Question

When someone says, “I guess I′ll have to face the music”, it doesn′t mean he is going to a concert. It is something unhappy. For example, a student is called in by his teacher to explain why he didn′t finish his homework.

Every American, young or old, knows the phrase “to face the music” well. It′s at least 100 years old. Where did the expression come from?

One explanation (解釋) is about the American writer James Fennimore Cooper. He said the expression was first used by actors. When they were asked to perform, they would say, “It′s time to face the music.” And that is exactly what they did-face the band which is just below the stage (舞臺).

An actor might be nervous when he moved onto the stage in front of the audience (觀眾). But he had to go out. So, “to face the music” came to mean having to go through something no matter how unhappy it might be, because you had no choice.

The other explanation comes from the army. The soldiers had to face their leader′s check. They were worried about how well they looked. Were their guns clean enough to pass the check? Still, the men had to go out to face the check. What else could they do?

1.What does the expression “to face the music” exactly mean?

A. To go to a concert.

B. To become interested in music.

C. To join the army.

D. To go through something unhappy.

2.In which of the following places won′t the expression “to face the music” be

used?

A. The stage. B. The school. C. The city library. D. The army.

3.What′s the main idea of the fourth paragraph?

A. Worries of an actor on the stage.

B. Different kinds of audience.

C. Why an actor is nervous on the stage.

D. The true meaning of “to face the music”.

4.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A. Here are two explanations about the expression “to face the music”.

B. The music in “to face the music” is a kind of terrible music.

C. When you face the music, it means that you must go through it.

D. When someone says he has to face the music, he will have no choice.

Answer 1