外研版英语必修5阅读与文化角课文原文.doc

外研英语必修5 精读课文与文化角课文 Module 1 British and American English Words, words, words British and American English are different in many ways. The first and most obvious way is in the vocabulary. There are hundreds of different words which are not used on the other side of the Atlantic, or which are used with a different meaning. Some of these words are well-known – Americans drive automobiles down freeways and fill up with gas; the British drive cars along motorways and fill up with petrol. As a tourist, you will need to used the underground in London or the subway in New York, or maybe you will prefer to get around the town by taxi (British) or cab (American). British and American Chips or French fries? But other words and expressions are not so well known. Americans use a flashlight, while for the British, it’s a torch. The British queue up; Americans stand in line. Sometimes the same word ahs a slightly different meaning, which can be confusing. Chips, for example, are pieces of hot fried potato in Britain; in the States chips are very thin and are sold in packets. The British call these crisps. The chips the British know and love are French fries on the other side of the Atlantic. Have or have got? There are a few differences in grammar, too. The British say Have you got…? while Americans prefer Do you have…? An American might say My friend just arrived, but a British person would say My friend has just arrived. Prepositions, too, can be different: compare on the team, on the weekend (American) with in the team, at the weekend (British). The British use prepositions where Americans sometimes omit them (I’ll see you Monday; write me soon!) Colour or color? The other two areas in which the two varieties differ are spelling and pronunciation. American spelling seems simpler: center, color and program instead of centre, colour and programme. Many factors have influenced American pronunciation since the first settlers arrived four hundred years ago. The accent, which is mos