词汇学考试资料

1. What is the definition of a word?

Aristotle defined a word as a smallest significant unit of speech—a definition which held sway until recently. Modern methods of analysis have discovered semantic units below the word level. A new term is therefore needed to denote the smallest significant element of speech; in contemporary linguistic theory it is known as a morpheme. According to Bloomfield, a word is a minimal free form. From the lexicological point of view, a word is a combination of form and meaning. In addition, a word acts as a strctural unit of a sentence.

2. Paraphrase the underlined words in the following sentences:

1—Italian newspapers attack earthquake relief organization. (organization of relief work)

2—Britain is helping with a feasibility study for rice growing.(a study to determine the feasibility of a project or program) 3—Eight men were accused of gifts conspiracy.(the act of working together aecretly to use gifts as bribes)

4—If the journals are not approved, the distribution of all future issues will be held up for inspection by the smut hounds.(censors with eyes for porns)

3. Write out in full the following shortened words:

EEC = European Economic Community

OPEC = Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries

SLAM = supersonic low altitude missile; strategic low altitude missile

EDV AC = electronic discrete variable automatic computer

GEM = ground effect machine

NSC = National Security Council

ERDA = Energy Research and Development Administration

Dyno = dynamic

Aggro = aggressiveness

Chute = parachute

Pro = professional

Memo = memorandum

Fridge = refrigerator

Narc = narcotic agent of detective

Frag = fragmentation grenade

Frat = fraternity

4.Match the scrambled clues with the names or terms given in the left-hand column.

Circe---enchantress who turned Odysseus’ men into swine

Adonis---the beau ideal of masculine beauty

Don Juan---No. 1 wolf in literature

Mrs Grundy---self-appointed female policer of conventional proprieties, what Will Hays was to Hollywood.

Munchausen---fertile, resourceful and ingenious liar on he grand scale

Thersites---champion grumbler and seditionist in the Greek camp before Troy

Tartuffe--- worldly peseudo-pious hypocrite, supposedly satirizing Jeasuits

Bumble---fussy, pompous, self-important small time dignitary

Shylok---wanted his pound of flesh as penalty interest on loan

Polonius---long-winded slf-appointed Nestor, full of wise saws

Bobadil--- thrasonical soldier, captain or better

Rodomontade---loud-mouthed ranting, from the speech habits of an Ariosto character

Braggadocio---fancy boasting, named from a character in the Faerie Queene

Babbitt---jovial Rotarian, apostle of business culture

Frankenstein---Doctor of that name who brought his robot monster to life

Pecksniff---unctuous hypocrite, prating of benevolence; won’t give more than a quarter

Nestor---the wisest old Greek councillor at Troy; silvertongued

Sinbad---the most famous sailor before better

Ali Baba---buddy of the forty thieves

Lothario---No. 2 wolf in literature

5. Pick out the superordinates and the subordinates from the groups of words given below:

1—superordinate: vegetable; subordinates: spinach, asparagus

2—superordinate: building materials; subordinates: wood, stone

3—superordinate: fruit; subordinates: persimmon, fruit

4—superordinate: tree; subordinates: poplar, pine

6. Select the appropriate letter preceding the word that is opposite in meaning to the capitalized word:

1—Discrete: grouped 2—Dour: gay 3—Vilify: sing the praises 4-Polemic: apologetic 5—Concise: wordy 6—Adroit: awkward 7—Fortuitous:desgned 8—Cogent: unconvincing 9—Assuage: aggravate 10-Recondite:obvious 7. a. Characterize the followin lexical items, using the three binary semantic features:

Tree ( - Animate, + Live, + Concrete, + V egetative + Trunked)

Pine ( - Animate, + Live, + Concrete, + vegetative + Trunked, - Leafed)

Plant ( - Animate, + Live, + Concrete, + V egetitive)

8. Explain and correct the errors in the following sentences, using the theory of selection restriction:

1. What I did was to know the language. (learn )

2. The teacher is being confused. (去掉being )

3. He got about the rumour that he was going to resign his appointement. ( The rumour got about )

4. The contents of the safe got away with the thief. ( The thief got away with the contents of the safe )

5. He gave away his accent when he got excited. ( His accent gave him away )

6. The gas was issuing an upleasant smell. ( An unpleasant smell was issuing from the gas )

7. We can’t go until all the litter was cleared up. ( has been )

8. The hypothesis is not able to be sustained. ( cannot )

9. Have customs cleared with these cameras? ( cameras; customs )

10. The teacher cleaned up the hard parts of the story. ( cleared )

9. Select the lettered pair of word which are related in the same way as teh capitalized words are related to each other:

1.Celebrate: Marriage Lament: bereavement

2.Negligent: Requirement

Remiss: duty

3.Ignominy: Disloyalty

Fame: heroism

4. Joy: Ecstasy

Admiration: love

5. Horse: Ride Instrument: play

6. Mystery: Clue

Door: key

7. Gabbage: Squalor

Diamonds: magnificence

8. Myth: Story

Bonnet: hat

9. Larceny: Grand School: elementary 10.Control: Order

Anarchy: chaos

11. Wood: Garve

Clay: mold

12. Asylum: Refugee

Destination: traveler

10. Match nouns in the left-hand column with verbs in the right-hand column:

1.injury: inflict

2. suspicion: confirm

3.siege: raise

4.medicine: administer

5.change: effect

6.scheme: hatch

7.tendency: develop

8.leadership: assume

9.visa: process 10.slander: cast 11.object: attain 12.myth: explode

11.Characteristics of English idioms(习语的特征):

An English idiom is characterised by semantic unity and structural stability. It is a set expression made up of two or moe words. The sense of the combination cannot be explained in terms of its constituent parts. In other words, an idiom functions as a unit of meaning which cannot be predicted from the literal meaning of its member of its member words. For instance, do sb. well means “ provide food, comforts, etc. for”, as in “ They do you very well at the hotel”. Structurally analysed, the form of an idiom is set and only a limited number of idioms can be said or written in any other way without destrroying the meaning of the idiom. Many of them are completely rigid and cannot show up in any other from whatever.

12. Fill the blanks in the following sentences with appropriate adverbs or prepositions:

1. A soft sea breeze set in at midnight.

2. He is wise enough to see through all these fine pretensions.

3. He set aside all objections and granted my request.

4. If land is cropped and not manured, it will run out.

5. The judge said he would hold over your case until the next sitting if the court.

6. If the weather holds up, I suggest we go out on a picnic.

7. As neighterof us would give in , the bargain fell through.

8. He lets his feelings run away with his judgement.

9. He meant to put in for a share of the profits.

10. One is not sorry to see the proud pulled down.

11. He passes for a learned man in our little community.

12. He will draw back from what he has promised.

13. He showed violent opposition at first, but when the scheme was fully explained, he came round to our view.

14. He will stick at nothing to accomplish his purpose.

13. Explain the meaning of the following sayings and proverbs and translate them into Chinese:

1. What can’t be cured must be endured. (不能解决的要忍受)

2. What you lose on the swings you get back on the round-about.(失之东隅，收之桑榆)

3. Like cures like.(以毒攻毒)

4. It’s a long lane that has no turning.（路必要弯，事必有变）

5. Y ou cannot make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.(巧妇难为无米之炊)

6. There’s many a slip’t wixt the cup and the lip.(世事往往会功亏一篑)

7. Half a loaf is better than no bread.(聊胜于无)

8. A rolling stone gathers no moss.(见异思迁的人)

9. Prevention is better than cure.(防患于未然)

10. As you make your bed, so you must lie.(自作自受)

1. He that sups with the devil must have a long spoon.(和坏人打交道，必须提高警惕)

2. The pot calls the kettle balck.(责人严而律己宽)

3. The mills of God grind slowly.(天网恢恢，疏而不漏)

4. He laughts best who laugh last.(谁笑到最后，谁笑得最美)

6. Nothing succeeds like success.(一事成功，事事顺利)

7. Nothing venture, nothing have.(不入虎穴，焉得虎子)

8. Like attracts like.(物以类聚)

9. Enough is as good as a feast.(知足常乐)

10. Speech is silver, silence is gold.(雄辩是银，沉默是金)

11. Fish begins to stink at the head.(上梁不正下梁歪)

12. Never offer to teach fish to swim.(不要班门弄斧)

13. Feed a cold and starve a fever.(伤风时宜吃，发热时宜饿)

14. Soft fire makes sweet malt.(好事多磨，慢工出细活)

14.Match the clues given in the right-hand column with the idioms in the left-hand column:

1. to put a spoken in one’s wheel--- to obstruct progress, to prove a serious barrier or hinderance.

2. to play fast and loose--- to behave with reckless duplicity and insincerity

3. to put one’s shoulder to the wheel--- to have opposing plans but with the same end in view.

4. to keep out of the way--- to absent oneself intentionally, to avoid being in the way.

5. to make short work of--- to bring to a suddenend; to dispose of speedily

6. to have no backbone--- to have no will power or courage

7. to make way for--- to allow space or room for

8. to keep oneself to oneself--- to live apart, to shun society

9. to hold non’s tongue--- to be silent, not to speak

10. to take a leaf out of anoter’s book--- to follow someone’s example

11. to be at cross purposes--- to have opposing plans but with the same end in view.

15.缩略词：

phone=telephone, varsity=university, story=history, chute=parachute, copter=helicopter, ad=advertisement deb=debutante初次登台的演员, mod=modern, pro=professional, demo=demonstration示威游行, expo=exposition展览会, memo=memorandum备忘录, hypo=hypodermic, disco=discotheque夜总会, phycho=psychotic精神病患者, exec=executive officer主任参谋, narc=narcotic agent or detective碎片弹, flu=influenza流行性感冒, tec=detective侦探, fridge=refrigerator冰箱, helicopter=heli, .......