2. Reading Comprehension

a. General Comprehension

Read the article and say whether these statements are true or false. Give reasons.

T/F

…….. 1. English is the first language of India.

…….. 2. French and English borrow many foreign words.

…….. 3. English is based on a Germanic tongue.

…….. 4. English has many Latin words and endings.

…….. 5. The Dutch followed the English to the New World.

…….. 6. Some Spanish words have been Americanized.

…….. 7. The “cinch” is the middle of a horse’s body.

…….. 8. It’s rare to hear Americanized words in New York today.

…….. 9. Frankfurter and hamburger are now considered English words.

…….. 10. H.L. Mencken thinks it’s about time to refuse any more foreign words into English.

1. Detailed Comprehension.

Read the article another time and answer the following questions.

1. What is the place of English in the «global village»?

2. What can be said about the adaptability of English as compared to French, Italian or Spanish?

3. How many cultures contributed to modern English?

4. In what way did the French conquest of Britain (1066) change English?

5. How did the American vocabulary begin to develop as soon as the British set foot in the New World?

6. Does American English still welcome new words?

Respond with the Best Answer.

1. In Paragraph 1, Sentence 1, the expression «global village» suggests that people worldwide

a. live in similar houses.

b. communicate easily.

c. are learning English.

2. Paragraph 2 implies that English

a. never had a language academy.

b. is similar to French and Italian.

c. has a long history.

3. In Paragraph 3, Sentence 3 is a (an) ______ Sentence 2.

a. illustration of b. reason for c. result of

4. In Paragraph 3, the word «respectively» means that the English and German words _____ the given order.

a. contradict b. match c. cause

5. Because of the French conquest of Britain

a. the British started speaking French.

b. some French words replaced some Germanic words.

c. Latin became the language of both countries.

6. The word «first» and «second» in Paragraph 4 signal

a. examples of changes in English.

b. results of the French invasion.

c. both of the above.

7. We may conclude that German and French speakers

a. recognize many English words.

b. can not learn English spelling.

c. are not interested in learning new languages.

8. The main idea of Paragraph 5 is that

a. American colonists adopted Native American words.

b. American English separated from British English.

c. British travelers criticized changes in English.

9. In the last sentence of Paragraph 5, the best substitute for «Although» is

a. Therefore

b. Because

c. While

10. The vocabulary examples in Paragraph 6 suggest that foreign words entered English through

a. literature

b. work

c. science.

11. Some paragraphs with examples of foreign contributions to English are

a. 1, 5, and 7.

b. 5, 6, and 8.

c. 2, 5, and 8.

12. Paragraph 7 does not contain

a. foreignisms in English.

b. immigrant experiences.

c. a main idea.

13. Paragraphs 6 and 7 primarily

a. discuss foreign foods popular in the United States.

b. show the influence of Spanish on English.

c. illustrate the use of foreign words in English.

14. The example in Paragraph 8 implies that

a. the Japanese and the Americans do a lot of business together.

b. the Dutch are less businesslike than the Japanese.

c. Japanese and English words are sometimes related.

15. Which is the best interpretation of the quotation in Paragraph 8: «The day the gates go up, … the language begins to die».

a. Increased immigration would benefit the American economy.

b. Open immigration keeps a language growing.

c. An unchanging language increases its creative expression.