Have you ever heard someone use the phrase “once in a blue moon”? People use this expression to describe something that they do not do very often. For example, someone might say that he tries to avoid eating sweets because they are unhealthy but will eat chocolate “once in a blue moon”. Or someone who does not usually like to go to the beach might say “I visit the shore once in a blue moon”. Many people use this phrase, but not everyone knows the meaning behind it. The first thing to know is that the moon itself is never really blue. This is just an expression. In fact, the phrase “blue moon” is decided by the shape of the moon, not the color.
As the moon travels around the earth, it appears to change shape. We associate some names with some shapes of the moon. For example, when we can see a small part of the moon, it is called a crescent moon. When we cannot see the moon at all, it is called a new moon. When we can see the whole moon, it is called a full moon. Usually, there is only one full moon every month.
Sometimes, however, there will be two full moons in one month. When this happens, the second full moon is called a “blue moon”.
Over the next 20 years, there will only be 15 blue moons. As you can see, a blue moon is a very rare event. This fact has made people use the expression “once in a blue moon” to describe other very rare events in their lives.
1. Which of the following would be a good example of using the phrase “once in a blue moon”?| A．Simon often tells jokes. Simon tells jokes once in a blue moon. |
| B．Tom hardly remembers to do exercise. Tom does exercise once in a blue moon. |
| C．Mary likes to go shopping every weekend. Mary goes shopping once in a blue moon. |
| D．Cindy hates to stay up, but she stays up every day. Cindy stays up once in a blue moon. |
| A．Many people know the meaning behind “once in a blue moon” well. |
| B．The phrase “once in a blue moon” comes from the color of the moon. |
| C．A blue moon will happen at least once a year over the next twenty years. |
| D．A blue moon happens when there are two full moons in one month. |
| A．teach people to use “once in a blue moon” correctly |
| B．introduce the three forms of the moon to people |
| C．explain to people how “once in a blue moon” is created and used |
| D．make more people use “once in a blue moon’’ in a proper way |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】American and British people both speak English of course. But sometimes there are some important differences between British English and American English.
First of all, they sound very different. Often, Americans don’t say each wordseparately. They say words together. Americans may say “I dunno” instead of “I don’t know”. Or they may say “Whaddya say?” instead of “What did you say?” However, the British are more careful. They usually say all the words and keep them separate.
Sound is not the only difference. Words sometimes have different meanings too. For example, the vocabulary (词汇) for cars and driving is very different. Americans drive trucks, but in England people drive lorries.
Many expressions (表达) are also different in the two countries. In England, if you are going to telephone your friends, you “phone them up”. In America, you “give them a call”. When you are saying goodbye in England you might say “Cheerio!” In America you might say “See you later.”
There are also some differences in grammar (语法). For example, Americans usually use the helping verb “do” when they ask a question. They say “Do you have a storybook?” But the British often leave out the helping verb. They say “Have you a storybook?”
Most languages are like this. Languages change over time. When people live in separate places, the languages change in different ways. This is what has happened to English. It can also happen to other languages, such as French. Many people in Canada speak French but their French is very different from the French of France.
1. What does the underlined word “separately” mean in this passage?| A．含糊地 | B．快速地 | C．分开地 | D．简略地 |
| A．an example of British English |
| B．an example of American English |
| C．the same in America and England |
| D．not the same in America and England |
| A．American people usually say “I don’t know” instead of “I dunno”. |
| B．There are four differences between American and British English. |
| C．Canadians speak all the same French as Frenchmen |
| D．When people live in different places, the languages change in the same ways. |
| A．English vocabulary |
| B．how American sounds are different from British sounds. |
| C．the way the British say words. |
| D．some differences between American and British English. |
【推荐2】Two hundred years ago, American students went to American schools. Like you, they studied math, spelling and geography. Unlike you, they also studied Greek (希腊语) and Latin (拉丁语). In fact, students spent more than half their time studying Greek and Latin.
The same was true for most students in Europe. Until the seventh century, all educated Europeans knew Latin. It did not matter if they lived in England, Italy, France or Spain. If they were educated, they knew Latin.
During the seventh century, educated Europeans began to study Greek as well as Latin. Greek and Latin had been the leading languages of the ancient Greeks and Romans. All educated Europeans were expected to know these languages.
To educated Europeans, the languages of the Greeks and the Romans were important. The ideas of the Greeks and Romans were also important. People knew that many of their own ideas had come from the Greeks and the Romans. To understand their own culture, they must understand its origin (起源). They knew that those beginnings lay in the classical (古典文学的) world.
Today we have so many things to study that few people have time to learn Greek and Latin. Few of you will study either language in school. Yet the ideas of the Greeks and the Romans are still important to us. These ideas still help to shape Western culture today. To understand our own culture, we must understand the culture of the classical world.
1. Two hundred years ago, in American schools ________.| A．students paid little attention to math |
| B．Greek and Latin were required to study |
| C．students knew little about geography |
| A．popular | B．useless | C．dangerous |
| A．the origin of their culture was unknown |
| B．Greek was much more important than Latin |
| C．the Romans had a great influence on their culture |
| A．Japan. | B．Greece. | C．America. |
| A．it’s of great value to learn Greek and Latin |
| B．the culture of the classical world is useless nowadays |
| C．Western culture is quite different from Greek and Roman cultures |
【推荐3】China's hot word, tuhao, may be in Oxford English Dictionary.
In Chinese, tu means rude and hao means rich, in recent years, people use this term to describe those who spend money in an unreasonable way. The word became more popular with Apple's gold-colored iPhone, which is loved by China's rich people. The color became known as "tuhao golden". The word is now often used to refer to people who have money but lack taste.
There are two other Chinese hot words: dama and No Zuo No Die, which may also be taken in the dictionary. Dama, meaning middle-aged women, was first used in the Western media by the Wall Street Journal. Thousands of Chinese women were buying a large amount of gold when the gold price had gone down. Another phrase No Zuo No Die, meaning if you don't do stupid things, they won't come back to bite you, is also very popular. Other words, such as Maotai, Chinglish and dim sum have also been included in the dictionary.
BBC World News recently made a special program called “Tuhao, let’s be friends!” “The frequent use of Chinglish by foreign media suggests that foreign people are looking more to the lifestyle and popular culture of China,”says Zhang Yiwu, professor of Beijing University.
What does this trend suggest about the Chinese language’s influence?
Xing Hongbing, a professor from Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU) said, “These show that Chinglish is now being accepted by the rest of the world and they play important roles in daily life of Chinese. Behind these Chinglish words and phrases are the Chinese culture. They are reflectlons of the changes and trends in the Chinese society and they help people from other countries to understand what's happening in China."
1. Which of the following words is Not Chinglish hot word?| A．Karaoke | B．Dama | C．Tuhao | D．Dim sum |
| A．they made the gold price up | B．they worked on the Wall Street |
| C．they are wealthy middle-aged women | D．they bought gold crazily when the gold price went down |
| A．Foreign people want to know more about the lifestyle and popular culture of China. |
| B．Chinese is one of the most important languages in the world. |
| C．Chinese people are very friendly. |
| D．Foreign people found it funny. |
| A．to describe the hot words in Oxford English Dictionary |
| B．to explain the meanings of some Chinese hot words |
| C．to describe the use of Chingish hot words and their influence |
| D．to show the different opinions about Chingish hot words |
【推荐1】While walking outside one morning, I saw the most beautiful thing.
It was early, and I was walking on dewy (带露水的）grass down to the office. Suddenly a flash came out straight from the ground, about 15 feet in front of me, and shot up into the sky. I stopped. What could make such a bright light? Could it be a diamond (钻石)？ I waited to see if it would repeat, but it didn’t.
I walked slowly toward it, but saw nothing. I looked down at the grass, searching for gold or some kind of metal, again, nothing. Dropped down to my knees for closer look. Suddenly, I saw it. The rising sun hit the grass dewdrop (露珠）at the perfect way, sending great light into the sky. It was as if I had just discovered a tiny new world and it was just the unseen world that was giving me a heads-up (提醒), “”Hello, look at what’s around you，” it said. I’ve never forgotten that moment.
So next time you’re out, take some time to notice nature, whose beauty most of us never even see. Look at the beautiful colors and different small flowers that cover playing fields, we walk all over them without a second look. Watch a bee dancing, or tiny ants going on their way, or birds singing in the sky. All of these natural living things are amazing if only we took the time to notice them.
Have an eye for nature, and you’ll find a new secret each day to keep in your heart. It’s one of the most wonderful things I’ve ever done.
根据短文，判断句子正（T)误（F)。（共5小题）
1. The writer stopped walking to the office at first because he saw a diamond.
2. When the writer dropped down to his knees, he saw nothing again.
3. The writer has never forgotten the moment he discovered the tiny new world.
4. Keep an eye for nature and you will find the beauty of nature.
5. The purpose of the passage is to describe the writer’s wonderful life,
【推荐2】How do you feel about nature? After spending hours indoors, do you feel better when you visit your local park? I believe the answer must be “YES”.
Most people think that nature is good for our bodies and brains. However, humans are spending more time inside and less time outside. For example, the number of visitors to Canada’s national parks is getting smaller every year. And in countries such as the USA, only 10% of teenagers spend time outside every day. Many doctors feel that this is a problem in the twenty-first century.
Therefore, some doctors are studying the connection between nature and health: one example is the work of Dr. Matilda in Sweden. The doctor gave people a maths test. During the test, their heart rates(心率) were fast. After the test, one group of people sat in a 3D-virtual-reality(虚拟现实) room for fifteen minutes with pictures and sounds of nature. Their heart rates were slower than people’s in the other group. The virtual touch with nature helped them feel more relaxed. The natural world allows our brains to rest and slow down, and can leave us feeling happier and less stressed. Another example from Canada also shows nature is good for health. In Toronto, researchers studied 31,000 people living in the city. In general, they found that healthier people lived near parks.
Because of studies like these, some countries and cities want people to enjoy nature in their everyday life. In Dubai, people plan to build a new shopping mall with a large garden, so shoppers can relax outside with trees, plants and water. And South Korea has new forests near its cities and around 13 million people visit these forests every year. Getting close to nature has been thought to be necessary for brain development in children. In Switzerland, “forest schools” are popular. School children study their subjects in the forests and exercise a lot outside. So after building cities for so long, perhaps it’s now time to start rebuilding nature.
1. What does the underlined word “this” in paragraph 2 refer to?| A．People spend more time inside than outside. |
| B．People think nature is good for our bodies. |
| C．Only teenagers spend time outside every day. |
| D．The number of people to parks changes every day. |
| A．The advice from the doctor. | B．Pictures and sounds of nature. |
| C．The maths problems in the test. | D．The real natural world. |
| A．The maths test is bad for health as it makes people nervous. |
| B．People’s heart rates get slower in a 3D-virtual-reality room. |
| C．More and more Canadians will move to live near parks. |
| D．Nature can help people be more relaxed and healthier. |
| A．Building new forests near cities. | B．Inventing a brain development programme. |
| C．Planning a green area for shoppers. | D．Having classes and doing sports in the forest. |
| A．Nature is more important than cities. | B．Country life is healthier than city life. |
| C．Nature should be part of people’s life. | D．People have lived in cities for so long. |
The story makes Shennongjia in Hubei a famous place for tourists. Travelling there is an exciting experience, because you can see beautiful sights of the four seasons from different altitudes(海拔). “When the bottom of the mountain is summer, the top is spring and while the foot of the hill is autumn, the top is covered with ice,” local people say of the special climate(气候) of Shennongjia.
Shennongjia is also home to 5,000 kinds of animals and plants. Many animals in danger live there, such as the golden monkey, the clouded leopard and the Asian black bear.
One interesting thing about Shennongjia is its story of wild men. Some people once said that they saw very big footprints(脚印). Yet so far, scientists haven't believed it is true and some say they are just bears.
The beautiful place has received a newtitle. On July 17, 2016, Shennongjia Forestry District was added(增加) to United Nations World Heritage list as a natural site. China now has 50 world heritage sites(遗址), second only to Italy in the world.
1. In Shennongjia, ________．| A．there are many medical stores along the way |
| B．people can experience four seasons up the mountain |
| C．there are 500 kinds of animals and plants |
| D．scientists have proved there are wild men there |
| A．标题 | B．景点 | C．称号 | D．职务 |
| A．Italy. | B．The USA. | C．China. | D．Canada. |
| A．The story of Shennong. |
| B．Animals living in Shennongjia. |
| C．The amazing Shennongjia. |
| D．World heritage sites. |
| You are what you eat | Keeping better eating habits can help you reduce (减少) illness. A healthy eating plan means choosing the right foods to eat and preparing foods in a healthy way. |
| Change the toothbrush | Do you often change your toothbrush (牙刷)? Maybe you think it is not necessary. A study shows old toothbrushes bring disease. You should often change your toothbrush. |
| Exercise | Swimming, running, skating, skiing, dancing, walking and some other activities can help you stay healthy. You should exercise at least three times a week and for twenty minutes or more each time. Do it. |
| Plan out your life | You should have breakfast before you go to school. Have a right meal for lunch. Follow a healthy diet (饮食). |
1. Good eating habits can help your health.
2. Old toothbrushes can reduce disease.
3. We should exercise only three times a month.
4. We should have breakfast before going to school.
5. The passage is mainly about healthy lifestyle.
Technology makes our world more colorful A. A big step in exploring the moon B. Meet China’s super sea-crossing project C. An eye-catching building appearing in Guizhou D. Baidu tests driverless cars on expressway in Shanxi E. Have you thought of who is reporting behind the screen? F. Ready to take a ride on the dragon-shaped “ Eye of Bohai Sea”? |
| A man-made waterfall has been built onto the side of a 121-meter-tall office building in the city center of Guiyang. Getting the 108-meter-tall waterfall ready isn’t an easy job. It should come as no surprise that Guiyang is now home to one of the world’s largest man-made waterfalls. |
| About 420,000 tons of steel---enough to build 60 Eiffel Towers were used in building such a great project. It took nine years to building the world’s longest sea bridge that is 55-kilometer long connecting Hong Kong, Zhuhai with Macao. |
| Chang’e-4 successfully entered the lunar orbit(月球轨道）on December12,2018 and made a soft landing on the moon’s far side in January for the first time in human history. China’s lunar rover, Yutu-2, or Jade Rabbit-2, left the first ever ”footprint” on January 3rd, 2019. |
| Standing 142.52 meters tall---nearly 10 meters taller than London Eye, this surprising project towering above the Bailang River set the record of the world’s tallest spokeless Ferris wheel(无轴摩天轮）.The wheel is designed to look like a dragon. |
| Face, voice, expressions and actions of the world’s first AI news reporters are taken from human reporters, “He” can read texts as naturally as a human reporter. According to Xinhua, “He” has become a member of its reporting team and can work 24 hours a day. |
2.
3.
4.
5.
【推荐3】One day, an American called Jason went to London to visit his friend, David.
David told him that his flat was on the first floor. When he arrived, Jason went straight to the first floor of the building. But he was told that there was no one called David on that floor. Do you know why?
In fact, the British call the first floor of a building the ground floor. The floor above the ground floor is the first floor. But Americans would call it the second floor. The story shows that there are some differences in culture between Britain and America, though both the British and Americans speak English.
The British usually hide their feelings. They seldom start a conversation with strangers. For example, on the train the British often spend their time reading newspapers or books. But Americans are quite different. They’re more active and easier to talk with.
The British and Americans may use different terms for many things. The British usually use “football, eraser and mail”. While Americans like to use “soccer, rubber and post”.
1. Which picture shows us where David’s flat was?A． | B． | C． | D． |
| A．playing cards |
| B．talking loudly |
| C．singing and dancing |
| D．doing some reading |
| A．成果 | B．学期 | C．会议 | D．用语 |
| A．Differences in Culture | B．Simon’s Funny Story |
| C．Simon’s Visit to London | D．Hiding the Feelings |
