Directions: The passages in this section are meant to be read through quickly. Try to finish them within 6 minutes. Don’t preview.

Questions 1 to 4 are based on the following passage.

　　The word “Yankee” is about 300 years old. It was first used as a nickname for the colonists who settled in New England. But where did the world come from? What does it mean? How did it get into the language?
There are 20 stories explaining where “Yankee” came from. But the experts say only two of these stories are believable.
　　A number of people believe that it came from a Scottish word meaning sharp and clever. Even today, anyone who is a sharp trader is called “Yankee trader”. But most experts agree that “Yankee” came from Holland.
　　Many years ago, the Hollanders came to America in the early 1600’s. they settled near the New England colonists. The Hollanders were great farmers. They laughed at the colonists in the north who tried to build farms on the mountain rocks. And so, the Hollanders gave their own nickname to the New England colonists. The British quickly picked up the nickname and the New Englanders became Yankees.
During the American Civil War “Yankee” took on a wider meaning. The soldiers in the northern states were called Yankees by the men of the southern army.
　　During World War One the word was shortened to “Yank.” The song, “The Yanks Are Coming,” brought tears and joy to the peoples of the hard-pressed Allied nations.
　　Today, “Yankee” is known throughout the world as another name for an American.
　　Of course, one cannot talk about “Yankee” and not mention “Doodle” or “Yankee Doodle.” This phrase also has a story.
　　It is said that in 1775 a British army doctor, Richard Shucksberg, wrote the song, “Yankee Doodle,” to poke fun at the colonial troops. The British army, always neat in its bright red uniforms, looked down on the rough colonial soldiers, who really were against the high British taxes.
　　One day, a British army colonel, Hugh Percy, set out to collect the arms the colonists had hidden in Concord. Percy marched his men out of Boston to the tune of “Yankee Doodle.” At Concord, however, the rough colonial farmers defeated the British. The farmers now marched with pride to Boston to the tune of “Yankee Doodle.” Ever since that day in 1775, “Yankee Doodle” has become an American marching song.
1. Most experts agree that “Yankee” came from ______.
A. Scotland B. New England C. Holland
2. The Hollanders used “Yankee” to _______.
A. show respect of the New Englanders
B. make fun of the Northern colonists
C. refer to an American
3. “Yank” was first used in ______.
A. the American Civil War
B. World War One
C. World War Two
4. “Yankee Doodle” is _______.
A. a British marching song
B. an American marching song
C. more than 300 years old

Questions 5 to 7 are based on the following passage.

　　In every language there seem to be certain “unmentionables” ---- words of such strong implications that they cannot be used in polite speech. In English, the first of these to come to mind are, of course, words dealing with the function of the human body. We ask movie ushers and filling-station attendants where the “lounge” or “rest room” is, although we usually have no intention of lounging or resting. “Powder room” is another euphemism for the same facility, also known as “toilet,” which itself is an earlier euphemism. Indeed, it is impossible impolite society to state, without having to resort to baby talk or a medical vocabulary, what a “rest room” is for. (It is “where you wash your hands.”) Another term is “John.” There is now a book on the best “Johns” in New York.
　　Money is another subject about which people hesitate to talk in communication. It is all right to mention sums of money, such as $ 10 000 or $2.5. Bur it is considered in bad taste to inquire directly into other people’s financial affairs, unless such an inquiry is really necessary in the course of business. When creditors send bills, they almost never mention money, although that is what they are writing about. There are many roundabout ways of expression: “We beg to call your attention to what might be an oversight on your part.” “We would appreciate your early attention to this matter.” “May we look forward to an early remittance?”
　　The fear of death carries over, quite understandably in view of the widespread confusion of symbols with things symbolized, into fear of the words having to do with death. Many people, therefore, instead of saying “died,” substitute such expressions as “passed away,” “went to his reward,” and “departed”.
5. Which of the following is suggested rather than stated in paragraph 1?
A. “Powder room” and “rest room” mean the same thing.
B. “Toilet” is a rather old-fashioned word nowadays.
C. A “rest room” is where you wash your hands
6. Creditors seldom mention money when they send bills because ______.
A. the person they write to knows what they are writing about
B. money isn’t what they are writing about
C. it is considered in bad taste to do so
7. According to paragraph 3, why do people avoid saying “died”?
A. The word “died” is an unpleasant word.
B. The word “died” is confused with death itself.
C. “Died” is difficult to pronounce.

Questions 8 to 11 are based on the following passage.

　　American English and British English differ from each other. There are differences between the two in the phonetic values of certain vowels, particularly in the single and compound vowels of the kind of British English known as Received Pronunciation, the kind taught to Eliza Doolittle by Professor Higgins in Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion, and sometimes made fun of in the expression How now, brown cow. Different phonetic choices are also apparent, as for example in bath, either, clerk, fertile, and in the pronunciation of z (as zee in America and as zed in Britain). Stress patterns differ, as do the number of syllables in words such as medicine, necessary, laboratory, and missionary, and the intonation patterns for sentences.
　　Vocabulary differs between American and British English as a result of certain cultural differences, and the parallel development of certain inventions, for example, the automobile and the railroad. Vocabulary differences are seen in the following American words (the British equivalent is in brackets): moccasin, prairie, peanuts, clerk (shop assistant), homely (plain), letter carrier or mailman (postman), railroad (railway), hood (bonnet), trunk (boot), TV (telly), taxed (rates), subway (underground).
　　The most subtle difference of all are the syntactic ones. British English has a preference for the use of have as a full verb in “Haven’t you any?” as opposed to an American preference for “Don’t you have any?” likewise, the use of those and ones together in “Give me those ones” is a British usage, just as the tendency to add prepositions to verbs as in visit with and call up is an American usage.
8. Professor Higgins is apparently ______.
A. an American teacher
B. a British playwright
C. a British teacher
9. In which of the following words does American English differ form British English in the number of syllables that each word has?
A. bath B. clerk C. medicine
10. Which of the following statements agrees with the facts of the text?
A. Underground is an American word and subway is its British equivalent.
B. B. Prairie has no British equivalent.
C. In British English clerk means “shop assistant.”
11. Which of the following is an American usage?
A. Do you have those ones?
B. Have you any ink?
C. Did you call me up last night?

Key: 1. C 2. B 3. B 4. B 5. A 6. C 7. A 8. C 9. C
10. C 11. C

◆ Topics for Discussion and Reflection
1. Do you think that language is closely related to life?
2. What are the ways in which vocabulary changes? Besides those covered in this unit, do you know any other way?
3. What are the major differences between American English and British English? Cite examples form your own observation.