Question

【题目】The English language has a lot of words which can be used in many different ways and in many different expressions.

One such example is the word matter. In fact, matter can mean just about anything. It could be one of the most useful words in the English language.

Let’s get to the heart of the matter —a matter of principle(原则).

If someone says that you owe(欠) him $50, but you don’t, a friend might say, “Well, you could pay him the $50. It’s not that much money. Then you won’t have to hear him say it anymore. But if you do not owe him the money, do not pay him the money. It’s a matter of principle.

There is another way to use the word matter. But be careful with your choice of words.

If you ask someone, “What’s the matter?”, it shows you are worried about the other person. But saying, “What’s the matter with you?” has a completely different meaning. And it usually sounds rude (粗鲁的). In fact, when you say, “What’s the matter with you?” you are suggesting that the person did something wrong or stupid.

Another expression that could sound rude is to say, “It doesn’t matter to me.” Here, it depends on the context, and how you say it.

Let’s say you tell someone that a friend just got a big raise at work. That person answers with, “It doesn’t matter to me.” Here, it means he or she does not care. And it sounds rude.

But saying, “Oh, you pick where we eat dinner. It doesn’t matter to me.” does not sound rude. In this situation, “it doesn’t matter” shows you are easy-going(随和的).

No matter how you look at it and what you say, matter is a very useful word. And it’s only a matter of time before you will become an expert on the use of matter.

【1】We can infer from the text that the word matter ________.

A. has a wide use B. can mean money

C. is the most used English word D. has the most different expressions

【2】What is the author’s suggestion in Paragraph 4?

A. Every penny counts. B. Stick to what is right.

C. Follow your friend’s advice. D. Be careful when making friends.

【3】The underlined word “context” in the text probably means“

A. choice B. person

C. situation D. answer

【4】The author develops the text mainly by ________.

A. using examples B. giving instructions

C. describing his experiences D. discussing research findings

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】A

【2】B

【3】C

【4】A

【解析】本文是说明文。文章主要介绍了matter一词的主要用法

【1】A

推理判断题。根据第一、二段的描述，再根据最后一段No matter how you look at it and what you say, matter is a very useful word. And it’s only a matter of time before you will become an expert on the use of matter.可知matter一词用法很广。故选A。

【2】B

推理判断题。根据第四段最后两句But if you do not owe him the money, do not pay him the money. It’s a matter of principle.如果你没有欠他的钱，就不要付给他钱，这是一个原则问题。因此他觉得在对的事情上要坚持自己的立场，不要轻易做出让步或改变。可知作者的建议是：坚持正确的。故选B。

【3】C

词义猜测题。根据倒数第二、三段举例说明It doesn’t matter to me.在不同的语境意思不同可知，该表达取决于上下文语境，故选C。

【4】A

写作手法题。根据文中用不同的例子来讲解matter的用法可知，作者主要是通过举例来展开全文的。故选A。