Part 3: Reading Comprehension (20%) Passage 1 The human nose has given to the languages of the world many interesting expressions. Of course, this is not surprising. Without the nose, we could not breathe or smell. It is the part of the face that givens a person special character. Cyrano de Bergerac said that a large nose showed a great man – courteous, manly and intellectual. A famous woman poet wished that she had two noses to smell a rose! Blaise Pascal, a French philosopher, made an interesting comment about Cleopatra’s nose. If it had been shorter, he said, it would have changed the whole face of the world! Historically, man’s nose has had a principal role in his imagination. Man has referred to the nose in many ways to express his emotions. Expressions concerning the nose refer to human weakness: anger, pride, jealousy, and revenge. In English there are a number of phrases about the nose. For example, to hold up one’s nose expresses a basic human feeling—pride. A man can hold up his noses at people, things and places if he thinks he is better than others, that he is something special. The phrase, to be led around by the nose, shows man’s weakness. A person who is led around by the nose lets other people control him. On the other hand, a person who follows his nose lets his instinct guide him. For the human emotion of rejection, the phrase to have one’s nose put out of joint is very descriptive. The expression applies to persons who have been turned aside because of a competitor. Their pride is hurt and they feel rejected. This expression is not new. For instance, an older child may feel rejected when its mother holds a new-born baby in her arms – its nose has been “put out of joint”. Grownups feel the same way when not invited to special dinners or a friend’s birthday party. This is only a sampling of expressions in English dealing with the nose. There are a number of others. However, it should be as plain as the nose on your face that the nose is more than an organ for breathing and smelling! 81. The purpose of this article is to _____.