There are hundreds of funny and strange expressions in the English language. A lot of them include country names or nationalities. Take these examples:

The Dutch（丹麦人）are the target of most English expressions about nationalities. Why are there so many jokes about the Dutch in English? And what do these expressions mean? In the 17th and early 18th centuries, there were three wars between the British and the Dutch, and Dutch became a bad word. So double Dutch means something that has no meaning or is impossible to understand. A Dutch uncle is someone who gives much stronger advice than they need to. There are later expressions, which are funnier and kinder, like to go Dutch, which is nowadays a popular expression. It means to pay for your part of a bill. This often happens when a group of friends have a meal together, and each person pays for the food they ate. I’m a Dutchman is another commonly used expression. This means not being able to believe something.

An expression with a similar meaning to double Dutch is it’s all Greek to me, which means I don’t understand. The expression was made famous in Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar although the expression is actually hundreds of years older.

If you take French leave, you are not present or leave somewhere without permission. For example, you could take French leave from a classroom or the place where you work. This expression is from the 18th century when French people left parties without saying goodbye to the host or hostess.

There are Chinese whispers, which mean confused（令人困惑的）messages. This describes the fact that a message can often change as it is passed from person to person. This expression comes from the First World War when foreigners were often confused by Chinese language.

Many people find English expressions confusing, but now that you know about some of them, you can easily have fun finding out many more funny English expressions.

小题1:Are there many jokes about the Dutch in English?

小题2:When did Dutch become a bad word?

小题3:What does “French leave” mean?

小题4:Which three expressions mentioned above have similar meanings?

小题5:What do the funny and strange expressions in the passage have in common?

A low-carbon lifestyle means cutting carbon dioxide emissions and living a life characterized by low-energy use, low consumption and low spending. This way of living is being accepted by a growing number of average people in China.

Before low-carbon became a popular word here, some environmentally conscious people known as "Lohas" had already devoted themselves to living green, low-carbon lifestyles. Lohas is for "lifestyles of health and sustainability." It was first introduced in 1998 by American sociologist Paul Ray and later became a popular lifestyle in western countries. After this concept was introduced into China a few years ago, Lohas was translated into a proper Chinese word "lehuo," meaning happy living.

Zhang Tao from a joint venture in Beijing is a Lohas supporter and follower. He and some others set up a Lohas club two years ago. They often get together to share their experiences about living green lifestyles or to volunteer for environmental protection activities.

Zhang says Lohas is both a lifestyle and an attitude towards life rather than just a fashion or slogan.

"A Lohas lifestyle means a natural and healthy life with low costs. We don't drive cars, and we try our best to save water and electricity. Some people misunderstand us as being too stingy. But in fact, most of us are well-paid. We don't do it to save money, but for the sake of the environment. Living a rich life doesn't mean you can waste resources. We hope what we do can help save energy and reduce the pressures on earth. I know our personal strength is too small, but the changes will be great if everyone can make a little contribution."

64. A low-carbon lifestyle has the following features except_______.

A. low energy     B. low wages     C. low consumption   D. low spending

65. A Lohas is most likely to_______.

A. drive a car to work every day   B. save money to live a better life

C. turn off the tap when not using   D. leave the light on day and night

66. What does the word “stingy” mean in the last paragraph?

A. generous               B. mean              C. rich                D. willing

67. In Zhangtao’s opinion, _________.

A. Lohas is just a fashion or form     B. one shouldn’t get well paid

C. one should live a happy life             D. environment protection depends on everyone