Expressions about water are almost as common as water itself. But many of the expressions using water have unpleasant meanings. The expression "to be in hot water" is one of them. It is a very old expression. "Hot water" was used 500 years ago to mean being in trouble. One story says it got that meaning from the custom of throwing extremely hot water down on enemies attacking a castle. That no longer happens. But we still get in "hot water".When we are in "hot water", we are in trouble. It can be any kind of trouble--serious or not so serious. A person who breaks a law can be in hot water with the police. A young boy can be in hot water with his mother. if he walks in the house with dirty shoes. Being in "deep water" is almost the same as being in hot water. When you are in deep water, you are in a difficult position. Imagine a person who cannot swim being thrown in water over his head. You are in deep water when you are facing a problem that you do not have the ability to solve. The problem is too deep. You can be in deep water, for example, if you invest in stocks without knowing anything about the stock market. "To keep your head above water" is a colorful expression that means staying out of debt. A company seeks to keep its head above water during economic hard times. A man who loses his job tries to keep his head above water until he finds a new job. "Water over the dam" is another expression about a past event. It is something that is finished. It cannot be changed. The expression comes from the idea that water that has flowed over a dam cannot be brought back again. What can you infer from the passage? A) "To be in hot water" can only be used to mention serious trouble. B) "Water over the dam" is an expression about a future event. C) Water could be used in the war in the past. D) All of the expressions using water have unpleasant meanings.
C
Do you blank out or feel so nervous in exams that you have trouble writing answers to questions that you knew just last night? If so, you likely have a case of test anxiety. But, don't be afraid. By recognizing the problem, you are taking the first step towards overcoming it. Believe it or not, a touch of nervousness can sharpen your mind, allowing you to perform more quickly. This is because under stress, the body releases the hormone adrenaline , which prepares it for something important that will happen. However, too much anxiety can result in sleeplessness, loss of appetite before tests, and poor performance. Some people might feel hot and tired. With great anger they often shout or complain for no reason. If you worry a lot or are a perfectionist, you are more likely to have trouble with test anxiety. Those who have prepared poorly for a test or have had negative experiences taking tests may also experience test anxiety. When you feel a storm of anxiety coming on, stop what you're doing and make your mind a blank. If possible, actually tell yourself to 'STOP!' This will get your mind off the stress. Then think of being at a place of comfort and let your body relax. As you continue the test, find questions you know the answers to and answer them first. This will help restore your confidence. Important of all, talk to yourself using positive language. Make it a habit to replace each negative thought with a logical reason. For example: "I've studied hard and I know the material, so I'm ready to do the best I can." Another thing you can do is to learn to accept mistakes. In fact, they can be valuable learning opportunities. Last but not least, start test preparation early - three to five days ahead of the quiz or test. After all, good study habits and skills - for example, time management and note-taking - will give you the feeling that you are in control. The author mentions _ pieces of suggestions about how to get over test anxiety. A) 3 B) 4 C) 5 D) 6
C
Q: Plants are very important living things. Life could not go if there were no plants. This is because plants can make food from air, water and sunlight. Animals and man cannot make food from air, water and sunlight. Animals get their food by eating plants and other animals. So animals and man need plants in order to live. This is why we find that there are so many plants around us. If you look carefully at the plants around you, you will find that there are two kinds of plants: flowering plants and _ plants. Flowering plants can make seeds. The seeds are protected by the fruits. Some fruits have one seed, some have two, three or four, and some have many seeds. But a few fruits have no seeds at all. An example of a fruit without seeds is the banana fruit. Most non-flowering plants don't grow from seeds. They grow from spores. Spores are so small and light that they can float in the air. We may say that spores are quite the same as the seeds. When these spores fall on wet and _ , they usually grow into new plants. The main idea of the passage is that _ . A) plants are important for life B) plants cannot grow without air C) there are many plants around us D) we cannot live without water
A: A
(Question)
Scientists in Canada say big ocean fish have almost disappeared from the world since the start of industrial fishing in the nineteen-fifties. The scientists found that population of large fish like tuna; swordfish and cod have dropped by ninety percent in the past fifty years. The study took ten years. The researchers gathered records from fishing businesses and governments around the world. The magazineNaturepublished the findings. The scientists say the common method called longline fishing is especially damaging to populations of large fish. This method involves many fishing lines connected to one boat. These wires can be close to one-hundred kilometers long. They hold thousands of sharp metal hooks to catch fish. Longline fishing is especially common in the Japanese fishing industry. Records showed that Japanese boats used to catch about ten fish for every one-hundred hooks. The study says longline fishing boats now might catch one fish per hundred hooks. The scientists say industrial fishing can destroy groups of fish much faster than in the past. The study suggests that whole populations can disappear almost completely from new fishing areas within ten to fifteen years. Ransom Myers of Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia led the study with Boris Worm of Dalhousie and the University of Kiel in Germany. Mister Worm says the destruction could lead to a complete re-organization of ocean life systems. Mister Meyers says the decreased number of large fish is not the only worry. He says even populations that are able to reproduce do not get the chance to live long enough to grow as big as their ancestors . He says not only are there fewer big fish, they are smaller than those of the past. American government scientists say even with the best efforts to protect fish populations, decreases are to be expected. Which of the following shows the fact that the populations of large fish have dropped? A) Today's "large"fish are smaller than those of the past. B) Longline boats now might catch fewer fish every one-hundred hooks. C) Fish even able to reproduce don't have the chance to live longer. D) Japanese boats could catch about ten fish for every 100 hooks.
(Answer)
D