YoumaybesurprisedtolearnthatEnglishgets30to45percentofi...

问题详情：

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.

篇章导读：本文是一篇说明文。文章讲述了英语中存在大量法语词汇的现象，并举例说明英语中的法语单词及其在法语中的不同含义。

13．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.

14．What does college mean in French?

A．The teenager time.

B．University in French.

C．Middle school in English.

D．University in common sense.

15．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.

【回答】

13.B　细节理解题。根据第一段中的“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。

14.C　细节理解题。根据第三段中的“However, in French, college actually means ‘middle school’”可知，“college”在法语里的意思是“中学”。故选C。

15.C　主旨大意题。根据第一段第一句“You may be surprised to learn that English gets 30 to 45 percent of its words from French.”和第二段第一句“Over time, the two languages combined and shared words. Some researchers believe that about 10,000 French words eventually entered the English language.”可知，本文讲述的是“英语中的法语单词”。故选C。

知识点：*经济文化类阅读

题型：阅读理解