3 .
Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.
Expressions about water are almost as common as water itself. But many of the expressions using water have unpleasant meanings.
The expression “to be in hot water” is one of them. It is a very old expression, which can be 1 back to 500 years ago. The expression is used to mean being in trouble. One story says it got that meaning from the custom of throwing extremely hot water down on enemies attacking a castle.
Being in “deep water” is almost the same as being in “hot water”. When you are in deep water, you are in a difficult 2 . Imagine a person who cannot swim being thrown in water over his head. You are in deep water when you are facing a problem that you do not have the ability to solve. The problem is too deep. You can be in deep water, for example, if you invest in stocks in complete 3 of the stock market.
“Water over the dam” is another expression about a past event. It is something that cannot be 4 . The expression comes from the idea that water that has 5 a dam cannot be brought back again. When a friend is 6 by a mistake she has made, you might tell her to forget about it. You say it is water over the dam.
Another common expression, “to hold water,” is about the strength or weakness of an idea or opinion that you may be arguing about. It probably comes from the way of testing the 7 of a container. If it can hold water, it is strong and has no holes in it. If your 8 can hold water, it is strong and does not have any holes. If it does not hold water, then it is weak and can not be 9 .
“Throwing cold water” also is an expression that deals with an idea or 10 . For example, you want to buy a new car because the old one has some problems. But you wife “throws cold water” on the idea, because she says a new car costs too much.
