8．"Colour"and"color"，"favourite"and"favorite""-Have you ever wondered why Americans spell those words without a"u"？Is it because they are lazy？
Of course not．In fact，the difference in spelling was created by Noah Webster（1758-1843）．He is a teacher who reformed English to make American identity stronger．Linguists celebrated his 250th birthday on October 16，2008．After the Revolutionary War（1775-1783），Webster believed that Americans should have their own dictionary，rather than rely on British versions．He dropped the British"u"in some words．And he changed"centre"into"center"for children to learn English by spelling words more like they sounded．
Webster wasn't shy about expressing his opinions．In defining（定义） preposterous （unreasonable），he wrote："A Republican government in the hands of females is preposterous．"
Webster spent 28 years on the project before completing the 70，000-word dictionary in 1828 with his American-style spellings．He also added local words．His dictionary was widely used in schools．Linguists believed it helped a new nation achieve unity and cultural independence at a time when most were focused on political freedom．
"He was the shaper of our language and the shaper of American identity，"said Joshua Kendall，who is working on a biography about Webster．"He at last got us united through our language．
66．According to the passage，when he worked on his dictionary，Noah Webster did all of the following EXCEPTA．
A．dropping"u"in all the British words
B．changing"centre"into"center"
C．adding local words
D．voicing his opinion
67．When did Noah Webster probably begin his project of the dictionary？C
A．In 1758． B．In 1783． C．In 1800． D．In 1828．
68．Why did Noah Webster create these differences in his dictionary？B
A．Because he wanted to make English simple and easy．
B．Because he wanted American English to have its own characteristics．
C．Because he wanted to achieve political freedom．
D．Because he wanted to show that the USA is stronger than the UK．
69．Which of the following words can best describe Noah Webster's work？D
A．Interesting B．Boring C．Unfinished D．Meaningful
70． Which of the following would probably be the best title for the passage？C
A．Webster's dictionary
B．American identity
C．The shaper of American English
D．Spelling differences between American and British English．
分析 文章介绍了Noah Webster，他编制字典，研究美式英语，希望美式英语有自己的特点而尽力改变美式英语，为美国公民谋福利．
解答 66．A．细节理解题．根据文章"He dropped the British"u"in some words"可知，只有部分单词的u被去掉了．从文章第二，三，四段提到ABC的内容．故选A．
67．C．推理预测题．根据文章第二段"Webster spent 28 years on the project before completing the 70，000-word dictionary in 1828 with his American-style spellings"可知，Webster 花了28年时间编制字典，在1828年完成，则按时间往前推，可知答案是1800．故选C．
68．B．推理预测题．从第二段的句子：He is a teacher who reformed English to make American identity stronger．可知是希望美式英语有自己的特点．故选B．
69．D．推理预测题．从第四段的句子："His dictionary was widely used in schools．Linguists believed it helped a new nation achieve unity and cultural independence at a time when most were focused on political freedom．"可知，Webster的工作是很有意义的．故选D．
70．C．主旨大意题．文章介绍了Noah Webster 如何改变美式英语的，最后一段对他的评价是He was the shaper of our language and the shaper of American identity，故选C．
点评 本文是考察学生历史文化类阅读理解文章．这类文章常涉及历史、文化、法制、宗教等方面的文学艺术、发明创造、文化遗产保护、宗教与文化、风俗与习惯、道德与法制、中外文学名著节选、等等．这类材料的命题点往往落在主旨大意题、事实细节题上
