British potato farmers were taking to the streets to call for the expression “couch potato” to be taken from the dictionary because it harms the vegetable’s image.
The British Potato Council wants the Oxford English Dictionary to replace the expression with the term "couch slouch", with protests planned outside parliament in London and the offices of Oxford University Press. Kathryn Race, head of marketing at the Council, which represents some 4,000 growers and processors, said the group had complained in writing to the OED but had yet to receive a response. "We are trying to get rid of the image that potatoes are bad for you," she said Monday. The potato has had its knocks in the past. Of course it is not the Oxford English Dictionary's fault but we want to use another term than “couch potato” because potatoes are naturally healthy.
The OED says "couch potato" originated as American slang, meaning "a person who spends leisure time passively or idly sitting around, especially watching television or video tapes."
The Potato Council says its campaign has the backing of dieticians(饮食学家) who say the vegetable is low in fat and high in vitamin C. Supporting the campaign, celebrity chef Antony Worrall Thompson said the vegetable was one of Britain’s favorite foods. “Not only are they healthy, they are versatile(多样的), convenient and taste great too. Life without potato is like a sandwich without a filling,” he said.
John Simpson, chief editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, said the dictionary first included the term “couch potato” in 1993 and said "dictionaries just reflect the words that society uses." He said words were never taken out of the full-length dictionary, which includes some 650,000 words contained in 20 volumes. But little-used words can be removed from the smaller dictionaries to make way for newer ones. “If society stops using words, then they are taken out of the smaller dictionaries”, he added. “The first known recorded use of the expression “couch potato” was in a 1979 Log Angeles Times article,” Simpson said.
Nigel Evans, a member of parliament for the Ribble Valley in Lancashire, has made a motion in support of the campaign, highlighting the nutritional value of the British potato.
58. The British potato farmers went to demonstrate against OED because __________.
A. the phrase “couch potato” has largely damaged the benefits of planting potatoes
B. OED board has had prejudice(偏见) in absorbing “couch potato” into its new versions of dictionary
C. the phrase “couch potato” has hurt people’s feelings about potatoes
D. the phrase “couch potato” has ruined the positive image of potatoes
59. According to the British Potato Council, the OED __________.
A. has done something wrong to the British potato farmers
B. should leave out from it the phrase “couch potato”
C. should replace the phrase with “couch slouch”
D . should make up for what it did to the farmers
60. Antony Worrall Thompson supported the campaign started by the Potato council because ________.
A. he is a cook and potato is his favorite food
B. the phrase doesn’t match what people think of
C. potatoes are of rich nutrients and good taste
D. potatoes are a main source for making sandwich
61. What can best describe the viewpoints held by John Simpson?
A. OED will remove the phrase if it causes strong protests
B. OED should collect all the words reflecting society uses
C .If words are little used, they might be removed from OED
D. The phrase might be removed from smaller dictionaries one day
DCBD
政治经济类文章的概念:
要做好这类阅读,平时就要注意了解国内外发生的政治经济大事,掌握一定背景知识,对这类文章的叙述特点及内容安排有一定了解,还要扩展这方面的词汇。阅读这类文章,要抓住文章的核心,即文章整体和各段主要在说什么,也要注意段落之间的逻辑关系。
如何备考政治经济类阅读理解题:
【题型说明】政治经济类阅读文章是高考常选材料之一。该类文章时代气息浓郁,语言鲜活,但熟字新义词、超纲词及专业词语多,长句、难句多。政治类文章大多数是同学们感性趣的内容,读起来倒有似曾相识的感觉,经济类文章读起来就像是雾里看花,文章看完,一头雾水。再加之这类文章的命题侧重于词义猜测、推理判断和文章主旨,同学们对这类题材是望而生畏。
【备考策略】建立心理优势。针对不同体裁的文章,我们要采取相应的阅读方法和技巧。政治类文章多采用记叙文形式,我们可采取“顺读法”,以便抓关键语句,领会文章主旨;而经济类文章则多采用说明文形式,我们则可以采取“逆读法”,先读试题,再从文章中查找有用信息。若遇到的确难读的材料。千万不用着急,因为你觉得难,其他人也一定是同感。在高考前,我们就要有这种心理准备,高考试卷肯定有一、两篇难以阅读的材料。不过,我们平时可以有意识地从报刊杂志上找一些较难的阅读材料来阅读,以培养自己迎难而上的心理素质。
【答题方法】
1、寻找主干:
根据英语中五种基本句型结构,把句子中的主语、谓语、宾语、表语等主要成分找出来,其他成分如定语、状语、补语等则易于理解。找到了句子主干,句子的意思至少明白了一半。
2、剔除从句:
在一个长句中可能会出现若干个从句,在理解时,如果把各个从句剔除出来单独理解,然后把大意拼凑起来,整个长句的意思就会明白六、七分。
3、辨别分句:
一个长句如果是由几个并列、转折、递进、对比关系的分句组成,句中往往有表示这些分句关系的连接词,只要能弄清楚分句和分句之间的逻辑关系,再把各层分句的意思加以连贯,整个长句的句意基本上能跃然脑中。
4、寻找关键词:
如果一个句子看完,一点句意的感觉也没有,下下策就是抓住句中的关键词,通过关键词大体弄懂这个长句的意思。
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