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阅读理解-兴趣爱好与语言学习·链接高考One of the greatest contributors to the first Oxford English Dictionary was also one of its most unusual. In 1879, Oxford University in England asked Prof. James Murray to serve as editor for what was to be the most ambitious dictionary in the history of the English language. It would include every English word possible and would give not only the definition but also the history of the word and quotations (3130 showing how it was used. This was a huge task, so Murray had to find volunteers from Britain, the United States, and the British colonies to search every newspaper, magazine, and book ever written in English. Hundreds of volunteers responded, including William Chester Minor. Dr. Minor was an American surgeon who had served in the Civil War and was now living in England. He gave his address as "Broadmoor, Crowthome, Berkshire," 50 miles from Oxford. Minor joined the army of volunteers sending words and quotations to Murray. Over the next 17 years, he became one of the staff 's most valued contributors. But be was also a mystery'. In spite of many invitations, he would always decline to visit Oxford. So in 1897, Murray finally decided to travel to Crowthome himself. When he arrived, he found Minor locked in a book-lined cell at die Broadmoor Asylum(精神病院) for the Criminally Insane. Murray and Minor became friends, sharing their love of words. Minor continued contributing to the dictionary, sending in more than 10.000 submissions in 20 years. Murray continued to visit Minor regularly, sometimes taking Walks with him around the asylum grounds. | 
