[单项选择]No reference book, perhaps no book of any kind except the Bible, is so widely used as "the dictionary". Even houses that have few books or none at all possess at least one dictionary; most business offices have dictionaries, and most typists keep a copy on their desks; at one time or another most girls and boys are required by their teachers to obtain and use a dictionary.
Admittedly, the dictionary is often used merely to determine the correct spelling of words, or to find out the accepted pronunciation, and such a use is perhaps not the most important from an intellectual point of view. Dictionaries may, however, have social importance, for it is often a matter of some concern to the person using the dictionary for such purposes that he should not suggest to others, by misspelling a word in a letter, or mispronouncing it in conversation, that he is not "well-bred", and has not been well educated.
Yet, despite this familiarity with dictionary, the average person is likely to
A. When he looks up in a dictionary that has absolute authority.
B. When the basic meaning of a word found in one dictionary is confirmed in other ones.
C. When a dictionary presents a definition that the basic meaning of which cannot be altered by the speakers.
D. When the compiler of the dictionary is a reputable person.