如何克服英语学习的“高原现象”？100道习语测试题给你答案
文 | 季益广
图 | Pixabay
从心理学的角度讲，学习的效果并不是总是随时间的增加而持续上升。当水平接近某一限度时，就会出现进步的暂时中止，表现为学习水平徘徊不前，我们称这种现象为“高原现象”。
学习英语的人往往会体验到这样一种“高原现象”，即在达到中级以上的较高水平之后，始终无突破性进展。特别是说出来、写出来的英文语句总有牵强凑合之感，全然没有地道的外国味。
遇到这种情形，你就该主攻习语 （idioms）了。英语学习者由于受到母语的影响，遇到英语习语时，对于其蕴含的意义往往不能从词组中的个别意思推测而得。常常感到手足无措、六神无主，甚至坠入语言陷阱而浑然不知，一头雾水。
学英语就要学地道的英语，这一点是毫无异议的，而掌握习语应该说是学会地道英语的一个重要环节。
从定义上看， idioms一词含义很广，是指那些具有固定结构和特定含义的短语（有时还包括句子）的统称。成语、俗语、谚语、典故、比喻、句型、习惯用法、固定搭配、和短语动词等等，均可算作习语。
由于习语一词含义广，概念宽，所有那些常用在一起，具有特定形式的词组都被纳入其范畴内，即凡词的组合在意、趣、神、色各方面有异于参与组合的词的本身时，均可算入其中。
另外，由于修辞界越来越重视盎格鲁-撒克逊源的短音节‘母语’词，而非拉丁源的‘外来’词，多用诸如以to wipe out取代to eliminate之类的动词短语动词逐成为时尚。由此短语动词(phrasal verbs)成为英语习语中的一个主要构成部分。
从结构上看，习语的构成一般具有不可变的固定性，例如，下面两个短语 at this time of day还是at this time of the day，哪个习用性更强？大量语料证明，多见的是前者，而这种人称语言琐屑 (small change) 的东西，往往给母语为非英语的学生造成极大的困难。
有一则有趣的故事，说是楼上住户准备往下倒水，事先警告楼下人当心，于是大叫 “Look out!”,楼下人“就字论字”，闻声探头出来，旋被浇了个“醍醐灌顶”，从此知道Look out是要人当心的意思，而非‘看+朝外’的单词意义简单相加。
由于习语的固定结构，其用词和词序不能随意‘活用’。还有，习语总名词的单复数，冠词，以及介词的使用等都要十分小心，多数情况下，略加改动意思就会大不一样，要特别注意区分那些形式类似而意思迥异的习语。从语义上看，习语具有更强的“绝对语义”和“文化语义”，to die可以指“死”，也可以指“凋谢”，“灭亡”等，而习语to kick the bucket只能指“死亡”，且与英人古时杀猪时猪的垂死挣扎的文化形象不可分割地连在一起。还有 an Achilles’ heel（阿喀琉斯的脚后跟）、 go/walk down the aisle （结婚）、 meet your Waterloo（遭遇失败）、 face the music（为自己的言行承担后果），这些习语生动地折射出英国的历史、文化渊源。
从语用上看，很多时候，表达的功能性效果，即“意、趣、神、色”等诸方面，是非习语不能充分传达的：试设想我们读到it is raining hard 和it is raining cats and dogs两句式，无论是从形象化或语势角度衡量，作为习语的后一句都自有其无比的优越性。
从文体上看，习语或雅、或俗、或晦涩、或直白，但都带有一些共同的文体特征：结构凝练，含义隽永；朗朗上口，过目不忘；微言大义，回味悠长；源于文化之积淀，视为语言之精华。有些英语习语已经成为世界通用语，如 armed to the teeth （武装到牙齿）、 carrot and stick （胡萝卜加大棒）、 vote with one’s feet （用脚投票）、 shed crocodile tears（流鳄鱼眼泪）；还有一些习语中英对等，珠联璧合，如castles in the air（空中楼阁）、 strike while the iron is hot（趁热打铁）、 when in Rome, do as the Romans do（入乡随俗）、add fuel to the fir/flames（火上加油），这些习语似乎已使我们感觉不到语言的隔阂和文化的差异。
毋庸置疑，学习习语的重要性再强调也不为过。英语中有大量的短语，其中大多数都可以看成是习语，习语的使用频率非常高，不但口语中大量使用，书面语，尤其是报刊文章等，也大量使用。英美记者们似乎特别钟情于活泼生动的习语，而不喜欢使用‘大词’。
可以说，学会各种习语是学好英语的关键。有人过于看重所谓的‘词汇量’而忽略习语的学习，注重单词数量的积累而轻视习语的掌握，这是不明智的。 实际上，语言并非由单词简单堆集而成。例如come是一个人所共知的词，但与其他词共用，就不是谁都熟识的了。英语成语有 come what may, come and go, come off it, come it等；短语动词有 come on, come round come等，这里的come就不一定是“来”的意思了。
同时，习语不仅对理解和运用英语有帮助，而且对了解英美等国的风土人情，历史文化也大有好处。许多学习英语的人，都花很大的功夫去查词典、背生词，学了一大堆单词却不能够活学活用。试看大师级人物的作品，大都很少用艰涩生僻的词，但词与此之间铺排，句与句之间的衔接，无一不精心锤炼，而其中习语的运用，更可展示其深厚的底蕴。作为不以英语为母语的人，虽不能与文学大师比肩，但倘若能够灵活运用相当数量的习语，想必也可显得出口珠玑或文采斐然了。
下面有100道英语习语选择题，可以用来测试一下你对英语习语掌握的程度，也可作为考量你英语水平的一把尺子。
Quiz 100
1.If somebody is criticizing you for a fault that they have themselves, you can say, “Talk about the pot calling the kettle ___ . ”
A. silver B. grey C. black
2. If you make a lot of money very quickly, you make money hand over ___ .
A. hand B. foot C. fist
3. If you have the freedom to do what you want and go where you want, the world is your ___ .
A. oyster B. ocean C. business
4. For their daughter’s wedding, they really pushed the ___ out and hired a whole orchestra.
A. ship B. boat C. tide
5. If you have a very angry expression on your face, you have a face like ___ .
A. storm B. fire C. thunder
6. If you have a lot of things to do and a lot of responsibilities, you have a lot on your ___ .
A. dish B. plate C. table
7. She’s so thin that she’s really nothing more than skin and ___ .
A. flesh B. skeleton C. bones
8. Your Mum’s going to have ___ when she sees what you’ve done to your hair!
A. bananas B. monkeys C. kittens
9. This machine is so easy to use, all you have to do is to push this button, and ___ ‘s your uncle!
A. Bill B. Bob C. Sam
10. If you deal with a difficult and dangerous situation in a direct and brave way, you take the bull by the ___ .
A. leg B. tail C. horns
11.What type of person has a lot of experience of life and is not easily shocked?
A man of the _____.
A. history B. times C. world
12.What type of person seems friendly and nice but is actually quite dangerous and threatening?
A wolf in sheep’s _____.
A. skin B. clothing C. costume
13.What type of person is too interested in other people’s private affairs?
A _____ parker.
A. mouth B. finger C. nosy
14.What type of person is not enthusiastic about things and stop other people from enjoying themselves?
A wet _____ .
A. coat B. carpet C. blanket
15.What type of person does not follow the rules or customs that others in a group or society follow?
A _____ unto himself.
A. law B. rule C. custom
16.What type of person stops being your friend when you are in trouble?
A _____-weather friend.
A. foul B. fair C. changeable
17.What type of person has a good nature, although he may not always seem polite, educated, etc.?
A _____ diamond.
A. sharp B. blunt C. rough
18.What type of person is lively and enthusiastic?
A live _____.
A. kite B. wire C. cart
19.What type of person is very shy and easily frightened?
A shrinking _____.
A. violet B. rose C. tulip
20.What type of person tries to show that they are cleverer than other people?
A smart _____.
A. Mike B. John C. Alec
21.If you stop doing something because you know that you cannot succeed, you throw in the ___ .
A. towel B. ghost C. hand
22. If you make a small problem seem much more serious than it really is, you make a mountain out of ___ .
A. an anthill B. a molehill C. a hill
23. If you understand what somebody means, even if they do not say it directly, you get the ___ .
A. picture B. painting C. scene
24. If you make a mess of something, you make a pig’s ___ of it.
A. nose B. ear C. face
25. If you wouldn’t like to do something at all, you wouldn’t do it for all the ___ in China.
A. rice B. tea C. people
26. After Jake’s announcement, it was so quiet in the room that you could have heard ___ drop.
A. a feather B. a pin C. aitches
27. If you look very angrily at somebody without speaking, you look at ___ him.
A. murder B. knives C. daggers
28. If something is very easy to see or understand, it’s as plain as ___ .
A. Jane B. day C. pie
29. If you give an important visitor a very special welcome, you put out the red ___.
A. tape B. herring C. carpet
30. Somebody you are very pleased or relieved to see is a sight for ___ eyes.
A. sore B. bad C. blind
31. He is as ___ as mustard on
politics.
A. hot B. yellow C. keen
32. They are as ___ as two peas in a pod.
A. round B. like C. green
33. It’s as ___ as falling off a log.
A. painful B. crazy C. easy
34. This old man is as ___ as a
mule.
A. stubborn B. miffed C. mule
35. The boy is as ___ as a fiddle.
A. fit B. jolly C. French
36. He is always as ___ as a cucumber.
A. crisp B. cool C. green
37. I am as ___ as a bee these days.
A. annoying B. noisy C. busy
38. His face is as ___ as a pancake
A. flat B. sweet C. pale
39. After an hour of aerobics, my face is as ___ as a beet.
A. black B. white C. red
40. Without his glasses, he’s as ___ as a bat.
A. quick B. mad C. blind
41.A person who moves around a lot and so does not have many possessions or responsibilities is a rolling ___ .
A. stone B. wave C. cloud
42. If you are very hungry, you will say “I will eat a ___.”
A. cow B. horse C. pig
43. If you change the rules for something so that it becomes more difficult for somebody, you move the ___.
A. mountain B. target C. goalposts
44. If you think miracles may happen but they are extremely unlikely, you say , “ ___ might fly?”
A. dogs B. pigs C. bears
45. Do you want to talk about it? It might make you feel better if you get things off your ___.
A. back B. chest C. shoulders
46. If a piece of clothing fits you perfectly, it fits like a ___.
A. skin B. dream C. glove
47. Trying to keep two jobs and look after the family too is no ___, believe me.
A. picnic B. barbecue C. feast
48. If an emotion can clearly be seen in somebody’s expressions, it is written all over his ___.
A. face B. look C. eyes
49. I’ve lived here all my life, so I know the city like the back of my ___.
A. head B. hand C. eyes
50. If news, information, etc, spreads in spoken, not written, words, it spreads by word of ___.
A. tongue B. mouth C. speech
51.work extremely hard: slog your
___ out
A. guts B. wits C. bones
52. be dismissed from your job: get the ___
A. money B. sack C. fish
53. be paid enough money to live on: make ___ meet
A. beginnings B. initials C. ends
54. change facts or figures in a dishonest or an illegal way: cook the ___
A. books B. magazines C. journals
55. go badly wrong: go ___ -shaped
A. peach B. apple C. pear
56. work very successfully: go like a ___
A. dream B. fantasy C. nightmare
57. spend money in a careless way: ___money around
A. spend B. throw C. waste
58. get yourself more responsible jobs within a company: work your ____ up
A. head B. hand C. way
59. a competitive struggle for success in jobs and business: a ___ race
A. rat B. rabbit C. lion
60. a wealthy and powerful person: a fat ___
A. dog B. cat C. fox
61.Pleasant, romantic words that lovers say to each other are called “sweet ___ .”
A. nothings B. whisperings C. wordings
62. If a person is intelligent and has
good ideas, he is a smart ___ .
A. biscuit B. cookie C. cake
63. If you are completely wrong,
you are way out in left ___.
A. field B. pitch C. court
64. If somebody is very good at doing something, he is a dab ___ at it.
A. touch B. finger C. hand
65. If somebody has good intentions even though they sometimes do the wrong thing, their ___is in the right place.
A. mind B. soul C. heart
66. If you try very hard to think of something or remember something, you rack your ___.
A. head B. mind C. brains
67. My grandfather’s nearly seventy, but he’s still ___fit.
A. fighting B. boxing C. kicking
68. If you cannot quite remember a name, word, etc., but feel that you will soon, it is on the ___of your tongue.
A. end B. tip C. edge
69. If you are not as well or cheerful
as usual, you are under the ___.
A. rain B. clouds C. weather
70. If you think something is extremely good, interesting, useful, etc., you think it is the best thing since ___bread.
A. toasted B. crusty C. sliced
71.You’re so proud of your child.
A. He’s the apple of my eye.
B. He’s for my eyes only.
C. He looks a sight.
72. You can see a little hope for the future in difficult times.
A. I can see stars.
B. Feast your eyes on that.
C. There’s light at the end of
the tunnel.
73. She’s good at noticing things around her.
A. She can see things in her mind’s
eye.
B. She has eyes in the back of her
head.
C. She can see her way clear to doing that.
74. There’s too much information for you too see clearly.
A. I can’t see the wood for the trees.
B. I just watch the world go by.
C. I need to keep my eyes open.
75. You don’t want anyone else to see something.
A. This is for your eyes only.
B. Keep your eyes peeled.
C. Feast your eyes on this.
76. He looks terrible.
A. I take a dim view of him.
B. He looks a sight.
C. I know him by sight.
77. Somebody seems to be daydreaming.
A. Has he got second sight?
B. He’s all eyes.
C. He’s just staring into space.
78. If you have a sniff round, you ____.
A. examine a place carefully
B. have a cold
C. show your disapproval of something
79. If you are down in the mouth, you are ___.
A. unhappy and depressed
B. unsure of what to say
C. not able to find the right words
80. If something gets up your nose, it ___.
A. makes you feel uncomfortable
B. makes you laugh
C. irritates you
81.He couldn’t say “boo” to a goose. He is _____.
A. timid B. unable to make speeches C. polite
82. She has a bee in her bonnet. She _____.
A. wears strange hats
B. thinks only of one thing
C. is slightly mad
83. He got the bird last night. He was _____.
A. at the zoo
B. on stage in a theatre
C. with his girl-friend in a cinema
84. A hen-party is a party ___ .
A. for women only
B. for men only
C. where there are more women than men
85. We had a whale of a time. We _____.
A. spent too much money
B. enjoyed ourselves
C. were early
86. He has bats in the belfry. He is _____.
A. a cricketer
B. a butter-maker
C. slightly mad
87. The company is a bit of a cash _____.
A. tree B. cow C. bag
88. He was able to buy enough food for himself and his family. He _____.
A. bought a pig in a poke
B. kept the wolf from the door
C. made an ass of himself
89. If you have other, more important things to do, you _____.
A. play cat and mouse with sb
B. stir up a hornets’ nest
C. have other fish to fry
90. One ___ does not make a summer.
A. sparrow B. swallow
C. squirrel
91.The smell of onions frying
really made my _____ water.
A. mouth B. nose C. eyes
92. He seems to be in the mood of reaching any stick to beat a _____.
A. dog B. cat C. pig
93. I don’t care if he leaves or stays - it’s no skin off my _____.
A. neck B. chest C. nose
94. He says he broke his arm falling out of bed, but I think there’s more to than meets the _____.
A. eye B. shoulder C. leg
95. I’m sure we can think of a present for Mark if we put our ___ together.
A. heels B. heads C. arms
96. I was very surprised to see him here. We don’t get many visitors in this _____ of the woods.
A. leg B. foot C. neck
97. His parents want him to become independent and learn to stand on his own two _____.
A. feet B. heels C. toes
98. Why are you giving me the cold ___? Have I done something to upset you?
A. cheek B. shoulder C. breast
99. I’d give my right ___ for the opportunities to study abroad for a year.
A. hand B. fist C. arm
100. Can’t you finish all your food, Billy? Your ___ were bigger than your ___.
A. eyes… stomach
B. hands… throat
C. teeth…tongue
Key:
1 C 2 C 3 A 4 B 5 C 6 B 7 C 8 C 9 B 10 C 11 C 12 B 13 C 14 C 15 A 16 C 17 C 18 B 19 A 20 C 21 A 22 B 23 A 24 B 25 B 26 B 27 C 28 B 29 C 30 A 31 C 32 B 33 C 34 A 35 A 36 B 37 C 38 A 39 C 40 C 41 A 42 B 43 C 44 B 45 B 46 C 47 A 48 A 49 B 50 B 51 A 52 B 53 C 54 A 55 C 56 A 57 B 58 C 59 A 60 B 61 A 62 B 63 A 64 C 65 C 66 C 67 A 68 B 69 C 70 C 71 A 72 C 73 B 74 A 75 A 76 B 77 C 78 A 79 A 80 C 81 A 82 B 83 C 84 A 85 B 86 C 87 B 88 B 89 C 90 B 91 A 92 A 93 C 94 A 95 B 96 C 97 A 98 B 99 C 100 A
参考文献
Oxford Idioms Dictionary [M]. Oxford
University Press, 2005.
本文作者 | 季益广
封面配图 | Pixabay