You may be surprised to learn that English gets 30 to 45 percent of its words from French. The reason goes back to the year 1066, when Norman forces invaded(入侵)what is now Britain. The Normans were from northern France and spoke French. During the Norman occupation, French became the language of England's rulers and wealthy class. This lasted for more than 300 years. Other people in England continued to speak English during this period.
Over time, the two languages combined and shared words. Some researchers believe that about 10,000 French words eventually entered the English language. However, although English took many French words, their meanings have not always stayed the same. Sometimes the differences in meanings can be very important, and lead to funny or strange situations if the words are used in the wrong way.
Take, for example, the French word college. In English, college can often be used in place of the word university, or sometimes as a school within a university. However, in French, college actually means “middle school”， or the level of schooling for students in grades five or six through eight.
There are many other similar words in the two languages with completely different meanings. In English, the word chat is a verb which means “to talk casually”； but in French, the word chat is the word for an animal: a cat.
If an English speaker says someone is jolly, that means they are cheerful or friendly. But in French, jolie means someone is goodlooking or pleasant to look at. In any case, both are nice things to say to someone.
本文是一篇说明文。文章讲述了英语中存在大量法语词汇的现象。本文讲述的是“英语中的法语单词”，文中举例说明了它们不同的含义。诺曼人对英国长期的统治，给英语带来了大量的法语词汇，但意思有差别，有的差别非常大。
1．What does the author stress about the French words in English?
A．Their spelling forms.
B．Their changes in history.
C．Their puzzles for English.
D．Their different meanings.
答案：D
解析：推理判断题。根据第二段中However, although English took many French words, their meanings have not always stayed the same. Sometimes the differences in meanings can be very important, and lead to funny or strange situations if the words are used in the wrong way.可知，作者对于英语中的法语单词强调了它们的不同含义。故选D。
2．What does a Frenchman mean if he says he likes a chat?
A．He likes a kind of pet.
B．He wants to have a talk.
C．He hates to speak English.
D．He prefers to chat in French.
答案：A
解析：推理判断题。根据第四段中In English, the word chat is a verb which means “to talk casually”； but in French, the word chat is the word for an animal: a cat.可知，如果一个法国人说他喜欢a chat，他的意思是“他喜欢一种宠物。”因为在法语里chat是cat的意思，故选A。
3．What is the French word “jolie” used to do?
A．Replace “jolly” in English.
B．Describe people's looks.
C．Refer to people's happiness.
D．Prove the change in French.
答案：B
解析：细节理解题。根据最后一段中But in French, jolie means someone is goodlooking or pleasant to look at. In any case, both are nice things to say to someone.可知，在法语中，jolie的意思是说某人长得好看或看上去是令人愉快的。无论如何，这两件事对某人来说都是件好事。由此可知jolie 在法语里是用来“描述人的外表”。故选B。
4．What is the text mainly about?
A．Comparison between two languages.
B．Difficulty in grasping English.
C．French words in English.
D．Development of English.
答案：C
解析：主旨大意题。根据第一段第一句You may be surprised to learn that English gets 30 to 45 percent of its words from French.和第二段第一句 Over time, the two languages combined and shared words. Some researchers believe that about 10,000 French words eventually entered the English language.可知，本文讲述的是“英语中的法语单词”。故选C。
