Question

“Colour” and “color”, “favourite” and “favorite”···Have you ever wondered why Americans spell those words without a “u”? Is it because they are lazy?

Of course not. In fact, the difference in spelling was created by Noah Webster (1758—1843). He is a teacher who reformed English to make American identity stronger. Linguists（语言学家） celebrated his 250^th birthday on October 16. After the Revolutionary War(1775—1783), Webster believed that Americans should have their own dictionary, rather than rely on British versions（版本）. He dropped the British “u” in some words. And he changed “centre” into “center” for children to learn English by spelling words more like they sounded.

Webster wasn’t shy about expressing his opinions. In defining（定义） preposterous, he wrote: “A republican government in the hands of females is preposterous.”

Webster spent 28 years on the project before completing the 70,000-word dictionary in 1828 with his American-style spellings. He also added local words. His dictionary was widely used in schools. Linguists believed it helped a new nation achieve unity and cultural independence at a time when most were focused on political freedom.

“He was the shaper of our language and the shaper of American identity,” said Joshua Kendall, who is working on a biography（传记） about Webster. “He at last bonded（联合） us through our language.”

1.          According to the passage, when he worked on his dictionary, Noah Webster did all of the following EXCEPT______.

A．dropping “u” in all the British words

B．changing “centre” into “center”

C．adding local words

D．expressing his opinion.

2.          When did Noah Webster probably begin his project of the dictionary?

A．In 1758

B．In 1783

C．In 1800

D．In 1828

3.          Why did Noah Webster create these differences in his dictionary?

A．Because he wanted to make English simple and easy.

B．Because he wanted American English to have it own characteristics（特征）.

C．Because he wanted to make American English the best in the world.

D．Because he wanted to show that the USA is stronger than the UK.

4.          Which of the following word can best describe Noah Webster’s work?

A．Interesting

B．Boring

C．Unfinished

D．Meaningful

5.          Which of the following would probably be the best title for the passage?

A．Webster

B．American identity

C．The shaper of American English

D．Spelling difference between American and British English.

Answer

1.          A

2.          C

3.          B

4.          D

5.          C

【解析】

1.          从第二段 He dropped the British “u” in some words.可知答案A。含有All，every等太绝对意义词的表达一般不准确。

2.          从第四段第一句Webster spent 28 years on the project before completing the 70,000-word dictionary in 1828 可得出答案；1828-28=1800

3.          从第二段 to make American identity stronger及第四行Webster believed that Americans should have their own dictionary, rather than rely on British versions可知Webster希望美式英语要有自身的特色

4.          从最后一段Joshua Kendall写的传记中的对Webster高度评价可以看出：Webster的工作是有意义的。

5.          主旨大意题。首先排除明显错误的选项BD，A为干扰项，AC说的是同一个人，但C答案更具概括性，针对性，醒目性。

考点：人物传记型阅读。