[1] Every language has its own special words and expressions. And a story can be told about each
of them. Hot is a simple, easily understood word. So are most of the expressions made with the word
hot. But not always, as we shall see.
[2] The words hot potato, for example, give you no idea at all to the meaning of the expression, hot
potato. The potato is popular and many Americans like baked potatoes. Imagine trying to carry a hot
potato in your hand. It would be difficult, even painful, to do so. Some publicly argued problems are
highly emotional. The_problems_must_be_treated_carefully, or_they_will_be_difficult_and_painful_if
_an_elected_official_has_to_deal_with_them. One such hot potato is taxes. Calling for higher taxes
can mean defeat for a politician. And yet, if taxes are not raised, some very popular government
programs could be cut. And that also can make a politician very unpopular. The questions must be dealt
with carefully, the same way you would handle any other hot potato.
[3] Another expression is not so hot. If you ask someone how she feels, she may answer "Not so
hot". What she means is that she does not feel well. Not so hot also is a way of saying you do not really
like something. You may tell a friend that the new play you saw last night is not so hot. That means
___________.
[4] A hot shot is a person, often a young person, who thinks he can do anything. He is very sure he
can succeed. But often he fails. The expression was born in the military forces. A hot shot was a soldier
who fired without aiming carefully.
[5] Hot is a word that is often used to talk about anger. A person who becomes angry easily is
called a hothead. An angry person's neck often becomes red. We say he is hot under the collar.
1. What is the text mainly about? ( within 8 words)
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2. Fill in the blank in Paragraph 3 with a proper sentence. (within 8 words)
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3. Which sentence in the text is the closest in meaning to the following one?
As you would deal with other difficult problems, you must be careful with them.
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4. List three situations where "hot" expressions can be used according to the text. (within 30 words)
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5. Translate the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 into Chinese.
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