1．Etymology，the study of words and word roots，may sound like the kind of thing done by boring librarians in small，dusty rooms．Yet etymologists actually have a uniquely interesting job．They are in many ways just like archaeologists（考古學(xué)家） digging up the physical history of people and events．The special aspectof etymology is that it digs up history，so to speak，through the words and phrases that are left behind．
The English language，in particular，is a great field to explore history through words．As a language，English has an extraordinary number of words．This is partly due to its ability toadapt foreign words so readily．For example，"English"words such as kindergarten（from German），croissant（from French），and cheetah（from Hindi） have become part of the language with little or no change from their original sounds and spellings．So English-language etymologists have a vast world of words to explore．
Another enjoyable thing about etymology for most word experts is solving word mysteries（謎）．No，etymologists do not go around solving murders，like the great detective Sherlock Holmes．What these word experts solve are mysterious origins of some of our most common words．
One of the biggest questions English language experts have pursued is how English came to have the phrase OK．Though it is one of the most commonly used expressions，its exact beginning is a puzzle even to this day．Even its spelling is not entirely consistent--unless you spell it Okay，it is hard even to call it a word．
Etymologists have been able to narrow OK's origin down to a likely，although not certain，source（來源）．It became widely used around the time of Martin Van Buren's run for president in 1840．His nickname was Old Kinderhook．What troubles word experts about this explanation is that the phrase appeared in some newspapers before Van Buren became well known．It is likely that Van Buren could be called its primary source．Etymologists will doubtlessly keep searching for the original source．However，it is clear that OK's popularity and reputation have topped those of the American president to whom it has been most clearly linked．
41．The author mentions the words like"croissant"in Paragraph 2to showC．
A．words have changed a lot in the two languages
B．what English-language etymologists are exploring now
C．English has absorbed many words from other foreign languages
D．the English vocabulary is difficult to the non-English-speaking people
42．The underlined word"pursued"in Paragraph 4meansB．
A．looked upon
B．dug up
C．put in
D．set down
43．We can learn from the passage that etymologistsA．
A．discover the possible origin of words
B．help detectives to solve mysterious murders
C．write interesting stories for some newspapers
D．explore the English language as well as the recent events
44．What most probably is the major purpose of the passage？C
A．To present the history of English words．
B．To explain what anetymologist does for his job．
C．To introduce the pleasure of the study of words and word roots．
D．To teach readers how to tell English words from non-English words．
分析 本文屬于說明文閱讀，作者通過這篇文章向我們介紹了歷史學(xué)家們對詞源、詞與詞的根源的研究．
解答 41-44 CBAC
41．C 細節(jié)理解題．根據(jù)第二段中"This is partly due to its ability to adapt foreign words so readily．"可知，作者以"croissant"為例來證明英語引進了許多外來詞．故選C．
42．B 詞義猜測題．根據(jù)第四段One of the biggest questions English language experts have pursued is how English came to have the phrase OK可知，語言學(xué)家努力需找"OK"這一詞的由來，相當于深挖它的根源．故選B．
43．A 推理判斷題．根據(jù)第一段The special aspectof etymology is that it digs up history，so to speak，through the words and phrases that are left behind．可推知，語源學(xué)是研究語言和單詞的，那么語源學(xué)專家就是想考古學(xué)家研究單詞的根源的．故選A．
44．C 寫作意圖題．根據(jù)第一段中"Yet etymologists actually have a uniquely interesting job．"以及第三段中"Another enjoyable thing about etymology for most word experts is solving word mysteries（謎）．"可知，文章主要寫作目的是為了給我們介紹研究語言起源的樂趣．故選C．
點評 考查學(xué)生的細節(jié)理解和推理判斷能力．做細節(jié)理解題時一定要找到文章中的原句，和題干進行比較，再做出正確選擇．在做推理判斷題時不要以個人的主觀想象代替文章的事實，要根據(jù)文章事實進行合乎邏輯的推理判斷．
