In many cultures white is often associated with something positive. A white-collar job, for instance, is the kind of job many people look for, working with your brain and not your hands.

White has a clean and pure image. That is why doctors, dentists, and nurses usually wear white uniforms. Babies are dressed in white at baptisms(洗禮)and brides wear white wedding gowns at weddings. White in these cases is the symbol of innocence or purity.

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.

A “white elephant” is another example of white used in a negative way. In ancient Thailand, a white elephant was regarded as a sacred animal, but it was very expensive to keep. The kings of those days presented a white elephant to the people they wanted to ruin. Once they received this holy, royal animal as a gift, they were not allowed to sell or kill it. Today, a “white elephant” means something that is big, useless, and unwanted. In America, when people want to get rid of their furniture or clothes, they often have a “white elephant sale”.

53. The text is mainly about________.

  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

54. In which statement does “white” have a negative meaning?

  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.

55. From the text we can learn that _______.

  A. a white-elephant sale is useful to the poor  

  B. the white color is important in our daily life

  C. a white-collar job used to be easy to get

  D. expressions with white have different meanings

56. The author develops the text mainly by ______.

A. analyzing its cause and effect

B. providing typical examples

C. comparing different ideas

D. following the time order    

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科目:高中英語 來源:單元雙測同步達標活頁試卷 高二英語下 題型:050

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  In Glacier National Park, which is in the Rocky Mountains of Montana, there once roamed a little deaf Indian boy. He loved to wander in the forest, and made friends with the animals who lived there. Since he loved animals, he would observe them intently and learn their habits. This little Indian boy's name was John Lewis Clarke.

  John Lewis Clarke's grandfather was a graduate from West Point and a captain in the U. S. Army. He was married to the daughter of a Blackfoot Indian Chief and adopted by the tribe. His son, John Lewis Clarke's father, also married an Indian princess, the daughter of Chief Stands Alone. Sadly, John's grandfather was later killed by Indians of another tribe near Helena, Montana.

  John Lewis Clarke was not born deaf. He became ill at a young age with scarlet fever. Though he survived, he could no longer hear the sounds that the forest animals made. He could not hear his Indian friends when they called to him. Scarlet fever had caused him to lose his hearing. His Indian friends gave him the name Cutapuis (Cu-ta-pu-ee) which means, “man who talks not.”

  Because John could not talk, he could not tell his parents about his many animal friends in the forest and the exciting things that he saw, but he found another way to express himself. He made figures of them out of clay(粘土) from the river banks. Later, when he was older, he learned to carve things out of wood. He loved to carve animals. With an axe and a pocket knife, he carved a life-sized image of a bear from a cedar trunk. The bear looked so real, the only thing missing was its growl.

  When John was old enough to go to school, his parents sent him to the Fort Shaw Indian School. However, since he needed special education, he was transferred to a school for the deaf at Boulder, Montana. He also attended the School for the Deaf at Devil's Lake, North Dakota. When he was older, he enrolled at St. Francis Academy in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he studied wood carving. While he was still in his teens, John returned to Montana and opened a studio. He began to carve all the animals he had known very well in his childhood, and offer them for sale. He made models of animals out of wood, clay, and stone. He painted pictures using water colors and oils, and did excellent pen and ink drawings. He began to make a name for himself as an artist.

  John spent most of his 89 years at his home studio in Glacier Park. Every year when the park season was over, he continued his work in Great Falls, Montana, his second home. Many important people bought John's work. John D. Rockefeller, Jr., the famous multimillionaire, was one of them. John's work was on exhibit in many places in this country. John died on November 20,1970. In his life-time, he literally carved his way to fame.

1.John probably started to use American Sign Language as soon as ________.

[  ]

A.he became deaf

B.he entered a school for the deaf

C.he could make figures out of clay

D.his Indian friends taught him

2.The subject of his artwork was mostly animals. This is most likely because ________.

[  ]

A.the environment he grew up has influenced him

B.he was an Indian

C.it was his way of expressing ideas

D.he did not like people

3.“The bear looked so real. The only thing missing was its growl.” This phrase means ________.

[  ]

A.John forgot to add one more thing

B.the bear was missing

C.the bear missed growling

D.the bear looked perfect except that it could not make any sound

4.During the course of his education, John attended ________.

[  ]

A.two schools

B.only a residential school for the deaf

C.four different schools

D.a(chǎn) school in Maine

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科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解

  Want a glance of the future of health care? Take a look at the way the various networks of people about patient care are being connected to one another, and how this new connectivity is being exploited to deliver medicine to the patient - no matter where he or she may be.
  Online doctors offering advice based on norman symptoms(癥狀)are the most obvious example. Increasingly, however, remote diagnosis(遠程診斷)will be based on real physiological data(生理數(shù)據(jù))from the actual patient. A group from the University of Kentucky has shown that by using personal data assistance plus a mobile phone ,it is perfectly practical to send a patient’s important signs over the telephone. With this kind of equipement, the cry asking whether there was a doctor in the house could well be a thing of the past.
  Other medical technology groups are working on applying telemedicine to rural (countryside) care. And at least one team wants to use telemedicine as a tool for disaster need - especially after earthquakes. On the whole, the trend is towards providing global access to medical data and experts’ opinions.
  But there is one problem. Bandwidth(寬帶) is the limiting factor for sending complex (復 雜 )medical pictures around the world,―CU photos being one of the biggest bandwidth users. Communication satellites say be able to deal with the short - term needs during disasters such as earthquakes or wars. But medicine is looking towards both the second - generation Internet and third generation mobile phones for the future of remote medical service.
  Doctors have met to discuss computer - based tools for medical diagnosis, training and telemedicine. With the falling price of broadband communications, the new technologies should start a new time when telemedicine and the sharing of medical information, experts’opinions and diagnosis are common.


  68.The writer chiefly talks about ________ .
  A. the use of telemedicine
  B. the on -lined doctors
  C. medical care and treatment
  D. communication improvement
  69.Which of the following statements is true according to the text?
  A. Patients don’t need doctors in hospitals any more.
  B. It is impossible to send a patient’s signs over the telephone.
  C. Many teams use telemedicine dealing with disasters now.
  D. Broadband communications will become cheaper in the future.
  70.The“problem”in the fourth paragraph refers to the fact that ________ .
  A. bandwidth isn’t big enough to send complex medical pictures
  B. the second - generation of Internet has not become popular yet
  C. communication satellites can only deal with short - term needs
  D. there is not enough equipment for spreading the medical care

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科目:高中英語 來源:2013-2014學年福建省高三上學期第一次月考英語試卷(解析版) 題型:閱讀理解

When Scotsman Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876, it was a revolution in communication. For the first time, people could talk to each other over great distances almost as clearly as if they were in the same room. Nowadays, though, we increasingly use Bell’s invention for taking photographs, accessing the internet, or watching video clips, rather than talking. Over the last two decades a new means of spoken communication has appeared: the mobile phone.

         The first real mobile telephone call was made in 1973 by Dr Martin Cooper, the scientist who invented the modem mobile handset(手機). Within a decade, mobile phones became available to the public. The streets of modem cities began to feature sharp-suited characters shouting into giant plastic bricks. In Britain the mobile phone quickly became the same with the “yuppie”, the new type of young urban professionals who carried the expensive handsets as status symbols. Around this time many of us said that we would never own a mobile phone.

         But in the mid-90s, something happened. Cheaper handsets and cheaper calling rates meant that, almost overnight, it seemed that everyone had a mobile phone. And the giant plastic bricks of the 80s had changed into smooth little objects that fitted nicely into pockets and bags.

         Moreover, people’s timekeeping changed. Younger readers will be amazed to know that, not long ago, people made spoken arrangements to meet at a certain place at a certain time. But later Meeting time became approximate under the new order of communication: the Short Message Service (SMS) or text message. Going to be late? Send a text message! It takes much less effort than arriving on time, and it’s much less awkward than explaining your lateness face to face and the text message has changed the way we write in English. Traditional rules of grammar and spelling are much less important when you’re sitting on the bus, hurriedly typing “Will B 15mm late - C U @ the bar. Sorry! -).”

         Alexander Graham Bell would be amazed if he could see how far the science of telephony has progressed in less than 150 years. If he were around today, he might say “That’s gr8! But I’m v busy rite now. Will call U 2nite.”

1.What does the underlined part in Para.2 refer to?

A. Houses of modern cities.                      B. Sharp-suited characters.

C. New type of professionals.                    D. Mobile phones.

2.According to Paragraph 4, why did Meeting time become approximate?

A. People were more likely to be late for their meeting.

B. SMS made it easier to inform each other.

C. Young people don’t like unchanging things.

D. Traditional customs were dying out.

3.If you want to meet your friend at the school gate this evening, which of the following message can you send him?

A. Call U@ SKUg8 2nite.                   B. IM2BZ2CU 2nite.

C. CU@ the bar g8 2nite.                   D. W84U@ SKUg8 2nite.

4.What does the passage mainly tell us about?

A. Alexander Graham’s invention.

B. SMS as a new way of communication.

C. New functions of the mobile telephone.

D. The development of the mobile phone.

 

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科目:高中英語 來源:2014屆廣東雷州一中徐聞中學高一下學期第二次聯(lián)考英語試卷(解析版) 題型:閱讀理解

Can you understand the beginning of this article?

“My smmr hols wr CWOT. B4, we usd 2go2 NY 2C my bro, his GF & 3 kds FTF.”

The Scottish teacher who received it in class had no idea what the girl who wrote it meant. The essay was written in a form of English used in cell phone text messages. Text messages (also called SMS2) through cell phones became very popular in the late 1990s. At first, mobile phone companies thought that text messaging would be a good way to send messages to customers, but customers quickly began to use the text messaging service to send messages to each other. Teenagers in particular enjoyed using text messaging, and they began to create a new language for messages called texting.

A text message is limited to 160 characters, including letters, spaces, and numbers, so messages must be kept short. In addition, typing on the small keypad of a cell phone is difficult, so it’s common to make words shorter. In texting, a single letter or number can represent a word, like “r” for “are,” “u” for “you,” and “2” for “to.” Several letters can also represent a phrase, like “l(fā)ol” for “l(fā)aughing out loud.” Another characteristic of texting is the leaving out of letters in a word, like spelling “please” as “pls.”

Some parents and teachers worry that texting will make children bad spellers and bad writers. The student who wrote the essay at the top of this page said writing that way was more comfortable for her. (The essay said, “My summer holidays were a complete waste of time. Before, we used to go to New York to see my brother, his girlfriend, and their three kids face to face.”)

Not everyone agrees that texting is a bad thing. Some experts say languages always evolve, and this is just another way for English to change. Other people believe texting will disappear soon. New technology for voice messages may soon make text messages a thing of the past.

1.What is the writer’s opinion of text messaging? 

A.It is fun and easy to do.

B.It is not bad for children.

C.It will make children bad writers.

D.The writer does not give an opinion.

2.Which way of texting is NOT described in the passage?

A.Using phrases to represent essays

B.Using numbers to represent words

C.Using letters to represent phrases

D.Using letters to represent words

3.Which of the following was most probably the title of the student’s essay?

A.My Gr8 Tchr

B.CU in LA

C.My GF

D.My Smmr Hols

4.Why do some people think that texting is bad?

A.It has been replaced by voice message

B.It’s too difficult to type.

C.Teenagers won’t learn to write correctly.

D.It’s not comfortable.

5.Why aren’t some people worried about the effect of texting?

A.Not many people use texting.

B.Spelling in English is too difficult.

C.Teenagers quickly become bored with texting.

D.Texting will disappear because of new technology.

 

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科目:高中英語 來源:河南省方城二高2009-2010學年高一下學期期末模擬試題(英語) 題型:閱讀理解

 

Can you understand the beginning of this essay(短文)?

“My smmr hols wr CWOT. B4, we usd 2go2 NY 2C my bro, his GF & 3 kds FTF.”

The Scottish teacher who received it in class had no idea what the girl who wrote it meant. The essay was written in a form of English used in cell phone text messages(短信). Text messages (also called SMS) through cell phones became very popular in the late 1990s. At first, mobile phone companies thought that text messaging would be a good way to send messages to customers, but customers quickly began to use the text messaging service to send messages to each other. Teenagers in particular enjoyed using text messaging, and they began to create a new language for messages called “texting.”

A text message is limited to 160 characters, including letters, spaces, and numbers, so messages must be kept short. In addition, typing on the small keypad of a cell phone is difficult, so it's common to make words shorter. In texting, a single letter or number can represent(代表) a word, like “r” for “are,” “u” for “you,” and “2” for “to.” Several letters can also represent a phrase, like “l(fā)ol” for “l(fā)aughing out loud.” Another characteristic(特征) of  texting is the leaving out of letters in a word, like spelling “please” as “pls.”

Some parents and teachers worry that texting will make children bad spellers and bad writers. The student who wrote the essay at the top of this page said writing that way was more comfortable for her. (The essay said, “My summer holidays were a complete waste of time. Before, we used to go to New York to see my brother, his girlfriend, and their three kids face to face.”)

Not everyone agrees that texting is a bad thing. Some experts say languages always develop, and this is just another way in which English is changing. Other people believe texting will disappear soon. New technology for voice messages may soon make text messages a thing of the past.

1. What is the writer's opinion of text messaging?

A. The writer does not give his opinions.     

B. It is not bad for children.

C. It will make children bad writers. 

D. It is fun and easy to do.

2. Which characteristic of texting is NOT described in the passage? 

A. Using letters to represent words. 

B. Using phrases to represent essays.

C. Using letters to represent phrases. 

D. Using numbers to represent words.

3. Which of the following was most probably the title of the student's essay?

A. My Smmr Hols              B. CU in LA                 C. My GF           D. My Gr8 Tchr

4. Why do some people think that texting is bad?

A. It costs too much.                                             B. It's too difficult to type.

C. Teenagers won't learn to write correctly.  D. It's not comfortable.

5. Why aren't some people worried about the effect of texting?

A. Not many people use texting.        

B. Spelling in English is too difficult.

C. Teenagers quickly become bored with texting.      

D. Texting will disappear because of new technology.

 

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