Question

【题目】 You may think that English dictionaries have been used for many, many centuries. The spelling of English has always been a problem, but it was more of a problem in the days before a dictionary. In those days people spelt words in different ways which you might find interesting. But it made reading English much more difficult. So dictionaries were invented to encourage everybody to spell the same. In fact, an English dictionary like the kind you use today wasn't made until the time of the Qing Dynasty.

The largest dictionary in the world is the Oxford English Dictionary, or OED for short. The idea for this dictionary came from an important meeting in Britain in 1857. Twenty-two years later, Oxford University asked James Murray to be the editor of its new dictionary.

Murray had not been to college. At the age of fourteen, he left his village school in Scotland and taught himself while working in a bank. Later he became a great teacher. After Oxford gave him the job, Murray had a place built in the garden behind his house to do his work. Part of it was one metre underground. In winter he had to wear a heavy coat and put his feet in a box to keep warm. Every morning, Murray got out of bed at five o'clock and worked several hours before breakfast. Often he would work by candle light into the evening.

Murray hoped to finish the new dictionary in ten years. But after five years, he was still adding words for the letter A! Then others went to work with Murray, and his two daughters were among them. He worked on the dictionary until he was very old. Forty-four years later, in 1928, other editors finished it. It had more than 15,000 words in twelve books. And you thought your English dictionary was big!

Notes on James Murray's life
Murray's early life	Born in Scotland. He left school at 14 and became a bank worker, later a great teacher.
Murray's work on OED	He became the editor of OED in the year 1879. His working 【1】 were bad: —he worked in a part-underground place in the garden behind his house —in winter it was terribly cold there —he often worked by candle light into the evening The time he spent on OED was much 【2】 than expected. Later others and his two daughters 【3】 him.
Other information .	OED was finished in the year 1928. It had over 15,000【4】in twelve books. It is the largest dictionary in the world. Thanks to it, people can 【5】in the same way. For Murray, working on a dictionary wasn't only a task, but it was a wonderful journey.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】conditions / situations / environments

【2】longer

【3】joined/ helped/ supported

【4】words

【5】spell

【解析】

本文讲述了世界上最大的字典，牛津英语字典的编纂过程。编字典的主意产生于1857年，直到22年之后，才开始让詹姆斯·默里编字典。他的一生都在为该字典努力。

【1】题意：他的工作…是差的。根据下文—he worked in a part-underground place in the garden behind his house他在房子后面花园的一个地下部分工作；—in winter it was terribly cold there冬天那里非常冷；—he often worked by candle light into the evening他经常在烛光下工作到晚上。可知，他的工作环境非常差，故填environments。

【2】题意：他花费在牛津英语字典上的时间比预期的…。根据文章内容Murray hoped to finish the new dictionary in ten years. But after five years, he was still adding words for the letter A! 默里希望在十年内完成这本新词典。但是五年过去了，他仍然在为字母A添加单词!可知，比预期时间长的多，故填longer。

【3】题意：后来，其他人和他的两个女儿…他。根据文章内容Then others went to work with Murray, and his two daughters were among them. 然后其他人和默里一起去工作，他的两个女儿也在其中。可知，其他人加入了他的工作，故填joined。

【4】题意：牛津英语词典与1928年完成，它有超过15000…在12本书里。根据文章内容It had more than 15,000 words in twelve books.超过15000个单词，故填words。

【5】题意：由于这本书，人们可以…以同一种方式。根据文章内容So dictionaries were invented to encourage everybody to spell the same. 词典的发明是为了鼓励每个人拼写相同的单词。可知，是拼写相同。故填spell。