The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is generally regarded as the Rolls Royce of English dictionaries. So when the OED recently announced that the latest update to its online dictionary included many “initialisms”, like OMG (oh my God) and LOL (laugh out loud), a lot of people went a little nuts.
    The news that the OED has used initialisms is shocking, but also, on reflection, not surprising at all. Anyone familiar with text messaging has seen these abbreviations(縮寫) before. There are many texters, and their number is growing. How, then, can anyone pretend to be surprised that textspeak is becoming mainstream?  

There is nothing wrong with the OED adding the above entries. In fact, it would be irresponsible not to make such additions. With so many people actively using shortened forms of language on mobile phones, someone has to step up and record and explain this usage.
    Some complained that the OED is just trying to be cool. Maybe the OED wants to be popular with young people in order to sell books. Every time I hear a native speaker of English say things like, “She has less problems than me,” I cringe (難為情). But, whether I like it or not, this usage is quickly becoming acceptable in the spoken idiom.
    Be aware, however, written English is still useful. People who are in school, or about to take exams, need to know that textspeak can’t be used in academic writing.
    As a linguist (語言學(xué)家), I’m glad to see these informal words in our culture enter the pages of online dictionaries, as long as these reference works remind us of the social conventions governing their usage.
66. The underlined phrase “went a little nuts” in Paragraph 1 means “became a little __________”.

   A. amused           B. embarrassed             C. confused         D. shocked

67. The point of Paragraph 3 is to __________.

   A. show the growing number of texters worldwide

   B. indicate text-messaging is growing around the world

   C. explain it’s natural for OED to make the additions

   D. note that texters are familiar with initialisms

68. What is probably textspeak according to the text?

   A. A writing system.                  

   B. A texting language.

   C. A special textbook.                   

   D. A type of message.

69. Which best sums up the point of view of the text?

   A. OED should not try to please the young.

   B. OED has to satisfy the needs of texters.

   C. Textspeak is not always appropriate.

   D. Textspeak has affected written English.

70. What’s the author’s attitude to the latest version of the OED online?

   A. Positive.       B. Oppositive.                      C. Subjective.          D. Doubtful.

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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

New York Times---( DINITIA SMITH )Tomorrow is the 433d anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth. A recent survey shows that more people are watching him, reading him and studying him than ever before.

Consider the recent yearly conference of the Shakespeare Association of America in Washington, where more than 600 people who study or admire Shakespeare from 18 countries took in topics like ‘‘Whither Attribution Studies,’’ ‘‘Unpopular Shakespeare’’ and ‘‘Sex Me Here,’’ a talk on breast-feeding and Lady Macbeth.

‘‘The national media is saying that fewer students’ taking Shakespeare,’’ Barbara Mowat, the editor of The Shakespeare Quarterly, observed in a speech at the conference. ‘‘But Shakespeare is thriving.’’ The association’s membership has increased by a third since 1990.

The Shakespeare business is so good these days that W. W. Norton is introducing a huge new collections of the plays into the already crowded field just in time for tomorrow’s birthday anniversary. Priced at $44.95, ‘‘The Norton Shakespeare: Based on the Oxford Edition’’ runs for 3,420 pages, offering introductions, illustrations and notes and three versions(版本) of ‘‘King Lear.’’

Today, movies and videos have made the plays even more accessible. Last year, ‘‘William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet’’ was No. 1 at the box office when it opened, and it grossed nearly $50 million. In New York in January, crowds lined up in the freezing cold to see Kenneth Branagh’s four-hour ‘‘Hamlet.’’ The students select a scene and then have a violent discussion about it.’’ Influenced by films, professors are increasingly teaching students by having them perform the plays.

Why people from 18 countries came to Washington this year?

A. To celebrate Shakespeare’s 433d birth day only.

B. To watch some plays by Shakespeare as planned.

C. To celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday and study his works.

D. To discuss how to teach students using Shakespeare’s plays.

What does the underlined word “ field” in the fourth paragraph refer to?

A. Washington D.C.                              B. Shakespeare Association.

C. The birthday anniversary.                  D. The Shakespeare business.

Which of the many plays by Shakespeare was most popular the year before?

A. King Lear.                                            B. Hamlet.

C. Macbeth.                                              D. Romeo and Juliet.

What does the author want to prove by using so many examples about Shakespeare?

A. More and more people are becoming interested in Shakespeare.

B. Shakespeare business is being run well in America nowadays.

C. Plays by Shakespeare can be used at school for more studies.

D. Shakespeare belongs not only to Britain but also to the USA.

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科目：高中英語 來源：2012-2013學(xué)年吉林省吉林一中高二上學(xué)期期中考試英語試卷A（帶解析） 題型：閱讀理解

Almost 55,000 people who have had a major impact on British society are profiled in a new 60-volume book that has taken 12 years to compile.
It has cost more than ￡25 million and taken 10,000 writers to update the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
Murder victims Stephen Lawrence and James Bulger are among those joining the likes of Queen Victoria and Gandhi.
The new version of the dictionary, which was founded in 1882, costs ￡7,500 and takes up 12 feet of shelf space.
Projects director Robert Faber said Stephen Lawrence was included because his death triggered "dramatic developments in British policing and social policy".
Women make up 10% of the entries - double the previous share - and include Queen Elizabeth I, Dusty Springfield, Linda McCartney and Virginia Woolf, whose father compiled the first edition.
Alongside the famous names are lesser known individuals such as the inventor of snooker, army reservist (預(yù)備役軍人) Neville Chamberlain.
Stephen Lawrence and James Bulger were both included because of the "overwhelming soul-searching (真摯的自我反省、深思) and examination of education and social policy" which followed their deaths.
Mr Faber said: "These are not just people who were killed but people who had an impact. Jill Dando is there as much for her career but also because her death became a public event.
"So many of these people have seized the public imagination and have contributed to public debate."？

【小題1】
A．About 5.B．About 55.C．About 550.D． About 5500.
【小題2】It can be inferred that Jill Dando _____.
A．died in a case of murder which drew the public much attention
B．isn’t included in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
C．is the director of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
D．is included in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography only for her death
【小題3】_____ are collected in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
A．Those who were murdered in historyB．Those who have shaped Britain
C．Those who are famous all over the worldD．Those who live in Britain
【小題4】How much does a volume of the new version cost on average?
A．More than ￡25million.B．More than ￡400, 000.C．￡7, 500.D．￡125

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One of the greatest contributors to the first Oxford English Dictionary was also one of its most unusual. In 1879, Oxford University in England asked Prof. James Murray to serve as editor for what was to be the most ambitious dictionary in the history of the English language. It would include every English word possible and would give not only the definition but also the history of the word and quotations(引文) showing how it was used.
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Minor joined the army of volunteers sending words and quotations to Murray. Over the next 17 years, he became one of the staff’s most valued contributors.
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Murray and Minor became friends, sharing their love of words. Minor continued contributing to the dictionary, sending in more than 10,000 submissions in 20 years. Murray continued to visit Minor regularly, sometimes taking walks with him around the asylum grounds.
In 1910, Minor left Broadmoor for an asylum in his native America. Murray was at the port to wave goodbye to his remarkable friend.
Minor died in 1920, seven years before the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary was completed. The 12 volunteers defined 414,825 words, and thousands of them were contributions from a very scholarly and devoted asylum patient.
【小題1】According to the text, the first Oxford English Dictionary ____.

A．came out before Minor died
B．was edited by an American volunteer
C．included the English words invented by Murray
D．was intended to be the most ambitious English dictionary
【小題2】How did Dr. Minor contribute to the dictionary?
A．He helped Murray to find hundreds of volunteers.
B．He sent newspapers, magazines and books to Murray.
C．He provided a great number of words and quotations.
D．He went to England to work with Murray.
【小題3】Which of the following best describes Dr. Minor?
A．Brave and determined.B．Cautious and friendly.
C．Considerate and optimistic.D．Unusual and scholarly.
【小題4】What does the text mainly talk about?
A．The history of the English language.
B．The friendship between Murray and Minor.
C．Minor and the first Oxford English Dictionary.
D．Broadmoor Asylum and its patients.

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科目：高中英語 來源：2012-2013學(xué)年內(nèi)蒙古高三5月月考英語卷（解析版） 題型：單項(xiàng)填空

In English, if new words continue to be used for at least five years they generally______ the Oxford English Dictionary．

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科目：高中英語 來源：2014屆四川棠湖中學(xué)外語實(shí)驗(yàn)學(xué)校高二上期10月檢測英語卷（解析版） 題型：閱讀理解

One of the greatest contributions to the first Oxford English Dictionary was also one of its most unusual. In 1879, Oxford University in England asked Prof. James Murray to serve as editor for what was to be the most ambitious dictionary in the history of the English language. It would include every English word possible and would give not only the definition but also the history of the word and quotations (引文) showing how it was used.

This was a huge task. So Murray had to find volunteers from Britain, the United States, and the British colonies to search every newspaper, magazine, and book ever written in English. Hundreds of volunteers responded, including William Chester Minor. Dr. Minor was an American Surgeon who had served in the Civil War and was now living in England. He gave his address as "Broadmoor, Crowthorne, Berkshire," 50 miles from Oxford.

Minor joined the army of volunteers sending words and quotations to Murray. Over the next years, he became one of the staff's most valued contributors.

But he was also a mystery. In spite of many invitations, he would always decline(拒絕) to visit Oxford. So in 1897, Murray finally decided to travel to Crowthorne himself. When he arrived, he found Minor locked in a book-lined cell（地窖） at the Broadmoor Asylum (精神病院) for the Criminally insane.

Murray and Minor became friends, sharing their love of words. Minor continued contributing to the dictionary, sending in more than 10,000 submissions in 20 years. Murray continued to visit Minor regularly, sometimes taking walks with him around the asylum grounds.

In 1910, Minor left Broadmoor for an asylum in his native America. Murray was at the port to wave goodbye to his remarkable friend.

Minor died in 1920, seven years before the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary was completed. The 12 volumes defined（下定義） 414,825 words, and thousands of them were contributions from a very scholarly and devoted asylum patient.

1.According to the text, the first Oxford English Dictionary           .

A．came out before Minor died

B．was edited by an American volunteer

C．included the English words invented by Murray

D．was intended to be the most ambitious English dictionary

2.How did Dr. Minor contribute to the dictionary?

A．He helped Murray to find hundreds of volunteers.

B．He sent newspapers, magazines and books to Murray.

C．He provided a great number of words and quotations.

D．He went to England to work with Murray.

3. Prof. Murray and Dr. Minor became friends mainly because           .

A．they both served in the Civil War

B．they had a common interest in words

C．Minor recovered with the help of Murray

D．Murray went to America regularly to visit Minor

4.What does the text mainly talk about?

A．The history of the English language.

B．The friendship between Murray and Minor

C．Minor and the first Oxford English Dictionary

D．Broadmoor Asylum and his patients

 

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