Question

British potato farmers were angry and wanted the expression “couch potato” to be taken out of the dictionary because it harmed the vegetable’s image.

The British Potato Council wants the Oxford English Dictionary to replace the expression with the term “couch slouch”, with protests being outside Parliament in London and the offices of Oxford University Press.

Kathryn Race, head of marketing at the Council, which represents some 4,000 planters and processors, said the group had complained in writing to the OED but had yet to receive a response.

“We are trying to get rid of the image that potatoes are bad for you,” she said on Monday.

“The potato has had its knocks in the past. Of course it is not the Oxford English Dictionary’s fault but we want to use another term instead of “couch potato” because potatoes are naturally healthy.”

The OED says that “couch potato” began as American slang, meaning “a person who spends his or her leisure time sitting around, especially watching television or video tapes.”

The Potato Council says its campaign is backed by dieticians (饮食学家) who say the vegetable is low in fat and high in vitamin C.

Supporting the campaign, famous cook Antony Worrall Thompson said the vegetable was one of Britain’s favorite foods.

“Not only are they healthy, they are also convenient and yummy (美味). Life without potato is like a sandwich without a filling,” he said.

John Simpson, chief editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, said the dictionary first included the term “couch potato” in 1993 and said “dictionaries just reflect the words that society uses.”

Simpson said words were never taken out of the full-length dictionary, which includes some 650,000 words in 20 volumes.

But little-used words can be removed from the smaller dictionaries to make way for newer ones.

“If society stops using words then they get taken out of the smaller dictionaries,” he added.

The first known recorded use of the expression “couch potato” was in an article in Los Angeles Times, in 1979, Simpson said.

Nigel Evans, a member of Parliament for the Ribble Valley in Lancashire, has made a motion in support of the campaign, highlighting the nutritional value of the British potato.

1.British potato farmers wanted to _________.

A．advertise their produces

B．call for a higher price for their potatoes

C．remove the expression “couch potato” from the dictionary

D．let people know how important the potato is in people’s lives

2.The farmers think that _________.

A．potatoes have had a bad image

B．Potatoes are good for people by nature

C．potatoes sometimes do harm to people

D．it’s the dictionary’s fault to use the expression “couch potato”

3.John Simpson thinks that _________.

A．the expression can be taken out of every kind of dictionary

B．dictionaries do not necessarily reflect the words the society uses

C．little-used words can remain in the smaller dictionaries

D．it is impossible for them to take the expression out of the dictionary

4.What is wrong with the expression “couch potato” according to the farmers in this passage?

A．It is connected with unfavorable meaning.

B．Potato should be used in the expression.

C．It is borrowed from America English.

D．It refers to a kind of person.

Answer

1.C

2.B

3.D

4.A

【解析】

1.1】细节题。定位于文章第一段British potato farmers were angry and wanted the expression “couch potato” to be taken out of the dictionary because it harmed the vegetable’s image.英国的农民希望把“couch potato”这个词从字典里去除，因为该词表示的是反面的意思，影响了土豆的形象。故C正确。

2.2】推理题。根据文章7,8，9段The Potato Council says its campaign is backed by dieticians (饮食学家) who say the vegetable is low in fat and high in vitamin C.和Supporting the campaign, famous cook Antony Worrall Thompson said the vegetable was one of Britain’s favorite foods.和“Not only are they healthy, they are also convenient and yummy (美味). Life without potato is like a sandwich without a filling,” he said.可知很多人说土豆的营养价值很高，是很好的食物，对人很有好处。故B正确。

3.3】推理题。根据文章倒数第二段“If society stops using words then they get taken out of the smaller dictionaries,” he added. The first known recorded use of the expression “couch potato” was in an article in Los Angeles Times, in 1979, Simpson said.可知如果社会上不再使用这个词了，那么这个词才会从字典里被去除掉；但是如果社会上还在继续使用这个词，那么这个词很难从词典里去掉。而“couch potato”从1979年开始就一直在使用，现在还在使用。也就是说这个词是不可能被去掉的。故D正确。

4.4】推理题。根据文章第6段The OED says that “couch potato” began as American slang, meaning “a person who spends his or her leisure time sitting around, especially watching television or video tapes.”可知牛津字典中“couch potato”是指那些花很多时间坐在电视剧前看电视的人。这个词组的含有贬义。这也正是农民要抗议的原因，故A正确。