Topic: introduction & the history of English
- About how to use the textbook
a.find out the contextual clue in the 2 example sentences FIRST, then guess what it means
b.look up 15 words which have the same roots (backward and forward) in the dictionary whenever you learn new roots, and write down 3 words in your notes
- How language evolve
- The history of English language
a, First, Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales in 1387. It was one of the first books in English, which was called Middle English.
b. 1476 Printing Press come to England-
was credited to William Caxton (c. 1422 – c. 1491).He was also the first English printer and a translator and importer of books into England.
Influences: Caxton is credited with standardising the English language (that is, homogenising regional dialects) through printing. This facilitated the expansion of English vocabulary, the regularisation of inflection and syntax, and a widening gap between the spoken and the written word.
c. 1611 King James Version of the Bible-
an English translation of the Christian Bible for the Church of England.The translation is considered a towering achievement in English literature, as both beautiful and scholarly.
Influences: The English language was transformed and improved by the influence of the King James Bible, and by the writings of Shakespeare and John Milton, who wrote Paradise Lost (1667).
d. 1755 'Dictionary of the English Language' -
wrote by Samuel Johnson(c. 1709 – c. 1784).He was an English writer and critic, and one of the most famous literary figures of the 18th century.He also made lasting contributions to English literature as a poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer.
Influences: It had a far-reaching effect on Modern English and has been described as "one of the greatest single achievements of scholarship.
→Above all, these were those who set the form of the officialModern English.
- What is Literature for
- Syllable
con-: with;together
conclude
conduct
context(in-contxet:字裡行間的)
1.the general situation in which something happens, which helps to explain it
→The decline in the stock market, though dramatic, has to be seen in context.
2.the words surrounding a particular word that help to give it its meaning
pre-: to say;to tell words
predict
presume
1.to think that something is true because it is likely, although you cannot be certain
2. to act as though you have the right to behave in a particular way when you do not
→I wouldn't presume to tell you how to do your job, but shouldn't this piece go there?
pretext
1.a reason that you pretend to have in order to hide your real reason or intention
→A slight fall in profits gave the management a pretext to get rid of some older members of staff.
-bell: war
rebellion
bellicose
1.someone who is bellicose enjoys fighting or arguing
bellow /ˈbeləʊ/
1. to shout very loudly
→We could hear the sergeant bellowing commands to his troops.
2.to make the deep sound that a bull and some other large animals make
anni-: year
anniversary
annuity-
a fixed amount of money paid to someone every year, usually until their death, or the insurance agreement or investment which provides the money that is paid
annual
mor-: death
mortify- to make someone very embarrassed
→The thought of the incident still mortified her.
→She was absolutely mortified to hear her son swearing at the teacher.
morgue-a building or room where dead bodies are kept temporarily
mortician-someone whose job is to arrange funerals.
morgage-
a legal agreement in which you borrow money from a bank in order to buy a house. You pay back your mortgage by making monthly payments
ambi-, amph-: two; unclear
ambidexterous pitcher
amphibian
ambiguous
