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The Awful German Language - Quiz
Contributed by: Rodgers
  • 1. In which year did Mark Twain first attempt to learn German?
A) 1878
B) 1880
C) 1850
D) 1897
  • 2. What humorous advice did a friend give Twain upon his arrival in Germany?
A) "Avoid speaking at all; just nod and smile."
B) "Try to speak French instead; it's easier."
C) "Use sign language; they'll understand you better."
D) "Speak in German, Mark. Some of these people may understand English."
  • 3. What was the title of Twain's German-language lecture delivered in Vienna?
A) "Die Logik der deutschen Sprache"
B) "Das Wunder der deutschen Sprache"
C) "Die Schrecken der deutschen Sprache"
D) "Die Freuden der deutschen Sprache"
  • 4. Which type of language does Twain compare German to in his essay?
A) Agglutinative
B) Analytic
C) Polysynthetic
D) Isolating
  • 5. What translation method does Twain use to emphasize the mechanics of German?
A) Dynamic equivalence
B) Free translation
C) Interlinear translation
D) Literal translation
  • 6. How does Twain describe the inflection system in German?
A) "Logical and consistent"
B) "Slipshod and systemless"
C) "Simple and straightforward"
D) "Efficient and user-friendly"
  • 7. What is a key emphasis of Twain's essay regarding German language?
A) Verb conjugation
B) Linguistic gender
C) Syntax
D) Pronunciation
  • 8. According to Twain, what is grammatically neuter in German?
A) "Woman"
B) "Boy"
C) "Girl"
D) "Turnip"
  • 9. What does Twain find illogical about linguistic gender in German?
A) There are no exceptions to gender rules.
B) Gender is always based on natural sex.
C) All nouns have the same gender.
D) The relationship between gender and noun is unclear.
  • 10. Which language does Guy Deutscher mention as having similar idiosyncrasies to German?
A) French
B) Dutch
C) Italian
D) Spanish
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