A Usually, when your teacher asks a question, there is only one correct answer. But there

A

Usually,whenyourteacherasksaquestion,thereisonlyonecorrectanswer.Butthereisonequestionthathasmillionsofcurrentanswers.Thatquestionis“What’syourname?”Everyonegivesadifferentanswer,buteveryoneiscorrect.

Haveyoueverwonderedaboutpeople’snames?Wheredotheycomefrom?Whatd otheymean?

People’sfirstnames,orgivennames,arechosenbytheirparents.Sometimesthenameofagrandparentorothermemberofthefamilyisused.Someparentschoosethenameofawell-knownperson.AboycouldbenamedGeorgeWashingtonSmith;agirlcouldbenamedHelenKellerJones.

Somepeoplegivetheirchildrennamesthatmeangoodthings.Clarameans“bright”;Beatr icemeans“onewhogiveshappiness”;Donaldmeans“worldruler”;Leonardmeans“asbraveasalion”.

Theearliestlastnames,orsurnames,weretakenfromplacenames.AfamilywiththenameBrookorBrooksprobablylivednearbrook(小溪)；someonewhowascalledLongstr eetprobablylivedonalong,pavedroad.TheGreenwoodfamilylivedinornearaleafyforest.

Otherearlysurnamescamefrompeople’soccupations.ThemostcommonoccupationalnameisSmith,whichmeansapersonwhomakesthingswithironorothermetals.Inthepast,smithswereveryimportantworkersineverytownandvillage.Someotheroccupationalnamesare:Carter—apersonwhoownedordroveacart;Potter—apersonwhomadepotsandpans.

TheancestorsoftheBakerfamilyprobablybakedbreadfortheirneighborsintheirnativevillage.TheCarpenter’sgreat-great-great-grandfatherprobablybuilthousesandfurniture.

Sometimespeoplewereknownforthecoloroftheirhairorskin,ortheirsize,ortheirspecialabilities.WhenthereweretwomenwhowerenamedJohninthesamevillage,theJohnwiththegrayhairprobablybecameJohnGray.OrtheJohnwasverytallcouldcallhimselfJohnTallman.JohnFishwasprobablyanexcellentswimmerandJohnLightfootwasprobablyafastr unneroragooddancer.

Somefamilynamesweremadebyaddingsomethingtothefather’sname.English-speakingpeopleadded–sor–son.TheJohnsonsaredescendantsofJohn;theRobertsfamily’sancestorwasRobert.IrishandScottishpeopleaddedMacorMcorO.PerhapsalloftheMacDonnellsandtheMcDonnellsandtheO’DonnellsaredescendantsofthesameDonnell.

56.WhichofthefollowingaspectsdothesurnamesinthepassageNOTcover?A.Placeswherepeoplelived.

B.People’scharacters.

C.Talentsthatpeoplepossessed.

D.People’soccupations.