首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
One of the interesting things about languages is the way they change over time. In English, everything from spelling to vocabula
One of the interesting things about languages is the way they change over time. In English, everything from spelling to vocabula
admin
2019-03-27
81
问题
One of the interesting things about languages is the way they change over time. In English, everything from spelling to vocabulary has gone through major changes over the years. In fact, to a modem speaker, the English of 1, 000 years ago looks like a foreign language!
The history of English dates back around 1, 500 years. At that time, groups of Europeans invaded in England, bringing their language with them. It developed into Old English. Later, in 1066, England was invaded by the Normans from France. The language went through an important shift, leading to what we now call Middle English. Over the next 500 years, the language underwent further shifts, leading to Modern English. As the language has developed over time, many things about it have changed.
Pronunciation is one of the most obvious areas. For example, in Old English, people said "hus" and "mus". Now, we say "house" and "mouse". These days, there are many differences in the way English is pronounced in the U. S. , India, and elsewhere. When people live in groups separated by great distances, the pace of change can be fast.
Spelling has also gone through interesting changes. For example, in Old English, one wrote "riht". A "g" was added in Middle English, making the spelling "right". Also, in the distant past, people did not always follow standards of spelling. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, scholars like Noah Webster wrote dictionaries which made the spelling more consistent. However, different standards were decided on in England and the U. S. So, some differences remain—for example, color vs. colour .
Vocabulary changes happen even more quickly. English has grown by borrowing words from languages such as French, Spanish, and Arabic, to name a few. This often happens with types of food—for example, "tofu". Then there is slang which enters and leaves the language every year! Thirty years ago, one often heard people saying "groovy", meaning "great". These days, you’ll rarely hear the word except on old TV shows and movies.
Because English is spoken by so many people worldwide, it really is an exciting time for the language. Just as American and British versions are always changing, so are versions spoken in Canada, Singapore, and elsewhere. At the same time, an entirely new version of English is appearing on the Internet with whole new slang and writing style. In a way, learning English is a never-ending process, even for native speakers!
Questions 66—70
Answer the following questions according to the passage.
When did scholars try to make English spelling more consistent?
选项
答案
In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
解析
(根据倒数第三段可知,在很久之前,人们不总是遵守拼写的规则。然而,“In the eigh—teenth and nineteenth centuries,scholars like Noah Webster wrote dictionaries which made thespelling more consistent(在十八世纪和十九世纪,像诺亚·韦伯斯特这样的学者编撰字典,让拼写更连贯。)”,因此答案为In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries。)
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/BSNK777K
本试题收录于:
C类竞赛(非英语专业本科)题库大学生英语竞赛(NECCS)分类
0
C类竞赛(非英语专业本科)
大学生英语竞赛(NECCS)
相关试题推荐
Stereotypesaretroublesomebecausetheyareoftenindiscriminate,exhibitanallnessorientation,andcanproducefrozenevalu
Afewyearsago,peopleinEnglandvotedforthegreatestpersonofalltimefromtheircountry.Theywerenotjustvotingfort
I’mafraidtakingaparttimejobmight______mytimeforstudy.
Reading______pleasureandlookingforopportunitiestoreadinEnglisharethetwofactorsmostcloselyrelated______successful
ThefollowingitemshavebeendestroyedEXCEPT?
ThefollowingitemshavebeendestroyedEXCEPT?
ThemanwatchesthevideobecauseitwasrequiredbyProfessorStephen.
Experimentsinthephotographyofmovingobjects______inboththeUnitedStatesandEuropewellbefore1900.
BILLGATES,thechairmanandco-founderofMicrosoft,thesoftwaregiant,istostepbackfromtheday-to-dayrunningofthecom
随机试题
下肢静脉瓣功能不全,观察有无反流及其速度,首选哪种技术
经营者实施()等不正当竞争行为,监督部门可以根据情节处以1万元以上20万元以下的罚款。
由一个或者数个合伙人执行合伙事务的,执行事务合伙人应当定期向其他合伙人报告事务执行情况以及合伙企业的经营和财务状况,其执行合伙事务所产生的收益归()。
外资独资银行、合资银行、外国银行分行开办需要批准的个人理财业务,应按照有关外资银行业务审批程序的规定,报( )审批。
甲公司(水泥生产企业)于2005年7月在上海证券交易所上市,因2013年、2014年经审计的净利润连续为负值,上海证券交易所对其股票实施了退市风险警示。乙国有独资公司(由北京市国资委履行出资人职责)为甲公司的控股股东,持有甲公司40%的股份。甲公司2014
样本成为简单随机样本的条件是()。
法人以它的注册登记地为住所。()
Readthearticlebelowandchoosethebestsentencefromthelistonthenextpagetofilleachofthegaps.Foreachgap(1-
Howisacowboy’slife?
A、Mainegraduallybecameamajormarketfortrade.B、Maineprovidedemploymentopportunities.C、Mainewaspoliticallystable.D、
最新回复
(
0
)