Question

Many people have tried to simplify the spelling of English words. Unlike other languages , English sometimes spells the same sounds in very different ways . For example , there is “light “but” white”, ”loan ”but  “phone” ,and there are at least seven different ways of pronouncing “ough”: ”though”, ”through “,”bough”. “cough” ”enough “, “ought” and “thorough “.

The American President Theodore Roosevelt almost succeeded in simplifying English spelling .In 1906, Andrew Carnegie started the Simplified Spelling Board .He was one of the richest men in the United States of America .The board’s plan was to make the spelling of words nearer to the way they sound .For example , the word “though” would be spelt “tho” and “through “would become “thru”. Other people on the board were Melvil Dewey , the head of the New York libraries , and Professor Brander Matthews of Columbia University 。They explained their idea to President Roosevelt , who thought that it was indeed logical .He immediately asked the government printer to sue simplified spelling in all government letters .

But people didn’t like the change, even if it made life easier. So the new simpler spelling was not popular. More importantly, when the American politicians (政客) discussed the plan, they did not like it either.

Because Roosevelt did not want to have any problems with the politicians, he changed his mind and told the printer to go back to the old way of spelling.

Since then no one in any government has dared to simplify English spelling. However,people do simplify some words, mainly in advertisements. For example, we often see “tonite” instead of “tonight” and “thru” instead of “through”．

1.Many people have tried to simplify English spelling because________.

A. English words are too long to remember

B. there are many mistakes in English words

C. lots of words are spelt in many different ways

D. sometimes the same sounds have different spellings.

2. Who is NOT a member of the Simplified Spelling Board?

A. Andrew Carnegie.

B. Melvil Dewey.

C. Theodore Roosevelt. 

D. Brander Matthews.

3. What was Theodore Roosevelt’s attitude towards simplified spelling?

A.Worried.  

B. Supportive. 

C. Uncertain.

D. Doubtful.

4. According to the passage, simplified spelling________.

A. was welcomed by the US politicians

B. changed the way the words sound

C. has been used widely for over a century

D. was first used in US government letters.

Answer

1.D

2.C

3.B

4.D

【解析】

试题分析:本文是一篇记叙文，介绍了美国英语简化的故事。因为英语有时候相同的音却拼写不同，所以很多人都想简化英语单词的拼写。在1906年Andrew Carnegie 成立了简化拼写董事会，这个董事会的计划就是把英语的拼写接近他们的发音，这项计划受到了美国总统西奥多·罗斯福的支持。

1.细节理解题。从文章第一段Unlike other languages , English sometimes spells the same sounds in very different ways .可知人们想简化英语拼写的原因是在英语中相同的音却有很多不同的拼写，故答案选D。

2.细节理解题。根据文章第二段Andrew Carnegie started the Simplified Spelling Board 和Other people on the board were Melvil Dewey ,….and Professor Brander Matthews of Columbia University 可知Theodore Roosevelt. 没在简化拼写小组中，选C。

3.推理判断题。由文章第二段首句The American President Theodore Roosevelt almost succeeded in simplifying English spelling 和末句They explained their idea to President Roosevelt , who thought that it was indeed logical 可以判断他是支持简化拼写活动的，选B。

4.推理判断题。根据文章第二段末句He immediately asked the government printer to use simplified spelling in all government letters .可以推断简化的拼写首次出现在政府文件中，选D。

考点：考查故事类短文阅读