"Smart" Idioms

    Today we take a look at the word “smart”.If someone says you are smart,what do they mean?Is it a good thing or something bad?{#blank#}1{#/blank#}This is because the word smart has many meanings.

●That smarts!

    For example,someone could say you look smart or are dressed smartly.That means they like what you are wearing and your physical appearance.To use a slang（俚语）expression,they could say,“You look really cool!”But if something smarts,it can be unkind or hurtful,either physically or mentally.If you accidentally trip over a chair and fall down,you might shout,“Ow!That smarts!”Or if a friend says something that hurts your feelings,you can say you are smarting from the hurtful comments.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

●Smarting

    If you are standing too close to a campfire,you could say your eyes are smarting from the smoke of the fire. Here the word “smarting” means a sharp pain.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}If someone is smart as whip,they are able to think very quickly.

●Street smart and book smart

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Some people are considered street smart.They may not have a strong education.But they are good at dealing with people and problems in the real world.Other people might be book smart.This means they have spent many years in school.But they may not be so smart when dealing with people or real-world problems.

●Don't get smart with me!

    And then there is the definition of smart that means to talk or behave disrespectfully.If you say something disrespectful to your parents,they might say,“Don't get smart with me!”Here,“smart”means to show a lack of respect by saying something unkind.In fact,a child who has a smart mouth makes rude comments,not smart ones.This definition of smart can also be used as a verb.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A.Do they really mean you are smart?

B.People have different attitude toward being smart.

C.However,different people have different ways of being smart.

D.In fact,maybe that person is no longer you friend.

E.The answer is not as easy as you might think.

F.But the most common meaning of smart is to be intelligent.

G.If you smart off to the wrong people,they could hit you in the face.

    You may have grown up living with sisters and brothers, or this may be your first time sharing your living space with someone else. Having a roommate surely has its challenges.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Follow these tips to make sure you and your roommate keep things pleasant and supportive throughout the year.

    Be clear from the beginning.

    Maybe you hate it when someone interrupts you when you are sleeping every morning.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}, Let your roommate know about your preferences. It's not fair to expect him or her to pick up on them right away, and communicating what you need is one of the best ways to get rid of problems before they become problems.

    Respect your roommate's things.

    This may seem simple，but it's probably one of the biggest reasons why roommates experience conflicts. Don't you think he'll mind if you borrow his shoes for a quick soccer game for all you know, you just stepped over an uncrossable line.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Be open to change.

    You should expect to learn and grow and change during your time at school. And the same should happen to your roommate, if all goes well.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Be comfortable addressing things that unexpectedly come up, setting new rules, and being flexible to your changing environment.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Treat your roommate like you'd like to be treated. No matter what your relationship is at the end of the year, you can take comfort knowing you acted like an adult and treated your roommate with respect.

A. Don't borrow, use, or lake anything without getting permission first.

B. As the term progresses, realize things will change for both of you.

C. Getting along well with a roommate is really a difficult job.

D. Maybe you need moments to be silent after you wake up.

E. You should correct your bad habits first.

F. Follow the Golden Rule.

G. However, it can also be a great part of your college experience.

    Are you afraid of failure? However, only by overcoming fear of failure can we achieve success in life. Here are some tips on how to remove fear and focus on success:

    Understand that at times you make mistakes. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Before any of us learned how to walk, we crawled(爬行). We got up, fell down and got up again. We continued the process until we could walk quite well.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Instead, view it as a stepping stone. Make certain that you learn from failure and then use what you have learned in future situations. Refuse to consider failure a character weakness. Doing so will only prevent you from achieving future success.

    Remember that failure has produced many successes. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Albert Einstein's teacher told him to quit school and said, “Einstein, you will never achieve anything!” Beethoven's music teacher said he was hopeless to become a composer(作曲家). Henry Ford's first two car companies failed.

    Appreciate the benefits of failure. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “All life is an experiment. The more experiments you try, the better you make.” It's hardly possible for someone to achieve success for the first time he tries. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Believe in yourself. Rather than give up when things don't work out, take it as a chance to build perseverance(坚持不懈). Remind yourself how many failures became successful because they wouldn't give up. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Don't take failure personally.

B. Work hard and try to avoid(避免) failure.

C. Realize that you are human and humans make mistakes.

D. Believe that you've got what it takes to work through the difficult times.

E. Making the same mistake again can lead to the failure in your future work.

F. Consider how many people in history had failed before they became successful.

G. In other words, your chances of getting things right on the first try are little.

    Coca-Cola is probably the most famous brand in the world. Although the company is trying to present itself as a health-conscious company, you can't really say that drinking cola is healthy for you. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} And we tell ourselves that it's all okay as long as we don't overdo it. However, Coca-Cola has other functions besides drinking.

    Cola removes the tarnish(暗锈) from old pennies. Got some old rusty pennies? Not to worry! {#blank#}2{#/blank#} When you get them out, you'll have shiny pennies that will look as if they were coined a couple of days ago. If you couldn't clean those pennies with industrial acids, just buy a can of cola and let it do its magic!

    You can remove gum from your hair with cola. If you've got gum stuck in your hair and don't know a better way to get it out, don't worry, you won't have to cut it. Just pour some cola into a bowl and dip the part of your hair with gum on it inside. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}You probably know about this one. You can make an exploding fountain by putting a mint inside a two-liter bottle. Then move away from the bottle and get ready for a Coca-Cola explosion. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Don't eat a mint and drink cola at the same time, because a similar thing could happen to your stomach.

A.You can make an exploding fountain.

B.This is a fun thing to do, but it is also a warning.

C.Still, we all drink cola, some more and some less.

D.Coca-Cola is also very cheap and safe for people to drink.

E.Put them inside a glass of cola and let them rest for a while.

F.Leave it for a couple of minutes and then simply wipe off the gum.

G.In some areas you can even access it easier than clean drinkable water.

    Are you happy with your appearance？{#blank#}1{#/blank#} "Almost all the girls with single﹣fold eyelids in our class have had double﹣eyelid operations," Zeng, a Senior 2 student from Chengdu, told Xinhua. Zeng had the same surgery done this summer. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    From popular photo﹣editing apps to plastic surgery, it seems that large eyes, pale skin and a skinny body are the only standard for beauty these days. But can following this standard really make us feel good about ourselves？

   {#blank#}3{#/blank#} According to Huxiu News, over six in ten girls choose not to take part in certain daily activities, such as attending school, because they feel bad about their looks. As much as 31 percent of teenagers avoid speaking up in class because they worry that others will notice their looks.

    Many teenagers are upset about their appearance because they believe in unrealistic standards of beauty, experts say.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Seeing all these things can make anyone believe that they're too dark, too fat, too short, or too tall.

However, trying to live up to strict standards can make us feel anxious. What troubles us is not just our "imperfect" looks, but the fact that we criticize ourselves too much.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Plus﹣size models are being featured in some fashion shows. All of us should be just as confident as they are.

A．Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes．

B．Body image anxiety is common among teenagers．

C．Guys care just as much as girls do about their body image．

D．Some teenagers might feel negatively about their appearance．

E．She and many of her classmates believe bigger eyes look more beautiful．

F．It's not uncommon for teenagers to feel confident about their appearance．

G．Perfect faces and bodies are everywhere in advertising TV shows and social media．

Dear Boris,

{#blank#}1{#/blank#}After I had spent a week with my English family, I slowly began to understand their English a little better. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Students in my group are from different cities of Britain and their dialects are different too! Some of their accents are quite strong and they also have their own words and expressions. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Before I came to England I had thought that fish and chips were eaten every day. That's quite wrong! I get rather annoyed now when I hear all the foolish words about typical English food. I had expected to see "London fog". Do you remember our texts about it? We had no idea that most of this "thick fog" disappeared many years ago when people stopped using coal in their homes. But the idea to speak about weather was very helpful. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}On the other hand, habits are different. People tell me what is typical British here in London is not always typical in Wales or Scotland. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}But what is ordinary for all British is that they follow traditions(传统). Probably Britain has more living signs of its past than many other countries. And people have always been proud of having ancient (古老的) buildings in capitals, big cities and the countryside. I will tell you more about Britain in my other letters. Love from Britain.

A. The weather in London is really changeable.

B. I have difficulty in understanding my classmates.

C. Thanks for your nice letter.

D. The family I live with are friendly.

E. It's very different from what I learned at school.

F. Local habits and traditions are not the same as what we knew.

G. But it's not the language that's different and surprising.