Like every language, American English is full of special expressions, phrases th

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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.
小题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.

小题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.

小题3:The underlined word “hostile” in Paragraph 3 means “ ”.

A．unfriendly

B．dislike

C．unimportant

D．unnecessary

答案

小题1:C小题1:A小题1:A

解析

小题1:C：通过短文三四五段可以知道这个短语的解释主要来自三个方面。
小题2:A：When someone says, ……It is something far less pleasant, like being……通过这句话可以看出正确答案为A.
小题3:A：or为并列连词，表示选择关系，前面是friendly，后面是unfriendly最恰当，意思是观众可能友好或者不友好。

举一反三

Different countries and different people have different manners. We must find out their customs, so that they will not think us ill-mannered. Here are some examples of the things that a well-mannered person does or does not do.
If you visit a Chinese family you should knock at the door first. When the door opens, you’ll not move before the host says “Come in, please!”. After you enter the room, you wouldn’t sit down until the host asks you to take a seat. When a cup of tea is put on a tea-table before you or sent to your hand, you’ll say “Thank you” and receive it with your two hands, not one hand, or they’ll think you are ill-mannered.
Before entering a house in Japan, it is good manners to take off your shoes. In European countries, even though shoes sometimes become very dirty, this is not done. In a Malay (马来西亚的) house, a guest never finishes the food on the table. He leaves a little to show that he has had enough. In England, a guest always finishes a drink or the food to show that he has enjoyed it. This will make the host, especially (尤其) the hostess pleased.
小题1:In China, when the host opens the door, ____ before he says “Come in, please!”

A．you won’t leave

B．you won’t walk

C．you won’t stand in front of him

D．you won’t get in

小题2: In European countries,____ when you get into a house.

A．you needn’t take off your shoes	B．you must take off your dirty shoes
C．you are not allowed to wear dirty shoes	D．you should put on clean shoes

小题3:In a Malay house, a guest leaves a little food to show that ____.

A．he has enjoyed it	B．he is quite full
C．he is not hungry at all	D．he needs some drink

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This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.
China has recently been faced with serious issues of product safety. Some cases have brought attention internationally to the increased use of imported ingredients to make food and medicine.
In Panama, medicine made with a poisonous chemical killed or sickened more than one hundred people. A Chinese company had identified it as diethylamide glycol （ [化]乙二醇）, a low – cost substitute commonly used in automobile antifreeze（防冻剂）.
Some countries have banned Chinese-made toothpaste containing diethylamide glycol. China has now told companies to discontinue its use, even though it says the toothpaste is safe. Another industrial chemical, melamine（三聚氰胺）, was found in wheat flour used to make pet food in North America. Thousands of dogs and cats became sick.
The United States has restricted some imports of Chinese seafood because they contained banned substance. And questions have been raised about other products, including children’s toys covered with lead paint.
Chinese officials promised to provide the European Union, the biggest trading partner, with detailed reports on enforcement efforts against unsafe goods.
Meglena Kuneva, commissioner (理事) for consumer protection of the European Union said China should have kept its promise.
China recently closed three companies linked to the Panama and the pet food scare. And itdismissed the former head of its food and drug administration. He was found guilty of corruption (腐败) for approving unsafe drugs. This week, a conference of the State Council approved a proposed special measure on the supervision of food safety. The Xinhua News Agency said it calls for stronger controls over producers, greater responsibilities for government and more serious punishment for illegal activities.
But Chinese officials have accused some foreign media of overstating problems with goods made in China. They say food imports from the United States also fail inspection sometimes. Next Week, American and Chinese food safety officials are planning to hold 5 days of meetings in Beijing to discuss cooperation.
And that’s the VOA Special English Economics Report. I’m Mario Ritter.
小题1:How many cases with safety problems are mentioned in the passage?

A．Six

B．Five

C．Four

D．Three

小题2:How was Panama case dealt with afterwards?
A．Three companies linked to it were closed down.
B．The former head of food and drug administration was removed from his position.
C．More serious punishment was conducted for leaders linked to it.
D. Both A and B.
小题3:It can be inferred but not clearly stated that ________.

A．Chinese- made toothpaste is safe

B．the safety of “made in China” is doubted

C．there are safety problems with one more Chinese products.

D．stronger control over Chinese products is in need

小题4:The passage is mainly about ________.

A．China is facing product safety problems

B．more controls are taken of Chinese goods

C．overstated problems with Chinese goods

D．China is losing its trade partners

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American cities are similar to other cities around the world: American cities are changing, just as American society is changing. After World War Two, the population of most large American cities decreased; however, the population in many Sun Belt cities increase. Los Angeles and Houston are cities where population shifts (转移) to and from the city reflect the changing values of American society. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, city residents became wealthier. They moved out of their apartments in the city to buy their own homes. They bought houses in the suburbs.
Now things are changing. The children of the people who left the cities in the 1950s are now adults. Many, unlike their parents, want to live in the cities. They continue to move to Sun Belt cities and older ones of the Northeast and Midwest. Many young professionals are moving back into the city. They prefer the city to the suburbs because their jobs are there; or they just enjoy the excitement and possibilities that the city offers.
This population shift is bringing problems as well as benefits. Countless poor people must leave their apartments in the city because the owners want to sell the buildings or make apartments for sale instead of for rent. In the 1950s, many poor people did not have enough money to move to the suburbs; now many of these same people do not have enough money to stay in the cities.
Only a few years ago, people thought that the older American cities were dying. Some city residents now see a bright, new future. Others see only problems and conflicts. One thing is sure: many dying cities are alive again.
小题1:What does the author think of cities all over the world?

A．They are alive.	B．They are hopeless.
C．They are similar.	D．They are different.

小题2: Why did American city residents want to live in the suburbs after World War Two?

A．Because older American cities were dying.

B．Because they were richer and needed more space.

C．Because cities contained the worst parts of society.

D．Because they could hardly afford to live in the city.

小题3:According to the 4^th paragraph, a great many poor people in American cities .

A．are faced with housing problems	B．are forced to move to the suburbs
C．want to sell their buildings	D．need more money for daily expenses

小题4:We can conclude from the text that .

A．American cities are changing for the worse

B．people have different views on American cities

C．many people are now moving from American cities

D．the population is decreasing in older American cities

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The 1980s was called the “Me Decade” because for many this time was marked by a fascination with the self. The idea that each person has a self may seem natuaral to us, but this concept is actually quite new. The idea that each human life is unique developed between the 11th and 15th centuries in Europe. Before that time, individuals were considered in relation to a group, and even today, many eastern cultures place more emphasis on the importance of a collective self than on a unique and independent self.
Both eastern and western cultures see the self as divided into an inner, private self and an outer, public self. But where they differ is in terms of which part is seen as the“real you.” Western culture tends to promote the idea of individuality—a self that is separated from other selves. In contrast, many eastern cultures focus on an inter-independent self that gets its diversity in large part from inter-relationship with others.
For example, a Confucian(孔子) idea stresses the importance of “face”—other people’s views of the self and maintaining one’s desired status in their eyes. In the past, some Asian cultures developed clear rules about the specific clothes and even colors that people in certain social classes and occupations were allowed to display, and these live on today in Japanese style manuals. This style of dress is at odds with such western practices as “casual Fridays,” which encourage employees to dress informally and express their unique selves.
小题1: Which is true about the self according to the text?

A．Many eastern cultures see the self connected with others.

B．Those born in the 1980s are generally most self-centered than others.

C．The concept that eac person has a self may seem strange to eastern cultures

D．Western cultures regard the self as an outer, public self while eastern cultures don’t.

小题2: What does the 2nd paragraph mainly talk about?

A．How eastern and western cultures see the self.

B．Eastern cultures contrast sharply with western cultures

C．Both eastern and western cultures appreciate the importance of self

D．Eastern cultures are as important as western cultures

小题3: A Japanese dress code is mentioned in the last paragraph to _________.

A．explain the importance of “face”

B．say how traditional the Japanese are

C．emphasize the importance of eastern cultures

D．show how eastern cultures see the self in relation to others

小题4: The underlined phrase “at odds with” most probably means_______.

A．in agreement with	B．in disagreement with
C．in comparison with	D．in need of

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After the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill aimed at retaliatory(报复的) 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.
Our new conventional wisdom is that China’s policy leads to make trade deficits (逆差) greater and the loss of American jobs. Dozens of candidates have run ads attacking a competitor for allowing China to take advantage of us. In the election-year view, China grew 10% annually for the past decade while maintaining low inflation(通涨) only by taking advantage of its artificially low currency. The idea that the U.S. is not responsible for its own economy is a black-is-white view. It argues that China and its currency are causing the lion’s share of harm.
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.
China is far from perfect and seeks its own advantage, but holding it accountable for our domestic problems is beyond outdated. It reflects a dangerous refusal to deal with the world as it is. Retaliating against China over currency will not regain high-end jobs in the U.S., which needs more our own demand. It will not renew construction or retool the American labor force. It will not rebuild rotting bridges or create a next-generation energy network.
小题1:Which of the following argument can be supported by the writer?

A．China is the winner in the Sino-US trade.

B．China’s rapid development over the past ten years is based on its low inflation.

C．The world’s economy will benefit from China’s policy changes on its currency.

D．The US will get hurt if it tries hard on damaging China’s economy.

小题2:This passage is in a tone that is ____________.

A．in favor of China

B．in the shoes of US

C．blaming China’s low currency policy

D．helping IMF solve the world’s economic problem

小题3:The writer makes his point of view clear through the passage by using _____________.

A．reasonable analysis

B．leaders’ quotations

C．figure examples

D．moving stories

小题4:China’s currency policy ________.

A．will help increase the demand in the US

B．is unable to equip the American labor force with new working skills

C．could guide the world economy for the next decade

D．is to be controlled by the international currency groups

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