Ⅰ. Each of the statements below is followed by four alternative answers. Choose the one that best completes the statement and put the letter in the bracket.
1. Which kind of meaning is the meaning that is given in the dictionary and that forms the core of word-meaning?
A.Conceptual meaning.
B.Grammatical meaning.
C.Lexical meaning.
D.Associative meaning.
A B C D
A
2. The semantic change of the word "girl" from "a young person of either sex" to "female young person" is called ______.
15. From the diachronic point of view, when the word was created, it was endowed with only one meaning. The first meaning is called ______.
A.primary meaning
B.derived meaning
C.central meaning
D.basic meaning
A B C D
A
Ⅱ. Complete the following statements with proper words or expressions according to the course book.
1. ______ is a semantic process in which the primary meaning stands at the center and the second meaning proceeds out in every direction like rays.
Radiation
2. ______ is a process by which a word denoting one thing changes to refer to a different but related thing.
Transfer
3. Contrary terms are ______ antonyms.
gradable
4. By etymological motivation, we mean that the meaning of a particular word is related to its ______.
origin
5. "Ground floor" in British English and "first floor" in American English have the same ______.
sense
Ⅲ. Define the following terms.
1. connotation
Connotation refer to the overtones or associations suggested by the conceptual meaning.
2. motivation
Motivation refers to the relationship between the structure of a word/the linguistic symbol and is meaning.
3. contrary terms
Antonyms of this type are best viewed in terms of a scale running between two poles or extremes, such as rich and poor.
4. hyponymy
Hyponymy deals with the relationship of semantic inclusion. That is, the meaning of a more specific word is included in that of another more general word.
5. collocative meaning
Collocative meaning is the word-meaning which is suggested by the words before or after the word in discussion.
Ⅳ. Answer the following questions. Your answers should be clear and short. Write your answers in the space given below.
1. What is a semantic field? Why is it useful in our reading?
A semantic field is a meaning area where words share the same concept. A semantic field is useful because it helps pin down the meanings of words in relation to other words in the semantic field. Often, a word is not known until the words that operate with it become known.
2. What is the difference between polysemy and perfect homonyms?
Polysemy is a common feature of all natural languages: it means a word has two or more meanings. Perfect homonyms are words identical both in sound and spelling, but different in meaning.
3. How do you understand semantic motivation?
Semantic motivation refers to the mental associations suggested by the conceptual meaning of a word. It explains the connection between the literal sense and figurative sense of the word.
Ⅴ. Analyze and comment on the following. Write your answers in the space given below.
1. Explain the meaning of the phrase "a laconic answer", using the theory of motivation.
Laconic is derived from Lacons, a tribe of people who were known for their "brevity of speech" and for their habit of never using more words than necessary. So "laconic" means "brief" or "short". It is etymologically motivated. "A laconic answer" thus is "a short answer".
2. Explain the rhetoric use of homonyms in B's speech. Give the two versions of possible Chinese translation. A: "What colour would you paint the sun and the wind?" B: "The sun rose and wind blue."
The word rose can be defined in two ways: colour of rose and the past form of the verb "rise"; "blue". in two ways too: the colour blue and the past form of the verb "blow". The following are two versions of Chinese translation: ①粉红的太阳，蓝色的风 。 ②太阳升起来了，风吹起来了。
深色：已答题 浅色：未答题