When someone says, “Well, I guess I'll have to go to face the music, it doesn’t

When someone says, “Well, I guess I'll have to go to face the music,” itdoesn’t mean he is planning to go to a concert. It is something far lesspleasant, like being called in your boss to explain why you did this and didthat, and why you did not do this or that. Terrible music, indeed, but it hasto be faced. At some time or another, every one of us has had to “face themusic”, especially as children. We can remember father’s angry voice: “I wantto talk to you!” And only because we did not obey him. What an unpleasantbusiness it was!

The phrase “face the music” is known to every American, old and young. Itis at least one hundred years old. Where did the expression come from?

The first explanation came from the American novelist James FenimoreCooper. He said, in 1851, that expression was first used by actors whilewaiting in the wings (舞台的两侧) to go on stage. After they got their clue(暗示) to goon , they often said, “It’s time to go to face the music. ” And that is exactlywhat they did face the orchestra (乐队) which was just below the stage.

An actor might be frightened or nervous as he moved on to the stage infront of the audience(观众) that might be friendly, or perhapsunfriendly, especially if he forgot his lines. But he had to go out. Ifhe did not, there would be no play. So “face the music” came to mean: having togo through something, no matter how unpleasant the experience might be, becauseyou knew you had no choice.

1.The expression “face the music” means ______.

A. plan to go to a concert

B. get one’s clue to do something

C. have to go through something far less pleasant

D. disobey what one's father says

2.The passage tells us that the expression wasfirst used by _____.

A. children       B.novelists       C.actors       D. audience

3.In the last paragraph the Chinese meaning ofthe word “line” is _______.

A. 老板           B.同事          C. 角色       D. 台词

试题答案

【答案】

1.C2.C3.D

【解析】略