语言学试题

I. Decide whether each of the following statements is True or False:1. Linguistics is generally defined as the scientific study of language.2. Linguistics studies particular language, not languages in general.3. A scientific study of language is based on what the linguist thinks.4. In the study of linguistics, hypotheses formed should be based on language factsand checked against the observed facts.5. General linguistics is generally the study of language as a whole.6. General linguistics, which relates itself to the research of other areas, studies thebasic concepts, theories, descriptions, models and methods applicable in any linguistic study.7. Phonetics is different from phonology in that the latter studies the combinations of the sounds to convey meaning in communication.8. Morphology studies how words can be formed to produce meaningful sentences.9. The study of the ways in which morphemes can be combined to form words is called morphology.10. Syntax is different from morphology in that the former not only studies themorphemes, but also the combination of morphemes into words and words into sentences.11. The study of meaning in language is known as semantics.12. Both semantics and pragmatics study meanings.13. Pragmatics is different from semantics in that pragmatics studies meaning not inisolation, but in context.14. Social changes can often bring about language changes.15. Sociolinguistics is the study of language in relation to society.16. Modern linguistics is mostly prescriptive, but sometimes descriptive.17. Modern linguistics is different from traditional grammar.18. A diachronic study of language is the description of language at some point intime.19. Modern linguistics regards the written language as primary, not the spokenlanguage.20. The distinction between competence and performance was proposed by F. deSaussure.21. Chomsky studies language more from the functional point of view.22. Communicative Competence was proposed by Dell Hymes, based on Chomsky’sCompetence.23. According to F. de Saussure, parole is more or less accidental and accessory.24. Synchronic linguistics studies language through the course of its history.25. Noam Chomsky is the father of modern linguistics.26. F. de Saussure wrote Course in General Linguistics when he was lecturing in theUniversity of Geneva.27. According to Saussure, the sound-image is the sound representation of a linguisticsign.28. The linear nature of the signifier is represented by the spatial line of graphic marksin writing.29. Verbal dueling represents the recreational function of language.30. Different cultures have different topics of phatic communication.II. Fill in each of the following blanks with one word which begins with the letter given:31.Chomsky defines “competence” as the ideal user’s k__________ of the rules ofhis language.32. Langue refers to the a__________ linguistic system shared by all the members ofa speech community while the parole is the concrete use of the conventions andapplication of the rules.33. D_________ is one of the design features of human language which refers to thephenomenon that language consists of two levels: a lower level of meaningless individual sounds and a higher level of meaningful units.34. Language is a system of a_________ vocal symbols used for humancommunication.35. The discipline that studies the rules governing the formation of words intopermissible sentences in languages is called s________.36. Human capacity for language has a g ____ basis, but the details of language haveto be taught and learned.37. P ____ refers to the realization of langue in actual use.38. Findings in linguistic studies can often be applied to the settlement of somepractical problems. The study of such applications is generally known as a________ linguistics.39. Language is p___________ in that it makes possible the construction andinterpretation 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.40. Linguistics is generally defined as the s ____ study of language.41. Halliday proposes macrofunctions of language include I_______, Interpersonaland Textual functions.42. Language is resourceful because of its duality and r_________.43. The whole of a person’s language is termed I________.44. Language is symbolic mainly because words are associated with e_________.45. Language can perform the M________ function since it is used to talk about itself.46. E___________ means the linguist should gather all the materials relevant to hisinvestigation and give them an adequate explanation.47. Macrolingusitics is the i_____________ study of the interrelationships betweenlanguage and other fields.48. N_________ studies the neurological basis of language development and use inhuman beings.49. For Saussure the linguist’s object of investigation is the langue of each c______.50. According to Saussure, the l_____nature of the signifier includes: (1) it occupies acertain temporal space; (2) this space is measured in just one dimension: it is a line.III. There are four choices following each statement. Mark the choice that can best complete the statement.51.If a linguistic study describes and analyzes the language people actually use, it issaid to be ______________.A. prescriptiveB. analyticC. descriptiveD. linguistic52. Which of the following is not a design feature of human language?A. ArbitrarinessB. DisplacementC. DualityD. Meaningfulness53. Modern linguistics regards the written language as ____________.A. primaryB. correctC. secondaryD. stable54. In modern linguistics, speech is regarded as more basic than writing, because ___________.A. in linguistic evolution, speech is prior to writingB. speech plays a greater role than writing in terms of the amount of informationconveyed.C. speech is always the way in which every native speaker acquires his mothertongueD.All of the above55. A historical study of language is a ____ study of language.A. synchronicB. diachronicC. prescriptiveD. comparative56. Saussure took a (n) __________ view of language, while Chomsky looks atlanguage from a ________ point of view.A. sociological…psychologicalB. psychological…sociologicalC. applied… pragmaticD. functional... sociological57. According to F. de Saussure, ____ refers to the abstract linguistic system sharedby all the members of a speech community.A. paroleB. performanceC. langueD. Language58. Language is said to be arbitrary because there is no logical connection between_________ and meanings.A. senseB. soundsC. objectsD. ideas59. Language can be used to refer to contexts removed from the immediate situationsof the speaker. This feature is called_________,A. displacementB. dualityC. productivityD. cultural transmission60. ________ is also called ideational function in the framework of functionalgrammar.A. PerformativeB. EmotiveC. InformativeD. both A and CIV. Define the following terms:61. Linguistics62. Phonology63. Syntax64. Pragmatics.65. Psycholinguistics66. Language67. Phonetics68. Morphology69. Semantics70. Sociolinguistics71. Applied Linguistics72. Arbitrariness73. Productivity 74. Displacement75. Duality76. Design Features77. Competence78 Performances79. Langue80 Paroles81. Textual function82. Emotive/expressive function83. Economy84. Macrolingusitics85. Linguistic potentialV. Answer the following questions as comprehensively as possible. Give examples for illustration if necessary:86. Language is generally defined as a system of arbitrary vocal symbols used forhuman communication. Explain it in detail.87. What are the design features of human language? Illustrate them with examples.88. How is modern linguistics different from traditional grammar?89. How do you understand the distinction between a synchronic study and adiachronic study?90. Why does modern linguistics regard the spoken form of language as primary, notthe written?91. What are the major distinctions between langue and parole?92. How do you understand competence and performance?93. Saussure’s distinction between langue and parole seems similar to Chomsky’sdistinction between competence and performance. What do you think are their major differences?94. Do you think human language is entirely arbitrary? Why?95. What are the major contributions F. de Saussure made to the development ofmodern linguistics?96. How can a linguist make his analysis scientific?97. Bertrand Russell once observed: “No matter how eloquently a dog may bark, hecan not tell you that his parents were poor but honest.” What did he mean? E 98. Each of the following sentences is ambiguous. Provides paraphrases for the two(or more) interpretations in each case.1. John bought some antique books and socks in town.2. They are hunting dogs.3. Who would you like to visit?4. Can you give me some more convincing evidence?5. John loves his wife and so do I.6. I saw her duck.7. The bear can not bear bears.8. Go and ask the dean who will teach the first year students English literature.9. The lamb is too hot to eat.99. What does “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” mean?100. Compare the definitions of language by at least 3 linguists, discuss which one is most feasible and explain the significance of the similarities and differences among the definitions.101. Which distinction do you think is the most reasonable or useful, langue and parole, competence and performance, linguistic potential and actual linguistic behavior?102. Discuss the significance of the property of duality. What would happen if language had only one system of structure?。