toefl® conversation

[Imsriram]

Here's the excerpt

Dr: I suppose not. I just want to be sure to point out clearly the main ways in which Modern English has developed from its predecessors. You know, the Great Vowel Shift, and so forth. Saving ninety minutes is not going to commit Old and Middle English to total oblivion, after all.

Mr: (laughs) Not if you can help it, certainly! So I can eliminate the phonetics quiz completely, then?

What does that guy mean by telling "Not if you can help it"?

I thought it was that the Old and Middle English would not be ignored by everyone by saving 90 minutes which in sense means that if he can help it, it wouldn't become oblivion. Correct if this interpretation is wrong.

Here comes the question-

5). Why does Henry say this: "Not if you can help it, certainly!"?
(A) He thinks the professor should teach less Old English.
(B) He thinks the professor should teach more Old English.
(C) He thinks the professor considers teaching Old English important.---CORRECT
ANSWER.
(D) He thinks the professor considers teaching Old English not so important

I was confused with C and D actually. As that guy laughs I thought he was speaking
ironically and I thought D is correct.




TOEFL listening discussions: Two roommates talking about fraternities
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I like this very much :-)

[Imsriram]

Hey guys I am rather confused with "Not if one can help it". Please explain me this with clear example.
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I like this very much :-)

[Dozy]

I think you posted the wrong link. This one is http://www.english-test.net/toefl/listening/A_conversation_between_a_professor_and_his_assistant.html

The way I read it, "not if you can help it" means that, at least in Mr's estimation, Dr strongly wants to prevent Old and Middle English being consigned to total oblivion. To me, this seems faintly puzzling because earlier it was Dr who wanted to cut down the amount of Old English and Middle English lectures. OK, the two aren't completely incompatible, but it doesn't seem to be the obvious development of the conversation.

Something also seems to have gone wrong with the names. Mr Fitch's first name seems to be Hanna, which is a female name.