e m a d e a s p e e c h t o a l l t h e s o l d i e r s.He w a s s o s t r i c t s od i s o b e y i n g f l e w o f f h i m l i k e w a t e r o f f a d u c k s

3、b a c k.He h a d n e v e r s e e nt h e m b e f o r e,s o h e b e g a n:My n a m e i s St o n e,a n d I m e v e n h a r d e r t h a ns t o n e,s o d o w h a t I t e l l y o u o r t h e r e?1 1 b e t r o u b l e.D o n t t r y a n y t r i c k sw i t h m e,a n d t h e n w e 1 1 g e t o n w e l l t o g

4、e t h e r.T h e n h e w e n t t o e a c h s o l d i e r o n a f t e r t h e o t h e r a n d a s k e d h i m h i s n a m e.“Sp e a k l o u d l y s o t h a t e v e r y o n e c a n h e a r y o u c l e a r l y,“h e s a i d.T h es o l d i e r s p r o v e d t h e m s e l v e s c h i c k e n-h e a r t e d

5、a n d d a r e n o t m a k e a s i n g l e m o v ew h e n t h e o f f i c e r c a m e t o h i m.E a c h s o l d i e r t o l d h i m h i s n a m e,u n t i l h e c a m e t o t h e l a s t o n e.A l t h o u g hh e t r i e d t o b e c a l m,h i s e x p r e s s i o n l e t t h e c a t o u t o f t h e b a

6、g.He h a db u t t e r f l i e s i n h i s s t o m a c h s o h e c o u l d n o t s p e a k a w o r d.A n d s o C a p t a i nSt o n e s h o u t e d a t h i m,“W h e n I a s k y o u a q u e s t i o n,a n s w e r i t!I 1 1 a s ky o u a g a i n:w h a t s y o u n a m e,s o l d i e r?”T h e s o l d i e r w

7、 a s v e r y u n h a p p y,b u ta t l a s t h e r e p l i e d.My n a m e s St o n e b r e a k e r,s i r,h e s a i d n e r v o u s l y.1.W h y a r e t h e s o l d i e r s a f r a i d o f t h e o f f i c e r?2.W h a t s t h e l a s t s o l d i e r s n a m e?3.W h y d i d n,t t h e l a s t s o l d i e

8、r a n s w e r t h e o f f i c e r,s n a m e?P a s s a g e 2.T o s h i b a-a Ja p a n e s e b o yIt w a s t h e f i r s t d a y o f s c h o o l a n d a n e w s t u d e n t,t h e s o n a Ja p a n e s eb u s i n e s s m a n,e n t e r e d t h e f o r t h g r a d e.T h e t e a c h e r g r e e t e d t h e

9、 c l a s s a n ds a i d,Le t s b e g i n b y r e v i e w i n g s o m e A m e r i c a n h i s t o r y.D o n t f i s h i nt r o u b l e d w a t e r s a n d t r y t o a n s w e r m e i n t h e r i g h t w a y.Sh e s a i d:W h os a i d Gi v e m e l i b e r t y,o r g i v e m e d e a t h?”She saw only a s

10、ea of blank faces.Then she said:Toshiba,can you?”Toshiba was in dilemma,but pigs might fly.Then he said:Patrick Henry,1775.”said the boy.”The teacher snapped at the class.You should be ashamed.Toshiba,whois new to our country,knows more about it than you.”As she turned to write something on the blac

11、kboard,she heard a loudwhisper,“Damned Japanese.”“Who said that?”she demanded.Toshiba put his hand up.Jessica Lee,1998 “he said.1.What s Toshiba s nationality?2.What did the other students truly whisper?3.What can you get from the story?Passage 3.The Little Girl and the Lady with a Big HatIt was rai

12、ning cats and dogs outside.A little girl dogged her motherJ sfootsteps and sat on the bus beside her mother.The bus stopped,and some more passengers got on.They didn,t speak.Theysat down in the first empty seats they came to;it was very quiet in thebus.The last passenger to come on board the bus was

13、 very tall.She was carryingan elegant blue umbrella and expensive crocodile handbag.She was wearinga very large hat.The little girl stared at the hat.Mummy,“she saidloudly,“What a funny hat!”“Shah,dear,“said her mother,don t be so rude.”Someone at the back of the bus giggled.“Oh dear,I am sorry,“sai

14、d the mother,“children can be soembarrassing.”Her mother realized too late that she had backed the wrong horse.All theother passengers smiled happily to themselves.1.What was the girlJ s true meaning about the hat?2.Why did the other passengers smiled happily?3.Is the lady foolish?Passage4.Why did t

15、he Poor Man Cry?Mrs.Black was old and rich.She lived in a splendid house and owned alot of valuable things.Then she died,and there was a big funeral.Noticeswere sent out to relatives and friends,and they came from far and nearto attend the funeral.The service took place in Mrs.Black s old church,and

16、 then her body wastaken back to be buried in a special place in her garden.The hearsecarrying her body moved along slowly,followed by the relatives andfriends,the women and children in cars,and the men on foot.One of Mrs.Black s cousins saw a poorly dressed man following the hearseand crying bitterl

17、y.The cousin said to him kindly,What s wrong with you?You are like abear with a sore head!And were you a relative of the dead woman,too?”“No”,the man answered.Then why are you crying?v the dead woman srelative asked.“It s a horse of another color.That s exactly why I m crying.Thepoor dressed man ans

18、wered.1.Is the poor man Mrs.Black s relative?2.Why did he cry badly?Passage 5.Why did the Children Resist going to Bed?Joe and Helen Mills have two small children.One of them was six,and theother was four.They always resisted going to bed,and Helen was alwayscomplaining to Joe about this:although I

19、tried to tell a white lie thatif they didn t sleep,they will be killed by ghost,they still did thesame,and what I did was a real white elephant what shall I do?”Joe considered himself a good singer,but really his voice was not at allmusical.However,he decided that,if he sang to the children when the

20、ywent to bed,it would help them to relax,and gradually they would go tosleep.He did this every Saturday and Sunday night until he heard his small sonwhisper to his younger sister,“If you pretend that you re asleep,hestops!”1.What did Helen complain to Joe?2.Does Joe sing well?3.Why did the children

21、sleep fast when Joe sang a song?Chapter 1 1Passage 6.Black and WhiteMost of time black and white appears as opposites.White means light andpurity.Black is darkness and evil.But not always.Sometimes the wordsare used differently.White hats and black hats represent the traditional meaning of the words

22、.The hats are the symbols of the“good guys”and the“bad guys”inAmerican western movies.Now the tradition of white hats and black hatsis no longer a part of movie making.But you still hear the expressionwhen people talk about good guys and bad guys.A black sheep is a person who does things that are no

23、t accepted,the violatetradition.A black sheep is rejected because he brings shame to his group.A family may have a member who is thought of as a black sheep,a personwho is not welcome at family gatherings.Black is also used in some expressions that describe good things.Beingain the black“for example

24、 is a good situation for anyone.It is abusiness expression that means a company is earning money.When someonesays his business is“in the red”,he means it is losing money.White usually means something good.A white color“job,for example,is the kind of job many people seek.It is a job where you work at

25、 a desk,using your brain instead of your musclesSometimes white is used in an expression that is not good.Whitewash issuch an expression.At first whitewash meant to paint over something witha white paint to make it look better.But now“whitewash“has a differentmeaning:to hide or cover up mistakes or

26、failures.Exercises1.Generally,what do people think of uwhite and black”?2.Can you explain the meaning of black sheep”?3.When is“black“used to describe good things?4.When is”white”used to describe bad things?5.Do you know some other expressions about“white and black”Passage 7.ColorsAmericans have use

27、d colors to create many expressions they use every day.We say we are“in the pink”when we are in good health.It is easy tounderstand how this was born.When my face has a nice fresh,pink color,it is a sign my health is good.Red is a hotter color than pink.And American uses it to express heat.Blue is a

28、 cooler color.So to be blue”,of course,is to be sad.Whilethe color green is natural for trees,it is an unnatural color for humans.When someone does not feel well,someone who is seasick for example,wesay he looks green.When someone is angry because he does not have whatsomeone else has,we say he is“g

29、reen with envy”The color black is oftenused in expressions.People describe a day in which everything goes wrongas a“black day”The color yellow is sometimes used to describe a coward.A person who is“yellow”has no courage.A personJ skin may become yellow as a resultof diseases that attack the liver.Ye

30、llow fever is one.In the past shipscarrying yellow fever victims raised a flag called the“yellow jack”In some cases colors just describe a situation.A black out”in WorldWar Two was when all lights were turned off to make it difficult for bomberplanes to find their target at night.A brown out“is an A

31、mericanexpression for reduced electrical power,which makes electric lights dim.Exercises1.What do people use to describe the time when they are well?2.How was in the pink”born?3.Which color can we use when someone is sad?4.If someone says“today is a black day.5.What?s the meaning of“Black out?What d

32、oes he mean?Passage 8.HeartPeople believed for a long time that the heart was the center of a person*semotions.That is why the heart is used in so many expressions aboutemotional situations.One such expression is to“lose your heart”tosomeone.When that happens,you have fallen in love.But if the perso

33、nwho“won your heart”dose not love you,then you are sure to have a“broken heart”.In your pain and sadness,you may decide that personis“hard-hearted“and in fact,has a“heart of stones”.You may decide to“pour out your heart”to a friend.Telling someoneabout your personal problems can often make you feel

34、better.If your frienddoes not seem to understand how painful your broken heart is,you may askhim to“have a heart”.You are asking him to show some sympathy tounderstand how important all this is to you.Your friend“has his heartin the right place”if he says he is sorry,and shows great concern foryour

35、situation.He may,however,warn you“not to wear your heart on yoursleeve”.In other words,do not let everyone see how lovesick you are.When your heart is on your sleeve,you are showing your deepest emotions.If your friend says,“m y heart bleeds for you”then he is a cold-heartedperson who does not reall

36、y care about his friends.What he is really sayingis that his heart does not bleed for you.He is uncaring.The word courage comes from the Latin word“cur”meaning heart.Someonewho is lacking courage is said to“lack heart“When you are frightenedor concerned,your uheart is in your mouthv.You might say,fo

37、r example,that your heart was in your mouth you asked the bank for money.If thebank says no to you,do not ulose heart.Be“strong-hearted.Go tothe bank,sit down with the banker and have a“heart to h e a r tta lk.Be open and honest.Explain your situation.As a result of this meeting,the bank may have a

38、uchange of heart”.It may agree to lend you the money.This would“put your heart at rest.You could stop worrying.Exercises1.If your friend says”my heart bleeds for you”,what does he mean?2.When you are frightened,what might you say according to the passage?3.Can you explain what the“heart to heart tal

39、k is?4.According to the passage,what expression can be used when you areshowing your deepest emotions?5.What s the meaning of”put your heart at rest”?Passage 9.KickFrom birth to death,the word kick has been given an important part inexpressing the human experience.The proud and happy mother feels th

40、efirst signs of life“kicking”inside her womb.And that same life manyyears later comes to his end in a widely used expression,“to kick thebucket”,meaning to die.Another old expression that comes from England is to“kick over thetraces”,meaning to resist the commands of one s parents,or to opposeany ki

41、nd of authority.Traces were the chains that held a horse or muleto a wagon or plow.Sometimes an animal rebelled and“kicked over thetraces”.Two other phrases,close in meaning,are to kick up a breezev,and tokick up one,s heels”.They mean to forget your cares and have a wildtime,a celebration.There is

42、no physical action when you“kick a manupstairs”although the pain can be as strong.You“kick a man upstairs”by removing him from an important job and giving him a title that soundsimportant but really is not.Still another meaning of the word kick is to become free of a bad habit,such as smoking cigare

43、ttes.Health campaigns urge smokers to“kick thehabit”.Exercisers1.What does“death“mean passage?2.How did“kick over the traces“come from?3.When you“kick a man upstairsv,is there any physical action?4.What,s the meaning kick over the traces”?5.If someone says“he wants to kick the habit,what does he mea

44、n?Passage 10.Down to Earth,both feet on the Ground“Down-to-earth“means someone or something that is honest,realisticand easy to deal with.It is a pleasure to find someone who is down-to-earth.A person who is down-to-earth is easy to talk to and accepts other peopleas equals.A Down-to-earth person is

45、 just the opposite of someone who actsimportant or proud.Down-to-earth persons may be important members of society,of course.Butthey don,t let their importance“go to their heads“they do not considerthemselves to be better persons than others of less importance.Someonewho is filled with his said to h

46、ave“his nose in the air”.There is no way a person with his nose in the air can be down-to-earth.Americans use another expression that means almost the same as“d o w n-t o-e a r t h”.T h a t i s b o t h-f e e t-o n-t h e-g r o u n d”.So m e o n e w i t h“b o t h f e e t o n-t h e-g r o u n d i s a p

47、e r s o n w i t h g o o d u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f r e a l i t y.He h a s w h a t i s c a l l e d uc o m m o n s e n s e”.He m a y h a v e d r e a m s,b u t h e d o e sn o t a l l o w t h e m t o b l o c k h i s k n o w l e d g e o f w h a t i s r e a l.T h e o p p o s i t e k i n do f p e r s

48、o n i s o n e w h o h a s h i s “h e a d-i n-t h e-c l o u d s”.A m a n w i t h h i sh e a d-i n-t h e-c l o u d s i s a d r e a m e r w h o s e m i n d i s n o t i n t h e r e a l w o r l d.So m e t i m e s s u c h a d r e a m e r c a n b e b r o u g h t b a c k t o e a r t h.Sh a r p w o r d s f r

49、 o mt e a c h e r c a n u s u a l l y b r i n g a d a y d r e a m i n g s t u d e n t d o w n-t o-e a r t h.U s u a l l y,t h e p e r s o n w h o i s d o w n-t o-e a r t h i s v e r y l i k e l y t o h a v e b o t h f e e t o n t h eg r o u n d.W h e n w e h a v e b o t h o u r f e e t o n-t h e 一 一

50、 g r o u n d,w h e n w e a r ed o w n-t o-e a r t h,w e a c t h o n e s t l y a n d o p e n l y t o w a r d o t h e r s.Ot h e r l i v e s a r el i k e t h e g r o u n d b e l o w u s,s o l i d a n d s t r o n g.E x e r c i s e s1.W h a t s t h e m e a n i n g o f d o w n-t o-e a r t hv?2.W h a t k