English 1-2 Reading Worksheet

Name(s): _____________________________________________________________________

Instructions:

 Responses answered at home must be TYPED. Remember to use your OWN WORDS to
answer the questions. If you copy a fragment from the chapter, don’t forget to include
quotations marks and an in-text citation.

 Remember to leave some blank spaces in case you want to complete your answers with
notes taken during our class discussion.

 Completed worksheets must be handed in to your seminar teacher at the end of class, on
the day of the class discussion.

Chapter 5: English Across the World: History and Varieties

A. Vocabulary. Look up the following words. Write the definition (of their meaning in
the context of the chapter) in English and the best translation in Spanish or Catalan.

1. billion (p. 72)

2. whistle-stop (p. 72)

3. to grant (p. 74)

4. array (p. 74)

5. intricate(ly) (p. 75)

6. haven (p. 76)

7. then-colony (p. 76)

8. to own up (p. 76)

9. knotty (p. 77)

10. outnumber (p. 77)

11. to peak (p. 78)

12. to enmesh (p. 80)

13. at odds (p. 81)

14. uprising (p. 83)

15. offshoot (p. 83)

16. jumbo (p. 84)

17. to foster (p. 85)

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English 1-2 Reading Worksheet

Name(s): _____________________________________________________________________

18. umpire (p. 87)

19. shearer (p. 88)

20. to hold sway (p. 89)

B. Write short answers for each of the following questions and come prepared to
discuss your thoughts with the class.

1. What's the difference between Scots and Scottish Gaelic? Are they part of the
same language family?

2. What is the origin of Jamaican English? In Jamaica, there is a “post-creole

continuum”: What are the differences between acrolect, basilect and mesolect?
Are they sharply divided?

3. Why is Canadian English so unusually homogeneous?

4. What is Canadian raising? (Try to find an audio example and listen to it).

5. Where in Africa is English spoken as a first language?

6. Mention a linguistic property of some English variety spoken in Africa.

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English 1-2 Reading Worksheet

Name(s): _____________________________________________________________________

7. In India, is English considered an L2 or an L1? What is the most spoken language in

India?

8. What is Singlish?

9. When did English arrive to Australia and to New Zealand? Which were the origins
of the settlers that moved to both countries?

10. Write down one or two similarities and one or two differences between Australian
and New Zealand English varieties.