In every school there is “top” crowd that sets the pace, while the others follow their lead. For example, if the crowd decides that it is smart to wear bright red sweaters, then very soon everybody is wearing bright red sweaters.
There is nothing wrong with that, except the fact that for some people bright red sweater is really unsuitable.
The situation can even become dangerous, if the top crowd decides that it is smart to drink and to drive cars at seventy miles an hour. Then the people who follow the lead are endangering their lives. They are like the sheep being led to the slaughter(屠杀).
Now it’s possible that you have come across situations like these more than once in your life. In fact you probably did something you knew to be wrong one time or another. You may have excused yourself by saying, “ Gee, the crowd does it.” Well, let the crowd do it, but don’t do it yourself. Learn to say “No”.
Develop your own standards(标准)and your own judgment. If you know the crowd is planning something you disagree to, you’d better take the courage to bow out in a polite way. You’ll have the satisfaction of standing on your own two feet.
【小题1】The main idea of the passage is that _____________ .

Before you go to another country it is a great help if you know the language and some of the customs of the country.

When people meet each other for the first time in Britain, they say, “How do you do? ”and shake hands. Usually they do not shake hands when they just meet or say goodbye. But they shake hands after they haven’t met for a long time or when they will be away from each other for a long time.

Last year a group of German students went to England for a holiday. Their teacher told them that the English people hardly shake hands. So when they met their English friends at the station, they kept their hands behind their backs. The English students had learned that the Germans shake hands as often as possible, so they put their hands in front and got ready to shake hands with them. It made both of them laugh.

1.It is ____ if you know the language and some of the customs of the country.

2.English people usually shake hands when they ______.

3.Usually English people don’t shake hands _______.

4.Which of the statement（陈述）is right?

5.This story is about _______.

Before you go to another country it is a great help if you know the language and some of the customs of the country.
When people meet each other for the first time in Britain, they say, “How do you do? ”and shake hands. Usually they do not shake hands when they just meet or say goodbye. But they shake hands after they haven’t met for a long time or when they will be away from each other for a long time.
Last year a group of German students went to England for a holiday. Their teacher told them that the English people hardly shake hands. So when they met their English friends at the station, they kept their hands behind their backs. The English students had learned that the Germans shake hands as often as possible, so they put their hands in front and got ready to shake hands with them. It made both of them laugh.
【小题1】It is ____ if you know the language and some of the customs of the country.

Idioms are phrases and sentences that do not mean exactly what they say. Even if you know the meaning of each word you see or hear, you may not understand the idiom because you don’t understand the culture behind it.
For example, if an American boy asks his mother what’s for dinner tomorrow, she may say “I’ll play it by ear”, that means she doesn’t have plans for dinner and she will decide later. "Play by ear" used to mean playing music using the sheet music, but now people often use it when they’re not talking about music.
There’re many idioms in English. If you learn to use them, your English will be more vivid and colorful. English idioms are more common in spoken English. They can be difficult to remember sometimes. Next time when you hear somebody saying to you, "Give me a hand", you don’t necessarily stretch out your hand to him/her, but you do need to be helpful. And when the situation is out of hand, you usually can do very little to manage all that. What about a green hand? It’s not about the color of your hand! You’re a green hand when you are very new at your work and don’t have much experience. If you and your partner always work together hand in glove, you two definitely work together very well.
Can you guess the meanings of some common English idioms to do with parts of your body?
【小题1】What is an idiom ?
【小题2】What does “ Can you give me a hand “ mean ?
【小题3】Are English idioms more common in written English or spoken English ?