Most people who bother with the matter at all would admit that the English language is in a bad way, but it is generally assumed that we cannot by conscious action do anything about it. Our civilization is decadent (堕落的) and our language—so the argument runs—must inevitably share in the general collapse. It follows that any struggle against the abuse of language is a sentimental archaism (拟古), like preferring candles to electric light or handsome cabs to airplanes. Underneath this lies the half-conscious belief that language is a natural growth and not an instrument which we shape for our own purposes.
Now it is clear that the decline of a language must ultimately have political and economic causes: it is not due to the bad influence of this or that individual writer. But an effect can become a cause, reinforcing the original cause and producing the same effect in an intensified form, and so on indefinitely. A man may take to drink because he feels himself to be a failure, and then fail all the more completely because he drinks. It is rather the same thing that is happening to the English language. It becomes ugly and inaccurate because our thoughts are foolish, but the slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts. The point is that the process is reversible. Modern English, especially written English, is full of bad habits which spread by imitation and which can be avoided if one is willing to take the necessary trouble. If one gets rid of these habits one can think more clearly, and to think clearly is a necessary first step towards political revival: so that the fight against bad English is not foolish and is not the exclusive concern of professional writers.
1. Many people believe that nothing can be done about the English language because ______.
2. The word “slovenliness” in the second paragraph most probably means ______.
3. The author believes that ______.
4. The author believes the first stage towards the political revival of the language would be ______.
5. Which of the following statement is true?
问题1选项
A.it has been bad for a long time
B.we live in a decadent civilization
C.there are too many bad writers
D.people are too lazy to change their bad habits
问题2选项
A.slow development
B.careless use
C.widespread
D.original influence
问题3选项
A.it is now too late to do anything about the problem
B.the decline in the language can be stopped
C.language is a natural growth and cannot be shaped for our own purpose
D.the process of an increasingly bad language cannot be stopped
问题4选项
A.getting rid of bad habits
B.avoiding being foolish about it
C.clear thinking
D.the fight against bad English
问题5选项
A.Individual writer should be fully responsible for the decline of a language.
B.We can do something consciously about the decline of English.
C.The decline of a language may be caused by political and economic factors.
D.People drinking too much should be responsible for the decline of a language.
第1题:B
第2题:B
第3题:B
第4题:C
第5题:C
第1题:
【选项释义】
Many people believe that nothing can be done about the English language because ________. 许多人认为对英语这门语言无能为力,因为________。
A. it has been bad for a long time A. 这种情况已经持续很长时间了
B. we live in a decadent civilization B. 我们生活在一个颓废的文明中
C. there are too many bad writers C. 糟糕的作家太多了
D. people are too lazy to change their bad habits D. 人们太懒了,不愿意改变他们的坏习惯
【答案】B
【考查点】细节事实题。
【解题思路】根据题干可以定位至文章第一段第一句“根本就不关心这件事的大多数人都承认英语情况很糟糕,但人们普遍认为我们无法通过有意识的行动来改变它”,开头提到大多数人对英语这门语言什么也做不了,然后第二句指出“我们的文明是颓废的,而我们的语言——正如争论的那样——必然与普遍的崩溃有牵连”,理解可知,语言和文明息息相关,而人们对英语这门语言无能为力的原因是我们的文明是颓废的,所以该题选择B项“我们生活在一个颓废的文明中”符合题意。
【干扰项排除】
A项“这种情况已经持续很长时间了”和C项“糟糕的作家太多了”文章没有提及,这两项属于无中生有;
D项“人们太懒了,不愿意改变他们的坏习惯”是文章中对于语言的复兴而进行的类比,该项属于曲解原文。
第2题:
【选项释义】
The word “slovenliness” in the second paragraph most probably means ________. 第二段中的“slovenliness”一词很可能是________的意思。
A. slow development A. 缓慢发展
B. careless use B. 随便使用
C. widespread C. 分布广的;普遍的
D. original influence D. 最初的影响
【答案】B
【考查点】词义推测题。
【解题思路】根据题干定位至第二段第五句“它变得丑陋和不准确,因为我们的想法是愚蠢的,但我们的语言的slovenliness使我们更容易有愚蠢的想法”,结合上两句“一个人可能因为觉得自己是个失败者而喝酒,然后因为喝酒而更加彻底地失败。这与正在发生在英语上的事情是一样的。”,理解可知,一个人因为失败而喝酒,然后放任自己失败,与英语的衰落是同样的道理,如果我们随便使用英语这门语言,那么我们更容易使语言衰落,所以推测slovenliness在文中指的是“随便使用语言”,所以该题选择B项“随便使用”符合题意。
【干扰项排除】
A项“缓慢发展”、C项“分布广的;普遍的”和D项“最初的影响”都属于无中生有。
第3题:
【选项释义】
The author believes that ________. 作者认为________。
A. it is now too late to do anything about the problem A. 现在对这个问题采取任何行动都太晚了
B. the decline in the language can be stopped B. 语言的衰落是可以停止的
C. language is a natural growth and cannot be shaped for our own purpose C. 语言是一种自然的成长,不能按照我们自己的目的来塑造
D. the process of an increasingly bad language cannot be stopped D. 语言越来越糟糕的过程是无法阻止的
【答案】B
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据第二段前两句“现在很明显,一种语言的衰落最终必然有政治和经济原因:它不是由于这个或那个作者的不良影响。但是,一个结果可以变成一个原因,从而强化原来的原因,并以一种强化的形式产生同样的结果,如此循环往复。”可知,语言衰落是有原因的,而语言衰落造成的影响不断强化则同样会造成语言衰落,这与后文对饮酒的人的类比相似,而第六句提到“关键是这个过程是可逆的(reversible)”,说明语言衰落是可以停止的,故该题选择B项“语言的衰落是可以停止的”符合题意。
【干扰项排除】
A项“现在对这个问题采取任何行动都太晚了”和C项“语言是一种自然的成长,不能按照我们自己的目的来塑造”原文没有提及,这两项属于无中生有;
D项“语言越来越糟糕的过程是无法阻止的”与原文相反,该项属于反向干扰。
第4题:
【选项释义】
The author believes the first stage towards the political revival of the language would be ________. 作者认为,语言的政治复兴的第一个阶段是________。
A. getting rid of bad habits A. 改掉坏习惯
B. avoiding being foolish about it B. 避免愚蠢
C. clear thinking C. 思维清晰
D. the fight against bad English D. 与糟糕的英语作斗争
【答案】C
【考查点】细节事实题。
【解题思路】根据题干定位至文章最后一句“如果一个人摆脱了这些习惯,他就能更清晰地思考,而清晰地思考是走向政治复兴的必要的第一步……”,理解可知,清晰的思维是政治复兴的第一个阶段,该题选择C项“思维清晰”符合题意。
【干扰项排除】
A项“改掉坏习惯”是清晰思维的前提,不是政治复兴的第一步,该项属于张冠李戴;
B项“避免愚蠢”,文中提到的是坏习惯可以避免,该项属于曲解原文;
D项“与糟糕的英语作斗争”,根据最后一句“……因此,与糟糕英语作斗争不是愚蠢的,也不是专业作家所关心的唯一问题”是对现代英语的书面表达的陈述,并不是政治复兴,该项属于张冠李戴。
第5题:
【选项释义】
Which of the following statement is true? 下列哪一项陈述是正确的?
A. Individual writer should be fully responsible for the decline of a language. A. 个体作家应该对语言的衰落负全责。
B. We can do something consciously about the decline of English. B. 对于英语的衰落,我们可以有意识地采取一些措施。
C. The decline of a language may be caused by political and economic factors. C. 一种语言的衰落可能是由政治和经济因素造成的。
D. People drinking too much should be responsible for the decline of a language. D. 饮酒过量的人们应该对一种语言的衰落负责。
【答案】C
【考查点】细节事实题。
【解题思路】根据第二段第一句“现在很明显,一种语言的衰落最终必然有政治和经济原因”可知,一种语言的衰落可能是由政治和经济因素造成的,所以该题选择C项“一种语言的衰落可能是由政治和经济因素造成的”符合题意。
【干扰项排除】
A项“个体作家应该对语言的衰落负全责”,文中没有提到,该项属于无中生有;
B项“对于英语的衰落,我们可以有意识地采取一些措施”根据第一句“……但人们普遍认为我们无法通过有意识的行动来改变它”可知,该项属于反向干扰;
D项“饮酒过量的人们应该对一种语言的衰落负责”,文中用饮酒的人举例是为了进行类比,该项属于曲解原文。
【文章来源】《政治与英语》乔治•奥威尔1946
【参考译文】
用心思考这个问题的大多数人都承认,英语的现状不佳,但大都认为无法通过有意识的行为来改变这一状况。文明日趋衰落,语言随之败落,这种趋势无法避免——人们想当然地如此推断。由此任何反对语言滥用的斗争都不过是伤感的怀旧情绪罢了,就如同宁可点蜡烛而不用电灯、宁可坐马车而不愿乘飞机一般。在这种观点背后潜藏着一种半意识状态的观点,认为语言是浑然天成的,而非我们为了达到自身目的而塑造的工具。
毋庸置疑,一种语言的衰败归根结底有其政治和经济方面的原因,而不能将其简单归结为这位或那位作家个人的负面影响。但影响同样能够成为一种原因,强化原有的原因,从而导致更为严重的后果,如此无限循环下去。人可能因失败感而酗酒,然后因酗酒变得更为失败。在英语语言方面几乎存在着同样的问题。思维的愚蠢让我们的语言变得丑陋而不精准;而语言的随意凌乱,又使我们更易于产生愚蠢的思想。关键问题在于,这个过程是可逆的。现代英语,特别是在书面语中,存在着很多坏习惯,而这些坏习惯因彼此模仿而传播;但事实上只要一个人愿意付出必要的努力,就完全可以避免。而如果能够避免这些坏习惯,那必然就能够使思维更清晰,而清晰的思维则是走向政治复兴所必须迈出的第一步。因此,与不良英语作斗争并非是件无足轻重的小事,也不只是职业作家所该关心的事。