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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Preface to Pygmalion. A Professor of Phonetics.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which system does Shaw use to write his Preface?
(a) A typewriter.
(b) Pitman.
(c) Current Shorthand.
(d) Gregg.

2. Which is true of Pygmalion at the time Shaw wrote his Preface?
(a) It is extremely successful on stage and screen all over North America and Europe.
(b) It is extremely successful in Europe, and he hopes to make it so in America.
(c) It is extremely successful in America, but not in Europe.
(d) It is extremely successful on stage, and he hopes to make a movie of it.

3. On what basis do some English people despise others?
(a) Whether they are foreign or native-born citizens.
(b) Their socioeconomic class.
(c) Their accents or dialects of English.
(d) Their level of education.

4. Which elements of the English alphabet have no agreed speech value?
(a) The consonants.
(b) The consonants and some vowels.
(c) The vowels.
(d) The vowels and some consonants.

5. What should happen with the spelling of the English language, according to Shaw?
(a) It should be made as phonetic as Spanish.
(b) It should be simplified to get rid of silent letters.
(c) It should be emphasized more in school so that everyone can learn to spell correctly.
(d) Standardized spelling should disregarded as unnecessary; people should simply sound out words and apply the approximate phonetic spelling.

Short Answer Questions

1. To Shaw, what is the main advantage of Henry Sweet's "Current Shorthand"?

2. What is one of Shaw's purposes in writing this play?

3. What does Sweet send Shaw?

4. What is one example Shaw gives of when people might want to change their accents?

5. At which university does Sweet teach?

(see the answer key)

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