A
When studying English, it’s best to focus on the big picture. Trying to improve your speaking? Aim for fluency and “standard” pronunciation. Want to get better at writing? Practice vocabulary and grammar.
But this way of learning, though necessary, misses one big thing: all the differences there are in how different people speak English. For example, people from the US and the UK speak very differently. If a British friend invited me to eat lunch at his apartment, he might say: “Come over to mine ‘round 12 pm’.”
But if I invited him over, I might say: “Be at my place a little after 12.” “My place” is more commonly used in the US; “mine” is more frequently used in the UK – both are informal ways of saying “my house” or “my apartment”.
Even people in different parts of the US speak very differently. For example, imagine that you are talking to a group of people and want to address them all at once. What pronoun do you use? “You”, you should reply — that’s the correct pronoun whether you’re addressing one person or a group.
But using “you” to address multiple people feels strange in conversation, so speakers find ways around it. The most common choice around the US is to say “you guys”. But working class natives of my hometown, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, say “yinz”: as in, “yinz wanna go to the bar later to watch the game?” In eastern Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey, some people say “youse”: as in, “youse are always hanging out in the street”. In the southern US, people say “y’all”: as in, “don’t forget about us, y’all!”
The point is, there’s a lot more to languages than what’s standard and proper. So take a tour around the US, y’all. Yinz will be glad that youse did it.
1. Which aspect of language learning does the author specifically focus on in the article?
A. The reason why we need to practice standard pronunciation.
B. How to learn from native speakers.
C. How to see the big picture when speaking English.
D. The different ways native speakers use the language.
2. The underlined word “addressing” in Paragraph 4 probably means ______.
A. turning to. B. dealing with. C. speaking to. D. sending a letter to.
3. If someone greets you and your family by saying “It’s good seein’ y’all!”, he is likely from ______.
A. the southern US. B. Pennsylvania. C. New York. D. New Jersey.
【答案】1. D 2. C 3. A
【解析】
【分析】這是一篇說明文。文章主要講述了學(xué)習(xí)英語時(shí)，最好著眼大局，要注意不同的人講英語的方式存在著差異。
【1題詳解】
細(xì)節(jié)理解題。由第二段中的“But this way of learning, though necessary, misses one big thing: all the differences there are in how different people speak English. (但這種學(xué)習(xí)方式雖然必要，卻忽略了一件大事：不同的人講英語的方式存在著所有的差異)”可知，本文中作者特別關(guān)注以英語為母語的人使用語言的不同方式。故選D項(xiàng)。
【2題詳解】
詞義猜測題。由第四段中的“For example, imagine that you are talking to a group of people and want to address them all at once. What pronoun do you use? “You”, you should reply — that’s the correct pronoun whether you’re addressing one person or a group. (例如，假設(shè)您正在與一群人交談，并希望同時(shí)向他們講話。“你用什么代詞？”“你”，你應(yīng)該回答——這是正確的代詞，無論你addressing一個(gè)人或一個(gè)群體)”可知，addressing在此和上文talking to的意思相同，即“和……說話/交談”。故選C項(xiàng)。
【3題詳解】
推理判斷題。由倒數(shù)第二段中的“In the southern US, people say “y’all”: as in, “don’t forget about us, y’all!”(在美國南部，人們說“y’all”：就像“別忘了我們，y’all！”)”可知，如果有人對你和你的家人說“It’s good seein’ y’all!”，他很可能是從美國南部來。故選A項(xiàng)。
