高英第三版练习册答案

1．Which sentence in the first paragraph establishes the link between the driving of a nail and the choice of a word?

2．So with language firmly and exactly.

2. what does the word “this” in sentence 1,para 2, refer to?

Getting the word that is completely right for the writer’s purpose.

3．Do you agree with the author that there is a great deal of truth in the seemingly stupid question “How can I know what I think till I see what I say?”

The question sounds irrational, but is true. Unless we have found the exact words to verbalize our own thoughts, we can never be very sure of what our thoughts are. Without words, our thoughts can not be defined or stated in a clear and precise manner.

4. expain why the word “imprison” in the example given in , though not a malapropism, is still not the right word for the writer’s purpose?

“malapropism” means the unintentional misuse of

a word by confusing it with one that resembles it, such as “human” for “humane”, “singularity” for “singleness”. But the misuse of imprison is diffe rent case, it is wrongly chosen because the user has failed to recognise its associations.

make comments on the three pairs of examples given in this section. Compare and contrast their differences in meaning.

human: of, or relating to man. (human being; human nature; human rights)

humane: characterized by kindness, mercy, or compassion. (humane judge,humane officer)

Human action = action taken by human;

Humane action = merciful action;

Human killer = person that kills human;

Humane killer = instruments which kill but cause little pain, esp. those for the painless killing of animals.

6. what does the word “alive” in the sentence “a student needs to be alive to these differences” mean?

Sensitive, alert.

7. the writer begins his article with an analogy between the unskilled use of the hammer and the improper choice of words. indentify the places where the analogy is referred to in the rest of the article.

“we don’t have to look far afield to find the evidence of carpentry”

“it is perhaps easier to be a good craftman with wood and nail than a good craftsman with words.”

“a good carpenter is not distinguished by the number of his tools, but by the craftsmanship with which he uses them. So a good writer is not measured by the extent of his vocabulary, but by his skill in finding the “mot juste”, the word that will hit the nail cleanly on the head.”

Paraphrase

writer who pay great attention to expressing the exact English will never be satisfied with a word which can not express an idea accurately.