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
66
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.
Why does the English of 1,000 years ago seem a foreign language to modern speakers?
选项
答案
Because in English,everything from spelling to vocabulary has gone through major changes overthe years.
解析
(由文章第一段中的“In English,everything from spelling to vocabulary has gone through ma—jor changes over the years”可知,因为英语在过去经历了许多大的变化,所以对现在说英语的人来讲,一千年前的英语就像是一门外语。因此原文中的句子即为答案。)
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/nSNK777K
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
Changesinthewaypeoplelivebringaboutchangesinthejobsthattheydo.Moreandmorepeopleliveintownsandcitiesinste
Stereotypesaretroublesomebecausetheyareoftenindiscriminate,exhibitanallnessorientation,andcanproducefrozenevalu
Afewyearsago,peopleinEnglandvotedforthegreatestpersonofalltimefromtheircountry.Theywerenotjustvotingfort
Stereotypesaretroublesomebecausetheyareoftenindiscriminate,exhibitanallnessorientation,andcanproducefrozenevalu
ThemanwatchesthevideobecauseitwasrequiredbyProfessorStephen.
A、Finishingthereportontime.B、Meetingthechairmanoftheboard.C、ConvincingJudithtohelphim.D、Lookingforthematerial
Ifyouwantedtotryandworktoimproveyourstateofmind,I______you,butI’mnotgoingtogetinvolvedinyourdealingswith
WhatdoesthefollowingsentencemeaninChinese?Likefather,likeson.
随机试题
下面关于tRNA的分子结构特征的描述中正确的是()。
男性,40岁,中上腹绞痛伴恶心、呕吐1天。寒战,高热40℃,有黄疸、。体格检查:巩膜黄染,剑突下压痛,肌紧张,肝区叩击痛,血白细胞数2.2×109/L,血压11/9kPa,急诊入院。最可能的疾病是哪一项
电路如图7—5—18所示,运算放大器的最大输出电压为±12V,为了使灯HL亮,输入电压ui应满足()。
【背景资料】某热力管线暗挖隧道,长3.4km,断面有效尺寸为3.2m×2.8m,埋深3.5m。隧道穿越地层为砂土层和砂砾层,除局部有浅层滞水外,无需降水。承包方A公司通过招标将穿越砂砾层段468m隧道开挖及初期支护分包给B专业公司。B公司依据A公司的施
当财务杠杆系数为1时,下列表述中,正确的是()。
正态方差σ2的无偏估计是()。
想象、审美、情感丰富、求异、智能等表现,属于现代“五因素”特质理论中的()。
在Windows中,当程序因某种原因陷入死循环,下列哪一个方法能较好地结束该程序?()
WhatdoesProfessorLibbrechtbelievetobetrue?Whatdothesimplestsnowcrystalslooklike?
Hereamidthesteelandconcretecanyons,greengrassgrows.Ahawthorntree(山楂树)standsinnewsoil,andfreshlydugplantsbe
最新回复
(
0
)