The expression “down to earth” means being open and honest. It is easy to get on with some one who is down to earth. A down-to-earth person is the opposite of someone who acts important or proud.

Down-to-earth people could be important members of society. But they do not consider themselves to be better than others who are less important. A person who is filled with his own importance and pride is said to“ have his nose in the air”.

Americans use another expression that is similar in some ways to down to earth. The expression is“ both feet on the ground”. Someone with both feet on the ground is a person with a good understanding of reality. He may have dreams, but he does not allow them to have influence on his understanding of what is real.

The opposite kind of person is one who “has his head in the clouds”. Someone with his head in the clouds is a person whose mind is not on what is happening in real life. Such a person may be called a day-dreamer.

When we have both our feet on the ground, and when we are down to earth, we do not have our noses in the air. We act honestly and openly to others. Our lives are like the ground below us---solid and strong.

1.A down-to-earth person could be _____.

A．social and proud                        B．good and opposite

C．real and important                       D．strong and changeable

2.The expression “has one’s nose in the air” means ______.

A．扬眉吐气         B．目中无人          C．瞻前顾后         D．装模作样

3.If you only consider your own importance, _____.

A．you’ll think you are better than others

B．your life will be like the solid and strong ground

C．you’ll be hated by down-to-earth people

D．your life will be filled with love.

4.If you want to understand what is real in life, you have to ____.

A．get along with other people easily

B．learn from those who are down to earth

C．be a good dreamer with quick mind

D．have your head in the clouds.

5.This passage mainly talks about ______.

A．the use of some expressions

B．dreams and achievements

C．the lifestyle of honest people

D．honest and understanding

 

US teenagers may be facing a challenge (挑战) today. A recent survey suggests (表明) that they are less honest than previous generations (上一代人).
The survey was done among 29,760 students at 100 US high schools. The results suggest that in the past year, 30 percent of US high school students have stolen from a store. And 64 percent may have cheated on a test.
However, 93 percent of the students said they were satisfied (满意) with their honesty. And 77 percent said,“when it comes to doing what is right, I am better than most people I know.”
Some teachers were unhappy about the survey results. Some, however, defended (为……辩护) today’s students.
“The competition is greater and the pressures (压力) on kids have increased greatly,”said Mel Riddle, who was a high school teacher and headmaster for 40 years.“It is the pressures that make it easy for students to be dishonest.”
“I think these students are better than other generations,”he said.“I find them more active, better to work with and more thankful for support.”“ We have to create situations where it’s easy for kids to do the right things, ”he added.“We need to create classrooms where learning is more important than having the right answer.”
【小题1】According to the survey, what challenge do US teenagers face today?

A．They have trouble getting pocket money

B．They don’t get along well with teachers

C．They are not so honest as older generations

D．They have too many tests to take each week

【小题2】We can learn from the survey that children in the US nowadays         .

A．behave worse

B．work harder

C．are less healthy

D．are busier at school

【小题3】According to the survey results,   _ percent of the students are satisfied with their honesty.

A．30

B．64

C．77

D．93

【小题4】What’s Mel Riddle’s opinion about the idea that students are dishonest?

A．He gets really angry about it

B．He thinks parents must do something to stop it

C．He thinks the students should change their behavior

D．He thinks there are some reasons for being dishonest

【小题5】What advice does Mel Riddle give on improving the honesty of students?

A．Do not let students do anything

B．Make it easier for them to learn

C．Ask students to find right answers

D．Give students more free time to have fun

My problems started after I went to a boarding（寄宿） school.I was only 14，and at first I missed my family a lot.I often called them and cried on the phone.But after two weeks，I found I enjoyed being with my classmates at school. I had many friends who were boys.I thought of them as my best friends-but only friends.I never guessed my friendships with boys would become a problem.
Then，three months later，my friends told me that some teachers and girls said I was hanging out with boys all day long in order to get attention from them.Seven months after that，the head teacher Mr.Wang asked the class to choose some students to join the Student Union（学生会）.I thought I could win for I was doing well in school.I’d already won prizes for the best math and English exams.A week later，the list came out and it didn’t include me.I was sad.
Mr.Wang came to me and said，“Don’t be sad.I know you’re excellent! Maybe you are a little distant（疏远的）from the girls in our class.They don’t know much about you，so some of them didn’t choose you.It doesn’t matter.Do your best to get along well with everyone and I think you’ll make it next time.”
【小题1】What was the writer’s problem when she first entered the boarding school?

A．She didn’t like her new school.

B．She didn’t get along well with her classmates.

C．She missed her family very much.

D．She didn’t like her new teacher.

【小题2】Why did the writer fail to join the Student Union?

A．Her teachers didn’t like her.

B．She was a poor student.

C．Some girls didn’t choose her.

D．She likes showing off herself.

【小题3】Which of the following is NOT true，according to the passage?

A．The writer won prizes for the best science and English exams.

B．The writer didn’t realize that her friendships with boys would cause problems.

C．The writer was sad because she failed to join the Student Union.

D．The teacher thought she was an excellent student.