10th WEEK

READING

Day baseball, silent movie, surface mail, and whole milk are all expressions that once were
redundant. In the past, all baseball games were played in daylight, all movies were silent,
electronic mail didn’t exist, and low-fat and skim milk were not yet conceived.

Retronym is the term reserved for these expressions. Strictly speaking, it does not apply to
the individual word themselves, but the combination. Still, it’s an interesting member of the
–nym family of words.

1. What is the central topic of the reading?

A) Expressions B) Past expressions C) Retronyms

D) –nym words E) Individual words

Solution:
Day baseball, silent movie, surface mail, and whole milk are all expressions called
retronyms. In this way, retronym is the principal subject of this reading.
Key: C

2. Based on the reading, what is the concept of RETRONYM?

A) A retronym is a proper name of a recently invented object and distinguishes it from

an old one.
B) A retronym is a term that has been reserved for different changes in the conception
of technology.
C) A retronym is a word that means that an object has not yet been conceived
intellectually.
D) Retronyms are words and phrases that refer to new names only created by
scientific advances.
E) A retronym is a new name for an existing thing that differentiates it from a more
recent one.

Solution:
Day baseball, silent movie, surface mail, and whole milk are all new expressions for
existing things that differentiate them from night baseball, movie, electronic mail, and
organic milk.
Key: E
3. In 2nd paragraph, the phrase –NYM FAMILY OF WORDS implies

A) the existence of another category of words that ends in –nym

B) other proper names of invented things that are still used daily.
C) a set of words that use the –nym prefix as part of their names.
D) different categories of words that are linked with technology.
E) the existence of a set of word families that are related to science.

Solution:
The phrase –NYM FAMILY OF WORDS implies another categories of words as
synonym, antonym, hypernym, hyponym, backronym, homonym, etc.
Key: A
4. From retronym SILENT MOVIE, we can infer that the movies

A) never have images. B) are very boring.

C) use sign language. D) have sound now.
E) are only in full color.

Solution:
The retronym SILENT MOVIE refers to movies that don’t have sound. However, now
the movies have sound.
Key: D

5. If the electronic mail had not been created until now, then

A) the existence of an electronic mail will never be conceived.

B) retronym surface mail would not have been formulated yet.
C) there would be no need to continue using mails in the world.
D) the postmen would have already lost their jobs inevitably.
E) Internet would only serve to obtain information and watch videos.

Solution:
The invention of electronic mail made emerge the need to differentiate this type of mail
in opposition to the traditional mail.
Key: B