Aneagerbeaverisapersonwhoisalwayswillingtodoandisexcitedaboutdoingwhatisexpectedofhim.

　　Suppose,forexample,thatateachertellshisstudentstheyeachmustsolveonehundredmathproblemsbeforecomingtoschoolthenextday.Thechildrencomplainaboutsomuchhomework.Butonestudentdoesnotprotestatall.Thatstudentisaneagerbeaver.Helovestodomathproblems,anddoesnotmindallthehomework.

　　Theexpressionissaidtohavecomefromthenameofahard-workinganimal--thebeaver.

　　Beaversarestrange-lookingcreatures.Theyspendalotoftimeinthewater,buildingdamstocreatelittlelakesorpouds.Theyusetheirhugeteethandworkhardtocutdowntrees,removebranchesandputthemacrossstreams.Theyusetheirtailstopackmudonthebranchestomakethedamssolid.Fewotheranimalsworksohard.

　　HistorianssaythebeaverhadanimportantpartinthesettlementofNorthAmerica.

　　TherewerehundredsofmillionsofbeaverswhenEuropeansettlersfirstarrived.Thesettlesputgreatvalueonthefurofbeavers.Infact,fortwohundredyearsormore,beaversprovidedthemostvaluablefurinNorthAmerica.Beaverskinsoftenwereusedasmoney.Youngmenlookingforadventureheadedwestacrossthecountrytosearchforbeavers.Intheirsearch,theyexploredmuchofthewesternterritories.Thetradingposts,wheretheyexchangedbeaverskinsforthegoodstheyneeded,becamevillage,andlatertownsandcities.

　　还有一篇itisinthebag

　　等会儿给你

　　Itisinthebag

　　Thebag--oneofthesimplestandmostusefulthingsineverymanorwoman'slife--hasgiventheworldmanystrangeexpressionsthatarenotverysimple.AnumberoftheseexpressionsarewidelyusedintheUnitedStatestoday.SomewereimportedfromEnglandalongtimeago.

　　Whenyouaresureofsomething,youcansay,"Itisinthebag."

　　Thisphraseseemedtohavearrivedwiththemodernpaperbag.Before,Americansusedtosay,"Itisallwrappedup."Then,thingsyouboughtwerewrappedinplainbrownpaper,orsometimesinoldnewspapers.

　　Anotherwidelyusedexpressionis"toletthecatoutofthebag",meaningtorevealawell-keptsecret.

　　Noonecanexplainhowthecatgotintothebag,orwhyitremainedthere.Butthereisanoldstoryaboutit.Longagotradesmensoldthingsinlargeclothbags.Onceawomanaskedforapig.Thetradesmanhelduphisclothbag.Insidetherewassupposedtobealivepig.Thewomanaskedtoseeit.Whenthedishonesttradesmanopenedthebag,outjumpedasquealingcat,notapig.Thetradesman'ssecretwasout:hewastricky,andnoweverybodyknewit.