1 . There are so many expressions in American English that sound good but actually are not.

“Face the music” is a good example. When someone says they have to face the music, it does not mean they are going to a musical show or a concert. To “face the music” means accepting the bad results of behavior.

Imagine a friend asks you to take care of her beautiful red sports car. She gives you the keys and says, “Thanks so much for watching my car while I’m away. But please do not drive it. It is a very fast car and you are not on the insurance (保险).” But you do not listen. You want to show it to some friends and pretend (假装) the car is yours. So, you drive it around town one night. As bad luck would have it, you lose control of the car and drive it into a stop sign. The damage is serious. When your friend returns, you must tell her what you have done and “face the music”. The “music” here is the result of your behavior. It could be losing her friendship or paying for repairs to her sports car or both. Whatever the “music” is, you must face it.

There are other American expressions that mean the same as “face the music”.

“Take your medicine” means accepting the results of something bad you have done. And if someone says, “You made your bed. Now lie in it.” He means you created a bad situation and now you will experience the results, or as we say in American spoken English, you must deal with it!

“Pay the piper” also means the same as “face the music”. But that expression has its own very interesting beginning. We will talk about that in the next Words and Their Stories.

1. What’s the main idea of this passage?

A．To invite a friend to go to a musical performance.

B．To tell people how to deal with a bad situation.

C．To give people a lesson on an action.

D．To introduce some expressions.

2. Which action belongs to “take your medicine”?

A．You broke the traffic rules and were liable to a fine.

B．You worked hard but failed in the exam.

C．You caught a cold and took some medicine.

D．You moved to a new city and lost touch with your old friends.

3. Which of the following expressions doesn’t have the same meaning with the others?

A．Face the music.	B．Take your medicine.
C．Make your bed.	D．Pay the piper.

4. The next programme may talk about ________.

A．other words and their stories	B．the beginning of “pay the piper”
C．the wider use of “face the music”	D．an example of “take your medicine”

3 . It has always been thought that alcohol causes people to put on weight because it contains a lot of sugar, but new research suggests a glass a day cold form part of a diet. Looking at past studies they found that, while heavy drinkers do put on weight; those who drink in moderation can actually lose weight.

A spokesman for the research team at Navarro University in Spain says, “Light to moderate alcohol intake, especially of wine, may be more likely to protect against, rather than promote, weight gain.” The International Scientific Forum on Alcohol research reviewed the findings and agreed with most of the conclusions, particularly that data do not clearly indicate if moderate drinking increases weight.

Boston University’s Dr. Harvey Finkel found that the biologic mechanisms (生物学机制) relating alcohol to changes in body weight are not properly understood. His team pointed out the strong protective effects of moderate drinking on the risk of getting conditions like diabetes (糖尿病), which relate to increasing obesity. Some studies suggest that even very obese people may be at lower risk of diabetes if they are moderate drinkers.

The group says alcohol provides calories that are quickly absorbed into the body and are not stored in fat, and that this process could explain the differences in its effects from those of other foods. They agree that future research should be directed towards assessing the roles of different types of alcoholic drinks, taking into consideration drinking patterns and including the past tendency of participants to gain weight.

For now there is little evidence that consuming small to moderate amounts of alcohol on a regular basis increases one’s risk of becoming obese. What’s more, a study three years ago suggested that resveratrol (白藜芦醇), a compound present in grapes and red wine destroys fat cells.

1. The passage is mainly for those ________.

A．who produce wine	B．who go on a diet
C．who are eager to lose weight	D．who have a drinking habit

2. The underlined phrase “in moderation” in the first paragraph means ________.

A．properly

B．carefully

C．frequently

D．excitedly

3. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Moderate drinking increases weight.

B．Resveratrol is proved to increase the risk of becoming fat.

C．Moderate drinking has a strong protective effect.

D．The specific roles of different types of alcoholic drinks are very clear.

4. What is most likely to be discussed in the paragraph that follows?

A．How to do some easy experiments.

B．How to reduce the calories contained in wine.

C．How to make wine in a healthy way.

D．How to prove the finding mentioned in the last paragraph.

5 . In Washington DC, there is an entrepreneurial (创业的) teen, who owns and _________ his own bakery business. Young Michael Platt is the owner of Michael’s Desserts.

Born with a(n) _________ love for sweets, he became _________ in baking when he was nine. Since he was diagnosed with severe epilepsy (癫痫) at 10, Michael has been home schooled by his mother. With his activities _________ by his medical condition, Michael threw himself into _________. However, this is not just a(n) _________ bakery business. It operates on a one-for-one donation model—for every cupcake sold he_________one to the homeless.

“I knew that I wanted to start a(n) _________, but I knew I didn’t just want to make _________—I also wanted to __________ people in need at the same time,” he says. His business_____________creates new baked goods, which include __________ cookies and cupcakes, and cupcakes are his biggest seller.

Stephanie Gerstenblith, one of his __________, comes to buy cupcakes every day. She says that Michael’s cupcakes are not only delicious, but also have __________ her to “provide everyone with sweetness’”

__________ running his bakery, Michael hosts bake sales for the non-profit No Kid Hungry. Jessica Bomberg, a leader of fund-raising for the campaign, says, “Young heroes like Michael prove that everyone can __________ in society.”

It is Michael’s faith that everyone should take the __________ to take care of others. “When I see people lack foods, I want to give them __________,” he says. “It’s my way of telling them that they haven’t been __________.”

Michael believes his cupcakes inspire smiles, tears, amazement, joy, satisfaction, __________and other human emotions in those homeless people.

1.

A．displays

B．increases

C．runs

D．evaluates

2.

A．occasional

B．shocking

C．abnormal

D．unbelievable

3.

A．interested

B．convinced

C．disappointed

D．tired

4.

A．guided

B．limited

C．delayed

D．improved

5.

A．baking

B．study

C．work

D．research

6.

A．difficult

B．strange

C．special

D．ordinary

7.

A．returns

B．shows

C．gives

D．lends

8.

A．innovation

B．business

C．school

D．conversation

9.

A．history

B．friends

C．money

D．mistakes

10.

A．help

B．detect

C．teach

D．save

11.

A．apparently

B．barely

C．potentially

D．constantly

12.

A．simple

B．popular

C．official

D．meaningful

13.

A．classmates

B．customers

C．relatives

D．colleagues

14.

A．inspired

B．warned

C．forced

D．asked

15.

A．Rather than

B．Such as

C．Due to

D．Apart from

16.

A．make a fortune

B．make a living

C．make a difference

D．make a donation

17.

A．decision

B．responsibility

C．consequence

D．conclusion

18.

A．something

B．everything

C．freedom

D．security

19.

A．misunderstood

B．doubted

C．controlled

D．forgotten

20.

A．enthusiasm

B．intelligence

C．happiness

D．argument

6 . Meeting people from another culture can be difficult. From the beginning, people may send the wrong signal, or they may pay no attention to signals from another person who is trying to develop a relationship.

Different cultures emphasise the importance of relationship building to a greater or lesser degree. For example,business in some countries is not possible until there is a relationship of trust. Even with people at work,it is necessary to spend a lot of time in“small talk”, usually over a glass of tea, before they do any job. In many European countries—like the UK or France—people find it easier to build up a lasting working relationship at restaurants or cafes rather than at the office.

Talk and silence may also be different in some cultures. I once made a speech in Thailand. I had expected my speech to be a success and start a lively discussion; instead there was an uncomfortable silence. The people present just stared at me and smiled. After getting to know their ways better, I realised that they thought I was talking too much. In my own culture, we express meaning mainly through words, but people there sometimes feel too many words are unnecessary.

Even within Northern Europe, cultural differences can cause serious problems. Certainly, English and German cultures share similar values; however, Germans prefer to get down to business more quickly. We think that they are rude. In fact, this is just because one culture starts discussions and makes decisions more quickly.

People from different parts of the world have different values, and sometimes these values are quite against each other. However, if we can understand them better, a multicultural environment will offer a better chance to us to understand and learn from each other.

1. What’s the benefit of eating together at restaurants in some countries according to this passage?

A．People can develop closer relations.	B．People can share the same culture.
C．People can get to know each other.	D．People can keep each other company.

2. Why does the author mention his experience in Thailand?

A．To show the English prefer to make long speeches.

B．To show too many words are of no use.

C．To show people from Thailand are quiet and shy by nature.

D．To show even talk and silence can be culturally different.

3. According to the text, how can people from different cultures understand each other better?

A．By sharing different ways of life.	B．By accepting different habits.
C．By recognising different values.	D．By speaking each other’s languages.

4. What would be the best title for the text?

A．Multicultural Environment	B．Cross-cultural Differences
C．How to Understand Each Other	D．How to Build up a Relationship

7 . The traditional Chinese lunar calendar (农历) divides the year into 24 solar terms (节气), which reflect the Chinese people’s understanding of time. Here several special solar terms are listed.

Rain Water

Rain Water signals the increase in rainfall and rise in temperature. With its arrival, the river water defreezes (解冻), wild geese move from south to north, and trees and grass turn green again. Extra care is needed to cope with a returning cold spell in this period. The wet and damp weather during Rain Water period is considered harmful for people’s spleen (脾) and stomach according to Chinese medical practice. Therefore, a bowl of nutritious porridge is the best choice to nourish the body.

Awakening of Insects

As the third solar term in the lunar year, its name implies that animals sleeping in winter are awakened by spring thunder and that the earth begins to come back to life. It is the key time for spring agricultural activities. Modern meteorological (气象) science shows that around this period, the earth becomes wet, the hot humid air from the north is strong and creates frequent winds. For this reason, thunder often occurs.

Spring Equinox

Spring Equinox signals the equal length of the day and night time. On the day of the Spring Equinox, the sun is directly above the equator. After the equinox, the sun moves northwards, resulting in gradually longer day time in the Northern Hemisphere. Standing an egg upright is a popular game during this period. It is believed that if someone can make the egg stand, he will have good luck in the future.

Grain Rain

Grain Rain originates from the old saying, “Rain brings up the growth of hundreds of grains”, which shows that this period of rainfall is extremely important for the growth of crops and people are busy working on the land. Grain Rain falls between the end of spring and the beginning of summer, with infrequent cold air moving to the south and lingering cold air in the north. With dry soil, an unsteady atmosphere and heavy winds and sandstorms become more frequent.

1. What can we know about Rain Water?

A．River water starts to freeze.

B．Taking off the thick coats is advisable.

C．Lively spring-like scenery can be seen.

D．It falls between the end of spring and the start of summer.

2. What do Awakening of Insects and Grain Rain have in common?

A．Farming season.	B．Animal activities.
C．Air temperature.	D．Frequent thundering.

3. On the day of the Spring Equinox,________

A．the sun moves southwards.	B．the sun is directly above the equator.
C．days are short and nights long.	D．it will bring good luck.

4. In which solar term would people most probably put on masks?

A．Rain Water.	B．Grain Rain.
C．Spring Equinox.	D．Awakening of Insects.

8 . Many people still remember the magic of Father Christmas from when they were children. As parents, they try to keep that _______ alive for their children for as long as they can.

That is why Letters from Father Christmas could be the _______ book for those who _______ Christmas as a special time of year. The man who wrote these letters is one of the most famous names in English literature—J. R. R. Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings. The letters were Tolkien’s _______ of keeping Father Christm’s alive for children, over a period of more than twenty years.

Every Christmas, a(n) _______ with a North Pole stamp arrived. It was _______ to Tolkien’s children. Who could it be from? The children must have been very _______ as they opened it. Inside, they would find a handwritten letter from Father Christmas. The letters were also _______ illustrated—each must have taken its true author, Tolkien, a long time to _______ .

The letters told wonderful stories about Father Christmas’s life and adventures at the North Pole. A regular ________ in the letters was Polar Bear, who once climbed the North Pole and fell through the roof of Father Christmas’s house. In another letter, Father Christmas ________ about how he could not stop his helpers playing games with the toys ________ wrapping them up. Interestingly, the letters did not ________ the usual warnings to children that they might not receive their presents if they were not good.

Letters from Father Christmas tells us that as well as enjoying the ________ of Father Christmas, Polar Bear and other characters at the North Pole, we can all share the true spirit of ________ at Christmas time. By expressing love for his children in such a special way, Tolkien may indeed have been the real father Christmas.

1.

A．meaning

B．spirit

C．opinion

D．magic

2.

A．specific

B．perfect

C．strange

D．common

3.

A．regard

B．expect

C．forget

D．drop

4.

A．plan

B．suggestion

C．hobby

D．way

5.

A．file

B．letter

C．envelope

D．tree

6.

A．postponed

B．connected

C．led

D．addressed

7.

A．frightened

B．disappointed

C．excited

D．calm

8.

A．roughly

B．beautifully

C．occasionally

D．quickly

9.

A．complete

B．pack

C．read

D．save

10.

A．character

B．actor

C．waiter

D．hero

11.

A．thought

B．heard

C．complained

D．learned

12.

A．in spite of

B．in addition to

C．instead of

D．in case of

13.

A．contain

B．select

C．inform

D．recommend

14.

A．performances

B．adventures

C．writings

D．drawings

15.

A．taking

B．laughing

C．discussing

D．giving

9 . We see a woman swimming at night in a dark sea. Suddenly, she is pulled underwater. She surfaces, cries in fear, then disappears forever. This is the opening scene from the 1975 film Jaws, showing a shark attack. It tells the story of a great white shark that attacks and kills swimmers.

People have always been scared of sharks, but Jaws made things worse. It made people frightened of sharks, especially of the great white shark. Many people who saw the film started to believe that sharks were bad animals that ate humans. Some people stopped swimming in the sea, afraid of the horrible creature from the film. Other people started fishing for sharks, killing as many as they could. At that time, nobody cared if sharks were killed, or how many were killed. People just wanted them killed.

After 1975, the number of large sharks around America fell quickly, and soon fell around the world. This was not only due to fear of sharks, but also finning. Finning is a type of fishing where sharks are caught and their fins cut off. The sharks are thrown back into the sea where they die slowly and painfully. The fins are used in shark fin soup. Finning kills millions of sharks a year.

Finning would have an unexpected effect upon Peter Benchley, the man who wrote the book the film Jaws was based on. In 1980, Benchley was diving when he came across an awful sight. It was an area where fishermen were finning, and the sea floor was covered with dead sharks. Benchley saw sharks being killed and this caused a deep change in him. He came to see people as a danger to sharks, rather than the other way round. From that day on, he fought to protect sharks. He admitted that his book was wrong about sharks’ behavior. “Sharks don’t target humans,” he said. Experts have proved that sharks do not see people as food, and they attack us by mistake.

Fortunately, not everyone who watched the film Jaws became afraid of sharks-some became interested in understanding them. Today, as we learn more about sharks, more people than ever want to protect them from extinction.

1. How were people affected by the film Jaws after seeing it?

A．Some killed as many sharks as possible.

B．Some began to believe sharks were friendly.

C．Some became more interested in swimming in the sea.

D．Some called on others to protect the endangered sharks.

2. What happens to a shark when it is finned?

A．It will be served onto the table as soup.

B．It will suffer a lot and die slowly in the sea.

C．Its fins will grow again after some time.

D．Its fins will be thrown into the ocean.

3. What caused a deep change in Peter Benchley?

A．Seeing the finning scene and many dead sharks.

B．Writing the book the film Jaws was based on.

C．Joining the fishermen who were killing and finning.

D．Knowing that sharks do not target and eat humans.

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A．To prove that sharks are dangerous animals.

B．To recommend a film and a book to people.

C．To criticize Peter Benchley’s misleading description of sharks in his book.

D．To explain people’s misunderstanding of sharks and raise awareness of shark protection.

10 . This past Earth Day, people who usually celebrated by heading outdoors relied on virtual tours instead. It was a fitting opportunity to experience virtual reality (VR) technology that some experts had advanced as an eco-friendly solution to the problem of over-tourism. But will interest in travelling virtually last beyond the pandemic?

For years, travel agencies have used VR technology to market destinations to potential customers. Now, the impact of COVID-19 may allow it to shake off its image of being a “gimmick”, says Ralph Hollister, a tourism analyst at Global Data. Virtual travel experiences are seeing a surge in popularity. Valerity Kondruk, CEO of VR travel company Ascape, has seen app downloads grow 60 percent from last December.

Still, there is a big gap between using VR to “try before you buy” and treating VR like the destination itself. To start with, the technology is not mature yet. 360-degree VR videos are usually experienced through a headset or an app. The headsets are expensive, heavy, and uncomfortable to wear for more than 30 minutes. The apps have none of these problems, but simply are not as impressive. Limited sensations (感觉) are another hurdle. The videos focus on the sights and sounds of a place but cannot do much with its smell, touch or taste. Additionally, tourists are neither locals nor business travelers. They tend to be less directed in their explorations and more focused on new discoveries. This simply cannot be recreated in VR.

VR may never replace traditional travel, but it still offers various possibilities. Most importantly, it could help bring people to places that are otherwise inaccessible. Kondruk’s travel company, for instance, has been working with a major Vietnamese travel agency on recreating areas of the country where the government has limited tourist travel.

Ultimately, the impact of VR on travel will be determined by the gradual development of new technologies. So far, advances have been significant but not great enough to affect the travel industry or support a drop in travel-related carbon emissions after the pandemic has ended.

1. What’s the function of Paragraph 1?

A．To describe a scene.	B．To introduce a topic.
C．To offer an argument.	D．To make a comment.

2. What does the underlined word “hurdle” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Difficulty.

B．Sight.

C．Difference.

D．Sound.

3. Which of the following may not affect the popularity of virtual travel?

A．Places accessible.	B．Limited sensations.
C．Indirect participation.	D．Immature technology.

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A．Disadvantages of virtual travel.

B．Virtual travel is not here to stay.

C．Virtual travel solves over-tourism.

D．Traditional travel will soon disappear.