Etymology (语源), the study of words and word roots, may sound like the kind of thing done by boring librarians in small rooms. Yet etymologists actually have an interesting job. They are in many ways just like archaeologists (考古学家) digging up the history of people and events. The special aspect of etymology is that it digs up history, so to speak, through the words and phrases that are left behind.
The English language is a great field to explore history through words. As a language, English has a number of words. In some way, this is because it has its ability to adapt (适应) foreign words so easily. For example, “English” words such as kindergarten (from German), croissant (from French), and cheetah (from Hindi) have become part of the language with little or no change from their original (最初的) sounds and spellings. So English-language etymologists have a large world of words to explore.
Another enjoyable thing about etymology for most word experts is solving word mysteries (谜). No, etymologists do not go around solving murders (谋杀), like the great detective (侦探) Sherlock Holmes. What these word experts solve are mysterious origins of some of our most common words.
One of the biggest questions English language experts have pursued is how English came to have the phrase OK. Though it is one of the most commonly used expressions, its exact beginning is a puzzle even to this day. Even its spelling is not completely consistent(吻合的)—unless you spell it Okay, it is hard even to call it a word.
Etymologists have been able to narrow OK’s origin down to a likely, although not certain, source (来源). It became widely used around the time of Martin Van Buren’s run for president in 1840. His nickname (昵称) was Old Kinderhook. What troubles word experts about this explanation is that the phrase appeared in some newspapers before Van Buren became well known. It is likely that Van Buren could be called its primary source. Etymologists will doubtlessly keep searching for the original source. However, it is clear that OK’s popularity and reputation (名声) have topped those of the American president to whom it has been most clearly connected with.
【小题1】The author mentions the words like “croissant” in Paragraph 2 to show _________.| A．words have changed a lot in the two languages |
| B．what English-language etymologists are exploring now |
| C．English has absorbed (吸收) many words from other foreign languages |
| D．the English vocabulary is difficult to the non-English-speaking people |
| A．looked upon | B．dug up | C．put in | D．set down |
| A．discover the possible origin of words |
| B．help detectives to solve mysterious murders |
| C．write interesting stories for some newspapers |
| D．explore the English language as well as the recent events |
| A．To present the history of English words. |
| B．To explain what an etymologist does for his job. |
| C．To introduce the pleasure of the study of words and word roots. |
| D．To teach readers how to tell English words from non-English words. |
If you can speak more than one language, you can communicate directly with more people around the world. You do not have to depend on others to talk for you, so you’re more independent. People who know only one language must use others to help them communicate.
Furthermore, speaking a second language also allows people to experience other cultures and customs more effectively. Local expressions, vocabulary, and even jokes can have a powerful effect on a person’s understanding of another culture. So, knowing more than one language increases your knowledge of other cultures.
Finally, having more multi-language speakers improves relationships between countries. If people from different countries can communicate well, the world can become closer. Countries will then have more respect for each other and better understand each other’s problems.
It’s clear that knowing more than one language is really good. In fact, there are no disadvantages. It is very sad that many people don’t try to learn another language. It is even worse when people let themselves forget their mother language and become silenced.
【小题1】The passage begins with the experience of the Smith family in order to_______.
| A．discuss the need for teaching a new language |
| B．introduce the passage’s main characters to the readers |
| C．describe the advantages of moving to another country |
| D．show the problems of speaking only one language |
| A．their mother language | B．a new language |
| C．more than one language | D．body language |
| A．Not knowing another language. |
| B．Forgetting one’s mother language. |
| C．Refusing to learn another language. |
| D．Failing to communicate with others. |
| A．The advantages of learning other languages. |
| B．The reasons why people come to America. |
| C．The importance of learning English |
| D．How to learn another language |
Red is a hot colour. Americans often use it to represent heat. When they say “red-hot”, that means they are very angry about something. Loud music is popular with many people. Some may say that such music is red-hot.
Pink is a lighter kind of red. People sometimes say “I’m in the pink” when they are in good health. The expression was first used in America at the beginning of the 20th century. It probably comes from the fact that many babies are born with a nice pink colour that shows that they are in good health.
Blue is a cool colour. The old Blues music in the United States is the opposite of red-hot music. Blues is slow and sad. Someone who is “blue” is very sad.
The colour green is natural for trees and grass. But it is an unnatural colour for humans. A person who has an upset stomach may say “I’m feeling a bit green”. A person on a boat who is feeling very sick from high waves can be said “look very green”. Sometimes a person may be very jealous because he does not have anything as nice as someone has, like a fast new car. That person may say “I’m green with envy”. Some people are green with envy because someone has more dollars or “greenbacks”. Dollars are called greenbacks in American slangs because that is the colour of the bottom of their bank notes.
The colour black is used often in expressions. People may say “it’s a black day” when everything goes wrong on that day.
In some cases, colours describe a situation.
阅读短文，选择最佳选项。
【小题1】What does “I’m in the pink” mean?
| A．I’m sad. | B．I’m happy. |
| C．I’m healthy. | D．I’m worried. |
| A．a red day | B．a green day |
| C．a pink day | D．a black day |
| A．漆黑的夜晚 | B．穿黑衣服外出 |
| C．灯火管制 | D．去掉黑色 |
| A．People in the USA use the colour black to express heat. |
| B．If you are blue, you are very happy. |
| C．Blue and red are both warm colours. |
| D．If someone is very rich, you may be green with envy. |
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