When Spring Festival arrives on February 7, the rat will start the 12 - year animal cycle. Yes, it is the Year of the Rat.

    In your English vocabulary,, the words rat and mouse may mean the same and be interchange-able. But in fact, it is net the ease. Mice and rats can be summed up nicely with two English phrases: "as quiet as a mouse," and "a dirty rat."

    Rats are considered dirty because they are often found in sewers (下水道) and other unclean places. They are also responsible for carrying the Black Plague(瘟疫) disease that wiped out much of Europe's population in the 15th century.

    Having a rat in your house is bad news. They smell terrible and usually make a lot of noise.

    Calling someone a "rat" in English means they are not to be trusted and are suspicious. Saying “Rats!” is also a way to show one s annoyance . Charlie Brown in the Snoopy comic strips often says this.

    Rats appear as mean and evil in some books and novels. However, a recent movie, Rata-touille, in which a rat plays a creative chef, has helped give rats a better image.

    Mice, on the other hand, are seen as quiet and cute. They are smaller than rats and often kept as pets.

Walt Disney's famous character Miekey Mouse helped give them a lovable image among chil-dren. Jerry, from the Tom and Jerry, cartoons, represents mice as playful creatures that like to play tricks on their friends.

1. Which of the following sentences is TRUE about rats and mice?

    A. Mice are usually creative and evil.         B. Rats are smaller than mice.

    C. Mice are lovely and quiet.                D. Rats are often kept as pets.

2. The underlined word in paragraph 2 probably means “______.”

    A.added         B. described       C. corrected      D. represented

3 .When "rat" is used in oral English, it can refer to ______.

    A. someone who is troublesome            B. someone playing tricks on friends

C. someone who is not reliable            D. someone who is lovable

4. The main idea of the passage is that _____.

    A. it is the Year of the Rat this year

    B. the words rat and mouse may mean the same and are interchangeable

    C. how to tell if it's a rat or a mouse

    D. some books and novels have helped give rats a better image