When I first began to work with international students, I asked someone at a lunch, "What brings you here today?" Looking at me like I was a bit crazy, he answered, " The bus." That was my first realization that no matter how good a speaker is, there are phrases that will always tend to cause confusion to non-native speakers. These idiomatic phrases  add color and interest to any language and are worth learning if you want to talk fluently with native speakers. "By no stretch"----The speaker is referring to something that's very hard to achieve or realize, even with great effort, as in "It was not a good meal, by any stretch of the imagination." Which means that  _ . "Half dead"----An expression of extreme tiredness, having nothing to do with actual health. Commonly used at the end of a long and tiring day. "By the book"----This means that an action should follow the rules exactly. It also describes the nature of someone who won't deviate  from a set of rules no matter what the situation is. "More power to you"----This isn't a wish for you to have better electricity from the power company----it's a statement, usually slightly ironic , that the speaker thinks that you are unlikely to do a task, but you should try if you think you can complete it. It generally means the speaker has no intention of helping you achieve your goal neither will they discourage you from attempting to reach it. For example, "I don't think you can meet that deadline, but more power to you." "As easy as pie"----A reference that something is as simple or easy as eating a delicious dessert, or that it requires little effort to successfully achieve. In chatting, this phrase does not refer to the process of cooking or eating. If a person daren't do things in a creative way, you may describe him by using "  _  ". A) by no stretch B) by the book C) as easy as pie D) the breaker of rules
B


A New Zealand volcano _ for more than a century has erupted,sending up ash clouds,disturbing flights and closing roads. Mount Tongariro, one of three volcanoes in the centre of the North Island, became active just before midnight local time, with reports of loud explosions,pouting rocks and steam. The 1, 978m peak is in a national park popular with hikers. No damages have been reported after the eruption. Witnesses described a dramatic scene as the volcano erupted. "I saw this beautiful. big cloud and I thought: 'Gee that looks like a volcanic plume'. Just as I thought that there was a great big orange flash," truck driver Bryn Rodda told New Zealand National Radio. "It was quite impressive." Mount Tongariro last erupted 115 years ago. And scientists said they did not yet know if this eruption was a single event. Experts said they were caught by surprise--they had recorded some activity like an earthquake in recent weeks but were not expecting an eruption. "This might just be a quiet period and we should expect it to start again at any time. So we are watching things Very closely," volcanologist Michael Rosenberg told TVNZ. Eruption activity has currently reduced, New Zealand media said.Meteorologists said the ash was blowing east towards the Pacific Ocean. A number of inland flights from the North Island to the South Island had been affected by the volcanic activity, Air New Zealand said. Police said highways that had been closed because visibility was affected after the eruption are now open. Some residents in the nearby areas had temporarily left their homes. Officials have not ordered an evacuation , but advised those affected by the ash cloud to stay indoors and close their doors and windows. What effect did the eruption cause? A) Flood. B) Road block. C) Strong wind. D) Air crash.
B


Q: While small may be beautiful, tall is just plain uncomfortable it seems, particularly when it comes to staying in hotels and eating in restaurants. The Tall Persons Club Great Britain (TPCGB), which was formed six months ago to campaign for the needs of the tall, has turned its attention to hotels and restaurants. Beds that are too small, shower heads that are too low, and restaurant tables with hardly any leg-room all make life difficult for those of above average height, it says. But it is not just the extra-tall whose needs are not being met. The average height of the population has been increasing yet the standard size of beds, doorways, and chairs has remained unchanged. "The bedding industry says a bed should be six inches larger than the person using it, so even a king-size bed at 6'6'' (6 feet and 6 inches) is falling short for 25% of men, while the standard 6'3'' bed caters for less than half of the male population." Said TPCGB president Phil Heinricy, "seven-foot beds would work fine." Similarly, restaurant tables can cause no end of problems. Small tables, which mean the long-legged have to sit a foot or so away from them, are enough to make tall customers go elsewhere. Some have already taken note, however. At Queens Moat Houses' Caledoman Hotel in Edinburgh, 6'6''beds are now put in as standard after requests for longer beds from taller visitors, particularly Americans. What change has already been made in a hotel in Edinburgh? A) Tall people pay more for larger beds. B) 6'6''beds have taken the place of 6'3''beds. C) Special rooms are kept for Americans. D) Guest rooms are standardized.
A: B


Q: On May 28th, 1998 I was driving my 13-year-old daughter and 14-year-old son to school. Unfortunately my car crashed with a truck. All three of us were critically injured. Stacey's brain injury was the most severe. Despite all attempts to save her, she died two days later. When I became conscious, I heard my husband talking to the organ donor coordinator . We knew that Stacey would want that because that's the kind of person she was. She always wanted to assist people. She was always smiling and brought so much joy to others. She was friendly and enjoyed writing stories and poetry. It has been a comfort to know that Stacey lives on in the lives of others. I have even met the family of one of Stacey's kidney recipients  . This little girl was 6 years old at the time of the transplant. She was suffering from Nephrotic Syndrome. I saw pictures showing the effects of the Nephrotic Syndrome and the pictures of her after the transplant. _ already showed an amazing difference. We correspond every year through letters, cards and pictures. The girl is doing really well at school and will be graduating from high school next year. I am so grateful that we have this relationship. I also feel relieved that my daughter has made so great a difference to a person's life. Over the years, I have had some kind of contact with all of the recipients except the heart recipient. I'm very sorry for that. I would love to hear something from the heart recipient's family. There are so many things that I wonder about her. I wonder if she is anything like Stacey. Does she smile all the time? Does she enjoy writing stories and poetry? I do hope that they can contact us! I feel guilty because I was the one driving in the accident which caused Stacey's death. I also feel proud that my daughter has helped so many people. What has the writer been looking forward to doing? A) Contacting the kidney recipient's family. B) Visiting kidney recipient's family. C) Getting paid from the heart family. D) Seeing the heart recipient.

A: D