Instruction: answer questions 36 to 42 based on the following text. Janus Words – Two-faced English _____As if reading and writing English is not difficult enough, the language includes a number of words with opposite meanings within themselves. These are often called Janus words, after Janus, the Roman god of doors and beginnings. (January, the first month of the year, is named for him.) Janus usually was represented in art as having two bearded faces that faced in opposite directions, as do doors — and as do Janus words. _____Some Janus words – and this is just a selection – include to scan, meaning either to look carefully (“The captain scanned the horizon with binoculars”) or to glance quickly at (“She scanned the report in a few minutes”); to peruse, with similar senses, meaning both to read or examine carefully and to look at or read casually without much attention to detail; and inflammable, easy to burn, and an especially treacherous term since the in- prefix is sometimes considered to be negative, with the result that the highly combustible word is understood as meaning “not flammable.” _____The wordplay that characterizes slang also exploits Janus effects. For example, bad can stand for “very good, excellent, wonderful, sexy” in different contexts. Variations on this theme include not bad, not half bad, and not so bad, which translate as “good,” “pretty good,” or, depending on intonation — “Not bad!” — as “very good.” Even worse than bad is wicked, which is truly evil, but also is a Janus word in some contexts, meaning “really good, excellent, wonderful.” Wicked seems to have acquired its “good” side more recently than did bad. Wicked may also be used as an intensifier, signifying “very, extremely,” as in a complimentary review of a book for young adults: “Even if ‘Gorgeous’ . . . never quite realizes its full potential, it is still a wicked good time” ( New York Times Book Review , May 12, 2013). _____Similar to Janus words are what might be called Janus sentences, which have been constructed, usually deliberately, to be so ambiguous that opposing meanings can be read into them. These are especially useful when one is asked to write a letter of recommendation and wants to be honest but not to risk being sued for slander. For example, “You’ll be lucky to get Jones to work for you” could be understood to mean that Jones will be a fine employee – or that once employed, he’ll hardly ever do any work. “You’ll never catch Jones goofing off or playing computer games” may just mean that Jones is too smart to be caught. Then there is the book review credited to Dorothy Parker: “It is not a novel to be dismissed lightly.” She added, however: “It should be thrown aside with great force.” Meanwhile, I am awaiting the day when some dear friend tells me: “I shall lose no time reading your next Cambridge post.” Hmmm. (Avalaible in: https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2013/07/01/janus-words-two-faced-english/#more-2382 – text especially adapted for this test). Choose the correct statement about the highlighted word “themselves” (l. 02).

It is a reflexive pronoun, and in this sentence, it refers to “words” (l. 02).

It is a relative pronoun, referring to “reading and writing” (l. 01).

It is a demonstrative pronoun, referring to “opposite meanings” (l. 02).

It is a reflexive pronoun, referring to “opposite meanings” (l. 02).

It is a demonstrative pronoun, and it refers to “words” (l. 02).

Questão 2672442 de Língua Inglesa - FUNDATEC 2021

Questão

ID 2672442

Disciplina: Língua Inglesa

Assunto: Pronomes Reflexivos | Reflexive Pronouns

Ano: 2021 Banca: FUNDATEC - Fundação Universidade Empresa de Tecnologia e Ciências Órgão: Prefeitura Municipal de Ivoti

Instruction: answer questions 36 to 42 based on the following text.

Janus Words – Two-faced English

_____As if reading and writing English is not difficult enough, the language includes a number
of words with opposite meanings within themselves. These are often called Janus words, after
Janus, the Roman god of doors and beginnings. (January, the first month of the year, is named
for him.) Janus usually was represented in art as having two bearded faces that faced in opposite
directions, as do doors — and as do Janus words.
_____Some Janus words – and this is just a selection – include to scan, meaning either to look
carefully (“The captain scanned the horizon with binoculars”) or to glance quickly at (“She
scanned the report in a few minutes”); to peruse, with similar senses, meaning both to read or
examine carefully and to look at or read casually without much attention to detail; and
inflammable, easy to burn, and an especially treacherous term since the in- prefix is sometimes
considered to be negative, with the result that the highly combustible word is understood as
meaning “not flammable.”
_____The wordplay that characterizes slang also exploits Janus effects. For example, bad can
stand for “very good, excellent, wonderful, sexy” in different contexts. Variations on this theme
include not bad, not half bad, and not so bad, which translate as “good,” “pretty good,” or,
depending on intonation — “Not bad!” — as “very good.” Even worse than bad is wicked, which
is truly evil, but also is a Janus word in some contexts, meaning “really good, excellent,
wonderful.” Wicked seems to have acquired its “good” side more recently than did bad. Wicked
may also be used as an intensifier, signifying “very, extremely,” as in a complimentary review
of a book for young adults: “Even if ‘Gorgeous’ . . . never quite realizes its full potential, it is
still a wicked good time” (New York Times Book Review, May 12, 2013).
_____Similar to Janus words are what might be called Janus sentences, which have been
constructed, usually deliberately, to be so ambiguous that opposing meanings can be read into
them. These are especially useful when one is asked to write a letter of recommendation and
wants to be honest but not to risk being sued for slander. For example, “You’ll be lucky to get
Jones to work for you” could be understood to mean that Jones will be a fine employee – or that
once employed, he’ll hardly ever do any work. “You’ll never catch Jones goofing off or playing
computer games” may just mean that Jones is too smart to be caught. Then there is the book
review credited to Dorothy Parker: “It is not a novel to be dismissed lightly.” She added,
however: “It should be thrown aside with great force.” Meanwhile, I am awaiting the day when
some dear friend tells me: “I shall lose no time reading your next Cambridge post.”
Hmmm.

(Avalaible in: https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2013/07/01/janus-words-two-faced-english/#more-2382 – text especially adapted for this test).

Choose the correct statement about the highlighted word “themselves” (l. 02).

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Questão 2672442

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