Read the following passage about Teenspeak and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 31 to 40
Read the following passage about Teenspeak and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 31 to 40.
A generation of teenagers who communicate via the Internet and by text messages are risking unemployment because their daily vocabulary consists of just 800 words, experts have warned. According to recent surveys, they know an average of 40,000 words, but they favour a 'teenspeak' used in text messages, social networking sites and Internet chat rooms. Communication expert Jean Gross thinks that the lack of range will affect their chances of getting a job. Miss Gross is planning a nationwide campaign to ensure children use their full language potential.
She wants to make sure that teenagers do not fail in the classroom and later, in the workplace, because they are inarticulate. [I] ‘Teenagers are spending more time communicating through electronic media and text messaging, which is short and brief, she says. ‘We need to help them understand the difference between their textspeak and the formal language they need to succeed in life - 800 words will not get you a job.’ [II] She plans to send children with video cameras into workplaces to observe the range of words used by professionals and share their findings with classmates. [III] She also wants parents to limit the amount of TV that children watch, replacing it with conversation. [IV]
Her concern was raised, she said, by research conducted by Tony McEnery, a professor of linguistics, who examined 10 million words of transcribed speech and 100,000 words from teenagers' blogs. He found that teens use their top 20 words in a third of their speech, and also discovered words likely to be unknown to adults, including 'chenzed, which means tired, 'spong' (silly), and 'lol', the shorthand version of 'laugh out loud'.
John Bald, a language teaching consultant, said the poor use of language was a rebellious act. 'There is undoubtedly a culture among teenagers of deliberately stripping away language, he said. 'When kids are in social situations, the instinct is to simplify. It's part of a wider anti-school culture that exists among some children which parents and schools need to address. But David Crystal, honorary professor of linguistics at Bangor University, argues that experts did not understand the complexities of teen language. 'The real issue here is that people object to kids having a good vocabulary for hip-hop and not for politics, he said. 'They have an articulate vocabulary for the kind of things they want to talk about. Academics don't get anywhere near measuring that vocabulary!’
(Adapted from Gateway)
Question 31. According to paragraph 1, experts have warned that teenagers _______.
A. are addicted to communicating by using text messages
B. find it challenging to memorise words learned at school
C. can’t get a job easily because of their lack of vocabulary
D. become withdrawn and lack motivation to talk to others
Question 32. Where in paragraph 2 does the following sentence best fit?
It will target schoolchildren and she is asking celebrities to support her campaign.
A. [I] B. [II] C. [III] D. [IV]
Question 33. The word “inarticulate” in paragraph 2 can be best replaced by _______.
A. too slow to react B. bad at calculating
C. unable to express thoughts clearly D. easy to be influenced by others
Question 34. The word “they” in paragraph 2 refers to _______.
A. words B. cameras C. teenagers D. celebrities
Question 35. Which of the following best summarises paragraph 3?
A. Tony McEnery’s study found that teenagers prefer using slang words, all of which are not able to be
understood by the older generation.
B. Research by Tony McEnery showed that teenagers use a very limited set of words and invent slang terms unfamiliar to adults.
C. Tony McEnery’s research found that teenagers use a small number of common words in their speech
and create exciting expressions.
D. According to Tony McEnery, teenagers' speech shows a strong reliance on common words, with few slang expressions.
Question 36. Which of the following best paraphrases the underlined sentence in paragraph 4?
It's part of a wider anti-school culture that exists among some children which parents and schools need to address.
A. Though it belongs to a larger anti-school culture found in some children, parents and schools must work together to tackle it successfully.
B. Unless parents and schools take action, this will remain a component of the broader anti-school culture present among certain children.
C. This issue is a component of a wider anti-school culture observed in some children, and it requires action from both parents and schools.
D. Only if parents and schools act immediately will they prevent an anti-school culture from forming among some children.
Question 37. The phrase “stripping away” in paragraph 4 is OPPOSITE in meaning to _______.
A. rejecting B. enriching C. removing D. detecting
Question 38. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A. The campaign launched by Miss Gross aims at helping young people who struggle to use formal language.
B. According to Miss Gross, a multifaceted approach will help teenagers to use language effectively.
C. Tony McEnery was taken aback to discover some unusual slang words invented by teenagers.
D. David Crystal is at loggerheads with others on the understanding and assessment of teenagers' language abilities.
Question 39. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?
A. The long-term impact of text messages on teen language has yet to be comprehended.
B. The anti-school culture is seen as a normal aspect of teenagers' development.
C. Society tend to undervalue linguistic skills outside conventional or formal standards.
D. Teens should be exposed to formal language daily so that they can talk properly.
Question 40. Which of the following best summarises the passage?
A. Experts caution that teenagers' prevalent use of a limited 'teenspeak' in digital communication, despite a larger vocabulary, risks unemployment, prompting Jean Gross to advocate for broader language use in education and at home.
B. Experts warn that teenagers' heavy use of textspeak and a narrow daily vocabulary could harm their futures, prompting Jean Gross to plan a campaign, though this concern is disputed by David Crystal, who sees their language as contextually rich.
C. Research highlights a discrepancy between teenagers' extensive vocabulary and their limited usage in digital communication, raising concerns about employability and prompting Jean Gross's nationwide campaign for richer language use in schools and homes.
D. Driven by fears that teenagers' 'teenspeak' will impede their success, Jean Gross cited Tony McEnery’s research as part of her concern, but David Crystal, who highlights the complexity and context-specific nature of their vocabulary, challenged it.