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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. Which two languages have found some purpose in international communications?
(a) Seaspeak and Esperanto
(b) Esperanto and Volapuk
(c) Seaspeak and Chinese
(d) Seaspeak and English

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

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

4. Translations between English and ______________ are particularly difficult.
(a) Italian
(b) Chinese
(c) German
(d) Japanese

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

Short Answer Questions

1. How do the British typically view American pronunciation and vocabulary?

2. A trend seen on both sides of the Atlantic is that of _________________________.

3. How do Americans view British pronunciation and vocabulary?

4. What does the author consider to be unreliable in monitoring English word usage?

5. What does the author note about spoken swear words throughout English literature?

Short Essay Questions

1. What considerations must businesses take into account when naming companies to go to market internationally?

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

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

4. What English language issue does the author consider to be ironic?

5. What is the author's final position on the future of the English language?

6. Describe the evolution of swear words.

7. What is the author's position on many spelling and grammar rules?

8. Explain the almost futile attempts to produce current English language dictionaries.

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

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

(see the answer keys)

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