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Part B. Languages usually change very slowly over time, but they are always evolving as long as they are in use. English is a perfect example of a language that has maneuvered through many changes. Students only have to read classic writers such as Chaucer and Shakespeare to know that we don’t speak, write, or spell as these authors did; the meanings of some of the words these writers used can be quite elusive and unintelligible. After so many years of gradual change, it is unlikely this version of English will undergo a resurgence. If that is so, why should we be so disparaging of the notion of change in modern English? Types of changes include the weakening, strengthening, or changing of the meaning of a word over time. For example, “sick” used to only mean ill. Then it acquired the additional meaning of “mentally unbalanced” when the phrase “sick in the head” was shortened. From there it has been used to mean “gross” or “awful,” and today it is commonly used as its antonym. When today’s generation says something is “sick,” they mean it is unbelievably fantastic! Vocabulary too can change when words are shortened. In the U.S., “radical” is often shortened to “rad.” Among Singaporean teens, “ex” is often used instead of “expensive.” To anyone unfamiliar with the abbreviation, these colloquialisms can get very confusing! Languages change when foreign influences get into the mix. The Norman French descended on and conquered England in 1066, and this had a profound effect on the Anglo Saxon English of the time. The rugged native language was enriched with new vocabulary and grammatical structures. Sometimes languages can evolve in a short time—across just a few generations or even a single generation. The development of Creole is an example of such rapid change. Creole is the convergence of two different languages in such a way that it becomes a new language in itself and has its first-language speakers. In the U.S., adult slaves were brought together with no common language between them. They accumulated the vocabulary of their slave masters as a tool with which to communicate, but used the grammar structures of their native languages. This new tongue that developed diverged enough from its root languages to become a completely different language. Probably the biggest changes in the English language today are occurring with the written word. Technology and the changes it has made in the way we communicate are having a dramatic effect on the way the language can unofficially be written. Sending text messages has become a preferred way to communicate. In addition, communication needs to be quick, so teens have found new ways to shorten words in text messages and in Internet chat rooms for the dual purpose of brevity and privacy from the prying eyes of parents. The written text has gradually morphed into a separate code understood only by those in the know and is probably on the brink of becoming its own written language. As a result, punctuation rules are also being ignored and it is even suggested that in the future capital letters will no longer have a place in the written language. In 500 years, it is quite likely our ancestors will look at this page and, just like schoolchildren experiencing Shakespeare today, find deciphering its contents extremely arduous!
【題組】57. According to the passage, when does a language become Creole?
(A) When two languages mix.
(B) When it is used in colonies.
(C) When it is used as a native language.
(D) When it is used as an official language.


答案:A
難度: 困難

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Part B. Languages usually change very s..-阿摩線上測驗