初中英语拓展阅读(2)ARed is used in many American expressions. It can be used to show happiness, as in the expression “a red-letter day”. This is a day when something special happens. The expressi on is probably based on church customs. For almost 600 years, church calendars have been marked with red to show special holy days. Today’s calendars are still marked that way with the dates of holidays and special days printed in red.The expressio n “a red-letter day” is often heard in everyday life. “A red-letter day” is a day that people are especially happy. It may be a day that you have long waited for, a wedding day, for example. Or it may be a day with a happy surprise. You might tell a friend that yesterday was a red-letter day, because you won some money in the lottery.“Rolling out the red carpet” is another commonly heard expression. It describes an especially warm welcome of any kind. A city may “roll out the red carpet” for its baseball t eam, when the team arrives home after winning a championship. A group of supporters go to the airport to greet the team. The red-carpet welcome includes a lot of cheering by thousands of fans, a parade, music and speeches of praise by local politicians.Red is also used in some expressions that are not happy. “Red-handed” is one. To be caught “red-handed” is to be found in an act of wrong doing. The evidence is clear. You are guilty.Today we use the expression to be caught “red-handed” in situation s that are not serious. For example, a mother might say she caught her son red-handed, taking cookies out of the cookie jar.Choose the best answer for each question.( )1. The expression “a red-letter day” perhaps first came from _______.A. English customsB. church calendarsC. weekdaysD. a dictionary( )2. You can say it’s a red-letter day if _______ on that day.A. you find a good jobB. you borrow some moneyC. you are freeD. you write a letter to your friend( )3. We usually roll out the red carpet when _______.A. a friend of ours drops by our houseB. someone is going to leaveC. we give someone a warm welcomeD. we move into a new house( )4. You are caught “red-handed” when your teacher _______ in class.A. sees you putting up your handB. finds you talkingC. asks you some questionsD. says you are clever( )5. Which is the best title of this passage?A. Red Is a Useful ColorB. How to Use RedC. Red in Some ExpressionsD. What’s a Red-letter DayHelp: expression n. 表达holy adj. 神圣的wedding n. 婚礼lottery n. 发行彩票championship n. 冠军parade n. 游行politician n. 政客evidence n. 证据guilty adj. 有罪的BSport is very popular in England. In other words, lots of English people like the idea of sports. A lot of them watch sports on TV. But the number of the people who take part in sports is quite small.(6) On the whole, English people prefer to be fat rather than thin.The most popular sport in England is football.(7) Football is played on Saturday afternoons in most towns and the supporters of a certain team will travel from one end of the country to the other to watch their team play. There are four divisions of the football league.(8) Not surprisingly, the best teams are in the first division. But the best supporters are often in the fourth division. You have to be a good supporter to watch the fourth division football!Many other sports are also played in England,(9) such as golf, in which you try to knock a ball into a hole; basketball, in which you try to get a ball through a net; tennis, in which you try to hit a ball so that your opponent can not hit it. As you see, if the ball had not been invented, there would have been no sport.Of course, that is not quite true. Athletics isn’t played with a ball, nor horse racing. Perhaps that is why they are not so popular as football!(10)Put the underlined sentences into Chinese.6. ___________________________________________7. ___________________________________________8. ___________________________________________9. ___________________________________________10. ___________________________________________Help: divisions n. 级opponent n. 对手athletics n. 田径运动horse racing 赛马CNational Library of New Zealand is open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, from Monday to Friday and 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, on Saturday. Gallery’s op ening time differs.When exhibitions are on, readers should read 9:00 am-5:00 pm Mon-Fri, 9:00 am-4:30 pm Sat, 1:00 pm-4:30 pm Sun.If gallery is in the process of breaking down and setting up of exhibitions, gallery is closed during this period.There are also three libraries in Auckland, Palmerston North and Christchurch that teachers can visit to borrow books.AucklandMonday-Friday: 8:00 am-5:45 pmPalmerston NorthMonday-Friday: 8:30 am-5:00 pmThursday: 8:30 am-6:00 pm (during term time)ChristchurchMonday - Friday: 8:30 am-5:00 pmWednesday: 8:30 am-6:00 pm (during term time)Choose the best answer for each question.( )11. On weekdays National Library of New Zealand is open for _______.A. five hoursB. ten hoursC. eight hoursD. seven hours( )12. In National Library of New Zealand, _______ are often on.A. music showsB. exhibitionsC. moviesD. food festivals( )13. Mr. Green, a math teacher, can visit Christchurch _______.A. at 6:30 pm on WednesdayB. on SundayC. on SaturdayD. at 11:00 am on Friday( )14. The underlined word “differ” means _______.A. to be the sameB. to be alikeC. to be differentD. to be difficult( )15. Auckland, Palmerston North and Christchurch are closed _______.A. on MondaysB. on WednesdaysC. on ThursdaysD. on weekendsHelp: gallery n. 画廊Key: 1-5 BACBC 6. 但是参加运动的人数非常少。