【正确答案】Pragmatics is the study of meaning in context. It deals with particular utterances in particular situations and is especially concerned with the various ways in which the many social contexts of language performance can influence interpretation. In other words, pragmatics is concerned with the way language is used to communication rather than with the way language is structured. It regards speech performance as primarily a social act ruled by various social conventions. Some key concepts such as reference, force, effect, and cooperative principles may appear commonsensical, yet pragmatics is just about one of the most promising fields of linguistic studies.

【答案解析】[解析] 本题考查的是语用学的定义。语用学在语境中研究意义。它研究特定场合下的特定话语，尤其注意不同的语言运用的社会语境如何影响语义的诠释。换句话说，语用学关心的是语言如何被用来交际，而不是语言如何构成。语用学主要把言语运用看作是各种社会常规所制约的社会行为，其中像指代、语力、效果、合作原则等概念是语用学的研究对象。