单选题
Etymology, the study of words and word roots, may
sound like the kind of thing done by boring librarians in small, dusty rooms.
Yet etymologists actually have a uniquely interesting job. They are in many ways
just like archaeologists digging up the physical history of people and events.
The special aspect of etymology is that it digs up history, so to speak, through
the words and phrases that are left behind. The English
language, in particular, is a great arena in which to explore history through
words. As a language, English has an extraordinary number of words. This is in
part due to its ability to adapt foreign words so readily. For example,
"English" words such as kindergarten (from Germany), croissant (from French),
and cheetah(from Hindi) have become part of the language with little or no
change from their original sounds and spellings. So English-language
etymologists have a vast world of words to explore. Another
enjoyable element of etymology for most word experts is solving word mysteries.
No, etymologists do not go around solving murders, cloaked in intrigue like the
great fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. What these word experts solve are
mysteries surrounding the origins of some of our most common words.
One of the biggest questions English language experts have pursued is how
English came to have the phrase OK. Though it is one of the most commonly used
slang expressions, its exact beginning is a puzzle even to this day. Even its
spelling is not entirely consistent—unless you spell it okay, it's hard even to
call it a word. Etymologists have been able to narrow OK's
origin down to a likely, although not certain, source. It became widely used
around the time of Matin Van Buren's run for president in 1840. His nickname was
Old Kinderhook. What troubles word experts about this explanation is that the
phrase appeared in some newspapers before Van Buren became well-known. As a
result, it's unlikely that Van Buren could be called its primary source. Like
bloodhounds following a faint scent, etymologists will doubtless keep searching
for the initial source. However, it is clear that OK's popularity and fame have
exceeded those of the American president to whom it has been most clearly
linked.
单选题
In the second paragraph, etymologists are compared with which of the
following?