Why does night fall but never break and day break but never fall?

Why are people who ride motorcycles called bikers and people who ride bikes called cyclists?

In what other language do people drive in a parkway and park in a driveway?

In what other language do they call the third hand on the clock the second hand?

　　 Let’s face it: English is a crazy language. There is no egg in an eggplant, neither pine nor apple in a pineapple and no ham in a hamburger. Sweet-meats are candy, while sweetbreads, which aren’t sweet, are meat.

　　 We take English for granted. But when we explore its paradoxes (探讨它的矛盾), we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square, public bathrooms have no baths in them.

　　 And why is it that a writer writes, but fingers don’t fing, grocers don’t groce, and hammers don’t ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, shouldn’t the plural of booth be beeth? One goose, two geese — so one moose, two meese?

　　 How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? How can overlook and oversee be opposites, while quite a lot and quite a few are alike? How can the weather be hot as hell one day and cold as hell the next?

　　 English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of human beings. That’s why, when stars are out, they are visible; but when the lights are out, they are invisible. And why, when I wind up my watch, I start it; but when I wind up this essay, I end it.

1. According to the passage ______.

A. sweet-meats and sweetbreads are different things

B. there should be egg in an eggplant

C. pineapples are the apples on the pine tree

D. boxing rings should be round

2. Which of the following includes two items which have the similar meaning?

A. A wise man and a wise guy.　

B. Overlook and oversee.　

C. Quite a lot and quite a few.　

D. Hot as hell and cold as hell.

3. The underlined words “wind up” in the last paragraph probably mean “______”.

A. blow　　 B. roll up　　 C. get hurt　　 D. finish

4. Through the many paradoxes in the English language, the writer wants to show that human beings are ______.

A. clever　　 B. crazy　　　 C. lazy　　　 D. dull

English is the most widely used language in the history of our planet. One in every seven human beings can speak it. More than half of the world’s books and three quarters of international mail are in English. Of all languages, English has the largest vocabulary — perhaps as many as two million words.

　 However, let’s face it: English is a crazy language. There is no egg in an eggplant, neither pine nor apple in a pineapple and no ham in a hamburger. Sweet-meats are candy, while sweetbreads, which aren’t sweet, are meat.

　 We take English for granted. But when we explore its paradoxes (探讨它的矛盾), we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square, public bathrooms have no baths in them.

　 And why is it that a writer writes, but fingers don’t fing, grocers don’t groce, and hammers don’t ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, shouldn’t the plural of booth be beeth? One goose, two geese — so one moose, two meese?

　 How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? How can overlook and oversee be opposites, while quite a lot and quite a few are alike? How can the weather be hot as hell one day and cold as hell the next?

　 English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects (反映) the creativity of human beings. That’s why, when stars are out, they are visible (能看见的); but when the lights are out, they are invisible. And why, when I wind up my watch, I start it; but when I wind up this essay, I end it.

55. According to the passage ______.

A. boxing rings should be round

B. pineapples are the apples on the pine tree

C. there should be egg in an eggplant

D. sweet-meats and sweetbreads are different things

56. Which of the following is the correct plural (复数形式) form?

A. Beeth.　 　 B. Meese.　 　　　 C. Geese. 　 　D. Tooth.

57. Which of the following includes two items which have the similar meaning?

A. Quite a lot and quite a few.　　　　　　　 B. Overlook and oversee.　

C. A wise man and a wise guy.　　　 　　　　　　 D. Hot as hell and cold as hell.

58. Through the many paradoxes in the English language, the writer wants to show that human beings are ______.

A. lazy　　　　　　 B. crazy 　　　　　　 C. clever 　 　D. stupid

English is the most widely used language in the history of our planet. One in every seven human beings can speak it. More than half of the world’s books and three quarters of international mail are in English. Of all languages, English has the largest vocabulary — perhaps as many as two million words.

　 However, let’s face it: English is a crazy language. There is no egg in an eggplant, neither pine nor apple in a pineapple and no ham in a hamburger. Sweet-meats are candy, while sweetbreads, which aren’t sweet, are meat.

　 We take English for granted. But when we explore its paradoxes (探讨它的矛盾), we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square, public bathrooms have no baths in them.

　 And why is it that a writer writes, but fingers don’t fing, grocers don’t groce, and hammers don’t ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, shouldn’t the plural of booth be beeth? One goose, two geese — so one moose, two meese?

　 How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? How can overlook and oversee be opposites, while quite a lot and quite a few are alike? How can the weather be hot as hell one day and cold as hell the next?

　 English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects (反映) the creativity of human beings. That’s why, when stars are out, they are visible (能看见的); but when the lights are out, they are invisible. And why, when I wind up my watch, I start it; but when I wind up this essay, I end it.

56. Which of the following is the correct plural (复数形式) form?

A. Beeth.　 　 B. Meese.　 　　　 C. Geese. 　 　D. Tooth.

57. Which of the following includes two items which have the similar meaning?

A. Quite a lot and quite a few.　　　　　　　 B. Overlook and oversee.　

C. A wise man and a wise guy.　　　 　　　　　　 D. Hot as hell and cold as hell.

58. Through the many paradoxes in the English language, the writer wants to show that human beings are ______.

A. lazy　　　　　　 B. crazy 　　　　　　 C. clever 　 　D. stupid

The coach, because of the driver’s carelessness, was __________ and crashed over the cliff on such a cold December morning.

A．in support　　  B．out of control     C．in charge　　 D．at the mercy