1. A _f_il_in__g_s_y_st_e_m_ is a way of keeping pieces of information in the correct order so that you can find them easily.
2. If something is _b_a_s_e_d__o_n_ a particular idea, that idea is used to start the new thing. comprehensive
7. If you _i_ll_u_s_tr_a_t_e___ the meaning of something. You use an idea or a picture to show what it means.
1. Samuel Johnson was one of the greatest literary figures of all time in America
1. Why did James Murray want to visit Dr W.C. MINOR? He had sent so many quotation slips to Murray.
2. What kind of man do you think he imagined Dr W.C.to be?
Samuel Johnson
Have you heard of his name? How do you know about Samuel Johnson? What do you think he is?
Read Passage 1 quickly and answer the questions
word 4. The __h_i_st_o_r_y____ of the word– does it come from Latin, Greek,
etc.? 5. Other words which are derived from the headword (i.e.the
__m_a_i_n___ word)
2. Samuel Johnson finished his dictionary in three years.
3. Johnson’s dictionary was the first to illustrate the meanings of words by using literary quotation.
A rich learned intellectual
3. Was the man behind the desk someone important after all?
Yes, he was.
Before coming to the passage 2, let’s deal with some difficult words.
Read part One of the passage. Decide what the astonishing discovery might be.
Dr. W.C.Minor sent thousands of quotation to the editor James Murray. Dr Minor described himself as a surgeon and gave his address as Crowthorne, Berkshire. Murray invited Dr Minor to visit him in Oxford, but Dr Minor was never able to travel the short distance between Crowthorne and Oxford.
27 years
4. How have things advanced since the publication of the first dictionary? It has been computerised
obsolete based on publication filing system comprehensive
Example: (1) dictionary (none) (2) ___w__r__it_e____
2. Is the plural form irregular?
Example: (1) man-men (2) _s_h_e__e_p__-s__heep
3. Does it usually have a capital letter?
Examples: (1)fast-quick (2) _t_ir__e_d_-_e_x__h_austed
Complete the sentences in Part 2 with the words in the box
commonly correctly explanation expression history main
4. Johnson’s dictionary had many faults, including oldfashioned and older words
1. Who were originally responsible for the concept of the OED?
Trench, Coleridge, Furnivall
Use your dictionaries to consult the words in the
vocabulary
Do you remember James Murray? Here is what happened to him when he was working on the OED. What do you think the astonishing discovery might be?
2. How did the editor James Murray the production of the dictionary? By asking readers to report many instances of a word on the slips
3. How long did it take before the first part was published?
4. When you _o_m__it____ something, you do not include it. 5. A __q_u_o_ta_t_i_o_n__ is a piece of speech or writing that you use as an
example. 6. Something that _o_b_s_c_u_r_e___ is unusual and hard to find.
1. It’s ordered that everyone passing by the general bow to him. 2. If you want to improve your English, you’d better take every chance to practice using it. 3. Your shoes need polishing badly. 4. It’s not astonishing that many people recommended that the temple be restored as soon as possible. 5. The second letter in this word can be omitted. 6. His worried look on his face suggested that he hadn’t found his missing child. 7. It happened when we went to watch the musicians’ rehearsal the other day. 8. The little girl stood beside her father watching him correcting her spelling. 9. Last week the young teacher failed to control the class. 10. I managed to spoil some wine on the hostess--- I was so embarrassed.
Example: (1) Monday (2) _M__u__s_li_m__
4. Does the word have more than one meaning?
Examples: (1)book (2)__r_i_v_a__l____
5. Are there any synonyms (words with the same meaning)?
1. The _b_a_s_is_____ of something is what it starts with. 2. A __c_r_it_i_c___ is someone who writes about books, plays,etc. and
gives their opinions of them. 3. Something that is _s_i_m_p_l_i_fi_e_d___ has been made much easier.
1.What can you see in the picture? 2. Does everybody have a dictionary? 3. How often do you use your dictionary? 4. When do you usually refer to your dictionary?
In addition, a good dictionary should have the following: 1. At least one sentence or _e_x_p_r_e_s_si_o_n____ with the word used