The other day, I was thinking about the phrase "It's a dog's life". According to my dictionary, this means "life is hard and unpleasant", but that definition is surely obsolete. A dog's life these days, at least in my house, is extremely comfortable.
This is by no means the only phrase in the English language that suggests a dog's life is a sad one. When we become less successful than we were in the past, we "go to the dogs";when we do something very badly, we make a "dog's breakfast" of it; if we feel really bad,we're "as sick as a dog". Unattractive or unpleasant people are considered "such a dog"! .
Cats do no better. They are described as humourless and cruel rulers ("While the cat's away, the mouse will play") or as self-satisfied ("The-cat that got the cream"). They are also related to unspeakable horrors. For example, "There's not enough room to swing a cat".
"Cat" is a short form of the cat-o'-nine-tails (九尾鞭). The phrase probably originated at sea,where unfortunate sailors were beaten in tiny spaces. Despite all the above, "the cat's whiskers(须)” are the most desirable whiskers.
How our lovely companions entered the language in this way remains a mystery, but there are some explanations. "To let the-cat out of the bag" probably refers to traders who tried to pass off（冒充） an old cat as a nice juicy little pig. "It's raining cats and dogs",meanwhile,is related to cats with the mysterious(神秘的) force controlling the weather and dogs with the wind. Other sources suggest that it dates from the time when inner-city gutters（排水沟） overflowed with rubbish and dead animals.
Many of these phrases reflect a time when cats and dogs were not as cherished as they are now. My own personal motto "Love me; love my dog" dates back as far as 1485, when it was recorded in a book called Early English Miscellanies. Although originally it may imply
"If you really love me, you will have to accept my boils and scars(疤痕), it now means "If you love me, you will get to play with my little doggies, too".
28.The underlined word "obsolete" in Paragraph I probably means .
A. wrong B. out of date C. unclear D. beyond recognition
29.If someone goes downhill, we can say he .
A. is such a dog B. is as sick as a dog
C. has gone to the dogs D. has made a dog's breakfast
30.In what way is "the cat's whiskers" different from the other phrases in Paragraph 3?
A. Its origin is unknown. B. It is not used anymore.
C. It presents a positive image of cats. D.Its meaning has changed over the years.
31.One of the origins of "It's raining cats and dogs" is associated with .
A. fairy tales B. a mysterious event
C. animals' poor conditions D. a dishonest businessman