语言学试题1

I. Decide whether each of the following statements is True or False. (1 points for each; 10 points in total; write T for true and F for 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 facts and

checked

against

the

observed

facts.

( )

5. Phonetics is different from phonology in that the latter studies the combinations of the

sounds

to

convey

meaning

in

communication.

( )

6. Morphology studies how words can be formed to produce meaningful sentences. ( )

7. Syntax is different from morphology in that the former not only studies the morphemes, but also the combination of morphemes into words and words into sentences. ( )

8. Pragmatics is different from semantics in that pragmatics studies meaning not in isolation, ( ) 9.

Social

changes

can

often

bring

about

language

but

in

context.

changes.

( )

10. Modern linguistics is mostly prescriptive, but sometimes descriptive. ( )

II. Fill in each of the following blanks with one word which begins with the letter

1

given. (2 point for each; 30 in total)

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. 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.

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. Human capacity for language has a g_______ basis, but the details of language have to be taught and learned.

7. P _______ refers to the realization of langue in actual use.

8. Findings in linguistic studies can often be applied to the settlement of some practical problems. The study of such applications is generally known as a________ linguistics.

9. Language is p___________ in that it makes possible the construction and interpretation 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.

10. Linguistics is generally defined as the s _______ study of language.

11. Of all the speech organs, the t_______ is the most flexible, and is responsible for varieties of articulation than any other.

12. English consonants can be classified in terms of manner of articulation or in terms of p_______ of articulation.

13. When the obstruction created by the speech organs is total or complete, the speech sound produced with the obstruction audibly released and the air passing out again is

2

called a s________.

14. S_________ features are the phonemic features that occur above the level of the segments. They include stress, tone, intonation, etc.

15. The rules that govern the combination of sounds in a particular language are called s_______ rules.

III. Decide which one of the four choices best completes the statement and put the letter A,B,C or D in the brackets.(2points for each; 30 points in total) 1.The morpheme “vision” in the common word “television” is a(n) ______. A. bound morpheme B. bound form C. inflectional morpheme D. free morpheme

2. The compound word “bookstore” is the place where books are sold. This indicates that the meaning of a compound __________. A. is the sum total of the meaning of its components

B. can always be worked out by looking at the meanings of morphemes C. is the same as the meaning of a free phrase. D. None of the above.

3. The part of speech of the compounds is generally determined by the part of speech of __________.

A. the first element B. the second element C. either the first or the second element D. both the first and the second elements

4. _______ are those that cannot be used independently but have to be combined with other morphemes, either free or bound, to form a word.

A. Free morphemes B. Bound morphemes

C. Bound words D. Words 5. _________ is a branch of grammar which studies the internal structure of words and the rules by which words are formed.

3

A. Syntax B. Grammar C. Morphology D. Morpheme

6. The meaning carried by the inflectional morpheme is _______.

A. lexical B. morphemic C. grammatical D. semantic

7. Bound morphemes are those that ___________. A. have to be used independently

B. can not be combined with other morphemes C. can either be free or bound

D. have to be combined with other morphemes

8. _______ modify the meaning of the stem, but usually do not change the part of speech of the original word.

A. Prefixes B. Suffixes C. Roots D. Affixes

9. _________ are often thought to be the smallest meaningful units of language by the linguists.

A. Words B. Morphemes C. Phonemes D. Sentences

10. “-s” in the word “books” is _______.

A. a derivative affix B. a stem C. an inflectional affix D. a root 11. __________ is a voiced alveolar stop.

A. /z/ B. /d/ C. /k/ D. /b/ 12. The assimilation rule assimilates one sound to another by “copying” a feature of a sequential phoneme, thus making the two phones ____________.

A. identical B. same C. exactly alike D. similar 13. Since /p/ and /b/ are phonetically similar, occur in the same environments and they can distinguish meaning, they are said to be ___________.

A. in phonemic contrast B. in complementary distribution C. the allophones D. minimal pair

4

14. A ____ vowel is one that is produced with the front part of the tongue maintaining the highest position.

A. back B. central C. front D. middle

15. The sounds produced without the vocal cords vibrating are ____ sounds. A. voiceless B. voiced C. vowel D. consonantal

IV. Explain the following terms, using one or two examples for illustration. (5 points for each; 30 points in total)

1. Language is generally defined as a system of arbitrary vocal symbols used for human communication. Explain it in detail.

2. How do you understand the distinction between a synchronic study and a diachronic study?

3. How is modern linguistics different from traditional grammar?

5

4. What are the major distinctions between langue and parole?

5. What are the main features of the English compounds?

6. Why does modern linguistics regard the spoken form of language as primary, not the written?

6