Question

【题目】 You may be surprised to learn that English gets 30 to 45 percent of its words from French. The reason goes back to the year 1066, when Norman forces invaded (入侵) what is now Britain. The Normans were from northern France and spoke French. During the Norman occupation, French became the language of England’s rulers and wealthy class. This lasted for more than 300 years. Other people in England continued to speak English during this period.

Over time, the two languages combined and shared words. Some researchers believe that about 10,000 French words eventually entered the English language. However, although English took many French words, their meanings have not always stayed the same. Sometimes the differences in meanings can be very important, and lead to funny or strange situations if the words are used in the wrong way.

Take, for example, the French word college. In English, college can often be used in place of the word university, or sometimes as a school within a university. However, in French, college actually means “middle school”, or the level of schooling for students in grades five or six through eight.

There are many other similar words in the two languages with completely different meanings. In English, the word chat is a verb which means “to talk casually”; but in French, the word chat is the word for an animal: a cat.

If an English speaker says someone is jolly, that means they are cheerful or friendly. But in French, jolie means someone is goodlooking or pleasant to look at. In any case, both are nice things to say to someone.

【1】What language did the upper class speak in Britain of Norman times ?

A. English.

B. French.

C. Both English and French.

D. Some unknown language.

【2】What does college mean in French?

A. The teenager time.

B. University in French.

C. Middle school in English.

D. University in common sense.

【3】What is the text mainly about?

A. Comparison between two languages.

B. Difficulty in grasping English.

C. French words in English.

D. Development of English.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】B

【2】C

【3】C

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。文章讲述的是英语中的法语单词。

【1】细节理解题。根据第一段中During the Norman occupation, French became the language of England’s rulers and wealthy class.可知，诺曼时代英国的上层阶级说法语。故选B。

【2】细节理解题。根据第三段中However, in French, college actually means “middle school”,可知，“大学”在法语里的意思是英语中的“中学”。故选C。

【3】主旨大意题。根据第一段中You may be surprised to learn that English gets 30 to 45 percent of its words from French. The reason goes back to the year 1066, when Norman forces invaded (入侵) what is now Britain.“你可能会惊讶地发现，英语中30%到45%的单词来自法语。原因可以追溯到1066年，当时诺曼人入侵了现在的英国。”可知，本文讲述的是英语中的法语单词。故选C。

抓住文章主线和关键词语，归纳文章中心

要注意不是所有的段落都有主题句，有时主题句暗含在句中。阅读这样的文章，就需要自己根据文章的细节来分析，概括出段落的主题，从而推导出文章的主旨。分析的方法是：先弄清该段落主要讲了哪几方面的内容，这些内容在逻辑上有什么联系，然后加以归纳形成主题。根据第一段中You may be surprised to learn that English gets 30 to 45 percent of its words from French. The reason goes back to the year 1066, when Norman forces invaded (入侵) what is now Britain.“你可能会惊讶地发现，英语中30%到45%的单词来自法语。原因可以追溯到1066年，当时诺曼人入侵了现在的英国。”可知，本文讲述的是英语中的法语单词。故选C。