2017届高考英语一轮复习考点集训：Module3 Unit2《Language》（牛津译林版含答案）_高考复习指南

2017届高考英语一轮复习考点集训：Module3 Unit2《Language》（牛津译林版含答案）

　　C. Different body languages between Americans and the British.

　　D. Some differences between American English and British English.

　　Etymology, the study of words and word roots, may sound like the kind of thing done by boring librarians in small, dusty rooms.Yet etymologists actually have a uniquely interesting job.They are in many ways just like archaeologists (考古学家) digging up the physical history of people and events.The special aspect of etymology is that it digs up history, ield to explore history through words. As a language, English has an extraordinary number of words.This is partly due to its ability to adapt foreign words so readily.For example, 揈nglish?words such as kindergarten

　　A(from German), croissant (from French), and cheetah (from Hindi) have become part of the language with little or no change from their original sounds and spellings. So English－language etymologists have a vast world of words to explore.

　　Another enjoyable thing about etymology for most word experts is solving word mysteries(谜)．No, anguage experts have pursued is how English came to have the phrase OK.Though it is one of the most commonly used expressions, its exact beginning is a puzzle even to this day.Even its spelling is not entirely consistent梪nless you spell it Okay, it is hard even to call it a word.

　　Etymologists have been able to narrow OK's origin dowmn to a likely, although not certain, source(来源)．It became widely used around the time of Martin Van Buren's run for president in 1840. His nickname was Old Kinderhook. What troubles word experts about this explanation is that the phrase appeared in some newspapers before Van Buren became well known.It is likely that Van Buren could be called its primary source. Etymologists will doubtlessly keep searching for the initial source.However, it is clear that OK's popularity and reputation have topped those of the American president to whom it has been most clearly linked.