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The English policeman has several nicknames ( 绰号 ) but the most frequently used are "copper" and "bobby". The first name comes from the verb "to cop " (which is also slang ) , meaning " to take " or " to capture ", and the second comes from the first name of Sir Robert Peel, the nineteenth-century politician, who was the founder of the police force as we know it today. An early nickname for the policeman was "peeler", but this one has died out.
Whatever we may call them, the general opinion of the police seems to be a favorable one; except, of course, among the criminal part of the community where the police are given more derogatory nicknames which originated in America, such as "fuzz" or "pig". Visitors to England seem nearly always to be very impressed by the English police. It has, in fact, become a standing joke that the visitor to Britain, when asked for his views of the country, will always say, at some point or other, "I think your policemen are wonderful. "
Well, the British bobby may not always be wonderful but he is usually a very friendly and helpful sort of character. A music-hall song of some years ago was called "If You Want To Know The Time, Ask A Policeman". Nowadays, most people own watches but they still seem to find plenty of other questions to ask the policeman. In London, the policemen spend so much of their time directing visitors about the city that one wonders how they ever find time to do anything else!
Two things are immediately noticeable to the stranger when he sees an English policeman for the first time. The first is that he does not carry a pistol (手枪) and the second is that he wears a very distinctive type of headgear, the policeman's helmet. His helmet, together with his height, enable an English policeman to be seen from a considerable distance, a fact that is not without its usefulness. From time to time it is suggested that the policeman should be given a pistol and that his helmet should be taken from him, but both these suggestions are resisted by the majority of the public and the police themselves.
21. Nowadays British people call the policeman_______.
A. pig B. peeler
C. fuzz D. bobby
22. Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. There are fewer criminals in America than in Britain.
B. The English police usually leave a deep impression on visitors.
C. The British bobby is friendly but not helpful.
D. The English police enjoy having pistols.
23. If you see an English policeman for the first time, you will probably notice at once that
A. he often tells people time B. he is usually very helpful
C. he has a helmet on his head D. he wears special clothes
24. That an English policeman can be seen from some distance is _______.
A. of some help to people B. of no help to people
C. very strange and funny D. a standing joke
25. Visitors praise the English police because_______.
A. they are armed with modern equipment
B. they obey orders
C. they are often given thanks by people
D. they are polite and helpful
