Question

    Slang(俚语) is very informal language which is often used by young people. It’s hard to keep up to date with it as new words and phrases appear and evolve (发展). Living in a multicultural society has an effect on language, especially on the young, whose friends are often from a mix of backgrounds. TV and music also have a big impact. A complete list of slang is difficult to make; by the time it was finished, the list would be out of date. However, here are a few examples:

Safe, sorted, sound, cool or wicked all mean “That’s good” or “I understand”.

Instead of using different tag questions (附加疑问句) like “… isn’t it?”, “… can’t you?” or “… don’t they?”, people use “innit”.

For example, “He can dance really well, innit!” (= He can dance really well, can’t he?) or “They always say that, innit.” (= They always say that, don’t they?)

Instead of saying “very”, “really” or “completely” use “well”, for example, “I’m well tired” or “You got it well wrong!”

“Whatever” means “I don’t care”, for example, A: “But the teacher says we can’t leave until we’ve finished.” B: “Whatever. I’m going.”

“He’s fine” or “he’s fit” both mean “He’s good-looking”. Fine and fit can describe a boy or a girl.

Not everybody uses slang and not everybody likes it. A school in the north of England recently told its pupils to stop using slang words such as “hiya” (hello), “cheers” and “ta” (both mean “thank you”) if they wanted to get a place at university or a good job.

When British people use language like this, it’s no surprise that some say they can’t understand native speakers. But perhaps learners don’t need to worry so much. Research shows that most of the English spoken around the world today is between non-native speakers of the language.

So, how important is it to understand these slang words and expressions? If you watch films or TV in English, read magazines in English, chat online in English or are interested in English song lyrics, then understanding slang can be very useful. You probably won’t see much slang in your English examination, though.

1.Why is it hard to make a complete list of slang, according to the article?

A.Because many slang words are outdated.

B.Because it is mostly used by young people.

C.Because modern slang changes very quickly.

D.Because it comes from different cultural backgrounds.

2.What can we learn about slang from the text?

A.It prevents language from evolving.

B.It is also spread through TV and music.

C.It is more popular in the UK than in the US.

D.It has found its way into formal written English.

3.What can we conclude from the text?

A.Knowing little slang doesn’t greatly affect how one communicates.

B.Many UK schools are encouraging students to use slang.

C.It is essential for English learners to study some British slang.

D.More English is spoken by native speakers than by non-native speakers.

Answer

1.C

2.B

3.A

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。文章主要讲述英语中的俚语，它更新的特别快，很多人都没有办法掌握；但这并不影响英语学习者，因为虽然目前电视、电影等还会用俚语，但是在正式文体里极少出现。

1.细节理解题。根据第一段中A complete list of slang is difficult to make; by the time it was finished, the list would be out of date. (一个完整的俚语列表是很难的;当它被完成的时候，列表上的俚语就过时了。) 可知，俚语更新的速度比全部列出它们要快。C. Because modern slang changes very quickly. (因为现代俚语变化很快。) 符合题意。故选C项。

2.推理判断题。根据最后一段中If you watch films or TV in English, read magazines in English, chat online in English or are interested in English song lyrics, then understanding slang can be very useful. (如果你看英语电影或电视，读英语杂志，网上聊天或对英语歌词感兴趣，那么理解俚语会很有用。) 可推断出，英语电影、电视、杂志、歌曲等会使用俚语，所以懂俚语的话，就更容易理解它们。B. It is also spread through TV and music. (它也通过电视和音乐传播。) 符合题意。故选B项。

3.推理判断题。根据倒数第二段中Research shows that most of the English spoken around the world today is between non-native speakers of the language. (研究表明，当今世界上说英语的大多数人都不是以英语为母语的人。) 可推断出，大部分说英语的人都不太会俚语，所以不会影响交流。A. Knowing little slang doesn’t greatly affect how one communicates. (懂得很少的俚语并不会对交流产生很大影响。) 符合题意。故选A项。