1 . Most of time black and white appears as opposites. White means light and purity(纯洁),while black is darkness and evil. But it is not always true. Sometimes the words are used differently.

White hats and black hats represent the traditional meaning of the words. The hats are used to tell the “good guys” and the “bad guys” in American western movies. Now the tradition of white hats and black hats is no longer a part of movie making,but you still hear the expression when people talk about good guys and bad guys. “A black sheep” is a person who does things that are not accepted,who breaks tradition. “A black sheep” is rejected(被排斥)because he brings shame to his group. A family may have a member who is thought of as “a black sheep”,a person who is not welcome at family gatherings.

Black is also used in some expressions that describe good things. Being “in the black” for example,is a good thing for anyone. It is a business expression that means a company is making money. When someone says his business is “in the red”,he means it is losing money.

White usually means something good. A “white collar” job,for example,is the kind of job many people want. It is a job where you work at a desk,using your brain instead of your muscles. Sometimes white is used in an expression that is not good. “Whitewash” is such an expression. At first “whitewash” meant to paint over something with a white paint to make it look better. But now “whitewash” has a different meaning: to hide or cover up mistakes or failures.

1. When a person is called “a black sheep”,it shows that______.

A．he is as black as a sheep

B．he always feels on top of the world

C．he will create wonders

D．he is not welcomed by people around him

2. Which of the statements is NOT true according to the passage？

A．People usually think of black and white as opposites.

B．White hats and black hats are only used in movies.

C．White hats and black hats represent the “good guys” and the bad guys.

D．Black usually means something bad while white often means something good.

3. All of the following expressions mean something not good EXCEPT______.

A．a black sheep

B．black hats

C．in the black

D．whitewash

2 . Directions: After reading the passages below, fill in the blanks to make the passages coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

The Greek myths are almost a myth themselves.

   

The great dramatists Sophocles, Aeschylus and Euripides drew on the myths,     1     did the Romans after them. Since then, poets, painters, sculptors, novelists — and later on, filmmakers and even comic strip authors —     2    (find) inspiration in them. Remember film Troy (2004) starring Brad Pitt? That movie remade The Iliad, Homer’s e t of the Trojan Wars.

Greek myths came from oral stories. In the beginning, people told these tales to     3    . They didn’t read them in books or watch them in the theater. It seems that     4     we write, paint or make films — or simply just enjoy these products — the Greek myths have a special resonance.

The names and the stories     5     be old, but the myths continue to be relevant. We can still be moved by beauty, like the story of Paris when he stole the gorgeous Helen away from her husband in Troy.

We feel pain in our hearts     6     we remember our family and friends back home. We can therefore readily understand Odysseus —     7    (separate) from his wife and son for a decade — and his desperation to get home.

The everyday life of western culture     8    (mark) by the Greek myths in all sorts of ways. Just look up into the night sky — names of the stars and constellations you see come from Greek characters.

In English, we say someone who makes money easily has “the Midas touch”. But often, character from Greek mythology, who turns     9     he touches into gold. Even the products we buy in supermarkets have names     10     (inspire) by the Greeks.