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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who wrote the longest-standing example of an English dictionary?
(a) Ben Franklin
(b) G. & C. Merriam Co.
(c) Samuel Johnson
(d) Noah Webster

2. Other than America and England, what country speaks English primarily?
(a) Wales
(b) Ireland
(c) Australia
(d) Finland

3. What is one of the organizations that has failed as a grammar regulatory force?
(a) Oxford University
(b) Harvard University
(c) United Nations
(d) Academie Francaise

4. Which of the following languages has not been proposed as an international language?
(a) Volapuk
(b) Chinese
(c) Seaspeak
(d) Esperanto

5. Historians show real _______________ by piecing together a record of the human community without definitive proof.
(a) creativity
(b) dishonesty
(c) confidence
(d) assertiveness

6. What did North American immigrants do with their native languages?
(a) They abandoned them
(b) They modified them radically
(c) They modified them somewhat
(d) They held to them steadfastly

7. What is the second word game described by the author in Chapter 15?
(a) Scrabble
(b) Monopoly
(c) Yahtzee
(d) Sudoku

8. American names adapt and change to suit _______________________ pronunciation and spelling patterns.
(a) Celtic
(b) American
(c) Spanish
(d) British

9. The author discusses the process of development of the British _____________ from the Middle Ages to the present.
(a) middle name
(b) nickname
(c) surname
(d) first name

10. What marketing challenge must companies address when considering working abroad?
(a) Branding
(b) Web site click thrus
(c) Direct mail
(d) Tag lines

11. Which speakers are becoming a minority of single-language users around the world?
(a) Italian speakers
(b) English speakers
(c) French speakers
(d) German speakers

12. According to the author what will happen when English comes into its own as a modern language of international importance?
(a) There will be fewer rules imposed
(b) Communication will break down
(c) Regionalism will take over
(d) The language will run amuck

13. Why can translations between countries be considered difficult?
(a) Adults are too hard to train in a new language
(b) Countries do not teach children who are more amenable to new language
(c) People are basically too lazy to learn something new
(d) People are conditioned to communicate within their specific culture.

14. Who invented the crossword puzzle?
(a) A university professor
(b) An American newspaper editor
(c) A nurse
(d) A second grade teacher

15. In what year is the dictionary mentioned in #113 printed?
(a) 1755
(b) 1492
(c) 1563
(d) 1776

Short Answer Questions

1. When did the English language go through many changes?

2. According to the author, the English language will __________ as it has throughout history.

3. From what context do many swear words come?

4. How many words did Noah Webster's dictionary contain to surpass the one mentioned in #113?

5. What occurs when English speaking world leaders are forced to rely on translators?

(see the answer keys)

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