The word “chicken” is used in so many English idioms. Do you know the following?
☆Don’t count your chicken before they hatch.
The expression “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch” means “Don’t expect that all your eggs, which have been laid, will hatch.” “Hatch” is a verb, meaning the baby chicken breaks open the shell of the egg and comes out successfully. So the expression mainly means “Don’t depend on things working out just as you want them to.” This saying appears in the story The Milkmaid and Her Pail in Aesop’s Fables.
☆A chicken-and-egg situation
In history, philosophers（哲学家）and scientists have met this dilemma（困境）:Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Aristotle thought that both the bird and the egg must have always been there. However, more recently, scientists such as Stephen Hawking have argued that the egg came before the chicken. In common speech, the term “a chicken-and-egg situation” means a situation where it is impossible to say which of two things appeared first and which caused the other one.
☆Don’t be such a chicken
There seems to be an idea in English, somehow, that a chicken is a scared bird. Maybe that’s not fair as most birds will probably fly away from you if you go towards them. But “Don’t be such a chicken” means “Don’t be so scared and get a bit more courage.” So if your friend is afraid to do something , you can say to him or her, “Don’t be such a chicken. Just have a try!”
1. The underlined word “hatch” means “________” in Chinese.
| A．孵化 | B．长大 | C．破碎 | D．出售 |
| A．Aristotle’s opinion was wrong |
| B．Stephen Hawking’s opinion is wrong |
| C．it’s impossible to find the right answer to this question |
| D．philosophers and scientists usually have the same answer to a question |
| A．is not brave enough | B．enjoys counting his chickens |
| C．has difficulty making a choice | D．hopes things will work out just as he wants |
| A．food | B．culture | C．travel | D．sport |
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【推荐1】Living in a foreign culture can be exciting, but it can also be confusing (令人迷惑的). A group of Americans who taught English in other countries recently discussed their experiences. They decided that miscommunications were always possible, even over something as simple as “yes” and “no”.
On her first day in Micronesia, an island in the Pacific, Lisa thought people weren’t paying any attention to her. The day was hot. She went into a store and asked, “Do you have cold drinks?” The woman there didn’t say anything. Lisa repeated the question. Still the woman said nothing. She later learned that the woman had answered her: She had raised her eyebrows (眉毛), which in Micronesia means “yes”.
Jan remembered an experience she had in Bulgaria, a country in Europe. She went to a restaurant that was known for its cabbage. She asked the waiter, “Do you have cabbage today?” He nodded his head. Jan waited, but the cabbage never came. In that country, a nod means no.
Tom had a similar problem when he arrived in India. After explaining something in class, he asked his students if they understood. They answered with many different nods and shakes of the head. He thought some people had not understood, so he explained again. When he asked again, they did the same thing. He soon found out that his students did understand. In India, people nod and shake their heads in different ways depending on where they come from. You have to know where a person is from to understand whether they mean “yes” or “no”.
1. These Americans teaching English in other countries found that they ________.| A．should go abroad for vacations | B．needed to learn foreign languages |
| C．should often discuss their experiences | D．had problems with communications |
| A．he did not know much about Indian culture |
| B．he didn’t explain everything clearly enough |
| C．some students didn’t understand his questions |
| D．he didn’t know where the students came from |
| A．In Bulgaria, nodding heads means no. |
| B．Jan taught English on a Pacific island. |
| C．Lisa was trying to buy some cabbage. |
| D．In India, only shaking heads means “YES”. |
| A．body language in foreign restaurants | B．class discussion in Indian schools |
| C．miscommunication in different cultures | D．English teaching in other countries |
根据以上材料，选择最佳答案。
1. Many English people have meals a day.
| A．two | B．three | C．four |
| A．rice | B．bread | C．hamburgers |
| A．at any time |
| B．at twelve |
| C．at about 1:00 in the afternoon |
| A．bananas, apples or oranges |
| B．rice, fish and vegetables |
| C．fish, hamburgers and bread |
| A．In some English homes, dinner is in the middle of the day. |
| B．English people drink tea or juice at breakfast. |
| C．Englih people have afternoon tea at 5:00 in the afternoon. |
In the Chinese Zodiac（生肖）culture there is a twelve-year cycle. Each year is represented（代表）by an animal. 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit! Rabbits are gentle and smart.
In Chinese tradition there is a Moon Goddess named Chang’e. She lives on the moon with her rabbit.
Rabbits in different countries are often considered as a symbol of good luck and wealth. No matter where you are, wish you a lucky and wealthy life in the Year of the Rabbit!
| A．Rabbits are also seen to be lucky in Western culture. |
| B．They are very popular with people from all over the world. |
| C．In North America, a rabbit’s foot is one symbol of good luck. |
| D．It’s called the Moon Rabbit and helps Chang’e to make medicine. |
| E．It’s said that the gift of the white rabbit will bring the child a rich life. |
| F．The rabbis develop the friendship between China and western countries. |
