新编简明英语语言学教程第一次作业及答案.docx

新编简明英语语言学教程第一次作业及答案 Quiz of Linguistics I. Decide whether each of the following statements is True or False. 1. Linguistics is generally defined as the scientific study of language. ( T ) 2. Linguistics studies particular language, not language in general. ( F ) 3. A scientific study of language is based on what the linguist thinks. ( F) 4. In the study of linguistics, hypotheses formed should be based on language facts and checked against the observed facts. ( T ) 5. General linguistics is generally the study of language as a whole. ( T ) 6. General linguistics, which relates itself to the research of other areas, studies the basic concepts, theories, descriptions, models and methods applicable in any linguistics study. ( F ) 7. Modern linguistics is mostly prescriptive, but sometimes descriptive. ( F ) 8. Modern linguistics is different from traditional grammar. ( T ) 9. A diachronic study of language is the description of language at some point in time. ( F ) 10. The distinction between competence and performance was proposed by Saussure. ( F ) II. Fill in each of the following blanks with one word which begins with the letter given. 1. Chomsky defines “competence” as the ideal users knowledge_ of the rules of his language. 2. Langue refers to the abstract_ 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. 3. Duality_ is one of the desing 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. 4. Language is a system of arbitrary_vocal symbols used for human communication. 5. Parole_ refers to the realization of langue in actual use. 6. Findings in linguistic studies can often be applied to the settlement of some practical problems. The study of such application is generally known as applied_ linguistics. 7. Language is productive_ 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 before. 8. Linguistics is generally defined as the scientific_ study of languge. 9. If a linguistic study describes and analyzes the language people actually use, it is said to be descriptive_. 10. Modern linguistics regards the written language as secondary_. III. There are four choices following each statement. Mark the choice that can best complete the statement. D1. Which of the following is not a design feature of human language? A. aribitrariness B. displacement C. duality D. Meaningfulness D2. In modern linguistics, speech is regarded as more basic than writing, because_. A. in linguistic evolution, speech is prior to writing 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. B3. A historical study of language is a _ study of language. A. synchronic B. diachronic C. prescriptive D. comparative A4. Sausure took a(n) _ view of language, while Chomsky looks at language from a _ point of view. A. sociological, psychological B. psychological, sociological C. applied, pragmatic D. semantic, linguistic C5. According to Saussure, _ refers to the abstract linguistic system shared by all the members of a speech community. A. parole B. performance C. langue D. language B6. Language is said to be arbitrary because there is no logical connection between _ and meaning. A. sense B. sounds C. objects D. ideas A7. 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 D8. The details of any language system is passed on from one generation to the next through _rather than by instinct. A. learning B. teaching C. books D. both A and B C9. Which of the following words is not motivated? A. bang B. blackboard C. pen D. meow D10. What is the function of the sentence: “Hi! How are you this moring?” A. emotive function B. conative function C. poetic function D. phatic function IV. Terms explanation 1. linguistics Linguistics is generally defined as the scientific study of language. 2. language Language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols used for human communication 3. arbitrariness Arbitrariness means that there is no logical connection between meanings and sounds. 4. productivity Language is productive or creative in that it makes possible the construction and interpretation of new signals by its users. 5. displacement Language can be used to refer to things which are present or not present, real or imagined matters in the past, present, or future, or in far away places. In other words, language can be used to refer to contexts removed from the immediate situations of the speaker. 6. langue Langue refers to the abstract linguistic system shared by all the members of a speech community. 7. parole Parole refers to the realization of langue in actual use. 8. competence Chomsky defines competence as the ideal users knowledge of the rules of his language. 9. performance Chomsky defines performance as the actual realization of this knowledge in linguistic communication. 10. duality Language is a system, which consists of two sets of structures, or two levels. V. Short answer questions 1. What are the design features of human language? Illustrate them with examples. 2. How is modern linguistics different from traditional grammar? 3. How do you understand the distinction between a synchronic study and a diachronic study? 4. What are the major distinction between langue and parole? 5. How do you understand competence and performance? 6. Saussures distinction between langue and parole seems similar to Chomskys distinction between competence and performance. What do you think are their major differences? 7. Do you think human language is entirely arbitrary? Why? 8. What are the main functions of language according to Jacobsons framework? 9. Explains the three macrofunctions of language in Hollidays system. 10. What are the major branches of linguistics? What does each of them study?