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
考研
You are going to read a text about language, followed by a list of examples, Choose the best example from the list for each numb
You are going to read a text about language, followed by a list of examples, Choose the best example from the list for each numb
admin
2010-02-22
49
问题
You are going to read a text about language, followed by a list of examples, Choose the best example from the list for each numbered subheading. There is one extra example which you do not need to use.
Language, the principal means used by human beings to communicate with one another. Language is primarily spoken, although it can be transferred to other media, such as writing. If the spoken means of communication is unavailable, as may be the case among the deaf, visual means such as sign language can be used. A prominent characteristic of language is that the relation between a linguistic sign and its meaning is arbitrary.
(41) Language and Language Abilities
Language can be used to discuss a wide range of topics, a characteristic that distinguishes it from animal communication. The dances of honey bees, for example, can be used only to communicate the location of food sources.
(42) The Sounds of Language
Because most languages are primarily spoken, an important part of the overall understanding of language involves the study of the sounds of language.
Most sounds in the world’s languages—and all sounds in some languages, such as English—are produced by expelling air from the lungs and modifying the vocal tract between the larynx and the lips.
(43) Units of Meaning
While many people, influenced by writing, tend to think of words as the basic units of grammatical structure, linguists recognize a smaller unit, the morpheme. The word cats, for instance, consists of two elements, or morphemes: cat, the meaning of which can be roughly characterized as "feline animal", and-s, the meaning of which can be roughly characterized as "more than one".
(44) Word Order and Sentence Structure
Syntax is the study of how words combine to make sentences. The order of words in sentences varies from language to language. English-language syntax, for instance, generally follows a subject-verb-object order, as in the sentence "The dog (subject) bit (verb) the man (object)". The sentence "The dog the man bit" is not a correct construction in English, and the sentence "The man bit the dog" has a very different meaning. In contrast, Japanese has a basic word order of subject-object verb, as in "watakushi-wa hon-o kau", which literally translates to "I book buy".
(45) Meaning in Language
While the fields of language study mentioned above deal primarily with the form of linguistic elements, semantics is the field of study that deals with the meaning of these elements. A prominent part of semantics deals with the meaning of individual morphemes.
A. For instance, the sound p requires complete closure of the lips, so that air coming from the lungs builds up pressure in the mouth, giving rise to the characteristic popping sound when the lip closure is released. The sound used by English speakers to express annoyance, often spelled tsk or tut, uses air trapped in the space between the front of the tongue, the back of the tongue, and the palate.
B. Semantics also involves studying the meaning of the constructions that link morphemes to form phrases and sentences. For instance, the sentences "The dog bit the man" and "The man bit the dog" contain exactly the same morphemes, but they have different meanings. This is because the morphemes enter into different constructions in each sentence, reflected in the different word orders of the two sentences.
C. While the language-learning abilities of apes have surprised many and there continues to be controversy over the precise limits of these abilities—scientists and scholars generally agree that apes do not progress beyond the linguistic abilities of a two year-old child.
D. First-language acquisition is a complex process that linguists only partially understand. Young children have certain innate characteristics that predispose them to learn language. These characteristics include the structure of the vocal tract, which enables children to make the sounds used in language, and the ability to understand a number of general grammatical principles, such as the hierarchical nature of syntax.
E. Hixkaryana, spoken by about 400 people on a tributary of the Amazon River in Brazil, has a basic word order of object-verb-subject. The sentence "toro yahos? ye kamara", which literally translates to "Man grabbed jaguar", actually means that the jaguar grabbed the man, not that the man grabbed the jaguar.
F. The study of these smallest grammatical units, and the ways in which they combine into words, is called morphology.
选项
答案
B
解析
原文的小标题为"Meaning in Language",即语言的意义;并提到了语义学。选项B紧接着此话题对语义学作了详细介绍,即"语义学还涉及研究连接词素来形成短语和句子的构造意义",所以该项为此处的正确答案。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/PG44777K
0
考研英语一
相关试题推荐
Bettingagainstanindustrywithaddictsforcustomerscarriesobviousrisks.【C1】________theseareuncertaintimesforBigTobac
BeingpluggedintoaniPodisafeatureofadolescence.Anewstudysuggeststhatteenswhospendtoomuchtimelisteningtomus
Peopleusedtothinkthatlearningtwolanguagescreatedconfusioninthemind.Far【C1】________itwasthought,togetone
Yourcameraissnatched.Willyoueverseeita-gain?Probablynot.Butitmaysendpostcardsfromitsnewowner.The【C1】_______
Judgingfromrecentsurveys,mostexpertsinsleepbehavioragreethatthereisvirtuallyanepidemicofsleepinessinthenatio
Judgingfromrecentsurveys,mostexpertsinsleepbehavioragreethatthereisvirtuallyanepidemicofsleepinessinthenatio
Fordecadesthemarketforexpensiveheadphoneswasmainlylimitedtohi-fifans.But【C1】________theboxystereosysteminthec
Speakingtwolanguagesratherthanjustonehasobviouspracticalbenefitsinanincreasinglyglobalizedworld.Butinrecentye
Universityusedtobeforaprivilegedfew.Insomecountriesitisnowalmostariteofpassage.Althoughthatisexcellentnew
TedNingworkedasasalesmaninthatinsurancecompanyforayearbecausehesimplydidn’tknowwhatelsetodo,butfelthish
随机试题
Ifyouareworriedaboutthingsandareunderalotofstressatworkorschool,thenyouareprobablynotsleepingwell.Worry
能上助心阳以通脉,下补肾阳以益火的中药是
下列关于数字探测器像素设计的说法,正确的是
完全性右束支传导阻滞可出现
【2014—4】题11~15:有一台10kV,2500kW的异步电动机,cosφ=0.8,效率为0.92,启动电流倍数为6.5,本回路三相Y接线电流互感器变比为300/5,容量为30VA,该电流互感器与微机保护装置之间的控制电缆采用KVV一4×2.5mm2
目前,我国凭证式国债的发行采取的是()。
有限合伙企业的普通合伙人转变为有限合伙人的,对其作为普通合伙人期间合伙企业发生的债务承担无限连带责任。()
从每年的1月1日起至同年的12月31日止的预算年度称为()。
在蓝牙技术的应用中,最小的工作单位被称为(65)。
GenerationsofAmericanshavebeenbrought【C1】______tobelievethatagoodbreakfastisimportantforhealth.Eatingbreakfasta
最新回复
(
0
)