Thứ Năm, 19 tháng 12, 2013

Graduation Examination in Linguistics 35 (NEW) – December 08, 2013 at USSH

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Graduation Examination in Linguistics 35 (NEW) – December 08, 2013 at USSH 
Duration: 150 minutes 

Lizard ©  Jwischka

Part 1: SEMANTICS (6 marks) 

1. State whether the following statements are true or false.

a. An utterance can carry out several illocutionary acts simultaneously.
True

(Ex: “Can you open the door?” can be both a question and a request.)

b. Paraphrase is two-way entailment.
 True

c. Analyticity is a relation between sentences.
False

d. The meaning of the hyponym is included in the meaning of the hypernym.
True

2. Identify the sense relation between words in each of the following pairs. If the words are antonyms, specify what kind of antonyms they are.

a. reptile – lizard ( bò sát - thằng lằn)

Thứ Tư, 26 tháng 6, 2013

Graduation Examination in Linguistics 34 – June 16, 2013 at USSH

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Graduation Examination in Linguistics 34 – June 16, 2013 at USSH 
Duration: 150 minutes 
Smile © ByLaauraa

Part 1: SEMANTICS (6 marks) 

1. State whether the following statements are true or false.

a. Semantics is concerned with contextual meaning.
→ False
b. The meaning of an utterance depends on the situation in which it is uttered.
→ True
c. An analytic sentence is one that is necessarily hales, as a result of the senses of the words in it.
→ False
d. The perlocutionary act performed through an utterance is always intended by the speaker.
→ False

2.
a. It is now time to give him the present because everyone is present.
→Present/present
→Homonyms

b. Why would anyone want to steal a truckload of steel?
→Steal/steel
→Homophones

c. How long will the live fish live without food?
→Live/live
→Homographs

d. I will be second in line if I wait one more second.
→Second/second
→Homonyms

3.
a. He attacked every weak point in my argument.
→Metaphor. 
→"Argument" is compared to a fortress or a position in one battle that can be strong or weak and can be attacked by the enemies, which means he strongly criticized every weak point in my argument.

b. There were 30 hands employed on this farm.
→Synecdoche.
→Hands stand for workers.

4. State whether the following statements are true or false.

a. She planted tulips entails someone planted flowers.
→ True
b. His words upset me entails his words deeply upset me.
→ False
c. The boy ran into the house entails the boy went into the house.
→True
d. John got a square box entails John got a rectangular box.
→True

5. What does B imply in the following dialogues? Which maxim of the Cooperative Principle is being flouted by B?

a.
A: Has the kitchen been painted?
B: Tom’s away.
B’s response violates the maxim of relevance.
(B's answer 'Tom's away' has nothing to do with A's question.)
B is cooperative that A may infer that the kitchen has been painted.

b.
A: Did you all enjoy the movie?
B: Some of us did.
B’s response violates the manner of relevance.
(B's answer is not brief, concise, clearly.)
B is cooperative that A may infer that you all enjoy the movie.

6. Situation

“The apple is rotten.”

Situation one:
A: “Why don’t’ you eat the apple?”
B: “The apple is rotten.”
B directly answer A’s question that B doesn't eat the apple because it is rotten.
This is a Representative.

Situation two:
A: “The apple is rotten.”
B: “Ok. I will take it off now.”
A indirectly suggest that B takes the apple off.
This is a Directive.

Part 2 : ESSAY WRITING (4 marks)  
Write an essay of 250-300 words on one of the following topics.

Topic 1: Describe a newspaper or magazine with which you are familiar and explain why you think it is worth reading.

Topic 2: Unemployment, especially among young people, is a serious problem in many countries today. What can be done about it?


Thứ Năm, 13 tháng 6, 2013

Review Day 5

Review Day 5

Hôm qua, ngày 13/6, chúng mình có cuộc trao đổi với bạn Ngoc Tran trên Facebook, bạn có đề nghị là chúng mình giải thích thêm về maxims. Vậy khi nhắc đến Implicature là phải nhắc đến maxims. Nhưng nếu đề thi không hỏi implicature vi phạm maxims nào, thì đừng kể ra vì sai các bạn có thể bị mất điểm.
SWEETS! © Hajikasu

4 conversational maxims:

Maxim of quantity: give enough information, no more or no less than needed.
Maxim of quality: speak truthfully.
Maxim of relevance: say things which are relevant
Maxim of manner: say thing clearly

Có 2 cách để giải implicature (cho 4 maxims):

Cách 1: (khi ko hỏi maxims)

Ad: “Do you often eat sweet soup?”
Ngoc Tran: “Oh. Sweet soup is my favorite food.” 
→Ngoc Tran may implicature that she often eats sweet soup.

Cách 2: (khi đề hỏi maxims)

Ad: “Do you often eat sweet soup?”
Ngoc Tran: “Oh. Sweet soup is my favorite food.” 
→Ngoc Tran’s response violates the maxim of the relevance. (Ngoc Tran does not say whether she often eats sweet soup or not.)
→Ngoc Tran is cooperative so that Ad may infer that she often eats sweet soup.


Thứ Hai, 6 tháng 5, 2013

Graduation Examination in Linguistics 33 - ? at USSH

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Graduation Examination in Linguistics 33 - ? at USSH
Duration: 150 minutes 
Beautiful Cygnet © Rachael321123

Part 1: SEMANTICS (6 marks) 

1.
2.Aunt, crawl, virtue, cygnet.
3.
a) "I hope he will return the book to me soon."
→The speaker assumes that the hearer knows who "he" refers to.
→He has borrowed a book from me.
b) "What was the thief doing when you saw him?"
→You saw the thief.
→The thief was doing something.

4.
a) A: "Did you finish your report?"
    B: "I started it."
→B may implicature that he/she didn't finish the report.
b) A: "Coffee?"
    B: "It would keep me awake all night."
B may implicature that he/she won't have any coffee.

5.
a) I want to take part in the contest but I don't have the nerve.
→Metonymy. The nerve stands for courage.
b) As we are sailing into this millenium, we should know there are still many difficulties.

6.
a) "The ticket cost 50 dollars."
b) "There's a lot of humour in the story."

Part 2 : WRITING (4 marks)  


Write an essay of 250-300 words on one of the following topics.

1. The role of computers on language learning.
2. What do you think are the best solutions to the problem of heavy traffic in HCM City.

Graduation Examination in Linguistics 32 - ? at USSH

Xin tôn trọng bản quyền tác giả © http://englishsemanticsofficial.blogspot.com/
Graduation Examination in Linguistics 32 - ? at USSH
Duration: 150 minutes 
Football due © Tobolka

Part 1: SEMANTICS (6 marks) 

1.
2. For each of the following sentences, identify the figure of speech used and interpret it.

a) We need a couple of strong bodies for our teams.
Metonymy. Bodies stand for players. 
b) Their relationship began to bud again after a long and desolate winter.
→Metaphor. The relationship is compared to flower, which means their
relationship began to develop again after a long and desolate winter.

3. Decide whether each of the following sentences is analytic, synthetic or contradictory?

a) The only thing you are sure of is that nothing is sure.
(tạm dịch: Điều duy nhất bạn chắc chắn là chẳng có gì chắc chắn.)
→Contradictory
b) Frozen water is ice.
→Analytic
c) My bachelor friends are all married.
→Contradictory
d) New Orleans is the largest city in Louisiana.
→Synthetic

4.
a) The police ordered the minors to stop racing cars.
→The minors were racing cars.
b) Isn't it strang that the United States invaded Cambidia in 1970.
→The United States invaded Cambidia in 1970.

5. What is the sense ralation between each of the following pairs of words? When it is antonymy, specify whether it is binary, gradable or relational. 

a) advance/retreat (tiến/rút lui)
→Binary antonymy
b) get (v) obtain/ get (v) buy
→Polysemy
c) flower/petal - (hoa/cánh hoa)
→Hyponymy
d) adaptability/changeability - (khả năng thích nghi/tính hay thay đổi)
→Synonymy

6.
"That's the best idea I've heard so far."

Part 2 : WRITING (4 marks) 

Write an essay of about 300 words on ONE of the following topics:

1. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Parent are the best teachers. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer,
2. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Businesses should do anything they can make a profit. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer,

Graduation Examination in Linguistics 29 - March, 2011 at USSH

Xin tôn trọng bản quyền tác giả © http://englishsemanticsofficial.blogspot.com/
Graduation Examination in Linguistics 29 - March, 2011 at USSH
Duration: 150 minutes
Our grandson © SAMLIM

Part 1: SEMANTICS (6 marks)

1.
a) widower, father, uncle, bull, handsome
(góa vợ, cha, chú, con bò đực, đẹp trai)
→ [+male]

b) astronaut, writer, tailor, boy, aunt
(phi hành gia, nhà văn, thợ may, cậu bé, cô)
→[+human]

c) blood, petrol, acid rain, milk, soy sauce
(máu, xăng dầu, mưa axit, sữa, nước tương)
→[+uncountable noun]

d) table, stone, ship, milk, soup
(bàn, đá, tàu, sữa, súp)
→[+countable noun]

2.

a) Let's wind up the kite string before the wind gets too wild.
→ wind, wind
→ homographs

b) How many ways can I tell him that he weighs too much?
→ ways, weighs
→ homophones

c) Due to the dry weather, we do not see any dew on the grass.
→ due, dew
→ homophones

d) The dog was happy when you dropped the ground beef onto the ground.
→ ground, ground
→ homonyms

3.
Anyone who's an ancestor of an ancestor of Bob is an ancestor of Bob.
(tạm dịch: Bất cứ ai là tổ tiên của tổ tiên của Bob là tổ tiên của Bob.)
→Analytic

4.
Why did you get upset just because you got one bad grade?
→ You got upset just because you got one bad grade.

5.
"We married in 1929."

6.
"I prosecute you for winning the prize."

Part 2 : ESSAY WRITING (4 marks)

Graduation Examination in Linguistics 28 - ? at USSH

Xin tôn trọng bản quyền tác giả © http://englishsemanticsofficial.blogspot.com/Graduation Examination in Linguistics 28 - ? at USSH
Duration: 150 minutes 

Conceal your humor © beyondimpression

Part 1: SEMANTICS (6 marks)

1.
2.
3.
a) greater than/less than
→Relational antonymy

b) conceal/reveal - (che giấu/tiết lộ)
→Binary antonymy

c) maintenance/preservation - (bảo trì/bảo quản)
→Synonymy

d) lettuce/broccoli - (rau diếp/bông cải xanh)
→Incompatibility

4.
a) He gave her another expensive gift.
→He gave her some gift before that.

b) If only you had agreed to go, it could have saved us lots of embarrassment.
→You didn't agree to go.

c) What time did you meet her?
→You met her.

d) My cousin will visit for a week.
→I have a cousin.

5.
a) She had 50 hands on her ranch.
→Metonymy. Hands stand for workers.

b) Don't argue with him. He is mentally challenged.
→Euphemism. Mentally challlenged is equivalent to mad.

6.
It is her favourite dish.

Part 2 : ESSAY WRITING (4 marks)

Graduation Examination in Linguistics 27 - November, 2008 at USSH

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Graduation Examination in Linguistics 27 - November, 2008 at USSH
Duration: 150 minutes 
Paris © nancy0039

Part 1: SEMANTICS (6 marks) 

1.
2.
a) pass/fail
→Binary antonymy
b) achieve/attain
c) furniture/bed
→Hyponymy
d) taller/shorte
→Relational antonymy

3.
a)

4.
a) I didn't realize it was so complicated.
→It was so complicated.
b) It's ten years since we last met in Paris.
c) He's a man of great talent.
→The speaker assumes that the hearer knows who "he" refers to.
d) If only she were not so stubborn.
→She were so stubborn.

5.
a) He still has a ray of hope.

b) I've never read Shakespeare in my life.
→Metonymy. Shakespeare stands for Shakespeare's works.

6. 
"It'll take ages to complete."

Graduation Examination in Linguistics 26 - January, 2002 at USSH

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Graduation Examination in Linguistics 26 - January, 2002 at USSH
Duration: 150 minutes 
Rent © jeyheich

Part 1: SEMANTICS (6 marks) 

1.
2.
a)
(i)  A: We're going to the movies.
     B: I've got an exam tomorrow.
→  B may implicature that B is not going to the movies.
(ii) A: I hear you're always late with the rent.
     B: Well, sometimes I am.
→B may implicature that B is not always late with the rent.

b)
(i) A: How are you doing?
    B: I'm dead.
→Hyperbole. It's impossible for someone to be dead if someone asks how you are, which means B is very tired.
(ii) We'll just have to go our separate ways. (P/S: thành ngữ)
→Metaphor. They will have to stop living/working together.

3.
a) Did you put your jacket on?
b) You look awful.
c) I'll sit in the front row.
d) It's much cooler in Dalat.

Graduation Examination in Linguistics 24 - Septemper 30, 2001 at USSH

Xin tôn trọng bản quyền tác giả © http://englishsemanticsofficial.blogspot.com/
Graduation Examination in Linguistics 24 - Septemper 30, 2001 at USSH
Duration: 150 minutes 

Quarrel © logart2006

Part 1: SEMANTICS (6 marks) 

1.
2.
a)
(i) They haven't spoken to each other since their last week's quarrel.
The speaker assumes that the hearer knows who "they" refer to.
→They quarreled last week.
(ii) They searched everywhere for the missing child.
→The speaker assumes that the hearer knows who "they" refer to.
The speaker assumes that the hearer knows who "the missing child" is.

b)
(i) I have told you a thousand times not to touch that again.
→Hyperbole. It's impossible for someone to talk a thousand times, which means I have told you a lot of times not to touch that again.
(ii) The police team has cemented close ties with the hospital staff.
→Metaphor. Ties are compared to physical structures, which means the police team has strengthened close ties with the hospital staff.

3.

a) "What else do you want?'

Situation one:
A shop assistant to the customer.
The shop assistance: “What else do you want?”
The customer: “No, thanks.”
The shop assistance directly asks the customer a question.This is a rogative.

Situation two:
Son to his mother who is unhappy with his scores at school.
Son: “What else do you want?”
The son indirectly shows his disappointment with his mom's unreasonable expectation of his performanceThis is an expressive.

b) "I'll be there tomorrow."

Graduation Examination in Linguistics 23 - Septemper 16, 2001 at USSH

Xin tôn trọng bản quyền tác giả © http://englishsemanticsofficial.blogspot.com/
Graduation Examination in Linguistics 23 - Septemper 16, 2001 at USSH
Duration: 150 minutes 
Chemistry © soniaa

Part 1: SEMANTICS (6 marks) 

1.
2.
a)
(i) She is not happy about the chemistry course she's taking.
→The speaker assumes that the hearer knows who "she" refers to.
→She is taking a chemistry course. 
(ii) What did you do when the engine caught fire?
→The engine caught fire.
→You did something when the engine caught fire.

b)
(i) So he set out to look for his frien, from the highest mountains to the deepest crevasses.
→Metonymy. The highest mountains to the deepest crevasses stand for the most remote and dangerous places.
(or)
 Hyperbole. It's impossible for someone to go from highest mountains to the deepest crevasses, which means so he set out to look for his friend from the most remote and dangerous places. 
(ii) The pen is mightier than the sword.
→Metonymy. The pen stands for the writers and the sword stands for the solidiers.

3.
a) "Is it what you realyy want?"
b) "Tobacco seriously damages health."

Chủ Nhật, 5 tháng 5, 2013

Graduation Examination in Linguistics 22 - June 20, 2001 at USSH

Xin tôn trọng bản quyền tác giả © http://englishsemanticsofficial.blogspot.com/
Graduation Examination in Linguistics 22 - June 20, 2001 at USSH
Duration: 150 minutes 
Golden ticket © Emma in candyland 

Part 1: SEMANTICS (6 marks) 

1.
2.
a) 
(i) Mary just can't get over her mother's death.
→The speaker assumes the hearer knows who "Mary" refes to.
→Mary's mother died.
(ii) He regretted not booking the ticket in advance.
→He didn't book the ticket in advance.
→The speaker assumes the hearer knows what "ticket" it was.

b)
(i) Here's smell of blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. (Lady Macbeth, remorsefull over murder of the king)
(tạm dịch: Vẫn còn mùi máu ở đây. Tất cả hương hoa Ả rập sẽ không làm dịu bàn tay nhỏ bé này.  (Bà Macbeth hối hận về vụ giết vua) P/S: đây là một câu trong tác phẩm Hamlet của William Shakespeare.)
→Hyperbole. It's impossible that all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand, which means the murder is unforgivable.

(ii) She was a girl of twenty summers.
Synecdoche. Summers stand for years.

3. Two situations...
a) "do you know what time it is?'

b) "Smoking is strictly prohibited here."

Thứ Sáu, 3 tháng 5, 2013

Graduation Examination in Linguistics 21 - ? at USSH

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Graduation Examination in Linguistics 21 - ? at USSH
Duration: 150 minutes 
Popcorn and a Movie ©  Project 27

Part 1: SEMANTICS (6 marks) 

1.
2.
a)
(i) I was eating popcorn when Mike smashed the television.
→The hearer knows who "Mike" refers to.
Mike smashed the television.
(ii) They wish they could go on vacation now.
→They can't go on vacation now.

b)
(i) He attacked every weak point in my argument.
→Metaphor. He criticized every weak point in my argument.
(ii) There were 30 hands employed in this company.
→Synecdoche. Hands stand for workers.

3.
a) I'll call you tonight
b) This bread is awful.
c) My essay is due tomorrow morning.
d) Could I possibly ask you to set the table?

Graduation Examination in Linguistics 20 - Dec 26, 2008 at USSH

Xin tôn trọng bản quyền tác giả © http://englishsemanticsofficial.blogspot.com/
Graduation Examination in Linguistics 20 - Dec 26, 2008 at USSH
Duration: 150 minutes 
My fairy friend © brandrificus

Part 1: SEMANTICS (6 marks) 

1.
a)
b)
(i) I think I will have good results for the examination.
→The speaker assumes that the hearer knows what "exam" it is.
→The speaker will take the exam.
(ii) He couldn't find his old friend's address in this district.
→The speaker assumes that the hearer knows who "he" refers to.
→He has an old friend live in this district.

2.

a)
b)
(i) He never got to be president, but he was the biggest man.
→Hyperbole. It's impossible for someone to be a biggest man, which means he is the most talented man.
(ii) The conversation back-fired suddenly. (back-fired=go wrong: phản tác dụng, sai đường)
→Metaphor.The conversation went wrong suddenly.

3.

a) It is a lovely day today, isn't?
b) He is so lazy and always gets up late.
c) Why don't you come a bit earlier, the meeting has already begun.
d) We select him the representative of our delegation.a

Graduation Examination in Linguistics 19 - ? at USSH

Xin tôn trọng bản quyền tác giả © http://englishsemanticsofficial.blogspot.com/
Graduation Examination in Linguistics 19 - ? at USSH
Duration: 150 minutes 

Arrogance © Rinoa Asatrua

Part 1: SEMANTICS (6 marks) 

1.
2.
a)
(i) If only he were not so arrogant.
→He is so arrogant.
(ii) Martha pretended that she was not at home when we rang the bell.
→Martha was at home when we rang the bell.
(iii) No one is happy about his decision.
→He  made a decision.
(iv) Why didn't you give her a chance?
→You didn't give her a chance.

b)
(i) He tried to take the heat out of the situation.
→Metaphor. He tried to take the tension out of the situation.
(ii) The majority of the press support the govement's foreign policy.
→Metonymy. The press stands fot journalists.

3.
a) "He'll be back soon."

Situation one:
Situation two:

b) "Look before you leap."


Situation one:
Situation two: