Britishpotatofarmersweretakingtothestreetstocallforthee...
問題詳情：
British potato farmers were taking to the streets to call for the expression “couch potato” to be taken from the dictionary because it harms the vegetable’s image.
The British Potato Council wants the Oxford English Dictionary to replace the expression with the term "couch slouch", with protests planned outside parliament in London and the offices of Oxford University Press. Kathryn Race, head of marketing at the Council, which represents some 4,000 growers and processors, said the group had complained in writing to the OED But had yet to receive a response. "We are trying to get rid of the image that potatoes are bad for you," she said Monday. The potato has had its knocks in the past. Of course it is not the Oxford English Dictionary's fault but we want to use another term than “couch potato” because potatoes are naturally healthy.
The OED says "couch potato" originated as American slang, meaning "a person who spends leisure time passively or idly sitting around, especially watching television or video tapes."
The Potato Council says its campaign has the backing of dieticians(飲食學家) who say the vegetable is low in fat and high in vitamin C. Supporting the campaign, celebrity chef Antony Worrall Thompson said the vegetable was one of Britain’s favorite foods. “Not only are they healthy, they are versatile(多樣的), convenient and taste great too. Life without potato is like a sandwich without a filling,” he said.
John Simpson, chief editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, said the dictionary first included the term “couch potato” in 1993 and said "dictionaries just reflect the words that society uses." He said words were never taken out of the full-length dictionary, which includes some 650,000 words contained in 20 volumes. But little-used words can be removed from the smaller dictionaries to make way for newer ones. “If society stops using words, then they are taken out of the smaller dictionaries”, he added. “The first known recorded use of the expression “couch potato” was in a 1979 Log Angeles Times article,” Simpson said.
Nigel Evans, a member of parliament for the Ribble Valley in Lancashire, has made a motion in support of the campaign, highlighting the nutritional value of the British potato.
58. The British potato farmers went to demonstrate against OED because __________.
A. the phrase “couch potato” has largely damaged the benefits of planting potatoes
B. OED board has had prejudice(偏見) in absorbing “couch potato” into its new versions of dictionary
C. the phrase “couch potato” has hurt people’s feelings about potatoes
D. the phrase “couch potato” has ruined the positive image of potatoes
59. According to the British Potato Council, the OED __________.
A. has done something wrong to the British potato farmers
B. should leave out from it the phrase “couch potato”
C. should replace the phrase with “couch slouch”
D . should make up for what it did to the farmers
60. Antony Worrall Thompson supported the campaign started by the Potato council because ________.
A. he is a cook and potato is his favorite food
B. the phrase doesn’t match what people think of
C. potatoes are of rich nutrients and good taste
D. potatoes are a main source for making sandwich
61. What can best describe the viewpoints held by John Simpson?
A. OED will remove the phrase if it causes strong protests
B. OED should collect all the words reflecting society uses
C words are little used, they might be removed from OED
D. The phrase might be removed from smaller dictionaries one day
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