Table of Contents
BEST IELTS General Reading Test 533
IELTS GENERAL READING TEST 533 – PASSAGE – 3
IELTS GENERAL READING TEST – 533
READING PASSAGE – 3
The History of ‘O.K.’
A. There is an English word used with such regularity the world over that it doesn’t need to be spoken – a simple hand gesture will suffice. So well-known is the word that it surprises many to learn that it did not exist until 200 years ago. It is the word ‘OK’.
B. From its early days the term has always been used informally, which may explain the variations in its spelling that have come about over the years. While some publications prefer ‘okay’, others prefer ‘OK’, ‘O.K.’, ‘ok’ or ‘o.k.’. There has never been any consensus on whether it should be written as a full word or in shortened form; whether certain letters should be large or small; or whether there is a need for full stops after each letter. How the word is presented to readers in print has thus depended on the in-house style choices made by specific magazines, newspapers and institutions.
IELTS General Reading Test
C. Numerous possible explanations have been proposed for how OK entered the English language, but a common thread linking these theories is that it most likely originated in the U.S.A. during the early nineteenth century. An account that is accepted by many language experts is that it was originally one of a number of humorous abbreviations used by newspaper journalists and editors. For instance, ‘NG’ meant ‘no go’, while ‘OK’ was based on ‘all correct’ (‘Ol Korrect’). Another theory traces the source of the word back to slaves from West Africa; the word ‘o ke’.
D. The word first rooted itself in public consciousness in the U.S.A. during 1840 Presidential election. The Democratic presidential candidate was Martin Van Buren, and on the campaign trail it was considered that having a Dutch name might prove a challenge. Consequently, one of his backers, the former President Jackson, suggested the nickname ‘OK’, which is likely to have been a reference to the candidate’s home town, ‘Old’ Kinderhook. Thereafter, following the nationwide publicizing of the term in such a high profile event by a former U.S. President, OK became a popular expression across the land.
IELTS General Reading Test
E. ‘OK’ has gone on to become a word which can fulfil a variety of functions in both written and spoken communication. For example, it can be utilised as an adjective to mean both ‘good’ and ‘not so good’ (such as, It’s OK, but I still prefer the other one). It can also be an adverb (The interview went OK). More recently, it has even been used as a noun (The boss gave his OK) and as a verb (She has okayed the colour). It is also commonly uttered while listening to another person speaking, to indicate that one is following the message.
F. The meaning the word conveys depends greatly on tone used. Someone might yell, ‘OK!’ In a manner that shows excitement, while, in contrast, teenagers often use it in an irritated voice to intimate forcefully that their sensitivities have been offended. Adding to its versatility, ‘OK’ might suggest an explicit willingness to take action, but on the other hand might also express vagueness. For example, one might say it to acknowledge that one has heard something, while the other party might assume that one is indicating that one has agreed to take a particular course of action.
IELTS General Reading Test
G. With the global spread of English during the twentieth century, ‘OK’ has become a universal tool of communication. It is one of the first English words that people learn, and is not only used when communicating with native speakers, but has also been incorporated into many other languages. These developments can be attributed to the influence of English-language, especially American, media worldwide. It is certainly very unusual for an American movie or television show with a contemporary setting to avoid the term, and it is also commonly heard in the song lyrics of music fashionable with young people.
H. Even in places where no English is spoken, the ‘OK’ gesture has generally become a universally recognized symbol, made by connecting the thumb and index finger into a circle (the ‘O’) and holding the other three fingers straight and relaxed in the air (the ‘K’). However, the sign may also have adverse meanings – for example that the other person is a ‘zero’ (nothing). This means it should be used carefully in an unfamiliar culture. As the world’s most commonly-used word, it will usually be safer and more effective to speak first, if you want to make sure things go ‘OK’.
IELTS General Reading Test
Questions 28-33
The text above has eight paragraphs, A-H.
Which paragraphs contain the following information? Write the appropriate letters, A-H.
28. speculations about the beginnings of the word
29. the flexibility of the word in the English language
30. editorial confusion in using the word
31. the origins of its widespread use
32. its usefulness as a way to express different moods
33. the use of the word in popular culture
IELTS General Reading Test
Questions 34-37
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
34. One theory about the word ‘OK’ is that it was based on which two words?
35. Who nicknamed Presidential Candidate Martin Van Buren as ‘O.K.’?
36. When did ‘OK’ become popular outside the U.S.A.?
37. The ‘OK’ sign is made with which two fingers?
IELTS General Reading Test
Questions 38-40
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
38. The use of ‘O.K.’ in published form depends on
A. which country the text is produced in
B. the decisions of the particular publishing house
C. what the writer intends to express
D. the position of the word within a sentence
39. The reason the word ‘OK’ became so commonly-used after the 1840 election was that
A. with so many people arriving in the country it was a simple and easy word to use
B. the word was seen as humorous and used in many jokes
C. the word became famous after being used by a former President
D. a book was published which used the word in its title
IELTS General Reading Test
40. The word ‘OK’ can sometimes express an attitude of vagueness because
A. the word is so short and has many possible meanings
B. the way in which the word is used depends on the mood of the speaker
C. it contains the letter ‘O’ which can mean ‘zero’ or ‘nothing’
D. the listener might just be showing that they understand the message
IELTS General Reading Test
IELTS General Reading Test
ANSWERS
28. C
29. E
30. B
31. D
32. F
33. G
34. ALL CORRECT
35. (FORMER PRESIDENT) JACKSON
36. TWENTIETH CENTURY
37. THUMB, INDEX FINGER
38. B
39. C
40. D
IELTS General Reading Test