举例说明：
Professor：I have chosen to limit this study to the reactions of Whitman's admirers for the simple reason that the opinions of his detractors have remained static. Early critics, like later ones, violently objected to Whitman's technique and subject matter. Among them was Henry James, whose criticism was nothing short of bitterness.
Narrator：Listen again to part of the lecture. Then answer the question.
Professor：Among them was Henry James, whose criticism was nothing short of bitterness.
What does the professor mean when he says this?
A：Henry James was one of the critics who had very few comments on Whitman.
B：Henry James was one of the critics who thought Whitman's works lacked sweetness.
C：Henry James was one of the critics who firmly believed Whitman was good.
D：Henry James was among those who criticized Whitman's works intensely.
解析：
Nothing short of 是 “一点儿也不少，非常” 之意
答案A，B将该习语强行分割开，如将nothing对应few，将short of 对应lack。因此A，B 予以排除。
答案C正好将词义本末倒置，也予以排除，答案为D。
因此正确答案为D。
总之，在做习语题的时候一定要多多积累，根据材料的上下文去推断。不要解释习语的字面意思，脱离语境，制造混乱，不准确或不完整的解释。切记切记!
