阅读理解。
To face the music
Like every language, American English is full of special expressions, phrases that come from the
day-to-day life of the people and develop in their own way. Our expression today is "to face the music".
When someone says,"well, I guess I'll have to face the music," it does not mean he's planning to go
to the concert. It is something far less pleasant, like being called in by your boss to explain why you did
this and did that, and why you didn't do this or that. Sour music indeed, but it has to be faced. At
sometime or another, every one of us has had to face the music, especially as children. We can all
remember father's angry voice,"I want to talk to you." and only because we did not obey him. What an
unpleasant business it was!
The phrase "to face the music" is familiar to every American, young and old. It is at least 00 years old.
And where did this expression come from? The first explanation comes from the American novelist,
James Fenimore Looper. He said, in 85, that the expression was first used by actors while waiting in the
wings to go on the stage. When they got their cue to go on, they often said, "Well, it's time to face the
music." And that was exactly what they did - facing the orchestra which was just below them. And an
actor might be frightened or nervous as he moved on to the stage in front of an audience that might be
friendly or perhaps hostile, especially if he forgot his lines. But he had to go out. If he did not, there would
be no play. So the expression "to face the music" come to mean "having to go through something, no matter
how unpleasant the experience might be, because you knew you had no choice."
Other explanations about the expression go back to the army. When the men faced an inspection by
their leader, the soldiers would be worried about how well they looked. Was their equipment clean, shinny
enough to pass the 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?
Another army explanation is more closely related to the idea of facing the results and accepting the
responsibility for something that should not have been done. As, for example, when a man is forced out
of the army because he did something terrible, he is dishonored. The band does not play. Only the drums
tap a sad, slow beat. The soldier is forced to leave, facing such music as it is and facing the back of his
horse.
1. How many ways does the phrase"to face the music" comes from?
A.1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4
2. What's the meaning of "to face the music?"
A. To face something far less pleasant.
B. To face the stage.
C. To face the back of one's horse.
D. To face one's leader.
3. Which of the following is a situation of facing the music?
A. When we are playing basketball.
B. When we are making a speech.
C. When we are having a party.
D. When we are talking with somebody.
4. The underlined word "hostile" means _______.
A. unfriendly
B. useless
C. unkind
D. unnecessary
