# PTE Reading MCS #9: Lexicographical Research...

Reading: Multiple Choice, Single Answer #9 - Level 2 - Feeds Reading

> Read the text and answer the question by choosing one option. Only one answer is correct.

For the first time, dictionary publishers are incorporating real, spoken English into their data. It gives lexicographers (people who write dictionaries) access to a more vibrant, up-to-date vernacular language which has never really been studied before. In one project, 150 volunteers each agreed to discreetly tie a Walkman recorder to their waist and leave it running for anything up to two weeks. Every conversation they had was recorded. When the data was collected, the length of the tapes was 35 times the depth of the Atlantic Ocean. Teams of audio typists transcribed the tapes to produce a computerized database of ten million words.

Which would be the most suitable heading for the paragraph?

- New method of research
- The first study of spoken language
- Research on collecting data
- Study for new words

## Answer

The first study of spoken language

## Explanation

The passage highlights this as a pioneering effort to document and study vernacular speech patterns that were previously unexamined.

What to watch: The paragraph opens with "For the first time" and says spoken language "has never really been studied before." A heading must cover that main point. "New method of research" is tempting because of the Walkman recorders, but those details support the first-time study. "Study for new words" is not stated.

## Hints

- Look for the sentence that explains why this project is unique.
- Consider the significance of recording real, spoken language for the first time.

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