华中师范大学网络教育学院

《语用与交际》练习测试题库及答案

I. Answer the following questions in your own words （每题2分）

1. What is the function of context in understanding utterances? 2. What is the relationship between deixis and context? 3. What is the gestural use of place deixis?

4. How does conversational implicature explain language in terms of meaning? 5. How many maxims are there in co-operative principle? And what are they? 6. Who invented the term “Pragmatics”?

7. What are the three sub-branches of semiotics? 8. What is Carnap?s understanding of “Pragmatics”? 9. What is the advantage of studying Pragmatics? 10. Is grammatical mistake equal to Pragmatic failure? 11. Why pragmatists study motion verb under place deixis? 12. Why don?t people say what they mean in communication? 13. What does CP stand for in Pragmatics? 14. What is positive face? 15. What is on record?

16. What is the disadvantage of studying Pragmatics? 17. Is semantic mistake equal to Pragmatic failure?

18. What are the possible interpretations of the phrase “Jane?s car”? 19. Is time part of context?

20. What is the general role of personal deixis in communication? 21. Is grammatical mistake equal to Pragmatic failure? 22. What is the role of context in understanding utterances?

23. What kind of relationship exists between deixis and context? 24. How do you understand gestural use of place deixis?

25. How does conversational implicature explain language in terms of meaning?

II. Explain the following terms briefly. (每题4分)

1. inference

2. linguistic context 3. Pragmatics 4. appropriacy 5. indirect meaning 6. politeness 7. face wants

8. non-linguistic context 9. deixis

10. conversational implicature

11. context

12. co-operative principle 13. presupposition

14. calendric use of time deixis

III.

A．Identify the symbolic, gestural, and non-deictic uses of the second personal pronoun ?you? in the following three cases. (每题2分) 1. You never know whether to read every chapter or skip one or two. 2. I know you will all enjoy reading this chapter. 3. You have to read it and you have to read it and you have to read it.

B．Please identify the symbolic, gestural, and non-deictic uses of the time deixis “now” in the following three cases. (每题2分) 1. I know more about Pragmatics now than before. 2. Now that wasn?t very nice.

3. Are you ready? Wait for it! Wait for it! NOW (Here the speaker is using a rising-falling intonation to show stress.)

C．Please identify the symbolic, gestural, and non-deictic uses of the demonstrative pronoun “this” in the following three cases. (每题2分) 1. I bet you weren?t expecting this example. 2. And then this strange guy walks in and vomits. 3. Which finger did he bite?/ This little finger on the right?

IV. Do the following exchanges violate any maxims under the co-operative principle? If ?yes?, point out which maxim is being flouted. (每题2分) 1. Johnny: Hey Sally let?s play marbles.

Mum: How is your homework getting along Johnny?

2. A: I hope you bought bread and cheese. B: Ah, I bought the bread.

3. A: Whoa! Has your boss gone crazy? B: Let?s go and get some tea.

4. (In a family mealtime conversation, participants talk about field hockey and how ?Mum? has allegedly been active in this sport for a very long time, ?Dad? sees fit to offer some ironic comments on Mum?s sportive achievements.)

Mum: Dad: Mum: Dad: Mum: Dad: Child: Dad: Child: Mum: I used to spend a lot of time playing field hockey, good sport. Yeah, Mummy was probably playing field hockey when Herbert Hoover took office. Yeah

Woodrow Wilson and Teddy Roosevelt. Mhm

George Washington Abraham Lincoln Aristotle and … Thomas Jefferson

Yeah,…even when they bombed Pearl Harbour I was.

5. Mum: Which H-O-S-P-I-T-A-L shall we take Jimmy to? Dad The nearest one.

6. A: Where is Bill?

B: There?s a yellow car outside Sue?s house.

7. (Below is a conversation between a couple after the husband comes back from the

supermarket.)

Wife: I hope you bought bread and cheese. Husband: Ah, I bought the bread.

8. (Mary and Tina are two good friends. One day Mary went to see Tina in her office and noticed the Tina was very busy with piles of work on her table.) Mary: Whoa! Has your boss gone crazy? Tina: Let?s go and get some tea.

9. (Here is a conversation between a British and a non-British in 1960s. The British seems to worry about the current situation of the Gulf.) British: What if USSR blocks the Gulf and all the oil? Non-British: Oh, come now. Britain rules the seas.

10. (Harry committed a social offence and had been brought to trial. His friend, Tom, asked Jack about the outcome of the trial.) Tom: How did Harry fare in court the other day? Jack: Oh, he got a fine.

11. John is a fish.

12. A: Where is my box of chocolates?

B: The children were in your room this morning.

13. A: We shall all miss Bill and Mary.

B: We shall all miss Bill.

14. The best of 4 x 4 x far (an automobile ads.)

15．Was Hitler going to be moderate? 16. War is war.

17. Husband: Let?s give kids something to eat.

Wife: Yes, but I veto C-H-O-C-O-L-A-T-E.

V. For the following sentences, you are required to identify presupposition triggers first and then give a semantic presupposition for each. (每题2分)

1. The flying saucer came again. 2. Jane?s husband went to Newcastle

3. Before the child goes to school, he must finish his homework. 4. If I had not had a cold, I would have gone to the shopping mall. 5. What Mary lost was her purse.

6. I regret having drunk John?s homebrew. 7. John realized that he had made a mistake. 8. Mary managed to finish in time. 9. John stopped beating his child.

10. John accused Bill of stealing the book

11. The Prime Minister forgot to keep a record of her instructions at the time

arms were exported to Italy.

12. Carol is a better student than Bill. 13. They returned to the place. 14. Why are you late today? 15. I left before he ate his cake.

16. It wasn?t she who took away Larry?s notebook. 17. The flying saucer came before.

18. Tom regrets drinking John?s home brew. 19. If music was the food of love, play on. 20. I stopped jogging after a visit to the doctor. 21. Is there a professor of linguistics at MIT? 22. After he married, he became hen-pecked. 23. We happened to run out of fuel. 24. He saw a man with two heads. 25. Nobody realised that Lily was ill.

VI. Multiple Choices （每题2分）

Directions: For each problem in this part, you are presented with one situation with more than one utterance underneath. Read the description of each situation with the utterances and decide which is the most appropriate utterance in that situation. 1. One day, when an American lady accidentally bumped into Wei Lin.

Lady: I'm terribly sorry. Wei: A) It doesn't matter. B) Never mind. C) That's all right. D) Don't worry.

2. Jane is talking to her friends Bill and Pat outside the cinema. Jane: Well, what did you think of the film, then?

Bill: Oh, I thought it was great. Didn't you think so, Pat? Pat: A) Well, maybe. B) No.

C) Yes, in a way. But I've seen better.

D) Yes. I dare say you are right. But I've seen better.

3. At a bus stop

Man: Excuse me, do you know which bus to catch for London Road, please? Woman: A) It doesn't matter. B) Oh.

C) Never mind. D) Thank you

(He then went to another person.)

4. In a factory, Li, the guide, is interpreting for a group of foreign guests. When they have finished visiting one workshop, he would like the group to follow him to the next workshop. He says: A) This way, please. B) Come here! C) Follow me! D) Move on!

5. Li had something to tell the manager, Mr Smith, so he went to his place, entering the room and said:

A) You're not busy, I hope. B) Got a minute?

C) Can I have a word with you Mr Smith? D) I'm terribly sorry to trouble you, Mr Smith.

6. If someone gives you directions in English so quickly that you don't understand, you might respond:

A) \I'm still learning the language. Could you repeat that a little more slowly?\

B) \C) \

D) Try to repeat the direction to the person.

7. Hsiao Ma is an interpreter. One day a foreign visitor, Mr Brown, talks to him. Brown: Your English is quite fluent.

Ma: A) Thank you. It's kind of you to say so. B) No, no, my English is poor. C) No, not at all.

D) Oh, no, far from that. I still have a long way to go.

8. Betty is a foreign student in China. She has met Peng Fei.

B: I was told that you won the 100-meter race in the all-city track meet this morning. Congratulations! P: A) Just lucky. B) Thank you.

C) I can't say I did well this morning.

D) I could have done better if it hadn't been so cold.

9. \

hearer is probably

A) teacher and student. B) husband and wife. C) sisters. D) friends.

10. Your friend's mother, Mrs Keeler, asked if you would like something to eat. What

would you say to refuse politely?

You: A) Not for the moment, thank you, Mrs Keeler, I'm full. B) No, thanks. I've just had lunch.

C) Oh, no, Mrs Keeler, I haven't long had lunch. D) I'm full and have no room for any more.

11. Mr Timms has arrived for a meeting, which, unfortunately, has been cancelled.

Mrs Banks: I'm terribly sorry about not letting you know sooner, Mr Timms, but unfortunately it was cancelled at the last minute and there simply wasn't enough time to inform everyone.

Mr Timms: A) Oh, don't let it worry you, Mrs Banks. I quite understand. B) Oh, that's OK, Mrs Banks. I understand. C) Oh, it doesn't matter, Mrs Banks. D) Oh, don't worry about it, Mrs Banks.

12. If you are attending a family gathering and would like to know what the familial

relationship is between one member and another, you may ask: A) Is he your...?

B) How are you related? C) Who's that woman?

D) What's the relationship between you and that woman?

13. When introduced to an older professor or to a friend's parents, what would you

say?

A) \B) \

C) \D) \

14. On the way to the school cinema, Li saw Professor Blake walking to the cinema, too.

Li: A) Good afternoon, Professor Blake. B) Are you going to the film? C) Where are you going?

D) You're going to the film, aren't you?

15. When introducing yourself to someone you don't know at a party, what would you say?

A) Hi, I'm .

B) May I introduce myself to you and at the same time I make your acquaintance? C) Hi, I'd like to meet you.

D) Hi, I'm . Do you know many people here?

16. Jack phones Hsiao Song's office.

Jack: Hello, I'd like to speak to Song Hua, please. Song: A) I'm Song Hua.

B) This is Song Hua speaking.

C) Oh, come on. You've got time for one more cup of coffee, surely? D) Well, it's still early. There's no hurry.

17. Mrs Li has been having lunch with Mrs Sullivan.

Mrs Li has just explained that she has to leave.

Mrs S: A) Do you really have to go, Mrs Li? Couldn't you at least stay for another cup of coffee? B) Oh, no, you can't.

C) Oh, come on. You've got time for one more cup of coffee, surely? D) Well, it's still early. There's no hurry.

18. You've just been asked out to dinner but you don't want to go with the person

who invited you. You might say:

A) I don't think so. I already have plans. B) No, I really don't enjoy being with you. C) I'm dieting so I mustn't go out to eat. D) Thanks a lot but I'm busy tonight.

19. Mr Graham met his teacher, Mrs South, outside the library.

Mr G: Good Morning, Mrs South. How are you?

Mrs S: Very well, thank you, Mr Graham, and how are you? Mr G: A) Oh, can't complain. B) I'm very well, too, thank you. C) Same old thing. D) Ok.

20. Mr Green's secretary, Pat Kent, went to the airport to meet Mr Barnes for her

boss.

Miss Kent: A) Excuse me, would you be Mr Barnes? B) Are you Mr Barnes?

C) Excuse me, would you please tell me if you are Mr Barnes? D) You are Mr Barnes, aren't you?

21. Patrick is sitting in a car with some friends. He has just asked if anyone minds

him smoking. One of the friends in the car, Gillian, is allergic to smoke. What would she say?

P: Ok if I smoke here?

G: A) Would you mind if I said no, Patrick? B) Can't you stay without smoking? C) It's not Ok.

D) No, of course not.

22. Wu Hua had a question to ask his foreign teacher. He went to Professor James's

place. After he got the answer, he got up to leave. Wu: A) Well, that's clear, thank you very much. B) Well, I've got to go now. C) Ok. Thanks.

D) I'm afraid I must go now.

23. If someone offers you some food that you really don't like, you might say:

A) I'm fed up.

B) I don't care for that.

C) Sure, I'd love some more. D) Thanks, but I'm really full.

24. Wei Dong met his English teacher, Dr Johns, outside the classroom.

We: A) Hi, Dr Johns. B) Hello, teacher.

C) Morning, Dr Johns.

D) Good morning, teacher Johns.