Cold weather has a great effect, on how our minds and our bodies work. Maybe that is why there are so many expressions that use the word “cold”. For centuries, the body’s blood has been linked closely with the emotions. People who show no human emotions or feelings, for example, are said to be cold-blooded. Cold-blood people act in a merciless way. They may do brutal things to others, and not by accident. For example, a newspaper says the police are searching for a cold-blooded killer. The killer murdered someone, not in self-defense. He seemed to kill with no emotion.
Cold can affect other parts of the body, the feet, for example. Heavy socks can warm your feet, if your feet are really cold. But there is an expression ---- to get cold feet--- that has nothing to do with cold or your feet. The expression means being afraid to do something you decided to do. For example, you agree to be president of an organization. But then you learn that all the other officers have resigned. All the work of the organization will be your responsibility. You are likely to get cold feet about being president when you understand the situation.
Cold can also affect your shoulder. You “give someone the cold shoulder” when you refuse to speak to them. You treat them in a distant, cold way. The expression probably e from the physical act of turning your back toward someone, instead of speaking to him face-to- face. You may give a cold shoulder to a friend who has not kept a promise he made to you or to someone who has lied about you to others.
“A cold fish” is not a fish. It is a person. But it is a person who is unfriendly, unemotional and show no love or warmth. A cold fish does not offer much of himself to anyone.
“Out in the cold” is and expression often heard. It means not getting something that everybody else got. A person might say that everybody but him got a pay raise. He was left our in the cold. And it is not a pleasant place to be.
【小题1】 The text is intended to tell us that . A．cold weather has a great effect on human bodies B．“cold” is a word closely linked with human emotionsC．many English expressions contain the word “cold”D．the word “cold” has many different meanings in English【小题2】The underline word “brutal” in paragraph 1 most probably means . A．mercilessB．illegalC．impoliteD．extreme【小题3】Which phrase can best describe a person who is unwilling to offer anything to others?A．Cold-blooded. B．To get cold shoulder.C．A cold fish.D．A cold shoulder.【小题4】If the teacher gives all the boys except Tom a pen as a prize, you can say he . A．is given the cold shoulderB．is punished by a cold fishC．has got cold feetD．is left out in the coldB
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(答案→)B
解析：文章大意：本文选自VOA Special English，介绍了英语中一些含有cold这个单词的习惯用语。
【小题1】B主旨大意题。本题考查考生对文章主旨大意地把握，文章重点解释了很多含有cold的习语，故选B。A、C选项都很片面。
【小题2】A猜测词义题。根据前文Cold-blooded people act in merciless ways可知brutal意为“残忍的，野蛮的”。故A正确。
【小题3】C词义理解题。仔细阅读文章中与所给四个词组相关的地方，特别是文章倒数第二段的A cold fish does not offer much of himself to anyone。 故C正确。
【小题4】D词义理解题。本题同样是考查考生对文中所介绍的含有cold的几个短语的理解，从文章最后一段可知。be left out in the cold：被冷落；被排斥。故D正确。