阅读三
If you ask people to name the one person who had the greatest effect on the English language, you will get answers like“Shakespeare,”“Samuel Johnson,”and“Webster,”but none of these men had any effect at all compared to a man who didn’t even speak English—William the Conqueror.
Before 1066, in the land we now call Great Britain lived peoples belonging to two major language groups. In the west-central region lived the Welsh, who spoke a Celtic language, and in the north lived the Scots, whose language, though not the same as Welsh, was also Celtic. In the rest of the country lived the Saxons, actually a mixture of Anglos, Saxons, and other Germanic and Nordic peoples, who spoke what we now call Anglo-Saxon (or Old English), a Germanic language. If this state of affairs had lasted, English today would be close to German.
But this state of affairs did not last. In 1066 the Normans led by William defeated the Saxons and began their rule over England. For about a century, French became the official language of England while Old English became the language of peasants. As a result, English words of politics and the law come from French rather than German. In some cases, modern English even shows a distinction (区别) between upper-class French and lower-class Anglo-Saxon in its words. We even have different words for some foods, meat in particular, depending on whether it is still out in the fields or at home ready to be cooked, which shows the fact that the Saxon peasants were doing the farming, while the upper-class Normans were doing most of the eating.
When Americans visit Europe for the first time, they usually find Germany more“foreign”than France because the German they see on signs and advertisements seems much more different from English than French does. Few realize that the English language is actually Germanic in its beginning and that the French influences are all the result of one man’s ambition.
1.The two major languages spoken in what is now called Great Britain before 1066 were .
A.Welsh and Scottish B.Nordic and Germanic
C.Celtic and Old English D.Anglo-Saxon and Germanic
2.Which of the following groups of words are, by inference, rooted in French?
A.president, lawyer,beef B.president, bread, water
C.bread, field,sheep D.folk, field, cow
3.Why does France appear less foreign than Germany to Americans on their first visit to Europe?
A.Most advertisements in France appear in English.
B.They know little of the history of the English language.
C.Many French words are similar to English ones.
D.They know French better than German.
4.What is the subject discussed in the text?
A.The history of Great Britain. B.The similarity between English and French.
C.The rule of England by William the Conqueror.
D.The French influences on the English language.
答案 1.C 2.A 3.C 4.D
阅读四
Answer the following questions by using the information taken from a dictionary page.(You may read the questions first.)
jaguar n. a type of large, yellow-colored cat with black markings found in the southwestern region of the U.S. and in Central and South America.
jargon 1 n. speech that doesn’t make sense. 2 n. an unknown language that seems strange or impossible to understand. 3 n. a language made up of two or more other languages：His jargon was a mixture of French and English. 4 n. the special vocabulary of a field or profession：Her report on computers was filled with jargon.
jaunt 1 n. a trip taken for fun. 2 v. to go on a brief pleasant trip：We jaunted to the country last Saturday.
javelin 1 n. a spear most commonly used as a weapon or in hunting.2 n. a light-weight metal or wooden spear that is thrown in track-and-field contests. 3 n. the contest in which a javelin is thrown. 4 v. to strike, as with a javelin.
jazz 1 n. a type of music that originated in New Orleans and is characterized by rhythmic beats. 2 n. popular dance music influenced by jazz. 3 n. slang empty talk. 4 adj. of or like jazz：a jazz band, jazz records.
jennet n. a small Spanish horse.
1.Which meaning of the word javelin is used in the sentence below?
At the competition,Jack drew his arm back and threw the javelin 50 yards.
A.Definition 1
B.Definition 2
C.Definition 3
D.Definition 4
2.Which meaning of the word jargon is used in the sentence below?
Doctors often speak in medical jargon.
A.Definition 1
B.Definition 2
C.Definition 3
D.Definition 4
3.What does the word jazz mean in the following sentence?
Don’t give me that jazz,for I am a practical person.
A.rhythmic beats B.a type of music
C.a kind of dance D.meaningless talk
答案 1.B 2.D 3.D
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