Quiz of LinguisticsI. Decide whether each of the following statements is True or False.1. Linguistics is generally defined as the scientific study of language. ( T)2. Linguistics studies particular language, not language in general. ( F)3. A scientific study of language is based on what the linguist thinks. ( F )4. In the study of linguistics, hypotheses formed should be based on language facts and checked against the observed facts. ( T )5. General linguistics is generally the study of language as a whole. ( T)6. General linguistics, which relates itself to the research of other areas, studies the basic concepts, theories, descriptions, models and methods applicable in any linguistics study. ( F)7. Modern linguistics is mostly prescriptive, but sometimes descriptive. ( F )8. Modern linguistics is different from traditional grammar. ( T)9. A diachronic study of language is the description of language at some point in time.( F ) 10. The distinction between competence and performance was proposed by Saussure.( F) II. Fill in each of the following blanks with one word which begins with the letter given.1. Chomsky defines “competence”as the ideal user’s k nowledge of the rules of his language.2. Langue refers to the a bstract linguistic system shared by all the members of a speech community while the parole is the concrete use of the conventions and application of the rules.3. D uality is one of the desing features of human language which refers to the phenomenon that language consists of two levels: a lower level of meaningless individual sounds and a higher level of meaningful units.4. Language is a system of a rbitrary vocal symbols used for human communication.5. P arole refers to the realization of langue in actual use.6. Findings in linguistic studies can often be applied to the settlement of some practical problems. The study of such application is generally known as a pplied linguistics.7. Language is p roductive in that it makes possible the construction and interpretation of new signals by its users. In other words, they can produce and understand an infinitely large number of sentences which they have never heard before.8. Linguistics is generally defined as the s cientific study of language.9. If a linguistic study describes and analyzes the language people actually use, it is said to be d escriptive.10. Modern linguistics regards the written language as s econdary .III. There are four choices following each statement. Mark the choice that can best complete the statement.1. Which of the following is not a design feature of human language? DA. aribitrarinessB. displacementC. dualityD. Meaningfulness2. In modern linguistics, speech is regarded as more basic than writing, because__D____.A. in linguistic evolution, speech is prior to writingB. speech plays a greater role than writing in terms of the amount of information conveyedC. speech is always the way in which every native speaker acquires his mother tongueD. all of the above.3. A historical study of language is a ___B_____ study of language.A. synchronicB. diachronicC. prescriptiveD. comparative4. Sausure took a(n) ___A_____ view of language, while Chomsky looks at language from a ______ point of view.A. sociological, psychologicalB. psychological, sociologicalC. applied, pragmaticD. semantic, linguistic5. According to Saussure, ___C___ refers to the abstract linguistic system shared by all the members of a speech community.A. paroleB. performanceC. langueD. language6. Language is said to be arbitrary because there is no logical connection between ___B____ and meaning.A. senseB. soundsC. objectsD. ideas7. Language can be used to refer to contexts removed from the immediate situations of the speaker. This feature is called___A____.A. displacementB. dualityC. flexibilityD. cultural transmission8. The details of any language system is passed on from one generation to the next through ___D____rather than by instinct.A. learningB. teachingC. booksD. both A and B9. Which of the following words is not motivated?CA. bangB. blackboardC. penD. meow10. What is the function of the sentence: “Hi! How are you this moring?” DA. emotive functionB. conative functionC. poetic functionD. phatic functionIV. Terms explanation1.Linguistics is generally defined as the scientific study of language.nguage is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols used for human communication。

3.Arbitrariness: Language is arbitrariness. This means that there is no logical connection between meanings and sounds.4. Productivity: Language is productive or creative in that it makes possible theconstruction and interpretation of new signals by its users.5. Displacement: Language can be used to refer to things which are present or not present, real or imagined matters in the past, present, or future, or in far away places. In other words, language can be used to refer to contexts removed from the immediate situation of the speaker.6. Langue refers to the abstract linguistic system shared by all the members of a speech community; langue is the set of conventions and rules which language users all have to abide by; langue is abstract; it is not the language people actually use; langue is relatively stable, it does not change frequently.7. Parole refers to the realization of langue in actual use; parole is the concrete use of the conventions and the application of the rules; parole is concrete; it refers to the naturally occurring language events; parole varies from person to person, and from situation to situation.8. Competence: Chomsky defines competence as the ideal users' knowledge of the rules of his language.9.Performance is the actual realization of this knowledge in linguistic communication.10. Duality: Language is a system, which consists of two sets of structure, or two levels. At the lower or the basic level there is a structure of sounds, which are meaningless by themselves. At the higher level of system there is a structure of meanings.。