英语新词：旧词新义

回收利用生活用品是一个好习惯，但你知道单词也可以“再利用”吗？随着时代的演变，很多英语单词被赋予了新和含义。你能举出几个类似的例子？你会正确地使用这些“旧词”的“新义”吗？

 

1. 'Feed' means 'to give food to people or animals'. But these days it has taken on a different meaning. What is it?

 

a) A slang term for a person who never seems to stop eating

 

b) An informal word for kitchen or other eating area

 

c) An expression meaning to charge a battery such as in a phone or car

 

d) An area on social media where new pictures, comments and content is received

 

2. A 'troll' only used to be 'an ugly creature in Norse mythology¹ similar to a giant or dwarf²'. These days it has taken on a different meaning. What is it?

 

a) An extremely short or extremely tall person

 

b) A person who deliberately³ acts antisocially and seeks to offend through online posts

 

c) A person who is beautiful on the outside but extremely unkind

 

d) A type of bread similar to a roll but made with tea

 

3. 'Viral' used to only have the meaning 'coming from or relating to a virus'. But these days it has taken on a different meaning. What is it?

 

a) An idea or thought which makes people feel sick or nauseous

 

b) A catchy⁴ song which immediately gets stuck in the listeners head

 

c) Becoming very popular by circulating quickly through social media

 

d) A synonym⁵ of the word disgusting or awful

 

4. 'Spam' only used to be 'a type of processed ham in a can'. But these days it has taken on a different meaning. What is it?

 

a) A slang term referring to a person's larger than usual forehead

 

b) A new type of jam made with strawberries and spinach⁶

 

c) The digital equivalent of junk mail, such as advertising⁷ emails sent to your inbox

 

d) An object use to kill insects

 

5. 'Stream' only used to mean 'a flow of liquid air or gas'. But these days it has taken on another meaning. What is it?

 

a) A type of spread like butter which is put on hot toast

 

b) A popular spoken expression meaning 'amazing'

 

c) A type of scream which is involuntarily spoken when a person is using all their strength to move a heavy object

 

d) A continuous flow of video or audio material to a computer

 

6. A 'catfish⁸' used to be 'a type of freshwater fish with whiskers'. But these days it has taken on a new meaning. What is it?

 

a) A person who loves to find abandoned cats and take them home in order to look after them

 

b) A person who fakes their identity in order to trick someone else into giving away their personal details, such as their bank account

 

c) A new type of submarine which uses electronic wires, like whiskers, to 'feel' where it is going

 

d) A person who refuses to swim in swimming pools or the ocean, but only swims in freshwater

 

答案

1) d, 2) b, 3) c, 4) c, 5) d, 6) b.

分享到：