3. My summer hols wr CWOT. B4, we usd 2 go 2 NY 2C my bro, his GF & thr3:-@ kids FTF. ILNY, it’s gr8.
Can you understand this sentence? If you can’t, don’t feel too bad; neither could the middle school teacher in England who received this as homework. This is Netspeak: the language of computerized communication found on Internet or cell phones. To new comers, it can look like a completely foreign language. So, what is the translation of the sentence above? My summer holidays were a complete waste of time. Before, we used to go to New York to see my brother, his girlfriend, and their three screaming kids face to face. I love New York. It’s great.
School teachers and parents say this new form of writing is harming the English language. Increasing spelling and grammatical mistakes can be seen in students’ writing. They fear the language could become corrupted (面目全非的).
“Everyone should just relax”, say linguists (语言学家). They believe Netspeak is in fact more of a good thing. David Crystal, from the University of Wales, argues that Netspeak and Internet create a new language use and the almost lost art of diary writing, has been picked up again. Geoffrey Nurberg, from Stanford University, agrees. “People get better at writing by writing,” he says. “kids who are now doing text messaging, e-mails, and instant messages will write at least as well as, and possibly better than their parents.”
Linguist James says, for centuries, it is believed without exception that young people are harming the language. And you can
bet your bottom dollarthat when today’s teenagers become tomorrow’s parents. They too will think this way. James argues that languages do not and cannot become corrupted. They simply change to meet the new needs.
However, Netspeakers do agree that it is important to teach young people how to speak and write standard English. Cynthia McVey says, “I can understand Netspeak worries teachers and it’s important that they get across to their pupils that text messaging is for fun, but learning to write proper English is a must for their future.”
Perhaps we should give teenagers a little more trust anyway. Erin, aged 12, says, “I wouldn’t use text language in my homework. Texting is just for fun. “
【小题1】Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．David Crystal thinks Netspeak helps develop the habit of writing. |
| B．Geoffrey Nurberg believes Netspeakers can write Standard English. |
| C．James says that language is changing and improving. |
| D．Cynthia McVey points out teenagers can deal with Netspeak properly. |
【小题2】In Paragraph 5 “bet your bottom dollar” probably means __________.
【小题3】What does Erin mean in the last paragraph?
| A．He is angry with text language. |
| B．Text language is just for fun. |
| C．We must use informal language. |
| D．Teachers should pay more attention to students. |
【小题4】What can be the best title for the passage?
| A．Netspeak: a widely-used language on Internet |
| B．Is Netspeak harming the English language? |
| C．Is Netspeak helpful in language learning? |
| D．Netspeak: advantages and disadvantages |
