Question

Learning any language is hard, but learning English can be especially challenging. Why? Because native speakers use the language in ways that textbooks could never describe. In particular, words that British people use cause many language students to scratch their heads.

Here’s an example: You overhear a Briton calling someone a “wazzock”. But what exactly is a wazzock? This word, in fact, means a foolish person, although there’s nothing about it that would help you guess that. There are many strange terms like this in British English – the Oxford English Dictionary would be much smaller without these peculiar (古怪的) usages filling its pages.

How can these odd words be explained? Part of the answer is the British sense of humor. Britons don’t like to take things too seriously, and this is evident through many British words and phrases. For example, to “spend a penny” means to use the bathroom. It refers to the days when people had to pay a penny to use a public toilet.

In an interview for the BBC’s website, British linguist David Crystal suggested there may be historical reasons for the sheer number of odd words and phrases in British English. He thinks that they began in the late 16^th and early 17^th centuries. This was a great age for the theater, when Shakespeare and other writers worked hard to keep up with the demand for new plays. The theater’s popularity also created an incentive (刺激) to invent new words.

With this in mind, perhaps Shakespeare and his peers are to blame for unusual British words such as “codswallop” and “balderdash” – which both, ironically, mean “nonsense”.

While these strange words may be confusing to non-native speakers, they certainly make studying English a lot more interesting.

1.According to the text, why may non-native speakers find it hard to learn English?

A. Dictionaries don’t explain odd usages of many words.

B. A great many strange words make no sense to them.

C. The English textbooks they study are usually out of date.

D. They are unable to understand the humor in conversations.

2.With the example of “spend a penny”, the author intends to _________.

A. explain one reason of how some strange phrases were created

B. explain the meaning and background of the phrase

C. show what typical British sense of humour is

D. show British people’s attitude toward strange words

3.According to David Crystal, _________.

A. many of the words that Shakespeare invented were nonsense

B. Shakespeare’s works are boring because of the odd words involved

C. the theatre’s success in the 17th century inspired the birth of many odd words

D. the odd words in Shakespeare’s plays contributed a lot to the theatre’s popularity

4.What is the text mainly about?

A. The development of the British English.

B. Shakespeare’s influence on British English.

C. The origin and meanings of British humour.

D. Some reasons for the large number of odd words in British English.

Answer

1.B

2.A

3.C

4.D

【解析】本文介绍英国英语中的一些新单词产生的理由。

1.B

细节理解题。根据第一段Learning any language is hard, but learning English can be especially challenging. Why? Because native speakers use the language in ways that textbooks could never describe. In particular, words that British people use cause many language students to scratch their heads.可知非本地人发现学英语很难是因为很多奇怪的单词他们不懂。故选B。

2.A

推理判断题。根据第三段中For example, to “spend a penny” means to use the bathroom. It refers to the days when people had to pay a penny to use a public toilet.可知用“spend a penny”做例子是为了解释奇怪词组是怎样被创造的。故选A。

3.C

推理判断题。根据第四段there may be historical reasons for the sheer number of odd words and phrases in British English. He thinks that they began in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. This was a great age for the theater, when Shakespeare and other writers worked hard to keep up with the demand for new plays. The theater’s popularity also created an incentive (刺激) to invent new words.可知在17世纪剧院的成功鼓励很多新单词的诞生。故选C。

4.D

主旨大意题。本文介绍英国英语中的一些新单词产生的理由。故选D。