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
In an article some Chinese scholars are described as being "tantalized by the mysterious dragon bone hieroglyphics." Tantalized
In an article some Chinese scholars are described as being "tantalized by the mysterious dragon bone hieroglyphics." Tantalized
admin
2010-01-16
28
问题
In an article some Chinese scholars are described as being "tantalized by the mysterious dragon bone hieroglyphics." Tantalized is one of many English words that have their origins in myths and legends of the past (in this case, Greek and Roman ones). The meaning of the verb tantalize is a very particular one : "to promise or show something desirable to a person and then take it away; to tease by arousing hope." Many (but not all) English dictionaries give you a brief indication of a word’s origins in brackets before or after the explanation of the meaning. For tantalize the following explanation is given: [>Tantalus]. This means that you should look up the name Tantalus to find out the word’s origins, and if you do, you will find out that in Greek mythology, Tantalus was a king who was punished in the lower world with eternal hunger and thirst; he was put up to his chin in water that always moved away when he tried to drink it and with fruit on branches above him placed just a little bit out of his reach. Can you see why his name was changed into a verb meaning "to tease or torment by arousing desire"?
Another example is the word siren, familiar to us as the mechanical device that makes such an alarming sound when police cars, ambulances, or fire engines approach. This word also has its origins in Greek mythology. The traveler Odysseus (Ulysses to the Romans) made his men plug their ears so that they wouldn’t hear the dangerous voices of the sirens, creatures who were half bird and half woman and who lured sailors to their deaths on sharp rocks. So the word came to be associated both with a loud sound and with danger!
When someone speaks of a "jovial mood" or a "herculean effort," he or she is using words with origins in mythology. Look these words up to find their meaning and relationship to myths.
Many common words, such as the names for the days of the week and the months of the year, also come from mythology. Wednesday derives from the ancient Norse king of the gods, Woden, and Thursday was originally Thor’s day, in honour of Thor, the god of thunder. As a matter of fact, all the planets, except the one we live on, bear names that come from Roman mythology, including the planet that is farthest away from the sun and for that reason was called after the Roman god of the dead. This god has also given his name to one of the chemical elements. Several other elements have names that come from mythology, too.
It seems that myths and legends live on in the English language.
选项
A、to describe the work of some Chinese scholars
B、to arouse readers’ interest in hieroglyphics
C、to lead readers onto the main theme
D、to link the preceding part to the present one
答案
C
解析
语篇结构题。第一段的首句和第二句中都出现了tantalize一词,第二句之后所有内容都围绕tantalize进行解释分析,可见首句是个引文。自然过渡到对tantalize的分析,引出词源这个话题,这是英文最常见的开篇方式之一,故[C]为正确答案。全文只有首句提到“中国学者”,本文主旨与中国学者无关,排除[A]。引文的目的之一就是引起读者的注意,但这里是要引起读者对词源的关注,而非象形文字,排除[B]。首句之前没有内容,因此谈不上承上,排除[D]。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/Y3nK777K
0
专业英语四级
相关试题推荐
SuggestopediaIntroduction•basis:how【T1】________worksandhowwelearnmosteffectively•ori
A、Totellmathpuns.B、Tosolvemathproblems.C、Toperformtonguetwisters.D、Tocheckmouthwashlabels.A
EthicsinCompaniesI.TheimportanceofethicsA.【T1】______enablescompaniestoexploittheeconomicadvantages,whereas【T2】_
PassageTwo(1)It’sagoldenageforstudyinginequality.ThomasPiketty,aFrencheconomist,setthebenchmarkin2014wh
PassageTwo(1)It’sagoldenageforstudyinginequality.ThomasPiketty,aFrencheconomist,setthebenchmarkin2014wh
PassageTwo(1)"SomeofmyfriendsthinkI’masnob,"admitsChristopherKarp,a20-year-oldaviation-managementstudent.
PassageOne(1)NewlandArcher,duringthisbriefepisode,hadbeenthrownintoastrangestateofembarrassment.(2)
Hemighthavedied______thecarefultreatmentofthedoctors.
ACross-culturalPhenomenonThereappearstobeagreatvariationastothetreatmentthatolderadultsreceive,rangingf
随机试题
泥质岩结构质地()。
利率按是否包括对通货膨胀引起的货币贬值风险的补偿角度划分为
(1)利达公司在财产清查中盘盈甲材料200千克,实际单位成本50元,经查属于材料收发计量方面的错误。(2)利达公司在财产清查中发现盘亏乙材料80千克,实际单位成本300元,经查属于一般经营损失。(3)利达公司在财产清查中发现毁损丙材料40千克,实
贯彻公安工作群众路线的途径有( )。
中国近代史上第一位全面介绍马克思主义思想的人物是()。
下列有关我国市场经济对法治的作用的表述,错误的是()。
阅读材料回答问题:材料1秋收起义几仗打下来,部队相继失利,损失很大,队伍“竞至溃不成军”。毛泽东在文家市里仁学校召开了前敌委员会会议,讨论部队的进军方向问题。毛泽东拿着一份从学校借来的地图,指着湘赣边界山形最宽的部分,用生动形象的比喻说:这里像眉
设h(x,y,z)表示由原点到椭球面∑:上过点P(x,y,z)处的切平面的垂直距离.计算I=h(x,y,z)dS.
以下程序运行后的输出结果是______。main(){charm;m=’B’+32;printf("%e\n",m);}
Moneycanbuyhappiness,butonlyifyouspenditonsomeoneelse,researchersreported.Spendingaslittleas$5adayons
最新回复
(
0
)