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《英语语言学概论》课程复习题集 (1-6章)

2012-5-16更新

Chapter I Introduction2012

I. Decide whether each of the following statements is TRUE or FALSE: 1. Linguistics is the scientific study of language.

2. Competence and performance is distinguished by Saussure.

3. A synchronic linguistics is the study of a language through the course of its history. 4. Linguistics is generally defined as the scientific study of language. 5. Linguistics studies particular language, not languages in general. 6. A scientific study of language is based on what the linguist thinks.

7. In the study of linguistics, hypotheses formed should be based on language facts and checked against the observed facts.

8. General linguistics is generally the study of language as a whole.

9. General linguistics, which relates itself to the research of other areas, studies the basic concepts, theories, descriptions, models and methods applicable in any linguistic study.

10. Phonetics is different from phonology in that the latter studies the combinations of the sounds to convey meaning in communication.

11. Morphology studies how words can be formed to produce meaningful sentences. 12. The study of the ways in which morphemes can be combined to form words is called morphology.

13. Syntax is different from morphology in that the former not only studies the morphemes, but also the combination of morphemes into words and words into sentences.

14. The study of meaning in language is known as semantics. 15. Both semantics and pragmatics study meanings.

16. Pragmatics is different from semantics in that pragmatics studies meaning not in isolation, but in context.

17. Social changes can often bring about language changes. 18. Sociolinguistics is the study of language in relation to society.

19. The arbitrary nature of language makes it possible for language to have an unlimited source of expressions.

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20. Synchronic linguistic is the study of a language through the course of its history.

21. Modern linguistics is mostly prescriptive, but sometimes descriptive. 22. Modern linguistics is different from traditional grammar.

23. A diachronic study of language is the description of language at some point in time.

24. Modern linguistics regards the written language as primary, not the written language.

25. The distinction between competence and performance was proposed by F. de Saussure.

26. Features that contrast words in meaning are called design features are said to be in complementary distribution. 27. Linguistic symbols are arbitrary.

28. By arbitrariness Saussure means that the forms of linguistic signs bear some

natural relationship to their meaning.

II. Fill in each of the following blanks with one word which begins with the letter given:

1. If a linguistic study describes and analyzes the language people actually use, it is said to be d_______.

2. Chomsky defines “ competence” as the ideal user’s k__________ of the rules of his language.

3. Langue refers to the a__________ linguistic system shared by all the members of a speech community while the parole is the concrete use of the conventions and application of the rules.

43. D_________ is one of the design features of human language which refers to the phenomenon that language consists of two levels: a lower level of meaningless individual sounds and a higher level of meaningful units.

5. Language is a system of a_________ vocal symbols used for human communication.

6. S is the study of language in relation to society.

7. The discipline that studies the rules governing the formation of words into permissible sentences in languages is called s________.

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8. Human capacity for language has a g ____ basis, but the details of language have to be taught and learned.

9. P ____ refers to the realization of langue in actual use.

10. Findings in linguistic studies can often be applied to the settlement of some practical problems. The study of such applications is generally known as a________ linguistics.

11. Language is p___________ in that it makes possible the construction and interpretation of new signals by its users. In other words, they can produce and understand an infinitely large number of sentences which they have never heard be12 12. Linguistics is generally defined as the s ____ study of language.

13. To help define and maintain interpersonal relations is the s function of language.

III. There are four choices following each statement. Mark the choice that can

best complete the statement.

1. The description of a language in a fixed instant is a _______ study. A. synchronic B. diachronic C. prescriptive D. systematic

2. The application of linguistics principles and theories to language teaching and learning is called _____. A. sociolinguistics

B. Psycholinguistics

C. computational linguistics D. Applied Linguistics

3. If a linguistic study describes and analyzes the language people actually use, it is said to be ______________.

A. prescriptive B. analytic C. descriptive D. linguistic

4. Which of the following is not a design feature of human language?

A. Arbitrariness B. Displacement C. Duality D. Meaningfulness 5. Modern linguistics regards the written language as ____________. A. primary B. correct C. secondary D. stable

6. In modern linguistics, speech is regarded as more basic than writing, because ___________.

A. in linguistic evolution, speech is prior to writing

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B. speech plays a greater role than writing in terms of the amount of information conveyed.

C. speech is always the way in which every native speaker acquires his mother tongue D. All of the above

7. Many modern linguists have criticized traditional grammarians for adopting a _____ approach to language study.

A. synchronic B. diachronic

C. prescriptive D. descriptive

8. A historical study of language is a ____ study of language.

A. synchronic B. diachronic C. prescriptive D. comparative

9. According to F. de Saussure, ____ refers to the abstract linguistic system shared by all the members of a speech community.

A. parole B. performance C. langue D. Language

10. Language is said to be arbitrary because there is no logical connection between

_________ and meanings.

A. sense B. sounds C. objects D. ideas

11. Language can be used to refer to contexts removed from the immediate situations of the speaker. This feature is called_________, A. displacement B. duality C. flexibility D. cultural transmission

12. The distinction between langue and parole was made by _______ early last century.

A. American linguist N. Chomsky B. Swiss linguist F. de Saussure C. American linguist Edward Sapir D. British linguist J. R. Firth 13. The fact that different languages have different words for the same object is good proof that human language is .

A. arbitrary B. rational C. logical D. cultural

IV. Answer the following question:

1. In what basic ways does modern linguistics differ from traditional grammar?

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