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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. It is difficult to determine the _______________________ in the English language.
(a) number of words
(b) quality of words
(c) number of dialects
(d) number of dictionaries

2. How many words does the dictionary mentioned in #117 contain?
(a) 700,000
(b) 750,000
(c) 600,000
(d) 800,000

3. From what industries do new words in American and Britain come?
(a) Entertainment and finance
(b) Entertainment and academia
(c) Sociology and technology
(d) Entertainment and technology

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

5. How do the British typically view American pronunciation and vocabulary?
(a) They want to destroy them
(b) They are open to anything American
(c) They look down on them
(d) They try to emulate them

Short Answer Questions

1. Which speakers are becoming a minority of single-language users around the world?

2. From what context do many swear words come?

3. What word game does the author note first in Chapter 15?

4. What do the British borrow from American English?

5. Original names from _______________ or Native American times have slowly shifted in spelling and pronunciation.

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What happens to the use of swear words as society becomes more cognizant of propriety?

3. Explain any efforts to regulate the English language.

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

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

8. What is the challenge of determining the actual number of words in the English language?

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

10. Name some less common word games.

(see the answer keys)

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