Bad Luck 別觸我霉頭！
Different cultures have different concepts of what is and isn't considered bad luck. Yet there are superstitions that are similar no matter where you roam. Whether you believe them or not is entirely _(1)_ you.
Seven years of misfortune would be a nightmare for practically anyone, but according to legend, this is _(2)_ what you get when you break a mirror. To stave off ill fate, immediately take the pieces outside and bury them while the moon is shining. That evening, it may be raining cats and dogs, but no matter _(3)_, don't open your umbrella before stepping outdoors. In the West, opening an umbrella indoors would lead to the death of a member of your family. Once you go back in, you're not _(4)_ just yet. Chinese believe that closing an umbrella indoors is a source of problems _(5)_ it draws bad luck close to you.
Animals, whether they are black cats or hooting owls, have also _(6)_ a place in the world of superstitions. Hearing a rooster crowing _(7)_ the middle of the night is a sign of impending doom for many Westerners. In Asia, a continually howling dog is a precursor to death.
People aren't usually superstitious, for the most part. Even though this is the case, most people won't run around opening and closing umbrellas while they throw mirrors on the ground, either.
－by Jerri Graham
1. (A) apt to (B) up to (C) equal to (D) akin to
2. (A) barely (B) abruptly (C) narrowly (D) exactly
3. (A) how (B) what (C) if (D) that
4. (A) off the record (B) on the spot (C) in the clear (D) under the weather
5. (A) in that (B) in which (C) now that (D) for which
6. (A) governed (B) depicted (C) garnered (D) disrupted
7. (A) in (B) at (C) on (D) by
單字:
1. concept n. 概念
2. superstition n. 迷信
3 .roam vi. 漫步；徘徊
4. misfortune n. 不幸
5. hooting a.（貓頭鷹）嗚嗚叫的（現在分詞作形容詞用）
6. crow vi.（公雞）啼叫
7. doom n. 毀滅；死亡
8. continually adv. 不停地
9. howling a.（犬、狼等）長嚎的（現在分詞作形容詞用）
10. superstitious a. 迷信的
片語:
1.rain cats and dogs 下傾盆大雨
2.lead to + N/V-ing 導致……
= result in...
= bring about...
1.practically [ `prAktIkJlI ] adv. 幾乎
注意:practically和virtually表『幾乎』時，常用來修飾涵蓋性完全的詞類：every、no、all、any。
例: Practically everyone knows the story of George Washington and the cherry tree.
（幾乎每個人都知道喬治華盛頓和櫻桃樹的故事。 ）
2.stave off... 防止……，避開……
例:To stave off robbers, the monks covered the giant gold Buddha in mud.
（為避免遭竊，僧侶將泥巴覆蓋在金身大佛上。 ）
3.impending a. 迫近的，即將發生的
例: People are stocking up on supplies to prepare for the impending typhoon.
（民眾在囤積糧食為迫近的颱風作準備。 ）
4.precursor n. 前兆
be a percursor to sth 是……的前兆
例: Animals behaving oddly is said to be a precursor to earthquakes.
（據說動物舉動古怪為地震的前兆。 ）
解題:
1.第一題空格應選 (B) up to
理由:
a. (A) be apt to V 易於（做）……的
例:The low-lying part of the city is apt to flood during typhoons.
（颱風時，市區的低漥地段容易淹水。 ）
(B) be up to sb 由某人決定
例: It is up to the students whether or not to go on the picnic this weekend.
（週末要不要去野餐由學生自己作主。 ）
(C) be equal to + N/V-ing 等於……
(D) be akin to + N/V-ing 近似於……
例:Spitting on the ground in front of me is akin to slapping me in the face.
（在我面前吐口水就像賞我一巴掌一樣。 ）
b. 根據語意，(B)為正選。
2.第二題空格應選 (D) exactly
理由:
a. (A) barely [ `bErlI ] adv. 勉強；幾乎沒有
例:The farmers barely had enough food to make it through winter.
（農人的食物只夠勉強熬過冬天。 ）
(B) abruptly [ J`brVptlI ] adv. 突然地
(C) narrowly [ `nArolI ] adv. 勉強地
(D) exactly [ Ig`zAktlI ] adv. 正精確地，正是
注意:exactly通常置於含疑問詞（what, where, when, how, who）的名詞片語或子句之前，以強調該疑問詞。
例: Mr. Hall often fails students, which is exactly why I never skip his class.
（霍爾老師常常把學生當掉，這正是我從來不翹他課的原因。 ）
b. 根據上述用法，可知(D)應為正選；barely、abruptly、narrowly 無法用來修飾含疑問詞的名詞子句，故 (A)、(B)、(C) 均不可選。
3.第三題空格應選 (B) what
理由:
a. 原句 no matter what 實由 no matter what happens（不管發生什麼）省略而來，由此可知(B) 為正選。
b. no matter how（不論如何）之後須接形容詞、副詞或用來修飾動詞，故 (A) 不可選。
例:I love you no matter how poor you are.
（不管你多窮我都愛你。 ）
c. no matter 之後只能接疑問詞，故 (C)、(D) 均不可選。
4.第四題空格應選 (C) in the clear
理由:
a. (A) off the record 不公開的
例:The woman would only speak to the reporter if her comments would remain off the record.
（只有在她的言論不公開的情況下，那名女子才肯對記者發言。 ）
(B) on the spot 當場；立刻
例:The convenience store burglar was arrested on the spot.
（便利商店的搶匪當場被捕。 ）
(C) in the clear 脫離危險的
例:We're not in the clear just yet. Typhoon season isn't over.
（危機尚未解除。颱風季還沒過呢。 ）
(D) under the weather 身體不適的
例:Eric has been under the weather for nearly two weeks.
（艾瑞克身體不適將近 2 週了。 ）
b. 根據語意，故選(C)。
5.第五題空格應選 (A) in that
理由:
a. (A) in that + S + V 因為……
例:Oranges are nutritious in that they are rich in vitamin C.
（柳橙很有營養，因為它富含維他命C。 ）
(B) in which 相當於關係副詞 where，之前須有表『地方』的先行詞（名詞）。
例:The woman bought a washing machine in which she found a wad of cash.
（那名婦女買了一台洗衣機，她在裡面發現了一疊現金。 ）
(C) now that（現在；既然）為副詞連接詞，其所引導的副詞子句因受 now 的影響，時態須為現在式或現在完成式。
例:Now that you are 18, you should learn to take care of yourself.
（既然你 18 歲了，就要學習照顧好自己。 ）
(D) for which 相當於關係副詞 why，修飾先行詞 the reason（理由）。
例:The scandal is the reason for which the minister resigned from his job.
（那件醜聞是部長辭職的原因。 ）
b. 根據語意、用法，(A)為正選。
6.第六題空格應選 (C) garnered
理由:
a. (A) govern [ `gVvKn ] vt. 統治，管理
(B) depict [ dI`pIkt ] vt. 描述
(C) garner [ `garnK ] vt. 獲得
例:Our museum has garnered praise from critics around the world.
（我們博物館獲得全世界評論家的讚賞。 ）
(D) disrupt [ dIs`rVpt ] vt. 使混亂，擾亂
b. 根據語意，故選 (C)。
7.第七題空格應選 (A) in
理由:
a. in the middle of... 在……中間中央
例:Mandy woke up in the middle of the night and was unable to fall asleep again.
（曼蒂在半夜醒來，就再也睡不著了。 ）
b. "in the middle of..."為固定用法，故(A)為正選。
不同文化對於什麼代表厄運的看法互異。然而有些迷信不管你去哪裡都大同小異。至於信不信，就全由你決定。
倒楣7年幾乎對每個人來說都是惡夢一場，但是根據傳說，這就是打破鏡子的後果。要避免厄運，就要立即把碎片拿到室外，並在月光下埋起來。當晚或許風雨交加，但無論如何，踏出門前決不可開傘。在西方，室內打傘會導致家人死亡。走進家門後還不算全身而退。中國人相信在室內收傘是麻煩的根源，因為會把厄運收進家裡。
不管是黑貓還是嗚嗚叫的貓頭鷹，動物在迷信的領域都佔有一席之地。對許多西方人而言，聽到公雞夜啼是大難臨頭的徵兆。在亞洲，長嚎不止的狗則是死亡的前兆。
大多數人通常並不迷信。儘管如此，絕大部分的人也不會一邊摔鏡子，一邊雨傘開關個不停。
標準答案: 1. (B) 2. (D) 3. (B) 4. (C) 5. (A) 6. (C) 7. (A)
from 常春藤解析英語雜誌
留言列表
