Every language has its own special words and expressions．And a story can be told about each of them．“Hot” is a simple, easily-understood word．So are most of the expressions made with the word “hot”．But not always, as we shall see．

Take the phrase “hot potato” for example．The potato is a popular vegetable in the United States．Many people like baked potatoes, cooked in an oven or fire．Imagine trying to carry a hot, baked potato in your hand．It would be difficult, even painful, to do so．One such hot potato is taxes．Calling for higher taxes can mean defeat for a politician．And yet, if taxes are not raised, some very popular government programs could be cut, which can also make a politician very unpopular．

Another expression is “not so hot”．If you ask someone how she feels, she may answer: "Not so hot．" What she means is that she does not feel well．“Not so hot” is also a way of saying that you do not really like something．

“A hot shot” is a person, often a young person, who thinks he can do anything． At least he wants to try．He is very sure he can succeed． But often he fails． The expression came from the army． A hot shot was a soldier who fired without aiming carefully．

A person who becomes angry easily is called “a hothead”．An angry person's neck often becomes red．We say he is “hot under the collar”．You could say that your friend is no hothead．But he got hot under the collar when someone took his radio．

The hot line was a direct communication link between the leaders of the Soviet Union and the United States．The hot line had an important purpose: to prevent accidental war between the two competitors during the period known as the Cold War．The American president and the Soviet leader were able to communicate directly and immediately on the hot line．

1．If you describe something as a hot potato, it _____．

A．is very popular                            B．has a high temperature

C．is very difficult to deal with                      D．can’t be held in your hand

2．According to the text, which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．All of the expressions made with the word hot are simple, easily-understood．

B．Taxes can be a hot potato for a politician if not handled carefully．

C．The expression “a hot shot” was born in the military forces．

D．If you say that the new play you saw last night is not so hot, you do not consider it a success．

3．“Hot” is a word that is often used to talk about anger, which two phrases are associated with this meaning?

A．a(chǎn) hot shot, a hot potato                B．a(chǎn) hothead, a hot shot

C．hot under the collar, a hothead          D．a(chǎn) hot potato, hot under the collar

4．The purpose of the first hot line was _____．

A．to stop the Cold War

B．to prevent accidental war between the two superpowers

C．to promote the cooperation between the Soviet Union and the United States

D．to make direct telephone links for the people in Moscow and Washington

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科目：高中英語 來源：2012-2013學(xué)年遼寧省葫蘆島一高高二上學(xué)期第一次月考英語試卷（帶解析） 題型：閱讀理解

Alia Sabur, from Northport, N. Y., US, went to college at age 10. And four years later, Sabur became a bachelor of science in. Applied Mathematics summa cum laude（以最優(yōu)等成績）from Stony Brook University -- the youngest female in US history to do so.  Her education continued at Drexel University, where she earned a Master of Science and a Doctor of Philosophy (哲學(xué)博士) in Materials Science and Engineering.
With an unlimited future ahead of her, Sabur directed her first career choice to teaching. "I really enjoy teaching," she said. She was three days short of her 19th birthday in February, 2008, when she was hired to become a professor at Konkuk University in Seoul, Korea.  This distinction made her the youngest college professor in history, according to the Guinness' Book of Worm Records, beating the previous record held by Colin Maclaurin, a student of Isaac Newton, in 1717.
Although she doesn't start until next month, Sabur has taken up teaching math and physics courses at Southern University in New Orleans. Sabur is old enough to teach in the city, but not to join her fellow professors in a bar after work. In Korea, where the drinking age is 20, she might have more luck.  In traditional Korean culture, children are considered to be 1 year old-when they are born, and add a year to their age every New Year instead of their actual birthday, so in Korea Sabur is considered 20.
On top of her unprecedented (空前的) academic achievements, Sabur has a black belt in Tae Kwon Do (跆拳道黑帶). She is also a talented clarinet (豎笛) player who has performed with musicians like Lang Lang and Smash Mouth. So is there anything Sabur can't do?
【小題1】We can learn from the passage that Sabur is ________.

A．America's youngest bachelor of science
B．Drexel University's youngest student
C．the world'syoungest college professor
D．the world's youngest female teacher
【小題2】When Sabur was hired as a professor, her actual age is ________.
A．fourteenB．eighteenC．nineteenD．twenty
【小題3】What does the author mean by saying "she might have more luck" (in Paragraph 3)?
A．Sabur might be permitted to drink in a Korean bar.
B．Sabur would be allowed to attend parties in Korea.
C．Sabur is old enough to teach at Konkuk University.
D．Sabur is lucky to be hired by Konkuk University.
【小題4】According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A．Alia Sabur is the youngest female doctor from Stony Brook University.
B．Colin Maclaurin has once been the youngest college professor in the world.
C．In Korea, Alia Sabur is not allowed to drink for she is still underage.
D．Alia Sabur knows anything but Tae Kwon Do.

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科目：高中英語 來源：2012-2013學(xué)年陜西省西安市高陵縣第三中學(xué)高一第三次月考英語試卷（帶解析） 題型：閱讀理解

Cara Lang is 13. She lives in Boston, Massachusetts, in me U. S. Last Thursday, she didn't go to school. She went to work with her father instead. Every year, on the fourth Thursday in April, millions of young girls go work. This is Take Our Daughters to Work Day. The girls are between me ages of 9 and 15. They spend the day at work with an adult, usually a mother, father, aunt, or uncle. They go to offices, police stations, laboratories, and other places where their parents or other family members work. Next year, the day will include sons, too.
The Ms. Foundation, an organization for women, started the program about ten years ago. In the U.S., many women work outside the home. The Ms. Foundation wanted girls to find out about many different kinds of jobs. Then, when the girls grow up, they can choose a job they like.
Cara's father is a film director. Cara says, “It was very exciting for me to go to the studio with my dad. I saw a lot of people doing different jobs.” Many businesses have special activities for girls on this day. Last year, Cara went to work with her aunt at the University of Massachusetts. In the engineering department, the girls learned to build a bridge with toothpicks and Candy. In the chemistry department, they learned to use scales. They learned about many other kinds of jobs, too.
Right now, Cara does not know what job she will have when she grows up. But because of Take Our Daughters to Work Day, she knows she h2Ls many choices.
【小題1】What is Cara's father?

A．An engineer.B．An official.C．A moviemaker.D．A professor.
【小題2】According to the passage, Take our Daughters to work Day is ______.
A．on every Thursday in April
B．a(chǎn) holiday for girls of all ages
C．a(chǎn) day for girls to know about jobs
D．a(chǎn) day for girls to get a job easily
【小題3】On this special day, Cara has done all the following EXCEPT that ____.
A．she learned to use scales
B．she worked as an actress
C．she went to work with her aunt
D．she used toothpicks and Candy to build a bridge
【小題4】What is probably the best title for the passage?
A．Cara Lang, a Fortunate Girl
B．Take Our Daughters to Work Day
C．Children's Day and Work Day
D．Ms. Foundation, an Organization for Women

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科目：高中英語 來源：2013年全國普通高等學(xué)校招生統(tǒng)一考試英語（湖北卷帶解析） 題型：閱讀理解

A German study suggests that people who were too optimistic about their future actually faced greater risk of disability or death within 10 years than those pessimists who expected their future to be worse.
The paper, published this March in Psychology and Aging, examined health and welfare surveys from roughly 40,000 Germans between ages 18 and 96. The surveys were conducted every year from 1993 to 2003.
Survey respondents (受訪者) were asked to estimate their present and future life satisfaction on a scale of 0 to 10, among other questions.
The researchers found that young adults (age 18 to 39) routinely overestimated their future life satisfaction, while middle-aged adults (age 40 to 64) more accurately predicted how they would feel in the future. Adults of 65 and older, however, were far more likely to underestimate their future life satisfaction. Not only did they feel more satisfied than they thought they would, the older pessimists seemed to suffer a lower ratio (比率) of disability and death for the study period.
“We observed that being too optimistic in predicting a better future than actually observed was associated with a greater risk of disability and a greater risk of death within the following decade,” wrote Frieder R. Lang, a professor at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg.
Lang and his colleagues believed that people who were pessimistic about their future may be more careful about their actions than people who expected a rosy future.
“Seeing a dark future may encourage positive evaluations of the actual self and may contribute to taking improved precautions (預(yù)防措施),” the authors wrote.
Surprisingly, compared with those in poor health or who had low incomes, respondents who enjoyed good health or income were associated with expecting a greater decline. Also, the researchers said that higher income was related to a greater risk of disability.
The authors of the study noted that there were limitations to their conclusions. Illness, medical treatment and personal loss could also have driven health outcomes.
However, the researchers said a pattern was clear. “We found that from early to late adulthood, individuals adapt their expectations of future life satisfaction from optimistic, to accurate, to pessimistic,” the authors concluded.
【小題1】According to the study, who made the most accurate prediction of their future life satisfaction?

A．Optimistic adults.B．Middle-aged adults.
C．Adults in poor health.D．Adults of lower income.
【小題2】Pessimism may be positive in some way because it causes people ______.
A．to fully enjoy their present life
B．to estimate their contribution accurately
C．to take measures against potential risks
D．to value health more highly than wealth
【小題3】How do people of higher income see their future?
A．They will earn less money.
B．They will become pessimistic.
C．They will suffer mental illness.
D．They will have less time to enjoy life.
【小題4】 What is the clear conclusion of the study?
A．Pessimism guarantees chances of survival.
B．Good financial condition leads to good health.
C．Medical treatment determines health outcomes.
D．Expectations of future life satisfaction decline with age.

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科目：高中英語 來源：2016屆重慶市高一上學(xué)期期末考試英語試卷（解析版） 題型：閱讀理解

He is talent and charm(魅力) have made him the No.1 Chinese classical artist in the world. He played in the grand Beijing Olympic opening ceremony last summer, watched by a TV audience of 5 billion.

Lang Lang, 26, is the first Chinese pianist to play with the world’s top orchestras, making his debut at the Carnegie Hall in New York at 18, while still a student.

Lang Lang’s charm and fondness for sharp clothes make him a natural fit to represent（代表）China’s new international image. According to the British newspaper the Times, “The Lang Lang effect” is responsible for driving 36 million Chinese children to learn the piano.

Now in China children are learning Chopin(肖邦) and Western orchestras are touring Chinese cities, but can China ever export（出口）its own music to the west? Lang is trying. His cooperation with the London Symphony Orchestras this month includes a performance of Dragon Songs, an album of traditional Chinese classics.

  Behind the international recognition, however, is a fascinating story of a gifted child. Lang grew up with his father’s own musical ambition and high expectations. It is not hard to imagine how boring it must be to practice the piano every day. Lang said that he once hated his hands and the piano. He injured his right hand six years ago and had to rest. “That was the best month,” he says, without hesitation. “I had a date. I saw a Broadway show and saw Britney Spears in concert.”

1.Which of the following is NOT the reason why Lang Lang is the No.1 Chinese classical artist in the world?

A. He played in the Beijing Olympic opening ceremony last summer.

B. He has as many as 5 billions fans in China.

C. He is the first Chinese pianist to play with the world’s top orchestras.

D. He plays the piano so well and has a good international image.

2.The underlined word “debut” in the second paragraph probably means____.

A. first class       B. first performance      C. first plan         D. first choice

3.Which of the following statements about Lang is true?

A. He has 36 million Chinese students in China.

B. He is touring China giving concerts.

C. He is trying to export Chinese music to western countries.

D. He only played traditional Chinese classics in his cooperation with the London Symphony Orchestra.

4.From the last paragraph we can infer _____.

A. Lang didn’t like his father when he was little

B. he was happy to practice the piano everyday 

C. his father’s desire and expectations played an important role in his childhood

D. he injured his right hand on purpose six years ago

 

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科目：高中英語 來源：2015屆陜西省西安市高一第三次月考英語試卷（解析版） 題型：閱讀理解

Cara Lang is 13. She lives in Boston, Massachusetts, in me U. S. Last Thursday, she didn't go to school. She went to work with her father instead. Every year, on the fourth Thursday in April, millions of young girls go work. This is Take Our Daughters to Work Day. The girls are between me ages of 9 and 15. They spend the day at work with an adult, usually a mother, father, aunt, or uncle. They go to offices, police stations, laboratories, and other places where their parents or other family members work. Next year, the day will include sons, too.

The Ms. Foundation, an organization for women, started the program about ten years ago. In the U.S., many women work outside the home. The Ms. Foundation wanted girls to find out about many different kinds of jobs. Then, when the girls grow up, they can choose a job they like.

Cara's father is a film director. Cara says, “It was very exciting for me to go to the studio with my dad. I saw a lot of people doing different jobs.” Many businesses have special activities for girls on this day. Last year, Cara went to work with her aunt at the University of Massachusetts. In the engineering department, the girls learned to build a bridge with toothpicks and Candy. In the chemistry department, they learned to use scales. They learned about many other kinds of jobs, too.

Right now, Cara does not know what job she will have when she grows up. But because of Take Our Daughters to Work Day, she knows she h2Ls many choices.

1.What is Cara's father?

A．An engineer.       B．An official.         C．A moviemaker.     D．A professor.

2.According to the passage, Take our Daughters to work Day is ______.

A．on every Thursday in April

B．a(chǎn) holiday for girls of all ages

C．a(chǎn) day for girls to know about jobs

D．a(chǎn) day for girls to get a job easily

3.On this special day, Cara has done all the following EXCEPT that ____.

A．she learned to use scales

B．she worked as an actress

C．she went to work with her aunt

D．she used toothpicks and Candy to build a bridge

4.What is probably the best title for the passage?

A．Cara Lang, a Fortunate Girl

B．Take Our Daughters to Work Day

C．Children's Day and Work Day

D．Ms. Foundation, an Organization for Women

 

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