阅读下面短文,从短文后的选项中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
Not all great writers are great spellers. If you want to be published, it’s vital to submit a perfect, professionally presented manuscript(原稿). (1) No editor is likely to tolerate a writer who does not take the trouble to spell words correctly.
I keep two reference books close-by on my desk: dictionary and thesaurus(同义词词典). I don’t trust my laptop’s spellchecker. (2) Of course, these days there are plenty of online dictionaries and thesauruses, but I’m old-fashioned enough to prefer a hard cover and pages I can leaf through with my fingers. I use the Concise Oxford Dictionary and the Collins Thesaurus.
(3) It should give you a precise definition of each word, thus differentiating it from other words whose meanings are similar, but not identical. It will also usually show how the word is pronounced.
In addition, I have an old two-volume copy of the Shorter Oxford Dictionary, picked up a few years ago in a bookshop sale for just 99 pence. Of course, with its 2,672 pages, it’s not exactly short. It contains around 163,000 words, plus word combinations and idiomatic phrases. (4) However, if I need to check the origin of a word or to look up examples of its usage, there’s nothing better.
For well over a hundred years the most influential English dictionary was Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary of the English Language published in 1755. “To make dictionaries is dull(乏味)work,”wrote Johnson, illustrating one definition of“dull”. (5) A few minutes spent casting your eye over a page or two can be a rewarding experience.
A. I don’t often use this dictionary. B. It takes no account of the context. C. But I still don’t want to replace them. D. But a dictionary can be a pleasure to read. E. Of course, a dictionary is not only for spelling. F. That means good grammar and no spelling mistakes. G. Dictionaries don’t always give you enough information. |