TheEnglishpolicemanhasseveralnicknames(绰号)butthemostfrequentlyusedare"copper"and"bobby".Thefirstnamecomesfromtheverb"tocop"(whichisalsoslang),meaning"totake"or"tocapture",andthesecondcomesfromthefirstnameofSirRobertPeel,thenineteenth-centurypolitician,whowasthefounderofthepoliceforceasweknowittoday.Anearlynicknameforthepolicemanwas"peeler",butthisonehasdiedout.
Whateverwemaycallthem,thegeneralopinionofthepoliceseemstobeafavorableone;except,ofcourse,amongthecriminalpartofthecommunitywherethepolicearegivenmorederogatorynicknameswhichoriginatedinAmerica,suchas"fuzz"or"pig".VisitorstoEnglandseemnearlyalwaystobeveryimpressedbytheEnglishpolice.Ithas,infact,becomeastandingjokethatthevisitortoBritain,whenaskedforhisviewsofthecountry,willalwayssay,atsomepointorother,"Ithinkyourpolicemenarewonderful."
Well,theBritishbobbymaynotalwaysbewonderfulbutheisusuallyaveryfriendlyandhelpfulsortofcharacter.Amusic-hallsongofsomeyearsagowascalled"IfYouWantToKnowTheTime,AskAPoliceman".Nowadays,mostpeopleownwatchesbuttheystillseemtofindplentyofotherquestionstoaskthepoliceman.InLondon,thepolicemenspendsomuchoftheirtimedirectingvisitorsaboutthecitythatonewondershowtheyeverfindtimetodoanythingelse!
TwothingsareimmediatelynoticeabletothestrangerwhenheseesanEnglishpolicemanforthefirsttime.Thefirstisthathedoesnotcarryapistol(手枪)andthesecondisthathewearsaverydistinctivetypeofheadgear,thepoliceman'shelmet.Hishelmet,togetherwithhisheight,enableanEnglishpolicemantobeseenfromaconsiderabledistance,afactthatisnotwithoutitsusefulness.Fromtimetotimeitissuggestedthatthepolicemanshouldbegivenapistolandthathishelmetshouldbetakenfromhim,butboththesesuggestionsareresistedbythemajorityofthepublicandthepolicethemselves.
21.NowadaysBritishpeoplecallthepoliceman_______.
22.WhichofthefollowingstatementsisTRUE?
A.TherearefewercriminalsinAmericathaninBritain.
B.TheEnglishpoliceusuallyleaveadeepimpressiononvisitors.
C.TheBritishbobbyisfriendlybutnothelpful.
D.TheEnglishpoliceenjoyhavingpistols.
23.IfyouseeanEnglishpolicemanforthefirsttime,youwillprobablynoticeatoncethat
A.heoftentellspeopletimeB.heisusuallyveryhelpful
C.hehasahelmetonhisheadD.hewearsspecialclothes
24.ThatanEnglishpolicemancanbeseenfromsomedistanceis_______.
A.ofsomehelptopeopleB.ofnohelptopeople
C.verystrangeandfunnyD.astandingjoke
25.VisitorspraisetheEnglishpolicebecause_______.
A.theyarearmedwithmodernequipment
C.theyareoftengiventhanksbypeople
D.theyarepoliteandhelpful
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