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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.
Short Answer Questions
1. Original names from _______________ or Native American times have slowly shifted in spelling and pronunciation.
2. According to the author, what do most academies hand down about English grammar?
3. In what year was the crossword puzzle invented?
4. In addition to organization, what other issues arise when publishing a dictionary?
5. What is the mission of the English-only movement in the U.S.?
Short Essay Questions
1. What happens to the use of swear words as society becomes more cognizant of propriety?
2. What were some of the transitions of the English language as it migrated to North America?
3. What English language issue does the author consider to be ironic?
4. What impact has American English had on the British vocabulary?
5. What does the author state as one of the oldest English language dictionaries?
6. Explain the almost futile attempts to produce current English language dictionaries.
7. What is the origin of the crossword puzzle?
8. What is the source of many swear words throughout history?
9. How is the pronunciation of place names indicative of how English speakers have changed over time?
10. Name some less common word games.
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Who was Samuel Johnson? What was his role in the development of the English language? What impact did his work have? Is his work still relevant today?
Essay Topic 2
One of the major issues that Bryson emphasizes throughout the book is that no higher authority controls the English language. Imagine that you could invent such an authoritative organization and outline its mission statement as well as its strategic and tactical plans.
Essay Topic 3
Building on language foundations, human speech spread throughout the world. Explain some of the commonalities and distinctions that mark the evolution of the English language.
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This section contains 969 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
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