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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Preface to Pygmalion. A Professor of Phonetics.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does an upside-down e represent?
(a) It is a symbol of the uselessnesss of alphabets.
(b) It is similar to a question mark.
(c) An uncommon vowel in English.
(d) A vowel of indefinite sound.

2. Which of the following does Shaw identify as a problem among his fellow English?
(a) The English are poor spellers.
(b) The English can't speak their own language properly.
(c) The English do not bother to learn other European languages.
(d) The English are snobs who look down on people who can't speak English.

3. To Shaw, what is the main advantage of Henry Sweet's "Current Shorthand"?
(a) It can be used on postcards, where there is limited space to write.
(b) It can express every sound in the language perfectly.
(c) It can be used as a kind of secret code or cryptogram.
(d) Everyone is familiar with it, as it is widely taught in secretarial schools.

4. What does Sweet think of the Pitman system?
(a) He thinks it is brilliant and uses it as a model.
(b) He doesn't like it because it is not phonetic.
(c) He never knows of it because he dies before it is invented.
(d) He despises it.

5. What does Sweet send Shaw?
(a) Letters.
(b) Books.
(c) Postcards.
(d) Money.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who is Tito Pagliardini?

2. Which comment does Shaw make about the realism in his play?

3. Why does Shaw's attempt to help Sweet fail?

4. Based on what you read in the Preface, with which of the following statements do you think Shaw would agree?

5. Why doesn't Sweet's shorthand become popular?

(see the answer key)

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