Learning English grammar and English vocabulary can be hard enough, but trying to understand English sayings can be more difficult. Some are just hard to figure out and others don’t make any sense at all. Here are four funny English sayings that you can use every day.

I’m happy as a clam(蛤).

Think of a clam. It doesn’t have to do anything. It just sits on a beach or on the bottom of the ocean all day doing nothing. It never has to work. That sounds like happiness, doesn’t it? If someone asks, “How are you today?” you can answer “I am happy as a clam” to let him or her know what a great mood you are in.

I wouldn’t touch that (or him/her) with a ten-foot pole.

Maybe there is a person who you don’t want to be friends with or even talk to. Well, this saying means that you dislike him or her so much that you don’t want to touch or go near him or her, even within ten feet!

You don’t have a leg to stand on.

?? This saying doesn’t mean that the person you’re talking to has no legs. It means that his or her argument is incorrect. He or she doesn’t have a leg to stand on because he or she has no facts to support what he or she is saying. This saying is a good way to tell people that you think they’re wrong.

??? Break a leg!

??? This saying actually means the opposite of what it sounds like. If you tell this to a person, you’re wishing him or her good luck！The saying comes from a superstition(迷信) that whatever you say aloud, the opposite will come true.

1.The first paragraph mainly tells us____________________.

A.learning English grammar is hard

B.learning English vocabulary is hard

C.we should use English sayings every day

D.it can be harder to understand English sayings

2.Which of the following is TRUE about a clam?

A.It can be used to show happiness.????? B.It needs to do many things.

C.It needs to eat a lot.???????????????? D.It can only live on the beach.

3.The saying “I wouldn’t touch him with a ten-foot pole” means___________.

A.I hate him.????????????????????? B.I want him to be my friend.

C.I like him.?????????????????????? D.I want to argue with him.

4.We can learn from the passage that______________________.

A.the saying “You don’t have a leg to stand on” means someone loses his legs

B.the saying “Break a leg” means someone hurts his or her leg

C.if we say “Break a leg” to someone, we give him or her a good wish

D.if we say “I am ill” aloud, we will become healthy

People in different countries have different ways of doing things. Something that is polite in one country may be quite impolite in another. In Britain, you mustn’t lift (举起) your bowl to your mouth when you are having some soup. But it’s different in China. And in Japan you even needn’t worry about making a noise when you have it. It shows that you are enjoying it. Making a noise is considered as (被认为) bad manners (举止，礼仪) in Britain. If you are a visitor in Mongolia, what manners do they wish you to have? They wish you to give a loud “burp” (打嗝) after you finish eating. Burping shows that you like the food.

In Britain, you should try not to put your hands on the table when you’re having a meal. In Mexico, however, they hope you keep the hands on the table during a meal. But Arabians consider you must be very careful with your hands. You mustn’t eat with your left hand. Arabians consider it very bad manners eating with left hands. So, what should you do if you are on a visit in another country? Well, you can ask the local people to help you or just watch carefully and follow them if you are on a visit in another country.

1.It is impolite to lift your bowl to your mouth when you are having some soup in _________.

2.In Mongolia, burping after eating shows that _________.

3.What’s the main idea of the passage?

“I hate school, and I’m not going back!”Have you ever had that thought?
Lots of kids have had. Usually this feeling doesn’t last long. But what if you feel this way too much? If you are stressed out, you might have a hard time making decisions. In the morning, you can’t decide what to eat, what to wear, or what to take for lunch.    Sometimes it’s a problem with your classes and schoolwork. Maybe the work is too easy and you get bored. Or maybe the work is too hard, or you don’t feel as clever as the other kids. Reading may be difficult for you, but you are asked to do a lot of it. You may be getting farther and farther behind, and it may seem that you will never catch up with others. When you know why you don’t like school, you can start taking steps to make things better 
It’s a good idea to talk to someone about your problems at school. Your mom, dad, friends, teachers, or even classmates will be able to help you.
Another good idea is to write down your feeling about school. For instance, keep a diary or just write in a notebook. It’s a great way to let out emotion that may be stuck inside you. And you don’t have to share（分享）what you have written with others.
The next time you find yourself disliking school, this will also help you:
Make a list of everything you dislike or enjoy—even there is only one thing. See what you can change on “don’t like” list. Could you find a way to show off your special interests and talents on what you like? Which activities could you try that would help you solve these “don’t like” problems? Focus on what you can change and you might be able to put the good feeling back in school!
【小题1】This article mainly gives you some advice on       .

Do you often feel weak or tired when you get up in the morning? Do you often wake up with a headache? Well, if the answer is yes, take Dr. Talbot’s advice (建议) and start feeling better.

Get up and move. If you hate feeling tired and unhappy, you should start exercising. Try running, swimming or cycling. When we exercise, our body produces special chemicals(化学产品) that give us energy and make us feel happier. If you dislike exercising, listen to your favourite music and dance to it. That’s exercise, too.

Eat healthily. You should eat three balanced meals every day and you shouldn’t eat too much fast food. If you need some more extra energy the whole day, make an energy drink. Mix together fresh fruit juice and low-fat milk. It tastes great.

Get out close to the open air. The smell of flowers will make you feel happy. Even the smell of your favourite food can change the way you feel!

Wake your body up. When you have a shower, change the water from hot to cold and back to hot again. You’ll feel the difference.

Laugh! You should laugh for, at least, three minutes, three times a day. It will make you feel great!