Like every language, American English is full of special expressions, phrases that come from the day-to-day life to the people and develop in their own way. Our expression today is “to face the music”.
When someone says, “Well, I guess I’ll have to face the music.” It does not mean he’s planning to go to the concert. It is something far less pleasant, like being called in by your boss to explain why you did this and did that, any why you didn’t do this or that. Sour music indeed, but it has to be faced. At some time or another, every one of us has had to face the music, especially as children. We can all remember father’s angry voice, “I want to talk to you.” and only because we did not obey him. What an unpleasant business it was!
The phrase “to face the music” is familiar to every American, young and old. It is at least 100 years old. And where did this expression come from? The first explanation comes from the American novelist, James Fenimore Cooper. He said, in 1851, that the expression was first used by actors while waiting in the wings to go on the stage. When they got their cue to go on, they often said, “Well, it’s time to face the music.” And that is exactly what they did- facing the orchestra which was just below them. And an actor might be frightened or nervous as he moved on to the stage in front of the audience that might be friendly or perhaps hostile, especially if he forgot his lines. But he had to go out. If he did not, there would be no play. So the expression “to face the music” came to mean “having to go through something, no matter how unpleasant the experience might be, because you knew you had no choice.”
Other explanations about the expression go back to the army. When the men faced inspection by their leader, the soldiers would be worried about hw well they looked. Was their equipment clean, whinny enough to pass inspection? Still the men had to go out, and face the music of the band, as well as the inspection. What else could they do?
Another army explanation is more closely related to the idea of facing the results and accepting the responsibility for something that should not have been done. As, for example, when a man is forced out of the army because he did something terrible, he is dishonored. The band does not play. Only the drums tap a sad, slow beat. The soldier is forced to leave, facing such music as it is and facing the back of his horse.
小題1:According to the passage, how many ways does the phrase “to face the music” come from?
A．One.B．Two.C．Three.D．Four.
小題2:What’s the meaning of “to face the music?”
A．To face something far less pleasant.B．To face the stage.
C．To face the back of one’s horse.D．To face one’s leader.
小題3:The underlined word “hostile” in Paragraph 3 means “      ”.
A．unfriendlyB．dislikeC．unimportantD．unnecessary
小題1:C小題1:A小題1:A

小題1:C：通過短文三四五段可以知道這個短語的解釋主要來自三個方面。
小題2:A：When someone says, ……It is something far less pleasant, like being……通過這句話可以看出正確答案為A.
小題3:A：or為并列連詞，表示選擇關系，前面是friendly，后面是unfriendly最恰當，意思是觀眾可能友好或者不友好。
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Whether I’m looking for a good chat with some old Mends or a quiet place to meet a colleague, the pub will be the place I always choose.
I could, of course, go to a bar. But a pub, I always find, is far more comfortable and has a more relaxed atmosphere.
Many people in the UK also have a favorite pub at the end of the road where they live or nearby to where they work. I can almost always guarantee that I’ll bump into someone I know at my “l(fā)ocal”, as we British call our nearest pub.
In fact, many people from the UK say that the pub is a cornerstone (基礎) of British life. Coming together over a drink, usually of beer, is generally con­sidered the best way to catch up with friends. For those who are a little reserved (內(nèi)向的), as the British sometimes are, it’s the best way to open up and get chatting.
However, this habit is slowly changing among some British people. According to a survey completed in August by UK trade magazine The Publican, eating, rather than drinking, has become the main source of income for our 52,000 pubs.
The gastropub (美食酒吧), with its greater emphasis on food, is primarily responsible. All over the country, this more expensive type of pub has been springing up, providing a place for more formal meetings with business partners. Wine is often drunk instead of the traditional beer.
But not everyone’s happy. Many people hate the fact that some local pubs are closing because new gastropubs are proving more profitable. “Beer sales are sinking and many pubs are struggling to survive,” Rob Haward, of the British Beer and Pub Association, told UK newspaper The Daily Mail.
For my part, I’m going to do all I can to keep the local British pub alive. It will be the first place I visit when I go back home.
小題1:.  The article is mainly about         .
A．the British pub losing popularity B．the author’s love of pubs
C．how the British socialize D．the local British pub
小題2:. Many British people say that the pub is a cornerstone of British life because         .
A．it is nearby and convenient
B．it is a great place for meeting friends
C．it is far more comfortable than a bar to have a drink
D．it is easy to bump into people they know in a pub ,
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B．a(chǎn)ttach more importance to drinks
C．a(chǎn)re somewhere between a restaurant and a bar
D．a(chǎn)ttract beer lovers as well as wine lovers
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A．The author is in favor of gastropubs.
B．Wine is thought to show one’s class and taste.
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Your House Will Take Care of You In Old Age
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For example, the “smart” bathroom has a touch screen mirror that can remind people to take their medicine, wash their hands or brush their teeth. The hardware behind Fraunhofer’s electronic bathroom is not new, and the software runs on a regular personal computer.
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小題5:The author of the text mainly _________.
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Sometimes white is used in expressions that are not good. “Whitewash” is one such expression. At first, “whitewash” meant to paint over something with white paint to make it look better. However, it means something different today: to hide or to cover up mistakes or failures.
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A．the meanings of white in English culture
B．the history of some English idioms
C．some interesting customs in English culture
D．some useful English words and expressions
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C．White elephant.D．White elephant sale.
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A．A boy is dressed in white at baptisms.
B．A bride wears a white wedding gown.
C．A man whitewashes his crime.
D．A girl finds a white collar job.
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A man was selling medicine at a fair（集市）．At first he sold bottles of a cure（藥劑）for colds（感冒）for just a dollar a bottle．
Many people wanted to buy it and the man's young assistant moved quickly through the crowd collecting money and handing out bottles of the cure．
Then，when he had a big crowd， the man held up a very small bottle．
“And now，ladies and gentlemen，he shouted，“Here is the medicine you have been waiting for．The cure for old age．Drink just one bottle of this and you will live forever．?
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Most of the people in the crowd did not believe this．
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Then an other person cried，“Yes， you look as if you're at least sixty years old．?
“Thank you，sir，thank you，the man answered，“I'm so glad you said that． My real age is three hundred and twenty-nine．?
The crowd laughed at this but there were still some people who wanted to believe the man ．One of them spoke to the man's assistant as she passed by ，“Is that true？?he asked．“Is he three hundred and twenty-nine？?
“Don't ask me，?the assistant said，“I've only worked for him for a hundred and fifty years．?
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A．a(chǎn) cure for colds
B．bottles
C．a(chǎn) cure for old age
D．a(chǎn) medicine that made people live forever
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A．one dollar a bottleB．twenty-five dollars a bottle
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B．The man is not honest，and so is his assistant．
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After the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill aimed at retaliatory(報復的) action against China for its “significantly undervalued” currency, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner urged the IMF to pressure China to adopt “more flexible, more market-directed exchange-rate management”. This is a coded message to China: You’re keeping on purpose your currency cheap, and the U.S. economy is paying the price. So cut it out --- or else. The normally dull IMF meeting became the latest battleground for the U.S. to be against a fast developing China.
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This is an argument born of fear. It covers a fact that the economies of China and the U.S. have become beneficial to each other. Those trillions in reserves that China accumulates: Where do they go? Back to the U.S. in the form of lending money to the federal government. Those made-in-China goods that account for the trade deficit: Whom do they benefit? China, yes, but also American consumers and companies. Without China, American companies could not have maintained their profitability in recent years. Take two brand names, Caterpillar and Nike. Both have their products made in China, but both also view China as a fast-growing market for their products.
George Soros warned recently that a currency war could put the world into disorder more damaging than anything caused by the financial crisis of the 1930s. He’s right. Whether we like it or not, we live in a global system. The zero-sum attitude toward China and its currency is a relic, the remaining of an earlier time when nations defined economic life.
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B．China’s rapid development over the past ten years is based on its low inflation.
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D．The US will get hurt if it tries hard on damaging China’s economy.
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B．in the shoes of US
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A．reasonable analysis
B．leaders’ quotations
C．figure examples
D．moving stories
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A．will help increase the demand in the US
B．is unable to equip the American labor force with new working skills
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Location: Dvortsovaia Naberezhnaia, 32-38.
Open: 10:30 am to 5:30 pm, Sunday till 5 pm.
Closed: Mondays. Ticket-office closes 1 hour before closing time.
小題1: According to the passage, the Winter Palace was built for ______.
A．Catherine the Great.B．Empress Elizabeth
C．Peter the Great.D．Empress Elizabeth’s successors
小題2: What’s the main reason why many parts of the palace’s impressive interior were remodeled?
A．Catherine the Great and her successors didn’t like the design.
B．Empress Elizabeth wanted to remodel the palace.
C．A huge fire destroyed most of the building in 1837.
D．The building became old itself.
小題3: According to the passage, which of the following is CORRECT?
A．The Winter Palace was built between 1753 and 1761.
B．The Hermitage’s collections don’t include works by Monet.
C．The Hermitage Museum is the largest art gallery in Russia.
D．The Hermitage Museum was founded in 1764 when Empress Elizabeth bought a collection of 255 paintings from Berlin.
小題4:If you want to visit the museum, when can you go?
A．At 10:30 am on Monday.B．At 10:00 am on Tuesday.
C．At 11:00 am on Sunday.D．None of the above.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Chinese politeness have always been formal to follow strict rules, although sometimes Chinese people seem to be impolite according to Western standards in public places. To well understand Chinese, some concepts should not be ignored.
Mianzi
The idea of shame, usually expressed as 'face' could be loosely defined as the 'status' or 'self-respect' in Chinese and by no means alien to foreigners. It is the worst thing for a Chinese to lose face. Never insult, embarrass, shame, yell at or otherwise demean a person. Since all these actions would risk putting a Chinese in a situation that he might lose face, neither try to prove someone wrong nor shout at him in public. In order to get a successful effect without letting a Chinese lose face, any criticism should be delivered privately, carefully, or else, just opposite to what you wish.
Guanxi
Throughout much of Chinese history, the fundamental glue that has held society together is the concept of guanxi, relationships between people. It is very important for the Chinese to have good relationships. They often regard good social relations as a symbol of personal ability and influence. Someone who has no connections would be disrespected and is only half-Chinese.
Keqi
Keqi not only means considerate, polite, and well mannered, but also represents respect and modesty. It is impolite to talk too proudly about oneself or one's inner circle. The expression is most often used in the negative, as in buyao keqi, meaning "you shouldn't be so kind and polite to me," or "you're welcome."
Besides, Chinese seldom express what they think directly and they prefer a roundabout way. Neither show their emotions and feelings in public. They rarely greet people with a handshake, though it is very popular among foreigners, and say nothing of embracing or kissing when greeting or saying good-bye. Consequently, it is better not to behave too carefree in public, even though you are well-intentioned. Also, it is advisable to be fairly cautious in political discussions. Do not particularly push yourself forward, or else you are unwelcome.
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小題1:In most Chinese’s eyes, the fundamental glue holding society together is the idea of ____.
A．relationships between peopleB．influences upon others
C．dependence on othersD．kindness to others
小題2:The underlined word “demean” in the first paragraph means make people _____.
A．respectfulB．happyC．shamefulD．weak
小題3:Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A．It is impolite to insult, embarrass, shame or shout at a person.
B．It is polite that you should bring gifts to others when invited to dinner.
C．It is necessary to show your character of being considerate, polite, and well mannered.
D．It is important for the Chinese to have good relationships between people.
小題4: Which of the following proverbs has the same meaning as the underlined sentence “Do in Rome as Rome does.”?
A．Caution is the parent of safety.B．Many hands make light work.
C．There’s no smoke without fire.D．If you are elsewhere, live as they do there.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

In a book called Magnificent Obsession, by Lloyd C. Douglas, a description is given of people helping others but doing it secretly. When difficult problems worried an individual, friends nearby would meet to discuss possible solutions without the individual knowing their actions. When a solution was agreed upon, one or two of the friends would carry out the plan and solve the problem secretly, to the great delight of the worried individual. The helpers would stand by privately, content with their success. No reward was given to the problem solvers, not even a sincere “thank you”, because they were never known.
This concept is popular today but in a different way. The phrase “pay it forward” is now used when one person helps another. However, the person helped may not be able to repay the person or group that helped them. So rather than return the favor to their helpers, they are supposed to help someone else in the future, which means they pay it forward. It is a sense of responsibility which makes us want to give back in equal measure to the one who has helped us. But, in this case, the responsibility turns to helping someone in the future.
Suppose your elderly grandmother pays part of your schooling. She may tell you there is no need to repay her because it is a gift from someone who loves you very much. Nothing would please her more than to have you use her money to get a good education.
You may never be able to repay her for such a gift. However, she not only gave you some money, but she provided you with an example that you should also help other people who need it.
People with serious needs are everywhere. Many are children who need better clothes, more books and even better schools. Some are elderly people who can’t afford their medicine or a doctor’s care. Consider how you can “pay it forward” rather than pay money back to your grandmother.
小題1:The helpers in the book “Magnificent Obsession” were not rewarded because ________.
A．they hadn’t solved the problems thoroughly
B．they expected to be paid back in the future.
C．they were friends of the worried individual
D．they had solved the problems secretly
小題2: The underlined word “pay it forward” means ________.                    
A．to repay someone who has helped you
B．to help someone else who needs help
C．to help someone who has helped you
D．to pay someone else who needs help
小題3:What does the writer suggest with the example of “your elderly grandmother”?
A．We should also lend a hand to other people in need of help.
B．We should work hard to get a good education.
C．We should learn to respect our grandparents.
D．We should never forget to repay people for their help.
小題4:By writing the passage, the author wishes people in the world to be ________.
A．honestB．mysteriousC． unselfishD．unforgettable

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