in advance 预告, 事先. Before visiting him, I called him up in advance. 在拜访他之前.我先打电话给他.——青夏教育精英家教网—

in advance 预告, 事先. Before visiting him, I called him up in advance. 在拜访他之前.我先打电话给他. 【查看更多】

Lucky is the man who has no “skeleton in his closet”. When a man has done something in his life that he is ashamed of, that he wants to hide, he is said to have a “skeleton in his closet”. Some people may have more than one skeleton.

As we have noted many times, it is hard to find out how these expressions begin. Sometimes, we get some hard facts. But more often we have to depend on guesswork. And that is true of this phrase, which came from England.

Before 1932, English law did not permit a doctor to cut open a dead human body for scientific examination, unless it was the corpse(尸体) of an executed(处决) criminal.

But when it became legal, more and more doctors demanded skeletons for a more scientific study of medicine. It was helping in the advance of modern medicine. The demand had become so strong that men began to rob tombs and sell skeletons to doctors at high prices.

We are told that a doctor would usually buy just one skeleton for scientific study. It became very important in his work. But he had to keep it hidden because most people objected to keeping such a thing. As a rule, the doctor would keep his skeleton in some dark corner where it could not be seen, or hide it in a closet.

After a time, people began to suspect(怀疑) every doctor of hiding a skeleton in the closet. From this suspicion, the phrase “a skeleton in the closet” took on a broader, more general meaning to describe anything that a man wanted to keep others from discovering. It could be proof of a criminal act, or something much less serious. Well, that is one theory.

One writer, however, believes that the phrase might have come from something that really happened. It is his guess that a hidden closet in some old English country home may have turned up a real skeleton, clear proof of some old family shame or crime. Well, one man’s guess is as good as another. But this sounds like a story by the great French novelist, Balzac.

Baizac tells us of a man who suspected his wife of having a lover. The husband comes home by surprise. But she hears him and quickly hides her lover in the closet of her bedroom. He enters her room and asks her if she is hiding her lover. He says he will not open the door to the closet if she promises him there is no one there; He will believe her. She answers firmly that she is not hiding anyone in the closet.

The husband then begins to build a solid brick wall against the closet. His wife watches, knowing that her lover will never come out alive. But she will not change her story and admit her guilt.

Which of the following situations is suitable for using the phrase “skeleton in the closet” ?

A. You have stolen something precious and don’t want it discovered.

B. You are a doctor and have to keep a skeleton for research.

C. If you have cut open a dead human body for scientific examination you should keep the skeleton secret.

D. You have done a crime or done something foolish, but you want to keep other from discovering it.

From the text we know that there are _______ theories about how the phrase “skeleton in the closet” came into being.

A. one B. two C. three D. four

In Chinese the world “skeleton” means _______.

A. 尸体 B. 标本 C. 收藏 D. 骷髅

Which of the following is right according to the text?

A. In the 20th century, doctors realized the importance of anatomy(解剖) in the development of medicine.

B. The doctors of the ancient times liked to collect as many skeleton as possible.

C. The thieves stole skeletons from tombs in order to help the doctors.

D. It was legal that corpses of anybody were cut open for scientific examination in history.

From the story Balzac told we know that the wife’s lover must have become _______.

A. a corpse B. a phrase C. a skeleton 　D. a secret

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完形填空

阅读下面短文，从短文后所给各题的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。

The western world has always been divided into two types of people—the cool and the uncool. It is a division that 1 in school. The cool kids are good at 2 .They are 3 with the opposite sexお and are good-looking and people want to 4 their style. They can do their homework but they don’t make a big effort. That would 5 be cool.

The uncool kids are in the other corner of the playground. They are very bright, but they don’t have great 6 skills and they are 7 at sports. When they are not programming computers or doing calculus（微积分）in their heads, they are reading comic books and watching shows like the “X Files”. They are 8 as the geeks (做低级滑稽表演的人).

Here’s the news. The geeks are 9 . Make friends with them now or they will put virus in your computer and 10 your math homework to ruin. Geeks might not be popular at school, yet they do pass their examinations, and they might not be too popular at university, but 11 good degrees.

The most important 12 of the 21st century, computers and IT, has been at least partly created by geeks. Geek heroes like Bill Gates 13 others to follow their example. Being a geek is a way of earning good money. And the creation of the Internet gave them a 14 of their own to work and play in, making them a global 15 .Besides, the effect of the geeks 16 popular culture has started a new trend（趋势）. It is now cool to be 17 .Geek culture is becoming an important part of general popular culture, in which what you know is more important than 18 you look like.

But there are also 19 .Geeks were often bullied or laughed at in school. Now a geek may be your boss. Perhaps it is time for 20 .

1.A.continues　　　　　　 B.makes　　　　　　 C.remains　　　　　　　　　　 D.starts

2.A.computers　　　　　　　　　　 B.studies　　　　　　 C.sports　　　　　　　　　　 D.maths

3.A.pleasant 　　　　　　 B.popular　　　　　　 C.crazy　　　　　　　　　　 D.average

4.A.copy　　　　　　　　　　 B.advance　　　　　　 C.take　　　　　　　　　　　　 D.act

5.A.not　　　　　　　　　　　　 B.indeed　　　　　　 C.perhaps　　　　　　　　　　 D.actually

6.A.speaking　　　　　　　　 B.operating　　　　 C.social　　　　　　　　　　 D.experimental

7.A.speechless　　　　　　　　　　 B.sharp　　　　　　　　 C.active　　　　　　　　　　 D.hopeless

8.A.known　　　　　　　　 B.referred　　　　　　 C.thought　　　　　　　　　　　　 D.admired

9.A.taking on 　　　　　　　　　　 B.taking up　　　　 C.taking over　　　　　　 D.taking in

10.A.put　　　　　　　　　　 B.cause　　　　　　　　 C.bring　　　　　　　　　　　　 D.serve

11.A.win　　　　　　　　　　 B.take　　　　　　　　 C.wish　　　　　　　　　　　　 D.finish

12.A.industry　　　　　　 B.discovery　　　　 C.progress　　　　　　　　 D.development

13.A.promise　　　　　　 B.discourage　　　　 C.demand　　　　　　　　　　 D.excite

14.A.chance　　　　　　　　 B.space　　　　　　　　 C.world　　　　　　　　　　 D.career

15.A.force　　　　　　　　 B.company　　　　 C.organization　　　　　　 D.department

16.A.of　　　　　　　　　　 B.on　　　　　　　　　　 C.in　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D.for

17.A.rich　　　　　　　　　　 B.attractive　　　　 C.handsome　　　　　　　　 D.uncool

18.A.how　　　　　　　　　　　　 B.that　　　　　　　　 C.what　　　　　　　　　　　　 D.how much

19.A.opportunities 　　 B.dangers　　　　　　 C.possibility　　　　　　　　 D.question

20.A.punishment　　　　 B.argument　　　　 C.competition　　　　　　 D.employment