Before 1066, in the land we now call Great Britain lived peoples belonging to two major language groups. In the west-central region lived the Welsh, who spoke a Celtic language, and in the north lived the Scots, whose language, though not the same as Welsh, was also Celtic. In the rest of the country lived the Saxons, actually a mixture of Anglos, Saxons, and other Germanic and Nordic peoples, who spoke what we now call Anglo-Saxon , a Germanic language. If this state of affairs had lasted, English today would be close to German.
But this state of affairs did not last. In 1066 the Normans led by William defeated the Saxons and began their rule over England. For about a century, French became the official language of England while Old English became the language of peasants. As a result, English words of politics and the law come from French rather than German. In some cases, modern English even shows a distinction between upper-class French and lower-class Anglo-Saxon in its words. We even have different words for some foods, meat in particular, depending on whether it is still out in the field or at ready to be cooked, which shows the fact that the Saxon peasants were doing the farming, while the upper-class Normans were doing most of the eating.
When Americans visit Europe for the first time, they usually find Germany more foreign than France because the German they see on signs and advertisements seems much more different from English language is actually Germanic in its beginning and that the French influences are all the result of one mans ambition.
What is the subject discussed in the text?
a. The history of Great Britain.
b. The similarity between English and French.
c. The rule of England by William the conqueror
d. The French influences on the English language.
上一篇: 四级考试阅读主旨题解题技巧实战9
下一篇: 四级考试阅读主旨题解题技巧实战5
【北师大版】2014届高考英语一轮复习指导课时作业:Unit 3 A卷 Word版含解析
【北师大版】2014届高考英语一轮复习指导课时作业:Unit 2 B卷 Word版含解析
北京市2014高考英语一轮复习 练习手册(31)选修7 Unit 1 Living well(含解析)新人教版
四川省2016届高考英语一轮复习课时作业(41) Module 5 Ethnic Culture 外研版选修8
北京市2014高考英语一轮复习 练习手册(34)选修7 Unit 4 Sharing(含解析)新人教版
自信的力量 The Power of Confidence
山西省永济市涑北中学高三英语总复习:美文欣赏(2)(The Boy and the Nail)
山西省永济市涑北中学高三英语总复习:美文欣赏(2)(A Boy and His Tree)
谣言 The Rumor
四川省2016届高考英语一轮复习课时作业(46) Module 4 Which English 外研版选修8
北京市2014高考英语一轮复习 练习手册(22)必修5 Unit 2 The United Kingdom(含解析)新人教版
山西省永济市涑北中学高三英语总复习:美文欣赏(2)(Invitation)
四川省2016届高考英语一轮复习课时作业(37) Module 1 Basketball 外研版选修8
山西省永济市涑北中学高三英语总复习:美文欣赏(2)(The Grace of Life)
山西省永济市涑北中学高三英语总复习:美文欣赏(2)(Dad’s Gift)
山西省永济市涑北中学高三英语总复习:美文欣赏(2)(How Rich Are We)
山西省永济市涑北中学高三英语总复习:美文欣赏(2)(My Mother)
山西省永济市涑北中学高三英语总复习:美文欣赏(2)(Thank the Hand of Life)
山西省永济市涑北中学高三英语总复习:美文欣赏(2)(Life Is a Do-It-Yourself Project)
山西省永济市涑北中学高三英语总复习:美文欣赏(2)(Love of a Lifetime)
北京市2014高考英语一轮复习 练习手册(40)选修8 Unit 5 Meeting your ancestors(含解析)新人教版
北京市2014高考英语一轮复习 练习手册(19)必修4 Unit 4 Body language(含解析)新人教版
【北师大版】2014届高考英语一轮复习指导课时作业:Unit 1 B卷 Word版含解析
【北师大版】2014届高考英语一轮复习指导课时作业:Unit 3 B卷 Word版含解析
北京市2014高考英语一轮复习 练习手册(16)必修4 Unit 1 Women of achievement(含解析)新人教版
四川省2016届高考英语一轮复习课时作业(47) Module 5 The Conquest of the Universe 外研版选修8
山西省永济市涑北中学高三英语总复习:美文欣赏(2)(A Lunch with God)
山西省永济市涑北中学高三英语总复习:美文欣赏(2)(Last Respects)
山西省永济市涑北中学高三英语总复习:美文欣赏(2)(Gifts of the Magic)
山西省永济市涑北中学高三英语总复习:美文欣赏(2)(SandandStone)