人教版（新课程标准）高中英语必修四Unit 3 A taste of English humour单元训练卷二

    Speaking of children—what child doesn't like to jump around and act silly sometimes? Monkeys are also known for acting silly. So, when kids act up, parents or teachers may tell them to stop monkeying around. It means to do things that are not useful or serious, or to simply waste time.

    Now, in the United States, children do not usually have monkeys as pets, but they do often have dogs. And dogs make most children feel happy. But for some reason, we use "dog" in a phrase that means to feel unwell. If you are as sick as a dog, you are really sick and will most likely stay home from work or school.

    Besides, dogs and cats are also favorite pets here in the States. This next phrase combines cats and secrets to make a very common expression. Let's say you know a secret, a big secret. And let's say you tell it to people. You have just let the cat out of the bag! This idiom means revealing(揭示) a secret or telling facts that were previously(先前) unknown.

    If you let the cat out of the bag, you spoil a surprise. So, if your friend is planning a big surprise birthday for another friend, don't let the cat out of the bag by accidentally saying it in front of the birthday girl. Even though this is a very common idiom, the origin of "to let the cat out of the bag" is also unknown.

    If you are doing an outdoor activity—such as hiking in the woods, or having a picnic in a park—what are some things that may disturb your good time? Bad weather could. And so could bugs! Crawling pests like ants, and flying ones like mosquitoes, could make your experience uncomfortable or annoying.

    So, when we bug people we bother them so much that we affect their good time. This common expression is often said as a command: "Stop bugging me!"

    Why does night fall but never break and day break but never fall？Why are people who ride motorcycles called bikers and people who ride bikes called cyclists？In what other language do people drive in a parkway and park in a driveway？In what other language do they call the third hand on the clock the second hand？

    Let's face it: English is a crazy language. There is no egg in an eggplant, neither pine nor apple in a pineapple and no ham in a hamburger. Sweet-meats are candy, while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat.

    We take English for granted. But when we explore its paradoxes(悖论), we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square, public bathrooms have no baths in them.

    And why is it that a writer writes, but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce, and hammers don't ham？If the plural of tooth is teeth, shouldn't the plural of booth be beeth? One goose, two geese—so one moose, two meese？

    How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? How can overlook and oversee be opposites, while quite a lot and quite a few are alike? How can the weather be hot as hell one day and cold as hell the next？

    English was invented by people, not computers, and it shows the creativity of human beings. That's why, when stars are out, they are visible; but when the lights are out, they are invisible. And why, when I wind up my watch, I start it; but when I wind up this essay, I end it.

    Simple ways to improve your written English

    Lots of people think it is really difficult to improve their written English. Don't worry, here are some simple steps that you can take to improve your written English.

    Increase your vocabulary(词汇)

    To express yourself clearly, you need a good active vocabulary. That's not just being able to know lots of words—it means actually being able to use them correctly.

    Tip: When you learn a new word, try to learn all the forms of that word.

    People often say that we learn to write best by reading. Reading in English is useful in many ways. It is a great way to get an idea of the different styles of writing and see how to use words appropriately.

    Tip: Learning shouldn't be boring. Read each text several times to make sure you understand how to use new words and expressions in the text.

    Improve your grammar

    Grammar is very important because it improves the quality(质量) of your writing.

    Tip: The first time, look for general mistakes and the second time look for mistakes with the particular grammar point you are studying at the moment.

    Just do it!

    The best way to improve your writing is to get a pen and paper and write. Be prepared to write several versions(版本) of each text.

A. Read widely and often.

B. Know much about your readers.

C. Always check your writing twice.

D. Remember, practice makes perfect!

E. Choose books or articles that interest you.

F. Use simple languages and shorter sentences to show your ideas.

G. Do this by learning new words with example sentences, not just word lists.

    If you look closely at certain words in a language, you can often understand a little of the history of the people who speak that language. 1, consider this list of some familiar English words: cow, sheep, and pig. Now, 2 them with the following: beef, mutton, and pork. While the words in the first group 3 living animals, those in the second indicate the meat taken from these animals. But there is yet another 4 between the two sets of 5. Every word in the first 6 is Anglo-Saxon in origin, that is, Old English. On the other hand, those in the second group have their 7 in French.

    Such differences teach us about one of the most important 8 in English history: the Norman Conquest of England. The Normans were the people who 9  the Duchy of Normandy, the area in the north of modern-day France. In 1066, they invaded(侵略) and conquered England. 10, French-speaking Norman kings, nobles, and religious leaders 11 the English ruling class. And most of the native English population was 12 to work on lands owned by the Normans. English farmers also 13 animals such as cows, sheep, and pigs which were named in English, their native tongue. But the 14 they produced went to the wealthy land-owning Normans who used French words for what they 15.

    The Normans lost control of England in 1204, 16 their influence on the English 17 lives on to this day. In the high-status fields of law, government, military leadership, most of the 18 English vocabulary has its roots in French. And even in words, like beef, pork, and mutton, we can still 19 effects of the powerful position the Normans 20 enjoyed.

—Of course not. He wants to get some extra pay.

—I am (bad) off than you. You know I live from hand to mouth.