Chapter 9, Exercise #7, Rebecca

1)For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.
a)ambiguity: Don't know can refer to not knowing if you have children and not knowing there is a nursery
b)likely: don't know about the nursery
c)knowledge: most people know if they have children or not

2) The police were asked to stop drinking in public places.
a)ambiguity: The police were asked to stop drinking (the action performed by them) or drinking as in a gerund (their job is to stop others from drinking)
b) likely: The police were asked to stop others from drinking.
c) knowledge: Police are held to follow the rules such as no drinking in public places and their primary purpose is to make sure others are also following those rules.

3) Our bikinis are exciting: they are simply the tops.
a) ambiguity: simply the tops could mean only the top part of the bikini or top as in the best
b)likely: they are the top (best)
c)knowledge: It is uncommon and odd to sell or wear only a bikini top.

4) It's time we made smoking history.
a) ambiguity: smoking history as a noun phrase in which we want to make it into the history of smoking or smoking as a gerund and we want to make the act history as in finished, done.
b)likely: make it history/done
c)knowledge: an anti-smoking campaign wants to end smoking

5) Do you know the time?
a)ambiguity: the time now or the time or can you tell me the time
b) likely: can you tell me the time
c) knowledge: If someone is asking if you know the time, it is because they want to know the time, not just whether you know it.

6)Concerned with spreading violence, the president called a press conference.
a) ambiguity: Spreading as a verb (the president is spreading violence) or spreading as an adjective (the developing violence)
b) likely: the president is concerned with the phenomenom of spreading (adjective) violence
c) knowledge: A president wants to avoid and not draw public attention to violence that he is responsible for.

7) The ladies of the church have cast off clothing of every kind and they may be seen in the church basement Friday.
a)ambiguity: The ladies have cast off the clothing from their bodies or they have simply cast off the clothing
b) likely: The ladies have just cast off clothing that was sitting around.
c) knowledge: Ladies of the church are very moral and would not just take off their clothes and invite everyone in. Ladies of the church often hold sales of clothing.

8) Red Tape Holds Up New Bridge
a) ambiguity: Red tape-tape that is the color red or the expression red tape to mean bureacracy
b)likely: bureacracy
c) knowledge: red tape is an expression used to describe bureacracy

9) Kids Make Nutritious Snacks
a) ambiguity: Are kids the subject who perform the action of make or are kids the object that is made
b)likely: kids are subject who create their own snacks
c) knowledge: Kids are not eaten.

10) Sex Education Delayed, Teachers Request Training
a) ambiguity: Do teachers request training in sex or training in how to teach sex education
b) likely: Teachers request training on how to teach sex education
c)knowledge: Sex is not something in a relationship, not an action performed at school for purposes of learning