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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

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

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

3. In addition to organization, what other issues arise when publishing a dictionary?
(a) Psychological
(b) Financial
(c) Political
(d) Social

4. Many modern swear words come from _________________________.
(a) anger
(b) polite speech
(c) uneducated people
(d) misunderstandings

5. Words that enter American and British vocabularies generally come from what country?
(a) England
(b) America
(c) Italy
(d) France

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the dictionary that follows Webster's forty years later?

2. The English language is left to ___________ and public figures.

3. What is another major language issue in North America?

4. Like other words, swear words ____________________________.

5. Why are the speakers in #140 becoming a minority?

Short Essay Questions

1. What impact has American English had on the British vocabulary?

2. Explain the role of immigrants to North America on the evolution of the English language.

3. In addition to English, what other languages have been proposed as international languages?

4. What does the author state as one of the oldest English language dictionaries?

5. Why are English speakers becoming a minority of single-language users globally?

6. One of the most interesting words created in North America was "O.K." What is the background behind this new word?

7. How does the author explain the development of British and American surnames?

8. Why are translations between English and Japanese especially difficult?

9. What has been the naming process for places in England and America?

10. To what does the author attribute the misuse of English grammar?

(see the answer keys)

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