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I. Decide whether each of the
following statements is true or false:
1. Linguistics is generally defined as
the scientific study of language.
2. A
scientific study of language is based on what the
linguist thinks.
3. General linguistics
is generally the study of language as a whole
4.
Phonetics
is
different
from
phonology
in
that
the
latter
studies
the
combinations
of
the
sounds
to
convey
meaning in
communication.
5. The study of the ways
in which morphemes can be combined to form words
is called morphology.
6. Applied
linguistics is the application of linguistic
principles and theories to language teaching and
learning
7 Competence and performance
refer respectively to a language user’s underlying
knowledge about the system
of rules and
the actual use of language in concrete
8 Language is a means of verbal
communication. Therefore, the communication way
used by the deaf-mute is
not language
9. By diachronic study we mean to study
the changes and development of language
10. Language change is universal,
ongoing and arbitrary
11. There is
universal agreement about the origin of language.
12. Pet dogs can speak human languages.
13. All human infants can speak some
language.
14. By creativity we mean the
creative use of language as often practiced by
poets.
15. With different cultures
there will be different languages.
16.
Not all uses of language are meant to convey new
information.
II. Fill in
each of the following blanks with one word which
begins with the letter given:
1. Chomsky defines “competence” as the
ideal user’s k__________ of the rules of his
language.
2. Langue refers
to the a__________ 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. The description of a
language as it change through time is a
________study
4. Language is a system
of a_________ vocal symbols used for human
communication.
5.
The
discipline
that
studies
the
rules
governing
the
formation
of
words
into
permissible
sentences
in
languages is called
s________.
6. Language
,broadly speaking, is a means of
_________communication
7. Language has
many functions. we can use language to talk about
itself. This function is________
1
8. Theory that
primitive man made involuntary vocal noises while
performing heavy work has been called the
___________theory
9. One general principle of linguistic
analysis is the primacy of ___________over writing
10. D_________ is one of the design
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.
III.
There
are
four
choices
following
each
statement.
Mark
the
choice
that
can
best
complete
the
statement.
1.
If
a
linguistic
study
describes
and
analyzes
the
language
people
actually
use,
it
is
said
to
be
______________.
A. prescriptive
B.
analytic
C.
descriptive
D. linguistic
2.
Which of the following is not a design feature of
human language?
A.
Arbitrariness
B. Displacement C. Duality
D. Meaningfulness
3. Modern linguistics regards the
written language as ____________.
A. primary
B.
correct
C.
secondary
D. stable
4. The function of the
sentence “water boil at 100 degrees
centigrade”
A interrogative
B
directive
C
informative
D
performative
5. A historical study of
language is a ____ study of language.
A. synchronic
B. diachronic
C. prescriptive
D. comparative
6. Language is a system of arbitrary
vocal symbols for human __________.
A
contact
B communication
C relation
D community
7. Languages is _______
A instinctive
B non-instinctive
C
static
D genetically
transmitted
8. A linguist regards the
change in language and language use as _______
A unnatural
B something to be feared
C natural
D
abnormal
9. Which of the
following words is entirely arbitrary
A
tree
B crash
C typewriter
D
bang
10. 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
2
D. All of the
above
IV
. Define the
following terms:
1. Linguistics
2. Phonology
3. Syntax
4 Design features
5.
Psycholinguistics
6.
Language
7. Phonetics
8. Morphology
V
.
Answer
the
following
questions
as
comprehensively
as
possible.
Give
examples
for
illustration
if
necessary:
1. Language is
generally defined as a system of arbitrary vocal
symbols used for human communication.
Explain it in detail.
2. What are the design features of
human language? Illustrate them with examples.
3.
How do you understand the distinction between a
synchronic study and a diachronic study?
4. Why does modern linguistics regard
the spoken form of language as primary, not the
written?
5. What are the major
distinctions between langue and parole?
Answer:
I.
Decide whether each of the following statements is
true or false:
l. T
2.F
3.T
4.T
5.T
6T
7
T
8 F
9 T
10 F
11. F 12.F
13.F
14. F
15. F 16. T
II.
Fill in each of the following blanks with one word
which begins with the letter given:
1. Knowledge
2.
Abstract
3. Diachronic linguistics
4. Arbitrary
5. Syntax
6 verbal
7
metalingual function
8 yo-he ho
9 speech
10 Duality
III.
There
are
four
choices
following
each
statement.
Mark
the
choice
that
can
best
complete
the
statement.
l.
C
2.D
3.C
4.C
5.B
6.B
7.B
8.C
9.A
10.D
IV
. Define the following
terms:
1. Linguistics: Linguistics is
generally defined as the scientific study of
language.
2. Phonology: The study of how sounds
are put together and used in communication is
called phonology.
3. Syntax: The study of how
morphemes and words are combined to form sentences
is called syntax. .
4. Design features: it
referred to the defining properties of human
language that tell the difference between
human
language
that
tell
the
difference
between
human
language
and
any
system
of
animal
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