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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What language is used to communicate across borders?

2. Why can translations between countries be considered difficult?

3. In what year is the dictionary mentioned in #113 printed?

4. What did North American immigrants do with their native languages?

5. What shows up in versions of early dictionaries?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the background of Webster's Dictionary and the Oxford English Dictionary?

2. Describe the evolution of swear words.

3. What happens to the use of swear words as society becomes more cognizant of propriety?

4. To what does the author attribute the misuse of English grammar?

5. What has been the naming process for places in England and America?

6. What is the correlation between tracing swear words and tracing the history of language overall?

7. Why are English speakers becoming a minority of single-language users globally?

8. How is the pronunciation of place names indicative of how English speakers have changed over time?

9. What does the author state as one of the oldest English language dictionaries?

10. What is the author's final position on the future of the English language?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain the differences between pictographic languages and phonetic languages and give examples of each.

Essay Topic 2

Building on language foundations, human speech spread throughout the world. Explain some of the commonalities and distinctions that mark the evolution of the English language.

Essay Topic 3

Explain noted linguist Noam Chomsky's argument that children have inherent "ground rules" that help them learn their language. What other theories exist to explain how children learn to speak?

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