2014年公共英语二级考试试题：阅读理解2

　　阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳答案，并在答题卡l上将该项涂黑。

　　We all believed that words of a language evolve (进化) gradually over the centuries, rather as animals and plants evolve over millions of year. Sometimes the change is so slight as to be almost unnoticeable-finger, for example, means the same today as it did 1, 000 years ago. Other words have changed out of all recognition. For example, modern English “lord”, a person with high social positions, comes from Old English “hlaford”. It used to mean “guardian of the bread”, a person who protects the bread. But not all word meanings change like this. Just as new and different types of animals and plants can be reproduced, we can call completely new words into being.

　　Anyone can make a word. The difficult part is to make it stay in the language. To stand the best chance it should probably relate to a particular and fairly specialized subject. That cuts down the number of people who need to agree to use it. Chemists are often having to find expressions for new findings. Once that is achieved, there may be a chance for wider recognition if the expression comes to be of interest to the general public.

　　Ordinary people can make long-lasting words, though. In 1924, a competition (比赛) was held to make a word for a drinker of illegal liquor(非法出售的酒). A prize of US $200 was offered, and there were reportedly over 25, 000 suggestions. The winners were Henry Irving Dale and Kate L. Butler, who both came up with “scofflaw”. And that word exists in American English to this day, in the rather wider sense “someone who disobeys the law”.

　　1. What can we learn from the text?

　　A. It is the duty of specialists to make new words.

　　B. People are encouraged to make new words.

　　C. Words evolve faster than animals and plants.

　　D. New words are usually made by chemists.

　　2. New words are usually not accepted until they__________.

　　A. can express common ideas

　　B. are included in school subjects

　　C. are proved useful by scientists

　　D. gain public agreement

　　3. According to the text，making a new word is less difficult than.

　　A. determining how to pronounce it

　　B. having a new chemical product

　　C. organizing a competition

　　D. making it long.1asting

　　4. The underlined word “scofflaw” (1ine 4, para.3) originally meant the person who _________.

　　A. drinks illegally

　　B. wins prize for drinking liquor

　　C. disobeys the law

　　D. destroys illegal liquor

　　参考答案：

　　1. C 【解析】此题问的是我们可以从文中得到什么。通过阅读全文，我们可以看到A,B,D文中并没有提到。而文章的第一句话提到语言经过几个世纪就会发生变化，而动植物的进化却需要几百万年，可见语言的演变速度要远远快于动植物，故C正确。

　　2. D 【解析】此题问的是直到什么时候新词才被接受。第二段的最后一句话提到一旦新的发现引起大众的兴趣，就会得到广泛的认同。此处的新发现指的就是新词，故D正确。

　　3. D 【解析】此题问的是制造一个新词比什么简单。文章第二段的第一、二句提到任何人都可以造新词，难的是怎样使它在语言中保留下来。可见制造新词要比让这个词保留下来容易，故D正确。

　　4. A 【解析】此题问的是划线词scofflaw指的是哪种人。文章的最后一段讲的是普通人创造新词的内容。本段的第一句话讲到举行了一场为饮用非法销售酒的人的命名比赛，后面又提到某个人以“scofflaw”赢得了比赛，可见scofflaw的意思是“饮用非法销售酒的人”，故A正确。