Manyyearsago，aFrenchnaturalist，theCountdeBuffon，wrotesomebooksaboutnaturalhistory．Thebookswereagreatsuccesseventhoughsomecriticsdidnotlikethem．Somecriticssaid，“CountBuffonismoreofapoetthanascientist．”

ThomasJeffersondidnotlikewhattheCounthadsaidaboutthenaturalwondersoftheNewWorld．ItseemedtoJeffersonthattheCounthadspokenofnaturalwondersinAmericaasiftheywereunimportant．

ThistroubledThomasJefferson．Hetoowasanaturalist，aswellasafarmer，inventor，historian，writerandpolitician．HehadseenthenaturalwondersofEurope．Tohim，theywerenomoreimportantthanthoseoftheNewWorld．

In1788，ThomasJeffersonwroteabouthishomestate，Virginia．Whilewriting，hethoughtofitsnaturalbeautyandthenofthewordsoftheCountdeBuffon．Atthatmoment．Jeffersoncreatedanewword—belittle．Hesaid．“TheCountdeBuffonbelievesthatnaturebelittlesherproductionsonthissideoftheAtlantic．”

NoahWebster，theAmericanwordexpert，likedthisword．HeputitinthisEnglishlanguagedictionaryin1806，“Belittle—tomakesmall，unimportant．”

AmericanshadalreadyacceptedJefferson’swordandstartedtouseit．In1797，theIndependentChroniclenewspaperusedthewordtodescribeapoliticianthepapersupported．“Heisanhonorableman，”thepaperwrote，“solettheoppositiontrytobelittlehimasmuchastheyplease．”

In1872，afamousAmericanwordexpertdecidedthatthetimehadcometokillthisword．Hesaid，“BelittlehasnochanceofbecomingEnglish．AndasmorecriticalwritersofAmerica，likethoseofBritain，feelnoneedofit，thesooneritisforgotten，thebetter．”

Thisexpertfailedtokilltheword．Today．belittleisusedwheretheEnglishlanguageisspoken．

1.WhydidThomasJeffersondisagreewiththeCountdeBuffon?

A．TheCountsaidsomethingsillyabouttheAtlantic．

B．TheCountwasn’tatruescientistinnaturalhistory．

C．TheCountwasapoetfromadifferentcountry．

D．TheCountbelittledthenaturalwondersinAmerica．

2.WecaninferthatJeffersoncreatedtheword“belittle”outofhis___________．

A．angerB．excitement

C．kindnessD．responsibility