Read the text below to answer question 22.
The Joys of Spelling
By Lorenza Cerbini
If you think English spelling is complicated, then you are right: it is also a problem for native speakers! In phonetic languages like Italian and Spanish, spelling is relatively easy, but English spelling is not phonetic and there are some words that even university professors can‘t spell.
There have been attempts to reform English spelling. The great American lexicographer Noah Webster (1758-1843) tried to create a more rational system. This explains the differences between American and British spelling: the American spelling of ―color‖ is logical; the British version, ―colour‖, is not. But even American English spelling is difficult and this explains the existence of spelling ―bees‖, or competitions. The first spelling bee was held in the USA in 1825: the organizers used Webster‘s ―spelling books‖ as their model.
Ironically, the word bee is itself a mystery. You spell it the same way you spell the insect, but here a ―bee‖ is a gathering of people. According to one theory, it comes from an Old English word, ―bea‖, meaning ―prayer‖.
Speak up. São Paulo: Editora Peixes, n. 276, ano XXIII, 2010, p. 22 (Adapted).
Judge the statements below:
I. The sentences “There have been attempts to reform English spelling” and “She has never eaten Chinese food” are in the same verb tense.
II. The words “explains”, “differences” and “speakers” are, respectively, the plural forms of “explain”, “difference” and “speaker”.
III. The comparative form of the word “easy” is “easier” while the comparative form of the word “rational” is “more rational”.
IV. The sentences “The great American lexicographer Noah Webster (1758-1843) tried to create a more rational system” and “The first spelling bee was held in the USA in 1825…” are both in the past tense.
Mark the CORRECT answer:
