题文
Do you know the following expressions?Faustian bargain
According to most stories, Faust was a German scholar who was rather unhappy with his life．The devil（魔鬼）, Mephistopheles, promises him that in return for his soul．he will give Faust unlimited power and knowledge．Faust agrees and experiences all kinds of pleasures, but, in the end, his soul goes to the hell．A “Faustian bargain” therefore is a deal that finally results in one's ruin．It means a bargain made for temporary gain without taking future consequences into consideration．
A three-ring circus
When you refer to a situation as being a three-ring circus, you are saying that it is a situation of complete confusion．There are so many activities taking place all together that they leave you confused or annoyed．The expression comes from the world of entertainment—the circus．The area where the artists perform their acts is called the “ring”．In the past, some of the circuses were so large that they had three acts taking place meanwhile in three different “rings”．The audience had to decide which “ring” they wanted to focus on．
In the swim（of things）
When someone is in the swim of things, he is actively participating in the things happening around him, as in “I've been ill, but soon I'll be back in the swim of things.” In the world of fishing, fishermen use the word “swim” to refer to the section of the lake/river where fish can be found in plenty．So, if you are a fish man and wish to catch a lot of fish, where would you be? You would be “in the swim”!
小题1:If a person makes a Faustian bargain, _____．A．he might come to a bad endB．he would be considered cleverC．his life would become satisfyingD．he would gain power and knowledge小题2:In the past, why did a circus perform different acts at the same time ?A．It was the audience’s requirement.B．The time was limited.C．The circus was very big.D．They wanted to earn more money.小题3:What do we learn about the expression “in the swim（of things）”?A．It means having a lot of things to do．B．It has nothing to do with swimming．C．Originally it was used to refer to "going fishing"．D．Patients use it to express their desire for health.小题4:What is the text mainly about?A．The development of English phrasesB．Some old and interesting storiesC．Some phrases' meanings and originsD．Some misunderstandings about words 题型：未知 难度：其他题型
答案
小题1:A
小题2:C
小题3:B
小题4:C
解析
文章介绍Faustian bargain，A three-ring circus和 In the swim（of things）这几个短语的含义和来历。
小题1:细节题：从第二段的句子：A “Faustian bargain” therefore is a deal that finally results in one's ruin．可知“Faustian bargain” 是指这个人是没有善终的，选A
小题2:细节题：从第三段的句子：In the past, some of the circuses were so large that they had three acts taking place meanwhile in three different “rings”．可知因为马戏场太大，所以同时表演不同的节目，选C
小题3:推理题：从最后一段的句子：When someone is in the swim of things, he is actively participating in the things happening around him, 可知in the swim指的是“积极参与周围的事情“，选B
小题4:主旨题：从第一段的句子：Do you know the following expressions?和全文，可知文章介绍一些短语的含义和来历，选C
考点
据考高分专家说，试题“Do you know the foll.....”主要考查你对 [政治经济类阅读 ]考点的理解。政治经济类阅读
政治经济类文章的概念：
要做好这类阅读，平时就要注意了解国内外发生的政治经济大事，掌握一定背景知识，对这类文章的叙述特点及内容安排有一定了解，还要扩展这方面的词汇。阅读这类文章，要抓住文章的核心，即文章整体和各段主要在说什么，也要注意段落之间的逻辑关系。
如何备考政治经济类阅读理解题：
【题型说明】政治经济类阅读文章是高考常选材料之一。该类文章时代气息浓郁，语言鲜活，但熟字新义词、超纲词及专业词语多，长句、难句多。政治类文章大多数是同学们感性趣的内容，读起来倒有似曾相识的感觉，经济类文章读起来就像是雾里看花，文章看完，一头雾水。再加之这类文章的命题侧重于词义猜测、推理判断和文章主旨，同学们对这类题材是望而生畏。
【备考策略】建立心理优势。针对不同体裁的文章，我们要采取相应的阅读方法和技巧。政治类文章多采用记叙文形式，我们可采取“顺读法”，以便抓关键语句，领会文章主旨；而经济类文章则多采用说明文形式，我们则可以采取“逆读法”，先读试题，再从文章中查找有用信息。若遇到的确难读的材料。千万不用着急，因为你觉得难，其他人也一定是同感。在高考前，我们就要有这种心理准备，高考试卷肯定有一、两篇难以阅读的材料。不过，我们平时可以有意识地从报刊杂志上找一些较难的阅读材料来阅读，以培养自己迎难而上的心理素质。
【答题方法】
1、寻找主干：
根据英语中五种基本句型结构，把句子中的主语、谓语、宾语、表语等主要成分找出来，其他成分如定语、状语、补语等则易于理解。找到了句子主干，句子的意思至少明白了一半。
2、剔除从句：
在一个长句中可能会出现若干个从句，在理解时，如果把各个从句剔除出来单独理解，然后把大意拼凑起来，整个长句的意思就会明白六、七分。
3、辨别分句：
一个长句如果是由几个并列、转折、递进、对比关系的分句组成，句中往往有表示这些分句关系的连接词，只要能弄清楚分句和分句之间的逻辑关系，再把各层分句的意思加以连贯，整个长句的句意基本上能跃然脑中。
4、寻找关键词：
如果一个句子看完，一点句意的感觉也没有，下下策就是抓住句中的关键词，通过关键词大体弄懂这个长句的意思。
