Read the passage below and answer the questions under it. Among his papers, there is the farewell lecture given in 1925 when he retired from his Copenhagen chair at the age of 65 -protesting himself "an old fogey. though English studies were fortunate that so youthfully creative a fogey was to go on writing for almost a further two decades. In this splendid apologia. he explained that for him -linguistic investigation involved primarily 'understanding the texts ... to penetrate into the innermost thoughts of the best men and women - Speech is the noblest instrument to bind man to man. and ... it is by speech as by literature. or best by both combined. that one comes to understanding the people from whom they emanated. "First and foremost. of course. a student of language, he insisted on studying language at its best, and in that way he hoped, he says, "to have imparted to my hearers some of my own enthusiasm for the great poets.
My greatest enjoyment, and no doubt that of my hearers as well, has been in my Chaucer classes. partly because Chaucer has such a wonderful power of describing human beings. 'So far from confining himself to expounding linguistic history for its own sake. he sees his work as "combating the ghastly malady of our time. nationalism: the essential mark of which is antipathy, disdain. finally hatred'. Especially now since the World-war this is a task of the greatest importance. since it is necessary that the wounds of this gruesome time should be healed. 'Thus, he spoke to his students in 1925. Sadly, this noble friend of mankind was to see a still more gruesome manifestation of nationalism and to die in 1943 when his country had already suffered for some years the horrors of the Nazi occupation. when there was little opportunity 'to diffuse knowledge and love of what is best in other peoples.
Growth and Siructure of the English language by Otto Jespersen
The writer believes that ____________
A. Human beings are best understood by what they say and or by what is written about them B. Himan beings are very difficult to penetrate in a linguistic investigation C. The innermost thoughts of all men and women are the major preoccupations of linguists D. Literature and language are combined in any worthwhile linguistic enquin to understand human beings.
Correct Answer: A
Explanation
Human beings are best understood by what they say and or by what is written about them.
