More than 300 new words and phrases have recently made it into the Oxford Dictionary Online,and in one way or another they are all reflections of today's changing world.
After a year that was politically unstable,it's not hard to understand the fact that people's political views are one of the main drives of our expanding vocabulary.One example is "clicktivism",a compound of "click" and "activism".It refers to "armchair activists"-people who support a political or social cause,but only show their support from behind a computer or smart phone.
"We had all the words around Brexit (脱欧) in the last update and we are now starting to see all the words around Trump coming into the dictionary," Angus Stevenson,Oxford Dictionaries' head of content development,told The Guardian.
Lifestyle is also changing our language.For example,"fitspiration"-a compound of fit and inspiration-refers to a person or thing that encourages one to exercise and stay fit and healthy.The phrase "climate refugee"-someone who is forced to leave their home due to climate change-reflects people's concern for the environment.
According to Stevenson,social media was the main source for the new expressions "People feel much freer to coin their own words these days." he said.
But still,not all newlyinvented words get the chance to make their way into a mainstream dictionary.If you want to create your own hit words,Angus Stevenson suggests that you should not only make sure that they are expressive and meaningful,but also have an attractive sound so that people will enjoy saying them out loud.
【语篇解读】 本文主要讲述了语言反映了世界和文化,而我们的生活也在改变着语言,产生新的词汇。很多新单词和短语也被收录进牛津词典,它们反映了当今世界的变化。然而与此同时,生活方式也在改变着我们的语言。越来越多有表现力的词语出现,并给我们的生活带来一定的影响。
1.Why does the author mention Brexit and Trump?
A.To explain the origin of the word "clicktivism".
B.To show the influences of current affairs on the English language.
C.To highlight two major political events that changed the world.