LESSON 4 READING PRACTICE (Oct 4th, 2021)

READING PASSAGE I.
It is not easy to be systematic and objective about language study. Popular linguistic debate
regularly deteriorates into invective and polemic. Language belongs to everyone, so most people feel
they have a right to hold an opinion about it. And when opinions differ, emotions can run high.
Arguments can start as easily over minor points of usage as over major policies of linguistic education. 
Language, moreover, is a very public behaviour, so it is easy for different usages to be noted and
criticised. No part of society or social behaviour is exempt: linguistic factors influence how we judge
personality, intelligence, social status, educational standards, job aptitude, and many other areas of
identity and social survival. As a result, it is easy to hurt, and to be hurt, when language use is
unfeelingly attacked.
In its most general sense, prescriptivism is the view that one variety of language has an
inherently higher value than others, and that this ought to be imposed on the whole of the speech
community. The view is propounded especially in relation to grammar and vocabulary, and frequently
with reference to pronunciation. The variety which is favoured, in this account, is usually a version of
the 'standard' written language, especially as encountered in literature, or in the formal spoken language
which most closely reflects this style. Adherents to this variety are said to speak or write 'correctly';
deviations from it are said to be 'incorrect!
All the main languages have been studied prescriptively, especially in the 18th century approach
to the writing of grammars and dictionaries. The aims of these early grammarians were threefold: (a)
they wanted to codify the principles of their languages, to show that there was a system beneath the
apparent chaos of usage, (b) they wanted a means of settling disputes over usage, and (c) they wanted to
point out what they felt to be common errors, in order to 'improve' the language. The authoritarian nature
of the approach is best characterised by its reliance on ‘rules' of grammar. Some usages are 'prescribed,'
to be learnt and followed accurately; others are 'proscribed,' to be avoided. In this early period, there
were no half-measures: usage was either right or wrong, and it was the task of the grammarian not
simply to record alternatives, but to pronounce judgement upon them.
These attitudes are still with us, and they motivate a widespread concern that linguistic standards
should be maintained. Nevertheless, there is an alternative point of view that is concerned less with
standards than with the facts of linguistic usage. This approach is summarised in the statement that it is
the task of the grammarian to describe, not prescribe to record the facts of linguistic diversity, and not to
attempt the impossible tasks of evaluating language variation or halting language change. In the second
half of the 18th century, we already find advocates of this view, such as Joseph Priestiey, whose
Rudiments of English Grammar (1761) insists that 'the custom of speaking is the original and only just
standard of any language! Linguistic issues, it is argued, cannot be solved by logic and legislation. And
this view has become the tenet of the modern linguistic approach to grammatical analysis.
In our own time, the opposition between 'descriptivists' and 'prescriptivists' has often become
extreme, with both sides painting unreal pictures of the other. Descriptive grammarians have been
presented as people who do not care about standards, because of the way they see all forms of usage as
equally valid. Prescriptive grammarians have been presented as blind adherents to a historical tradition.
The opposition has even been presented in quasi-political terms - of radical liberalism vs elitist
conservatism.
Questions 1-8
Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in the Reading Passage?
In boxes 1-8 of your answer sheet, write:

YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer

NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

1 There are understandable reasons why arguments occur about language.

2 People feel more strongly about language education than about small differences in language
usage. N
3 Our assessment of a person's intelligence is affected by the way he or she uses language.
4 Prescriptive grammar books cost a lot of money to buy in the 18th century.
5 Prescriptivism still exists today.
6 According to the descriptivist, it is pointless to try to stop language change.
7 Descriptivism only appeared after the 18th century.
8 Both descriptivists and prescriptivists have been misrepresented.

Questions 9-12
Complete the summary using the list of words, A-l, below
The language debate

A  descriptivists B  language experts C  popular speech

D  formal language E  evaluation F  rules
G  modern linguists H  prescriptivists I  change

According  to 9 ………….., there is only one correct form of language. Linguists who take this
approach to language place great importance on grammatical 10 ......................... Conversely, the view
of 11 ………….., such as Joseph Priestley, is that grammar should be based on 12 ...................... .

Questions 13
Choose the correct letter A, B, C or D.

13. What is the writer's purpose in Reading Passage?

A to argue in favour of a particular approach to writing dictionaries and grammar books
B to present a historical account of differing views of language
C to describe the differences between spoken and written language
D to show how a certain view of language has been discredited

1. Y
2. N
3. Y
4. NG
5. Y
6. Y
7. N
8. Y
9. H
10. F
11. A
 12. C
13. B

READING PASSAGE 2:
Tidal Power
Undersea turbines which produce electricity from the tides are set to become an important source of
renewable energy for Britain. It is still too early to predict the extent of the impact they may have, but
all the signs are  that they will play a significant role in the future
A
Operating on the same principle as wind turbines, the power in sea turbines comes from tidal currents
which turn blades similar to ships’ propellers, but, unlike wind, the tides are predictable and the power
input is constant. The technology raises the prospect of Britain becoming self-sufficient in renewable
energy and drastically reducing its carbon dioxide emissions. If tide, wind and wave power are all
developed, Britain would be able to close gas, coal and nuclear power plants and export renewable
power to other parts of Europe. Unlike wind power, which Britain originally developed and then
abandoned for 20 years allowing the Dutch to make it a major industry, undersea turbines could become
a big export earner to island nations such as Japan and New Zealand.
B
Tidal sites have already been identified that will produce one sixth or more of the UK’s power - and at
prices competitive with modern gas turbines and undercutting those of the already ailing nuclear
industry. One site alone, the Pentland Firth, between Orkney and mainland Scotland, could produce
10% of the country’s electricity with banks of turbines under the sea, and another at Alderney in the
Channel Islands three times the 1,200 megawatts of Britain’s largest and newest nuclear plant, Sizewell
B, in Suffolk. Other sites identified include the Bristol Channel and the west coast of
Scotland, particularly the channel between Campbeltown and Northern Ireland.
C
Work on designs for the new turbine blades and sites are well advanced at the University of
Southampton’s sustainable energy research group. The first station is expected to be installed off
Lynmouth in Devon shortly to test the technology in a venture jointly funded by the department of
Trade and Industry and the European Union. AbuBakr Bahaj, in charge of the Southampton research,
said: The prospects for energy from tidal currents are far better than from wind because the flows of
water are predictable and constant. The technology for dealing with the hostile saline environment under
the sea has been developed in the North Sea oil industry and much is already known about turbine blade
design, because of wind power and ship propellers. There are a few technical difficulties, but I believe in
the next five to ten years we will be installing commercial marine turbine farms.’ Southampton has been
awarded £215,000 over three years to develop the turbines and is working with Marine Current
Turbines, a subsidiary of IT power, on the Lynmouth project. EU research has now identified
106 potential sites for tidal power, 80% round the coasts of Britain. The best sites are between islands or
around heavily indented coasts where there are strong tidal currents.
D
A marine turbine blade needs to be only one third of the size of a wind generator to produce three times
as much power. The blades will be about 20 metres in diameter, so around 30 metres of water is
required. Unlike wind power, there are unlikely to be environmental objections. Fish and other creatures
are thought unlikely to be at risk from the relatively slow-turning blades. Each turbine will be mounted
on a tower which will connect to the national power supply grid via underwater cables. The towers will
stick out of the water and be lit, to warn shipping, and also be designed to be lifted out of the water for
maintenance and to clean seaweed from the blades.
E
Dr Bahaj has done most work on the Alderney site, where there are powerful currents. The single
undersea turbine farm would produce far more power than needed for the Channel Islands and most
would be fed into the French Grid and be re-imported into Britain via the cable under the Channel.
F
One technical difficulty is cavitation, where low pressure behind a turning blade causes air bubbles.
These can cause vibration and damage the blades of the turbines. Dr Bahaj said: ‘We have to test a
number of blade types to avoid this happening or at least make sure it does not damage the turbines or
reduce performance. Another slight concern is submerged debris floating into the blades. So far we do
not know how much of a problem it might be. We will have to make the turbines robust because the sea
is a hostile environment, but all the signs that we can do it are good.’
Questions
14-17
Reading Passage 2 has six paragraphs, A-F.
Which paragraph contains the following information?
Write the correct letter; A-F in boxes 14-17 on your answer sheet.
NB You may use any letter more than once.

14 the location of the first test site

15 a way of bringing the power produced on one site back into Britain
16 a reference to a previous attempt by Britain to find an alternative source of energy
17 mention of the possibility of applying technology from another industry

Questions 18-22
CHOOSE FIVE Letters A-J
Write the correct letters in boxes 18-22 on your answer street.
Which FIVE of the following claims about tidal power are made by the writer?

A. It is a more reliable source of energy than wind power.

B. It would replace all other forms of energy in Britain.
C. Its introduction has come as a result of public pressure.
D. It would cut down on air pollution.
E. It could contribute to the closure of many existing power stations ln Britain.
F. It could be a means of increasing national income.
G. It could face a lot of resistance from other fuel industries.
H. It could be sold more cheaply than any other type of fuel.
I. It could compensate for the shortage of inland sites for energy production.
J. It is best produced in the vicinity of coastlines with particular features.

Questions 23-26
Label the diagram below
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer
Write your answers in boxes 23-26 on your answer sheet,

An Undersea Turbine
An Undersea Turbine
Whole tower can be raised for 23 ............. and the extraction of seaweed from the blades. Sea life not in
danger due to the fact that blades are comparatively 24 ..........
Air bubble result from the 25 ........., behind blades. This is known as 26 ............

14.C
15. E
16. A
17. C
18. A
19. D
20. E
21. F
22. J
23. maintenance
24. slowturning
25. low pressure
26. cavitation