PHONETIC TEST
I. Answer these questions (The Organs of Speech, The General Classification
of Speech Sounds, The Classification of English Vowels and Consonants,
Assimilation):
1. How is a vowel different from a consonant?
2. How does a noise consonant differ from a sonorant?
3. How can a voiceless consonant affect a sonorant?
4. What speech organ is active in the production of [j, m, h,]?
5. What organ serves a place of obstruction in the production of [w, g, r,]?
6. How can the stresses affect the character of the end in vowels?
7. How can a voiceless consonant affect the sonorant? Give an example.
8. How can a vowel affect a consonant and vice versa? Give an example.
9. Why is [f] classified as constrictive? How is [f] classified according to
coarticulation?
10. Are the vowels [a:] and [u] similar in any ways?
11. What makes the sonorants [w], [j], [r] and [l] similar?
12. Describe one monophthong, one diphthong and one diphthongoid
13. Describe one noise plosive, one noise fricative and one sonorant
14. Intonation is a complex unit of _______________
15. Assimilation may affect: used to, quite, did you, all that.
16. The Low Pre-Head is _______________
17. Three degrees of assimilation: ________________ (examples)
18. Speech melody is _______
19. The prominence of a word in a sentence achieved by ________
20. What is the function of the High Pre-Head?
21. What scale serves to express indifferent, hostile attitudes of the speaker?
22. What does the division of a long sentence into sense-group depend on?
23. What is the basic intonation of statements, questions, requests, commands,
warnings and exclamations?
24. What components does the phonetic structure of an intonation group include?
Give one example to illustrate the answer.
II. Make the nuclear tones in the conversation below:
A: I’m looking for a blouse. B:Yes, of course. What about this yellow one?
A: No, this yellow blouse is a bit too pale. B:But yellow suits you.
A: Really? I think I look terrible in yellow. I’d rather have a red blouse.
B:I’m sorry that’s the one left, and it’s a very small size.
A: I think I’ll try the shop in Bond Street.
III. Intone the sentences in the line of print and graphically according to the
attitude in brackets.
1 You don’t regret it? (questioning, unofficial)
2. Before you destroy it, show it to your solicitor (soothing, questioning)
3. Would you say it’s a practical proposition? (considered, weighty)
4. He always leaves something behind (contrast, implication)
5. Well can you think of a better argument? (interested)
6. Have you ever pretended otherwise? (personal concern, surprise)
7. Does anyone get through the first time? (uncertainty)
8. May she phone again tomorrow? (negative emotional coloring).
IV. In the text below:
- Mark the pauses, stresses and tones;
- Find examples to illustrate each of the following types of assimilation. Write
out and number the case, mark where the assimilation takes place
1)
The place of obstruction (2 cases)
2)
The position of the soft palate (2 cases)
3)
The work of the vocal cords (devoicing) (3 cases)
4)
The position of the lips (2 cases)
5)
Both the place of obstruction and the active organ (2 cases)
6)
The manner of the production of noise (lateral plosion) (2 cases)
7)
The manner of the production of noise (loss of plosion) ( 5 cases)
8)
The manner of the production of noise (affrication) (2 cases)
9)
The manner of the production of noise (nasal plosion) (2 cases)
Text
Fred Barton, a wealthy businessman, asked, " What about joining our new
project, Frank?"
"Well, I'm not sure about it, Frank replied. "How much will it cost me?"
"Oh, about three thousand dollars."
"Hm, it sounds a bit risky to me."
"Risky! There's no risk! We'll make a million"."
"That's what they all say. I don't quite understand your plan."
"It's simple. We're going to open a cafe."
"But people have opened cafes before. What's new about that?"
"Well, that won't be an ordinary cafe. We'll sell fruit, coffee, tinned fish, beer,
whisky - everything."
"Hm. It might work if the law were changed. But really I don't know yet. I'll let
you know in a few days, OK?"
VII. Describe one from each of the types of assimilation you have picked
according to the example below.