Passage 15

How men first learnt to invent words is unknown;in other words,the origin of language is a mystery.All we really know is that men,unlike animals,somehow invented certain sounds to express thought and feelings,actions and things,so that they could communicate with each other;and that later they agreed upon certain signs,called letters,which could be combined to present those sounds,and which could be written down.Those sounds,whether spoken or written in letters,we call words.

人们最初是如何发明单词的不得而知，换句话说，语言的起源是个秘密。所有我们所知道的只是，人，不同于动物，不知怎么发明了某些声音来表达思想、情感、行为和物质，以便相互交流；后来统一了某些被称为字母的符号，这些字母可以连起来代表那些声音，可以写下来。我们把那些声音叫做单词，不管他们是口语还是书面语。

The power of words,then,lies in their associations-the thing they bring up before our minds.Words become filled with meaning for us by experience;and the longer we live,the more certain words recall to us the glad and sad events of our past;and the more we read and learn,the more the number of words that mean something increases.

文字的力量在于其联系性－它们把这些联系性带到我们的头脑中。通过经历，单词对我们充满了意义。我们活得越久，某些单词就越能使我们回忆起过去的喜怒哀乐；我们越是阅读和学习，有意义的单词数量就越增加。

Great writers are those who not only have great thoughts but also express these thoughts in words which appeal powerfully to our minds and emotions.This charming and telling use of words is what we call literary style.Above all,the real poet is a master of words.He can convey his meaning in words which sing like music and which by their position and association can move men to tears.We should therefore learn to choose our words carefully and use them accurately,or they will make our speech silly and vulgar.

伟大的作家是那些不仅具有伟大思想而且能用词汇来表达这些思想的人，他们的思想强烈地震撼着我们的心灵和情感。单词的这种美妙和寓意用法就是我们所谓的文学性。总之，真正的诗人是文字的掌握着。他可以用音乐般的词汇来表达自己的意思，这些词汇凭借其所用环境和联系性能让人感动得流泪。因此，我们应该学会仔细选择所用词汇并准确使用，否则会使我们说的话可笑又粗俗。

6.The origin of language is _______.语言的起源是：

A.a legend handed down from the past B.a matter that is hidden or secret

C.a question difficult to answer D.a problem not yet solved一个还未解决的问题

7.What is true about words?关于词汇哪一项是对的？

A.They are used to express feelings only.B.They can not be written down.

C.They are simply sounds.他们是简单的声音D.They are mysterious.

8.The real power of words lies in their _______.文字的真正力量在于其____

A.properties B.characteristics

C.peculiarity D.representative function代表功能

9.By“association”,the author means _______.作者用“联系性”这个词指

A.a special quality B.a joining of ideas in the mind头脑中思想的联接

C.an appearance which is puzzling D.a strange feature

10.Which of the following statements about the real poet is NOT true?

关于真正的诗人下列哪项不正确？

A.He is no more than a master of words.他只不过是一个文字的掌握者。

B.He can convey his ideas in words which sing like music.

C.He can move men to tears.D.His style is always charming.

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