A year ago，I paid no attention to English idioms (習(xí)語), though my teacher told us the importance again and again. But soon, the importance of English idioms was shown in an amusing experience.
One day, I happened to meet an Englishman on the road, and soon we began to talk. As I was talking about how I was studying English, the foreigner seemed to be surprised. Gently shaking his head，shrugging his shoulders, he said，“You don’t say!” “You don’t say!” I was puzzled. I thought , perhaps this is not a right topic. “Well, I’d better change the topic.” So I said to him. “Well, shall we talk about the Great Wall? By the way, have you ever been there?” “Certainly, everyone back home will laugh at me if I leave China without seeing it. It was wonderful.” He was deep in thought when I began to talk like a tourist guide. “The Great Wall is one of the wonders in the world. We are very proud of it.” Soon I was interrupted (打斷) again by his words: “You don’t say!” I couldn’t help asking, “Why do you ask me not to talk about it?” “Well, I didn’t ask you to do so,” he answered, greatly surprised. I said, “Didn’t you say ‘you don’t say’？” Hearing this, the Englishman laughed to tears. He began to explain, “ ‘You don’t say’ actually means ‘really!’ It is an expression of surprise. Perhaps you don’t pay attention to English idioms.” I realized I had made a fool of myself. Since then I have been more careful with idiomatic expressions. Remember: what the English teachers said is always right to us students.
【小題1】A year ago, I paid no attention to English idioms because       .

A．I had no interest in them

B．English idioms were very difficult

C．I did not realize the importance of them

D．my teacher didn’t tell us the importance of them

【小題2】At first, on hearing “You don’t say,” I thought the foreigner meant       .

A．I had talked too much

B．I had to stop talking

C．he was not interested in the topic

D．he was only interested in the Great Wall

【小題3】“… was shown in an amusing experience.” The word “amusing” probably means       .

A．interesting

B．important

C．terrible

D．unlucky

【小題4】Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The Englishman wanted me to act as his guide.

B．The Englishman left China without seeing the Great Wall.

C．The Englishman wanted to see the Great Wall after I talked about it.

D．The Englishman visited the Great Wall and thought it worth visiting.

【小題5】After the Englishman explained the idiom, ___________.

A．I felt very silly

B．the Englishman became a real fool

C．I became more carefully in everything

D．I thought the Englishman had made me a fool

As you are soon on your way to Eastern Europe, here are a few tips on what you should pack. In general, pack lightly, with only the most basic clothes. People dress casually(隨便地) in Eastern Europe, so you don’t need to bring along your smartest clothing.
Batteries: If your camera, flash, or other appliances run on batteries, bring enough supply along. Certain types of batteries don’t exist in Eastern Europe, and those that do often don’t last very long.
Cash: We have found it good to have supply of small-unit U.S. bills($1and $5) to use in hard–currency stores, to buy international train tickets, etc. The hard–currency stores never seem to have the right change.
Electric Current Adapter(轉(zhuǎn)換器): If you bring any appliances, remember that the electricity in Eastern Europe uses 220 volts A.C., not the standard 110 volts of North America. A 110 volts appliance will soon burn out when attached to an unchanged 220-volt plug.
Language Tools: One of Europe’s biggest challenges is communicating with the local people since their languages are so different from our own. To help overcome difficulties, you might buy phrasebooks before you go — you won’t find them once you are in Eastern Europe.
Money Belt: A money belt is especially helpful when you have many documents to carry around ( as you always do in Eastern Europe). The best one we find is made by Eagle Greek Travel Gear, 143 Cedros Ave. (P. O. box 651), Solona Beach, CA 92075 (tel. 619/755 – 9399, or toll free 800/874 – 9925) outside California.
Traveler’s Checks: These are necessary. Bring your traveler’s checks in small to medium unit ($10, $20, or $50) to change a little bit at a time, so as not to be left with a lot of local money. To be on the safe side, be sure to copy down the check numbers in two places, just in case something happens to the checks.
【小題1】How many tips are mentioned in the passage?

A．6

B．7

C．8

D．9

【小題2】Which of the following things may be the biggest challenge in Eastern Europe?

A．Appliances.

B．Money.

C．Language.

D．Clothes.

【小題3】Which of the following statements is NOT a fact according to the passage?
A. No shop in Eastern Europe accepts hard currency.
B. Travelers may need to carry many documents in Eastern Europe.
C. The electricity in Eastern Europe uses 220 volts A.C.
D. Eastern European languages can be a problem to foreign travelers.
【小題4】What’s the writer’s purpose of writing this passage?

A．To tell you it’s not easy to stay in Eastern Europe.

B．To give you some advice on what you should pack when you’re in Eastern Europe.

C．To tell you something about the life in Eastern Europe.

D．To show you the life in Eastern Europe is different from that in your country.

【小題5】What do the underlined words “change” and “check” probably mean according to the given dictionary entries(詞條)?
change
1. [V] to become different 改變；變化
2. [V] to exchange money into the money of another country 兌換
3. [U] the money that you get back when you have paid for sth giving more money than the amount it costs 找給的零錢；找頭
check
1. [V] to examine sth to see if it is correct, safe or acceptable 檢查；審查
2. [C] an act of making sure that sth is safe, correct or in good condition by examining it 檢查；查看
3. [C] a printed form that you can write on and sign as a way of paying for sth instead of using money 支票

A．1; 3

B．3; 3

C．2; 3

D．2; 2

A year ago, I paid no attention to English idioms（習(xí)語）, though my teacher told us the importance again and again. But soon, the importance of English idioms was shown in an amusing experience.
One day, I happened to meet an Englishman on the road, and soon we began to talk. As I was talking about how I was studying English, the foreigner seemed to be surprised. Gently shaking his head，shrugging his shoulders, he said，“You don’t say!” “You don’t say!” I was puzzled. I thought, perhaps this is not a right topic. “Well, I’d better change the topic.” So I said to him. “Well, shall we talk about the Great Wall? By the way, have you ever been there?” “Certainly, everyone back home will laugh at me if I leave China without seeing it. It was wonderful.” He was deep in thought when I began to talk like a tourist guide. “The Great Wall is one of the wonders in the world. We are very proud of it.” Soon I was interrupted（打斷）again by his words: “You don’t say!” I couldn’t help asking, “Why do you ask me not to talk about it?” “Well, I didn’t ask you to do so,” he answered, greatly surprised. I said, “Didn’t you say ‘you don’t say’?” Hearing this, the Englishman laughed to tears. He began to explain, “ ‘You don’t say’ actually means ‘really!’ It is an expression of surprise. Perhaps you don’t pay attention to English idioms.” I realized I had made a fool of myself. Since then I have been more careful with idiomatic expressions. Remember: what the English teachers said is always right to us students.
【小題1】A year ago, I paid no attention to English idioms because       .

A．I had no interest in them

B．English idioms were very difficult

C．I did not realize the importance of them

D．my teacher didn’t tell us the importance of them

【小題2】At first, on hearing “You don’t say,” I thought the foreigner meant       .

A．I had talked too much	B．I had to stop talking
C．he was not interested in the topic	D．he was only interested in the Great Wall

【小題3】“…was shown in an amusing experience.” The word “amusing” probably means     .

A．interesting

B．important

C．terrible

D．unlucky

【小題4】Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The Englishman wanted me to act as his guide.

B．The Englishman left China without seeing the Great Wall.

C．The Englishman wanted to see the Great Wall after I talked about it.

D．The Englishman visited the Great Wall and thought it worth visiting.

【小題5】After the Englishman explained the idiom, ___________.

A．I felt very silly	B．the Englishman became a real fool
C．I became more careful in everything	D．I thought the Englishman had made me a fool

A Nobel Prize is considered by most people one of the highest international honours(榮譽(yù)) a person can receive. As you know, the prizes were started by a Swede called Alfred Nobel. He was born in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. Alfred Nobel was a great scientist. He made two important inventions, and so he became very rich. Although he was rich, Nobel was not a happy man. He never married or had children. Also, he was a sick man during his large part of life. When he died at the age of 63, he left a fund of $9,000,000. The money was to be used in giving prizes to those who made great achievements in physics, chemistry(化學(xué)), medicine and literature(文學(xué)), and for world peace.

     The first Nobel Prizes were given on December 10, 1901, five years after Nobel’s death. Since then many famous people from all over the world have been given Nobel Prizes for their achievements.

      Each prize has three parts. The first part is a gold medal. Second, a winner of a Nobel Prize is given a certificate saying that he has been given the prize. The third part of the prize is a large amount of money-about $40,000.

    Often a prize is given to just one person, but not always. Sometimes a prize is shared. It may be given to two or more people who have worked together. It is also sometimes true that a prize is not given at all if there is no great achievement. In 1972, for example, no Nobel Peace Prize was given.

1.When was Alfred Nobel born?

A. In 1938.                 B. In 1833.               C. In 1896.              D. In 1906.[

2.What kind of person would you say Alfred Nobel was?

A. He was a rich, happy and lucky man.

B. He was a poor, unhappy and unlucky man.

C. He was a rich, but unhappy and unlucky man.

D. He was a poor, but happy and lucky man.

3.When he died, Nobel left a large amount of money ________.

A. to his wife

B. to his children

C. for helping the poor people in Sweden

D. for setting five prizes

 

A year ago, I paid no attention to English idioms（習(xí)語）, though my teacher told us the importance again and again. But soon, the importance of English idioms was shown in an amusing experience.

One day, I happened to meet an Englishman on the road, and soon we began to talk. As I was talking about how I was studying English, the foreigner seemed to be surprised. Gently shaking his head，shrugging his shoulders, he said，“You don’t say!” “You don’t say!” I was puzzled. I thought, perhaps this is not a right topic. “Well, I’d better change the topic.” So I said to him. “Well, shall we talk about the Great Wall? By the way, have you ever been there?” “Certainly, everyone back home will laugh at me if I leave China without seeing it. It was wonderful.” He was deep in thought when I began to talk like a tourist guide. “The Great Wall is one of the wonders in the world. We are very proud of it.” Soon I was interrupted（打斷）again by his words: “You don’t say!” I couldn’t help asking, “Why do you ask me not to talk about it?” “Well, I didn’t ask you to do so,” he answered, greatly surprised. I said, “Didn’t you say ‘you don’t say’?” Hearing this, the Englishman laughed to tears. He began to explain, “ ‘You don’t say’ actually means ‘really!’ It is an expression of surprise. Perhaps you don’t pay attention to English idioms.” I realized I had made a fool of myself. Since then I have been more careful with idiomatic expressions. Remember: what the English teachers said is always right to us students.

1.A year ago, I paid no attention to English idioms because       .

A．I had no interest in them

B．English idioms were very difficult

C．I did not realize the importance of them

D．my teacher didn’t tell us the importance of them

2.At first, on hearing “You don’t say,” I thought the foreigner meant       .

A．I had talked too much                    B．I had to stop talking

C．he was not interested in the topic           D．he was only interested in the Great Wall

3.“…was shown in an amusing experience.” The word “amusing” probably means     .

A．interesting        B．important         C．terrible           D．unlucky

4.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The Englishman wanted me to act as his guide.

B．The Englishman left China without seeing the Great Wall.

C．The Englishman wanted to see the Great Wall after I talked about it.

D．The Englishman visited the Great Wall and thought it worth visiting.

5.After the Englishman explained the idiom, ___________.

A．I felt very silly                          B．the Englishman became a real fool

C．I became more careful in everything         D．I thought the Englishman had made me a fool