EXERCISE 11
Although many people speak English,they don’t pronounce it or spell the word they use the same way.The United States, in __1_ ,has its own special way of pronouncing and spelling the English language.They speak American English ,and they __2_ a lot of its special character to one man:Noah Webster.
Noah Webster was born in Connecticut in 1758.He _3__during a period of great American patriotism.He gratuated from Yale University when he was 20. The __4_ of the American Revolution brought independence to the United States,but political _5__ didn’t satisfy Webster.He wanted to _6__ "the King’s English" and replace it __7_ a special American Language.
In 1783,Webster published a textbook called The American spelling Book.It was used by generation after __8_ of American school children .Because the book had a blue back,it become famous __9_ "the blue-backed speller".
Webster also _10__ a dictionary.It too,became very __11_ and was updated and reprinted many times.__12_ are,when you go to look up a word,you’ll _13__ the word in a new edition of Noah Webster’s book.
In his books,Webster made many changes in the English used in the United States.He suggested new ways to __14_ and spell English words.He also added new American __15_ to the language.
Webster made many other changes,most of _16__ American use today.However,Webster did not go __17_ his friend Benjamin Franklin wanted him to.Franklin wanted to __18_ all the silent letters from words;he also wanted to change the spelling of many words.Had Franklin written the dictionary __19_ Webster,he would spell give[giv],and wrong[rong].Franklin really wanted to give us our own mother tongue-but we would have _20__ it tong!
1) A particular B special C ordinary D extraordinary
2) A owing B own C owning D owe
3) A grows up B has been grown up C grew up D has grown up
4) A final B end C finish D terminal
5) A independence B dependence C independent D dependent
6) A doing away with B doing with C do away with D do with
7) A using B by C under D with
8) A a generation B generation C many years D generations
9) A for B by C with D as
10) A compiled B has compiled C was compiling D compiles
11) A popularity B population C popular D pollution
12) A opportunities B chances C opportunity D chance
13) A look up B look after C look for D look to
14) A write B learn C have pronounced D pronounce
15) A sentences B words C ways D means
16) A that B them C which D the
17) A as far as B as quick as C as long as D as good as
18) A do away with B keep C get rid of D drop
19) A instead of B instead C in the stead of D replace
20) A been spelling B read C spelled D been reading
adcba cdbaa cbadb cadac EXERCISE 12
English belongs,in a rather complicated way,to the Indo-European family __1_ includes most of the European languages and a few Asiatic ones. We don’t know __2_ the orginal speakers of the parent Indo-European language lived.Guessed about their homeland __3_ all the way from northwestern Europe __4_ central Asia.According to all the early _5__ ,they were a tall,blond,and warlike people,with a good __6_ of energy and intelligence.In their native land they had developed _7__ writing nor cities,so there is not much __8_ about how they lived when they were at home.But when they __9_ home and went out in __10_ of new lands,the Indo-European seem to have been generally successful in _11__ the countries they came to.
When a wave of them _12__ a territory already crowded,they _13__ the original population._14__ they lost their distinctive appearance by intermarrying with the earlier inhabitants,and sometimes they also _15__ most of the features of their language.When a _16__ went to a more thinly-settled territory,they naturally _17__ their physical characteristics comparatively unchanged for a much longer time;and they were likely to preserve the _18__ features of their language also,though the two things did not always go together.
The Slavic and Celltic languages,__19_ Indian,Persian ,and some others,are of Indo-Euro-pean origin,but the three branchs with _20__ English is most concerned are the Greek,Latin,and Germanic,particularly the last.
1) A which B whose C that D whom
2) A that B which C where D whose
3) A is ranging B range C have ranged D have been ranged
4) A into B towards C from D to
5) A records B recording C tapes D notes
6) A number B great C amount D deal
7) A either B neither C other D both
8) A evidence B points C understanding D knowing
9) A leave B would leave C left D were leaving
10) A search B wanting C looking D demanding
11) A conquer B conquering C defeat D defeating
12) A settled in B settled C settled down D settled to
13) A mix with B mixed together C mixed with D mix together
14) A on time B from time C by time D in time
15) A give in B gave in C gave up D give up
16) A branch B wave C group D kind
17) A preserve B reserve C preserved D reserved
18) A special B particular C distinguished D distinctive
19) A as well as B as good as C as well D as good
20) A them B which C the three branches D that
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