Question

　 Although English is not as old as Chinese it is spoken by many people around the world every day. English speakers are always creating（创造）new words, and we should be able to know where most words come from.

　 Sometimes, however, no one may really know where a word comes from. Did you ever think about why hamburgers are called hamburgers, especially when they are not made with ham（火腿）? About a hundred years ago, some men went to America from Europe. They came from a big city in Germany called Hamburg. They did not speak good English., but they ate good food. When some Americans saw them eating round pieces of beef（牛肉）,they asked the Germans what it was. The Germans did not understand the question and answered, “We came from Hamburg.” One of these Americans owned a restaurant , and had an idea. He cooked some round pieces of beef like what the men from Hamburger ate. Then he put them between two pieces of bread and started selling them. Today “hamburgers” are sold in many countries around the world.

　 Whether this story is true or not, it certainly is interesting. Knowing why any word has a certain meaning is interesting, too. The reason may be found in any large English dictionary.

1. According to the writer, English ___　 _.

　 A. is as old as Chinese　　　　　 B. is older than German

　 C. is not so old as Chinese　　　 D. is very difficult to learn

2. Hamburger is___　 _.

　 A. a kind of food B. a round piece of beef　 C. the name of a village D. a city in Germany

3. According to the story, ___　 __.

　 A. few Americans like hamburgers　　　 B. hamburgers are made with beef

　 C. hamburgers are made with ham

　 D. Hamburgers were sold all over the world about a century ago.

 

Answer 1

　 1-3 CDB