expressions we use today were originally nautical (航海的) terms, although most people no longer realize this. For example, people commonly describe an honest and fair business deal as being "above board". This expression was originally used in sailing ship times when secretive, dishonest ship's business would be carried out below decks (below the boards) out of public view. On the other hand, honest business was always conducted on deck (above the boards), in the open where everyone could see what was going on.

　　"Pipe down!", meaning "Be quiet!", is another common expression that has nautical origins. The ship's boatswain (水手长) would blow a whistle, or pipe, at the end of the day to indicate (表明) to the sailors it was time to quieten down and go to sleep.

　　Most native English speakers have heard the expression "not enough room to swing a cat", but few know that the "cat" does not refer to a small furry animal with four legs and a tail. The "cat" is actually a short form of "cat of nine tails" - a whip with nine, knotted (打结的) tails. A boatswain needed a lot of space in order to swing the whip properly when lashing (鞭打) a poor sailor under his control!

25. The British have been strongly influenced by the sea because ________.

A. they occupied more land around the world

B. they got more wealth from the sea

C. they live on an island surrounded by the sea

D. they had the largest navy ever

26. If someone is open and above board, it means he is ________.

A. secretive B. honest

C. cheerful D. dishonest

27. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Sailors need to go to sleep when they hear a whistle.

B. Sailors will be whipped if they do business below decks.

C. A poor sailor may be whipped nine times a day.

D. There is no spare room to raise cats on ships.

28. What is the main idea of the passage?

A. The business on British sailing ships.

B. The influence of British sailors' language on English.

C. The sailing history of England.

D. The sailing story of British sailors.

　　 It's 8 a.m., Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2028, and you are headed for a business appointment 300 miles away. You step into your circle, two­passenger air­cushion car, press a series of buttons and the national traffic computer notes your destination, figures out the current traffic situation and signals your car to slide out of the garage. Hands free, you sit back and begin to read the morning paper - which is flashed on a flat TV screen over the car's dashboard. Tapping a button changes the page.

　　 The car speeds up to 150 mph in the city's countryside, and then hits 250 mph in less built­up areas, driving over the smooth plastic road. You fly past a string of cities, many of them covered by the new domes (圆屋顶) that keep them evenly climatized all year round. Traffic is heavy, typically, but there's no need to worry. The traffic computer, which sends and receives signals to and from all cars on the road between cities, keeps vehicles at least 50 yds apart. There hasn't been an accident since the system began.

　　 Suddenly your TV phone buzzes. A business partner wants a sketch of a new kind of impeller your firm is putting out for sports boats. You reach for your case and draw the diagram with a pencil­thin infrared flashlight (红外线闪光灯) on what looks like a TV screen lining the back of the case. The diagram is sent to a similar screen in your partner's office, 200 miles away. He presses a button and a fixed copy of the sketch rolls out of the machine. He wishes you good luck at the coming meeting and signs off.

　　Ninety minutes after leaving your home, you slide beneath the dome of your destination city. Your car slows down and heads for an outer­core office building where you'll meet your colleagues. After you get out, the vehicle parks itself in a garage to await your return. Private cars aren't allowed inside most city cores. Moving sidewalks and electrams (电车) carry the public from one location to another.

29. The traffic computer in your car can ________.

A. keep your car at a safe distance from other cars

B. keep your car at the same speed in different situations

C. keep your car receiving signals of TV programs

D. keep your car driving avoiding heavy traffic

30. Why are the cities covered by the new domes?

A. To prevent people from being wet in the rain.

B. To stop the climate of the cities changing violently all year.

C. To protect the travelers against the strong sunshine.

D. To make the city have the same weather all year.

31. What will the city be like in the future?

A. No accidents will happen because of heavy traffic.

B. The sidewalk can move itself up and down.

C. The road is built with the plastic material.

D. The car parks itself on a dome to wait for your return.

32. The third paragraph mainly tells ________.

A. you are lucky to sell products of your company

B. you receive best wishes from your business partner

C. you can do business with a newly invented pencil

D. you can do business even on the road in the future