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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Chapter 1, An English-Speaking World.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. For what newspaper is Robert McCrum listed as Literary Editor in the Introduction?
(a) The London Times.
(b) The New York Times.
(c) The Observer.
(d) The San Francisco Chronicle.

2. What is a simplified language that develops as a means of communication between two or more groups that do not have a language in common?
(a) Simple.
(b) Average.
(c) Pidgin.
(d) Common.

3. What do the authors claim denote information about a speaker's life and career and explain community values?
(a) Languages.
(b) Vocabularies.
(c) Accents.
(d) Styles.

4. What great-grandfather of rap does Robert McCrum write is largely forgotten?
(a) Mister Spoons.
(b) Master P.
(c) Anderson Clydeson.
(d) Dr. Dre.

5. Who is the author of the novel Oscar and Lucinda?
(a) Danielle Steele.
(b) Peter Carey.
(c) Mark Twain.
(d) Jonathan Swift.

Short Answer Questions

1. Approximately how many words are in the English language?

2. When was William Shakespeare born?

3. After World War II, which national economy sent multinational corporations across the world and into NATO and the UN?

4. When was the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand?

5. Who wrote The American Language?

(see the answer key)

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