英语词汇学分章自测题6

Polysemy

1.  What is polysemy?

2.  When a word is created, it is monosemous. Then how does the word acquire its new meanings and become polysemous? Illustrate your point with examples.

4. The word board has a number of meanings, the primary being' a long, broad, flat piece of sawed wood' and one of the derived meanings being ' a group of persons who manage or control a business, school system, council'. Consult a good dictionary and explain in what way the two meanings are related and what process is involved.

 

Homonymy

1.  What are the three types of homonyms? Define each type with examples.

2.   How do homonyms come about? Specify the major sources.

3.  As we know, a polysemant is a form that has more than one meaning and perfect homonyms are different meanings that share the same forms. How do you differentiate perfect homonyms from polysemants?

4.  Study the following passages and explain the rhetoric use of homonyms.

  1)  The following conversation takes place between a butcher and a customer.

     A:  'How come your sausages taste like meat at one end, but like bread at the other?' the woman asked. 

     B:  The butcher replied: 'Madam, in times like these no butcher can make both ends meat. '

  2)  One swallow doesn't make a summer, but it surely warms you on a cold winter day.

  3)  Ben Battle was a warrior bold, 

     And used to war's alarms:

     But a cannon-ball took off his legs, 

     So he laid down his arms. 

 

Synonymy

1.  How do you understand the statement that ' true synonymy is non-existent' ?

2.  What are the major sources of English synonyms?

3.  Find synonyms for the words in the left-hand list by choosing the most suitable words from the right-hand list.

   avaricious: meek, nasty, greedy, graspingly 

   courteously: polite, pleasant, rude, politely 

   emancipate: set free, set off, avoid, come from

   customary: usual, usually, use, habitually 

   width: wide, broad, depth, breadth, length

   adversary: opposite, enemies, foes, opponent 

   gullible: a creek, easily deceived, guilty, rare

   remainder: quotient, waste, residue, resident 

   innocent: unusual, harmless, sinless, childish

   obstacle: objection, fence, obstruction, delay

   vexation: revenge, dislike, annoyance, angry

4.  Differentiate the following groups of synonyms.

a.  cautious, careful, shrewd

b.  calm, peaceful, serene

c.  decline, refuse, object

d.  postpone, adjourn, delay

e.  powerful, influential f- boy, youth, lad

g. bachelor, widower, man 

h. zealous, eager, enthusiastic 

i. fear, horror, panic j. summary, precis, digest 

k. abuse, insult, slander 

l. amend, rectify, correct

 

5.  Choose from among the list a word which is synonymous with the word in bold type in each of the sentences.

    safety, delicate, surroundings, prestige impressive, evaporate, silent, perspire, motivate,   identifiable, artificial, accomplishment

a.  Mr Pildar is easily recognizable by his baldhead.

b.  For your own security, be sure to lock the door.

c.  The teacher encourages the students to study hard.

d.  These dishes are quite fragile. Be careful with them.

e.  They live in very healthful environments.

f.  There is no difference between natural vitamins and synthetic vitamins.

g.  Female-dominated office and service jobs for the most part rank lower in pay and status.

h.  When you are under stress, you are likely to sweat.

i.  The successful landing of the Columbia back on earth was a great achievement.

j.  Don't be reticent. You can speak openly to us.

k.  From the air, the Andes Mountains are unbelievably spectacular.

1.  Have you ever seen water vaporize on a hot sidewalk?

6.  Read the passage and pick out all the words which denote the concept of 'turning'. Today it can be said that wheels run America. The four rubber tires of the automobile move America through work and play. Wheels spin, and people drive off to their jobs. Tires turn, and people shop for the week's food at the big supermarket down the highway. Hubcaps whirl, and the whole family spend a day at the lake. Each year more wheels crowd the highways as 10 million new cars roll out of the factories. One out of every six Americans works at assembling cars, driving trucks, building roads, or pumping gas. America without cars? It is unthinkable.

7.  Choose a suitable word to fill in each blank.

a.  He mounted his____________(gee-gee, steed).

b.  He got on his____________(gee-gee, steed).

c.  The corns are heavy and___(ripe, mature).

d.  She is in some way____________(ripe, mature) and some ways rather a child.

e.  After sustained effort, they have found____________(effective, efficient) ways

    of reducing pollution.

f.  To run the business more profitably,  you need an____________(effective,

    efficient) production manager.

g.  I was so____________ (fatigued, tired) as to be obliged to retire at the same

    time as the____________(children, kids).

h.  I was so____________(fatigued, tired) that I had to go to bed as early as the

____________ (children, kids).

i.  When he asked me to dance, I____________(refused, declined) politely.

j.  He___________ _ (refused, declined) to accept the political advice which was offered.

k.  The fridge smelled strongly of____________(addled, rancid) butter.

1.  An__________(addled, rancid) egg is one that has gone bad.

M. ____________(Penalties, Fines) for overdue books will be strictly enforced.

n.  You have got to pay____________ (penalties, fines) for overdue books.

o.  The teacher_________    __(accused, rebuked) the student for being impudent.

p.  The writer____________(accused, rebuked) the critic of failing to do justice to

    his maiden work. 

 

Antonymy

1. What is meant by antonymy?

2.  What are characteristics of each of the three types of antonyms: complementaries, contraries, converses?

3.  Can you illustrate semantic inclusion among antonyms?

4.  Why can a word have more than one antonym? Give examples.

5.  Write in the blank space next to each of the words in the following list another word that  begins with S and has a meaning directly opposite to the given word.

a.   different              S____________________

b.   dangerous             S____________________

c.   dull                  S__________________

d.   receive               S____________________

e.   generous              S____________________

f.   meaningless            S____________________

g.   believing              S____________________

h.  complicated            S____________________

i.   doubtful               S____________________

j.   careful                S____________________

k.  wakefulness            S________________-

1.   rough               S____________________

m.  objective

n.   laugh

6.  Each sentence contains two opposite words. Circle the words that would complete the sentences correctly.

a.  Beads and shells are (old-fashioned, modern) forms of money.

b.   I have finished all the exercises, I am (completely, partly) done.

c.  On a humid day, there is a lot of (moisture, dryness) in the air.

d.   Mosquitoes won' t bite just anyone.   They look for someone (ordinary, special).

e.  If you want to drive, it is (unnecessary, essential) to have a driver's license.

f.  There is a great (similarity, difference) in our political beliefs. We agree on most things.

g.  The man said, 'I am (guilty, innocent).  I didn't do it!'

h.  The soldier stood in a (relaxed, rigid) position while the general walked past him.

i. You will have to (loosen, tighten) the string in order to open the box. 

j. Carla explains things with such (clarity, mystery) that she is always easy to

  understand.

k. No one lives in that (inhabited, deserted) house. 

L. My talks with my boss were (fruitful, unprofitable). I will probably get a promotion soon, 

m. Mr Rogers has a very (undemanding, peremptory) manner; he always expects to get what he wants.

n. After his wife died, Mr Yamamoto became very (hypertense, depressed); no one could cheer him up. 

o. Doesn't it seem as if large companies that communicate with customers mostly by computer are (sensitive, indifferent) to human problems?

7.  Pick out the antonyms used in the proverbs or sayings.

a.   Feed a cold and starve a fever.

b.   Learn wisdom by the follies of others.

c.   Marry in haste, repent in leisure.

d.   Penny wise, pound foolish.

e.   Speech is silver; silence is golden.

f.   Absence sharpens love, presence strengthens it.

g.   Admonish your friends in private, praise them in public, h. Young saints, old devils.

i.   Wise men have their mouth in their heart, fools their heart in their mouth.

j.   Wisdom is to the mind what health is to the body.

k.   No love is foul, nor prison fair.

1.   Danger is next neighbour to security, m. Deliberate in control, prompt in action.

n.   Children are parents' riches.

o.   A bully is always a coward.

p.   Better be the head of an ass than the tail of a horse.

8. Collocations often affect the meaning of words. Words out of context may have one kind of antonyms and when used in context they will acquire different antonyms. Think of a word which is the opposite of the adjective used in Column 3 and appropriate for the context in Column 4.

1           2         3                4

left         right     a right answer     a _______ answer

married     single    a single ticket      a _______ ticket

wet        dry      dry wine          ________ wine

soft        hard     a hard job         an _______ job

weak       strong   a strong smell      a _______ smell

smooth     rough    a rough sea        a _______ sea

heavy      light     a light color        a ________ color

hot        cold      a cold person      a ________ person

low        high     a high voice        a ________ voice

 

 

Hyponymy

1.  What is hyponymy?

2.  What is the difference between superordinates and subordinates?

3.  Group the following words into semantic fields initiated with the superordinate that covers each field.

   desk, liquid, pork, go, furniture, gas, matter, run, beef, chair, meat, mutton, table, fly, bed, solid, walk

4.  Match the words in column A with the words in Column B and then give a cover term for each column.

A                               B

surgeon                        garage

                              buildings

plumber                       clinic

                              studio

lawyer                         houses

                               hospital

mechanic                       factory

                               office

photographer                    worksite

                              law courts 

foreman

5.  All the things mentioned below are found in the bedroom.  Can you make a tree diagram to arrange the things in order and join them to the term BEDROOM?

    bed, carpet, dressing table, wardrobe, mattress, dressing gown, slippers, mirror, comb, clothes, pyjamas, pillows, rug, hairbrush, sheets, blankets

6.  Comment on the following two pairs of sentences in terms of superordinates and subordinates.

a.  He got a piece of furniture recently.

b.  He bought a cupboard three days ago.

a.  It is said that a magnificent building was destroyed yesterday.

b. The news says that the Royal Hotel was burnt down last night. 

 

Semantic field

1.  What is semantic field?

2.   Is field theory in any way helpful in language learning?

3.  Words of the semantic field are related by the same concept and so are groups of synonyms.   Can you differentiate a semantic field from a synonymously semantic field? Study the two groups of words below and explain the differences.

    

    horse: steed, charger, palfrey, plug, nag 

    horse: pony, mustang, mule, stud, mare