English Comprehension - Need English Tuition? Contact us at 93727675

Need English Tuition? Contact us at 93727675 or email enquiry@findtuitionteachers.com ******************************************************* Comprehension Practice The debate on English "as she is spoke" continues. It is urged that the English used by our pupils must be "internationally intelligible". In a nation where it is the main language for communication in government. commerce and industry, and with the world at large. concern over the use of the language is perfectly natural. That the language will develop local characteristics is inevitable in a country whose overwhelming majority of schoolchildren come from ethnic, cultural and social backgrounds that do not encourage speaking the way English pupils do. The influence of the mother tongue is all-powerful. and this has led to adaptations and literal translations of common phrases understood only by Singaporeans. Vivid examples abound; gems include "this is my one" and "let me spend you". Many people, including linguistic experts, are in favour of giving free rein to the evolution of Singapore English. As long as commonsense. reasonableness and the canons of the language prevail. they contend, there should be no danger of the language developing into gibberish. The Singapore brand of the language contains local flavour and reflects the feelings and thoughts of Singaporeans more vividly than the use of Anglicisms. In this respect we are not unique. as English-users all over the world are also evolving their own variations of the language. The Australian and American versions are equally rich in cultural content. Purists who insist on pruning the "lah" and "man" from the language are only robbing it of local colour. For all its oddities. Singapore English is still tolerable as long as the rules of the language are ground into our pupils. Many Singaporeans today use two forms of the language -- the local brand when talking amongst themselves, switching to the "correct" model when conversing with foreigners and during official and business transactions. It is an invaluable flexibility. The risk, however, is in over-exposure to the local variety. In many homes, even educated parents speak to their school-going children in Singapore English. They do so out of habit and because of its relaxed and informal nature. For children starting out to learn the rules of the language, the danger of confusion arising from two coexisting systems is obvious. The burden on the teacher has thus become so much heavier. Parents can make a conscious effort to lighten the load. They must. Otherwise Singapore English cannot survive as an intelligible language for long.
	1.	There is a strong suggestion in the first paragraph that English is
		(A)	a very important language in Singapore.
		(B)	not as popular as the mother tongue in Singapore.
		(C)	causing a lot of problems in Singapore.
		(D)	badly taught in Singapore.
	2.	Singapore English seems to be the result of
		(A)	gems like "this is my one" and "let me spend you".
		(B)	the strong influence of the mother tongue on the English language.
		(C)	a conscious effort to develop a national identity.
		(D)	bad speaking habits among Singaporeans.
	3.	Which of these statements is false ?
		(A)	There is much concern over the use of English in Singapore.
		(B)	It is not unnatural that people should be concerned about the use of English in Singapore.
		(C)	The concern over the use of English in Singapore is unwarranted.
		(D)	The concern over the use of English in Singapore is related to the evolution of Singapore English.
	4.	In the second paragraph we learn that many people
		(A)	are apprehensive about the development of Singapore English.
		(B)	think that Singapore English is better than American English or Australian English.
		(C)	think that Singapore English is a charming language.
		(D)	are in favour of the development of Singapore English within certain limits.
	5.	One advantage that Singapore English has over the English of native speakers is that
		(A)	in some cases it describes more accurately the thoughts and feelings of Singaporeans.
		(B)	it has phrases that Singaporeans find more commonsensical than some Anglicisms.
		(C)	it is easier to teach and to understand.
		(D)	it has expressions like "lah" and "man".
	6.	"lah" and "man" are put within inverted commas because
		(A)	they are words rich in cultural content.
		(B)	they are not English words.
		(C)	they are examples of local flavour in Singapore English.
		(D)	they are examples of incorrect English.
	7.	According to the writer, the ability of some Singaporeans to speak two brands of English -- the local brand and the "correct" model -- shows that
		(A)	they are inconsistent in their speech.
		(B)	they can adapt well to different situations.
		(C)	they are linguistic experts.
		(D)	they seldom mean what they say.
	8.	On what condition may Singapore English be permitted ?
		(A)	On the condition that it is not used in official or business transactions.
		(B)	On the condition that it is not taught or even spoken in schools.
		(C)	On the condition that students are given a good foundation of the rules of English.
		(D)	On the condition that adults use it only when talking to each other.
	9.	The two "coexisting systems" refer to
		(A)	family life and school life.
		(B)	Singapore English and the "correct" model.
		(C)	parents' English and teachers' English.
		(D)	the English spoken in school and the English spoken at home.
	10.	We can gather from the passage that the writer is
		(A)	strongly against the evolution of Singapore English.
		(B)	is favour of the evolution of Singapore English.
		(C)	not against the evolution of Singapore English within certain limits.
		(D)	indifferent to the phenomenon of Singapore English.