Giải đề Achieve IELTS – Test 3 – Reading passage 1 – Jargon
A. BÀI ĐỌC
Jargon
A
Jargon is a loaded word. One dictionary defines it, neatly and neutrally, as ‘the technical vocabulary or idiom of a special activity or group’, but this sense is almost completely overshadowed by another: ‘obscure and often pretentious language marked by a roundabout way of expression and use of long words’. For most people, it is this second sense which is at the front of their minds when they think about jargon. Jargon is said to be a bad use of language, something to be avoided at all costs. No one ever describes it in positive terms (‘that was a delightful piece of rousing jargon’). Nor does one usually admit to using it oneself: the myth is that jargon is something only other people employ.
B
The reality, however, is that everyone uses jargon. It is an essential part of the network of occupations and pursuits that make up society. All jobs present an element of jargon, which workers learn as they develop their expertise. All hobbies require mastery of a jargon. Each society grouping has its jargon. The phenomenon turns out to be universal – and valuable. It is the jargon element which, in a job, can promote economy and precision of expression, and thus help make life easier for the workers. It is also the chief linguistic element which shows professional awareness (‘know-how’) and social togetherness (‘shop-talk’).
C
When we have learned to command it, jargon is something we readily take pleasure in, whether the subject area is motorcycles, knitting, cricket, baseball or computers. It can add pace, variety and humour to speech – as when, with an important event approaching, we might slip into NASA-speak, and talk about countdown, all systems go, and lift-off. We enjoy the mutual showing-off which stems from a fluent use of terminology, and we enjoy the in-jokes which shared linguistic experience permits. Moreover, we are jealous of this knowledge. We are quick to demean anyone who tries to be part of our group without being prepared to take on its jargon.
D
If jargon is so essential a part of our lives, why then has it had such a bad press? The most important reason stems from the way jargon can exclude as well as include. We may not be too concerned if we find ourselves faced with an impenetrable wall of jargon when the subject matter has little perceived relevance to our everyday lives, as in the case of hydrology, say, or linguistics. But when the subject matter is one where we feel implicated, and think we have a right to know, and the speaker uses words which make it hard for us to understand, then we start to complain; and if we suspect that the obfuscation is deliberate policy, we unreservedly condemn, labelling it gobbledegook and calling down public derision upon it.
E
No area is exempt, but the fields of advertising, politics and defence have been especially criticised in recent years by the various campaigns for Plain English. In these domains, the extent to which people are prepared to use jargon to hide realities is a ready source of amusement, disbelief and horror. A lie is a lie, which can be only temporarily hidden by calling it an ‘inoperative statement’ or ‘an instance of plausible deniability’. Nor can a nuclear plant explosion be suppressed for long behind such phrases as ‘energetic disassembly’,‘abnormal evolution’ or ‘plant transient’.
F
While condemning unnecessary or obscuring jargon in others, we should not forget to look out for it in ourselves. It is so easy to ‘slip into’ jargon, without realizing that our own listeners/readers do not understand. It is also temptingly easy to slip some jargon into our expression, to ensure that others do not understand. And it is just as easy to begin using jargon which we ourselves do not understand. The motivation to do such apparently perverse things is not difficult to grasp. People like to be ‘in’, to be part of an intellectual or technical elite; and the use of jargon, whether understood or not, is a badge of membership. Jargon, also, can provide a lazy way into a group or an easy way of hiding uncertainties and inadequacies: when terminology slips plausibly from the tongue, it is not essential for the brain to keep up. Indeed some people have developed this skill to professional levels. And certainly, faced with a telling or awkward question, and the need to say something acceptable in public, slipping into jargon becomes a simple way out, and can soon become a bad habit.
B. BÀI TẬP
Questions 1 – 6
Reading Passage 1 has six paragraphs, A- F.
Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below. Write the correct number i – ix in boxes 1 – 6 on your answer sheet.
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Questions 7 – 12
Complete the summary using the list of words A – L below.
Write the correct letter A – L in boxes 7 – 12 on your answer sheet.
| A. judgement | B. jokes | C. shop-talk |
| D. efficiency | E. know-how | F. command |
| G. contempt | H. feeling | I. possesiveness |
| J. pleasure | K. fear | L. humour |
Jargon plays a useful part in many aspects of life including leisure. For example, when people take up pastimes they need to develop a good 7. of the relevant jargon. During discussion of these or other areas of interest, conversation can become more exciting and an element of 8. can be introduced by the use of shared jargon.
Jargon is particularly helpful in the workplace. It leads to more 9. in the way colleagues communicate during work hours. Taking part in 10. during moments of relaxation can also help them to bond better.
It is interesting that members of a group, whether social or professional, often demonstrate a certain 11. towards the particular linguistic characteristics of their subject area and tend to regard new people who do not wish to learn the jargon with 12. .
Question 13
Choose the correct letter; A,B,C or D.
Choose the correct letter in box 13 on your answer sheet.
13. Which of the following statements would the writer agree with?
Điểm số của bạn là % - đúng / câu
C. GIẢI THÍCH ĐÁP ÁN
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Questions 1-6: dạng Matching Headings Cách làm:
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1 Heading vi Differing interpretations Những cách hiểu khác nhau Jargon (thuật ngữ) được một từ điển giải nghĩa là ‘từ vựng hoặc cách diễn đạt mang tính chuyên môn thuộc về một hoạt động hoặc một nhóm riêng biệt’, và có một định nghĩa nữa là ‘ngôn ngữ khó hiểu và thường mang tính khoe khoang qua sự diễn đạt vòng vo và những từ ngữ dài dòng’. Vì có hai cách giải thích không giống nhau nên đáp án là vi |
Đoạn A: Jargon is a loaded word. One dictionary defines it, neatly and neutrally, as ‘the technical vocabulary or idiom of a special activity or group’, but this sense is almost completely overshadowed by another: ‘obscure and often pretentious language marked by a roundabout way of expression and use of long words’. |
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2 Heading ii A necessary tool Một công cụ cần thiết Sự cần thiết và ứng dụng của thuật ngữ trong các bối cảnh và với những con người khác nhau được miêu tả xuyên suốt đoạn văn. |
Đoạn B: The reality, however, is that everyone uses jargon. It is an essential part of the network of occupations and pursuits that make up society. All jobs present an element of jargon, which workers learn as they develop their expertise. All hobbies require mastery of a jargon. Each society grouping has its jargon. The phenomenon turns out to be universal – and valuable. It is the jargon element which, in a job, can promote economy and precision of expression, and thus help make life easier for the workers. It is also the chief linguistic element which shows professional awareness (‘know-how’) and social togetherness (‘shop-talk’). |
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3 Heading ix Playing with words Chơi đùa với những con chữ Thuật ngữ là thứ mà chúng ta dễ dàng thấy thích thú. Nó có thể làm tăng nhịp độ, sự đa dạng và tính hài hước cho lời nói. Chúng ta yêu thích những trò đùa riêng tư có chung điểm giới hạn về trải nghiệm ngôn ngữ. |
Đoạn C: When we have learned to command it, jargon is something we readily take pleasure in, whether the subject area is motorcycles, knitting, cricket, baseball or computers. It can add pace, variety and humour to speech – as when, with an important event approaching, we might slip into NASA-speak, and talk about countdown, all systems go, and lift-off. We enjoy the mutual showing-off which stems from a fluent use of terminology, and we enjoy the in-jokes which shared linguistic experience permits. Moreover, we are jealous of this knowledge. We are quick to demean anyone who tries to be part of our group without being prepared to take on its jargon. |
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4 Heading viii Feeling shut out Cảm giác bị loại trừ Lí do quan trọng nhất bắt nguồn từ việc thuật ngữ vừa có thể loại trừ, cũng như bao gồm. Chúng ta thấy bản thân đối mặt với một bức tường thuật ngữ mà không thể tiếp thu được. |
Đoạn D: If jargon is so essential a part of our lives, why then has it had such a bad press? The most important reason stems from the way jargon can exclude as well as include. We may not be too concerned if we find ourselves faced with an impenetrable wall of jargon when the subject matter has little perceived relevance to our everyday lives, as in the case of hydrology, say, or linguistics. But when the subject matter is one where we feel implicated, and think we have a right to know and the speaker uses words which make it hard for us to understand, then we start to complain; and if we suspect that the obfuscation is deliberate policy, we unreservedly condemn, labelling it gobbledegook and calling down public derision upon it |
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5 Heading iv The worst offenders Những kẻ có tội nặng nhất Lĩnh vực quảng cáo, chính trị và quốc phòng đã và đang đặc biệt bị chỉ trích trong những năm gần đây bởi vô số những chiến dịch vận động cho (việc dùng) tiếng Anh đơn giản. Trong những lĩnh vực này, mức độ mà người ta sẵn sàng dùng thuật ngữ để che giấu hiện thực là một nguồn cơn của sự giải trí, sự hoài nghi và nỗi kinh hoàng. Những kẻ có tội nặng nhất ở đây được nhắc đến là lĩnh vực quảng cáo, chính trị và quốc phòng. Tội là việc dùng thuật ngữ khó hiểu để che đậy sự thật, do đó đáp án là iv |
Đoạn E: No area is exempt, but the fields of advertising, politics and defence have been especially criticised in recent years by the various campaigns for Plain English. In these domains, the extent to which people are prepared to use jargon to hide realities is a ready source of amusement, disbelief and horror. A lie is a lie, which can be only temporarily hidden by calling it an ‘inoperative statement’ or ‘an instance of plausible deniability’. Nor can a nuclear plant explosion be suppressed for long behind such phrases as energetic disassembly, abnormal evolution’ or ‘plant transient’. |
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6 Heading v A deceptively attractive option Một sự lựa chọn tưởng như hấp dẫn Chúng ta rất dễ chèn thêm thuật ngữ, mà không nhận ra người nghe/người đọc không nắm được ý. Chèn thêm một số thuật ngữ vào lời nói cũng là một việc dễ dàng đến mức hấp dẫn, nhằm đảm bảo người khác không hiểu được. Và cũng rất dễ bắt đầu dùng thuật ngữ mà chính chúng ta còn không hiểu. Việc lựa chọn chèn thuật ngữ vào lời nói rất dễ, nhưng lại có rất nhiều tác dụng phụ kể trên, do đó đáp án là v |
Đoạn F: While condemning unnecessary or obscuring jargon in others, we should not forget to look out for it in ourselves. It is so easy to ‘slip into’ jargon, without realizing that our own listeners/readers do not understand. It is also temptingly easy to slip some jargon into our expression, to ensure that others do not understand. And it is just as easy to begin using jargon which we ourselves do not understand. The motivation to do such apparently perverse things is not difficult to grasp. People like to be ‘in’, to be part of an intellectual or technical elite; and the use of jargon, whether understood or not, is a badge of membership. Jargon, also, can provide a lazy way into a group or an easy way of hiding uncertainties and inadequacies: when terminology slips plausibly from the tongue, it is not essential for the brain to keep up. Indeed some people have developed this skill to professional levels. And certainly, faced with a telling or awkward question, and the need to say something acceptable in public, slipping into jargon becomes a simple way out, and can soon become a bad habit. |
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Questions 7-12: dạng Summary Completion with a wordlist Cách làm:
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7 Jargon plays a useful part in many aspects of life including leisure. For example, when people take up pastimes they need to develop a good _____ of the relevant jargon. Từ loại cần điền là danh từ. Mastery = great knowledge about or understanding of a particular thing = a good command => Đáp án là F command |
Đoạn B: The reality, however, is that everyone uses jargon. It is an essential part of the network of occupations and pursuits that make up society. All jobs present an element of jargon, which workers learn as they develop their expertise. All hobbies require mastery of a jargon. |
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8 During discussion of these or other areas of interest, conversation can become more exciting and an element of _____ can be introduced by the use of shared jargon. Từ loại cần điền là một danh từ. Cuộc trò chuyện có thể trở nên thú vị hơn (tăng nhịp độ và sự đa dạng) và yếu tố nào đó có thể được đưa vào nhờ việc sử dụng thuật ngữ chung. => Đáp án là L humour |
Đoạn C: It can add pace, variety and humour to speech […] and we enjoy the in-jokes which shared linguistic experience permits. |
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9 Jargon is particularly helpful in the workplace. It leads to more _____ in the way colleagues communicate during work hours. Từ loại cần điền là danh từ. economy and precision = sự tiết kiệm (dùng ít từ mà vẫn thể hiện được hết thông tin) và chính xác trong cách nói chuyện / thể hiện thông tin (expression). Đây chính là 2 khía cạnh trong sự hiệu quả của giao tiếp. . => Đáp án là D efficiency |
Đoạn B: It is the jargon element which, in a job, can promote economy and precision of expression, and thus help make life easier for the workers. |
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10 Taking part in _____ during moments of relaxation can also help them to bond better. Từ loại cần điền là danh từ. Để ý định nghĩa của shop-talk: conversation concerning one’s work, esp when carried on outside business hours. Ta thấy outside business hours = during moments of relaxation. => Đáp án là C shop-talk |
Đoạn B: It is also the chief linguistic element which shows professional awareness (‘know-how’) and social togetherness (‘shop-talk“). We enjoy the mutual showing-off which stems from a fluent use of terminology, and we enjoy the in-jokes which shared linguistic experience permits. |
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11 It is interesting that members of a group, whether social or professional, often demonstrate a certain _____ towards the particular linguistic characteristics of their subject area Cụm từ jealous of dù thường được dùng với nghĩa ghen tị với ai đó/cái gì đó nhưng trong trường hợp này, cụm từ này được hiểu theo nghĩa thứ hai là giữ chặt/bảo vệ cái gì đó cho riêng mình. => Đáp án là I possessiveness (tính chiếm hữu) |
Moreover, we are jealous of this knowledge. |
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12 […] and tend to regard new people who do not wish to learn the jargon with _____ Các thông tin trong bài đọc trùng khớp với thông tin trong đoạn Summary. Từ demean trong bài nghĩa là hạ thấp ai đó. => Đáp án là G contempt (sự coi thường) |
We are quick to demean anyone who tries to be part of our group without being prepared to take on its jargon. |
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Questions 13: dạng MCQ Cách làm:
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13 Which of the following statements would the writer agree with? |
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C Jargon should not be used if the intention is to exclude others. Bài đọc nói thuật ngữ bị mang tiếng xấu vì lí do quan trọng nhất là nó có thể dùng để loại trừ người khác (không cho người khác tham gia vào cuộc nói chuyện / vào nhóm / tổ chức của mình). => Đáp án là C |
Đoạn D: If jargon is so essential a part of our lives, why then has it had such a bad press? The most important reason stems from the way jargon can exclude as well as include. […] the speaker uses words which make it hard for us to understand, then we start to complain; and if we suspect that the obfuscation is deliberate policy, we unreservedly condemn, labelling it gobbledegook and calling down public derision upon it. |
