阅读理解。
When someone says, "Well, I guess I'll have to go to face the music", it does not mean he is planning to
go to a concert. It is something far less pleasant, like being called in by your boss to explain why you did this
or that, and why you did not do this or that. Sour (剌耳的; 拙劣的) music, indeed, but it has to be faced.
The phrase "to face the music" is familiar to every American, young and old. It is at least 100 years old.
Where did the expression come from?
The first information comes from the American writer James Fennimore Cooper. He said in 1851 that the
expression was first used by actors while waiting in the wings to go on stage. After they got their clue (提示,
暗示) to go on, they often said, "It's time to go to face the music." And that is exactly what they did-face the
orchestra (管弦乐队) which was just below the stage.
An actor might be frightened or nervous as he moved on to the stage in front of the audience that might be
friendly or perhaps unfriendly especially if he forgot his lines. But he had to go out. So, "to face the music"
came to mean having to go through something, no matter how unpleasant the experience might be, because
you knew you had no choice.
The other explanation comes from the army. Men had to face inspection (视察) by their leader. The soldiers
worried about how well they looked. Was their equipment clean-shiny enough to pass inspection? Still, the men
had to go out, and face the music of the band, as well as the inspection. What else could they do?
1. According to the passage, the word "music" means _____. [ ]
A. your boss's criticism (批评)
B. something unpleasant to be experienced
C. your leader's inspection
D. sour pop music
2. The phrase "to face the music" was first used by _____. [ ]
A. all the Americans
B. the American writer James Fennimore cooper
C. some American actors
D. the American orchestra
3. The phrase "to face the music" is also used to mean that soldiers were not willing _____. [ ]
A. to be examined about their equipment
B. to be found weak
C. to show themselves up in public
D. to be inspected by their leader
4. The passage is mainly about _____. [ ]
A. the meaning of the phrase "to face the music"
B. how to deal with something unpleasant
C. how to learn English phrase
D. how to go through difficulty
