You probably hear it all the time — people telling you to “learn English”. But does this mean children in English-speaking countries don’t need to bother learning a new language? Not at all. In fact, an even larger number of young people will soon be taught foreign languages, thanks to the mental advantages of bilingualism.
Psychologists once thought that growing up bilingual might lead to verbal delays－a late or absent development of talking. But US magazine Scientific American has revealed that this is not true, and reported that children who speak more than one language “show greater mental flexibility, a superior grasp of abstract concepts and a better working memory.” As the New York Times put it, “being bilingual, it turns out, makes you smarter.”
In Europe, learning foreign languages is increasingly popular. A European report shows that from 2005-2010, the percentage of European students learning a foreign language rose from 67.5 percent to 79.2 percent. Most European kids start learning another language at age 6. In Belgium, it starts at 3. New reforms being introduced in the UK will mean all children could be taught a foreign language, such as Mandarin or Greek, from the age of 7. The most popular foreign language for European kids was English, followed by German and French.
In comparison, Americans don’t give a fig for learning foreign languages. Compared to 50 percent of European adults who are bilingual, only 9 percent of adults in the US are fluent in more than one language, according to a 2011 report. American students are often not exposed to a second language until high school.
However, recent statistics show demand is growing in the US for people to become more bilingual. According to a USA Today chart released in July, 21 percent of US children speak another language at home. A number of institutions in the country are also pushing foreign languages in schools. Three school districts in Delaware will launch Chinese and Spanish programs next year. More people are learning Chinese, French and Spanish.
小题1:Psychologist used to believe that children who grow up bilingual ________.| A．are more flexible mentally | | B．are slow in the development of talking | | C．have a poorer working memory | | D．are smarter in understanding abstract concept |
小题2:It can be inferred from the passage that ________.| A．Americans are more interested in learning another language than Europeans | | B．British kids began to learn foreign languages at the earliest age | | C．21% of US children study a foreign language in the school | | D．not all schools in America are teaching foreign languages |
小题3:What does the underlined phrase “give a fig for” in Paragraph 4 mean?| A．attach importance to | | B．have talent for | | C．invest money in | | D．have demand for |
小题4:Which are the most popular foreign languages in the US?| A．Mandarin and Greek. | | B．English, German and French. | | C．Chinese, French and Spanish. | | D．Chinese, German and Greek. |
小题5:What is the main idea of this passage?
A. Chinese is becoming more popular in western countries.
B. The benefits and advantages of growing up bilingual.
C. Western worlds are paying more attention to learning foreign languages.
D. The differences between bilingual education in Europe and USA. |
小题1:B
小题2:D
小题3:A
小题4:C
小题5:C |
试题分析：本文主要讲述的是西方人对于双语教学的重视，很多西方人都擅长2种以上的语言，美国人原来对于外语不够重视，但是最近已经有了很大的改变。
小题1:B 细节题。根据文章第二段第一行Psychologists once thought that growing up bilingual might lead to verbal delays－a late or absent development of talking.可知以前心理学家认为双语教学会导致儿童的发展缓慢。故B正确。
小题2:D 推理题。根据文章倒数第2段最后一句American students are often not exposed to a second language until high school.可知很多美国学生到高中的时候，才开始学习第二语言。也就是说在美国的初中和小学里是没有外语课的。故D正确。
小题3:A 推理题。根据本句In comparison, Americans don’t give a fig for learning foreign languages. Compared to 50 percent of European adults who are bilingual, only 9 percent of adults in the US are fluent in more than one language, according to a 2011 report.可知根据2011年的一项调查，发现只有百分之9的美国成年人可以流利地讲另外一门语言，也就是说每个人对于学习外遇并不重视。故该词应该指A项语义。
小题4:C 细节题。根据文章最后一句More people are learning Chinese, French and Spanish.可知中文，法语和西班牙语是美国人最喜欢学的3种语言。故C正确。
小题5:C 主旨大意题。根据文章第一段和最后一段可知本文主要讲述的是西方人对于学会外语的重视，主要列举了欧洲和美国的例子。故C正确。 |
核心考点
试题【You probably hear it all the time — people telling you to “learn English”. But d】；主要考察你对
题材分类等知识点的理解。
[详细]举一反三
On the high-speed train Avignon to Paris, my husband and I landed in the only remaining seats on the train, in the middle of a car, directly opposite a Frenchwoman of middle years. It was an extremely uncomfortable arrangement to be looking straight into the eyes of a stranger. My husband and I pulled out books. The woman produced a large makeup case and made up her face. Except for a lunch break, she continued this activity for the entire three-hour trip. Every once in a while she surveyed the car with a bright-eyed glance, but never once did she catch my eye. My husband and I could have been a blanket wall.
I was amused, but some people would have felt uncomfortable , even repulsed(厌恶的）.there is something about making up in public that calls up strong emotional reactions. Partly it’s a question of hygiene. And it’s a matter of degree. Making up --- a private act--- has a way of neglecting the presence of others. I was once seated at a party with a model-actress who immediately waved a silly brush and began dusting her face at the table, demonstrating that while she was next to me, she was not with me.
In fact, I am generally prohibited from making up in public, except when I am in the company of cosmetics moment. In a gathering more professional than social, I would do so.
Kathy Peiss, a history professor at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst says that nose-powdering in the office was an occasion for outrage in 1920’s and 30’s. Deploring the practice as a waste of company time, trade journals advises managers to discourage it among workers. Peiss theorizes that it was female’s making up in what has been an all-male field that disturb some gentlemen.
Peiss tells me that after the 30’s , pulling out a make-up case was no longer an issue. It became an accepted practice. I asked if she feels free to apply lipstick at a professional lunch herself. Sounding mildly shocked, she says she would save that for the privacy of her car afterward. Why? Because it would be “a gesture of inappropriate feminity(女性化）.” One guess is that most professional women feel this way. There is evidence of the popularity of the new lipsticks that remain in place all day without retouching.
小题1:According to the author, “My husband and I could have been a blanket wall.” (Line 6, Para.1) most probably means “________”.| A．We were treated with an expressionless face. | | B．We looked at the French woman expressionlessly | | C．We used books as a wall to avoid the woman’s eyes | | D．We were of no existence in the French woman’s eyes |
小题2:In the author’s opinion, she _______.| A．allows public making up on certain occasions | | B．feels comfortable when making up in public | | C．only makes up on social occasions | | D．makes up before any professional gatherings |
小题3:According to Peiss, nose powdering in an office was criticized mainly for the reason that ____.| A．normal office work was disturbed | | B．it discouraged women’s interest in career | | C．make dominance was emphasized there | | D．it distracted make workers’ focus on work |
小题4:Why do most professional women give up using lipsticks in public?| A．Because they are worried about being looked down upon | | B．Because it emphasizes their female features in wrong situations | | C．Because it implies women’s disadvantages in academic fields | | D．Because they are ashamed to be seen making up in front of males/ |
小题5:It can be inferred that in a highly open society, the differences between men and women ______.| A．have attracted little attention | | B．hinder the social development | | C．are attractive topics in talk shows | | D．still call for great concern |
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We can begin our discussion of “population as a global issue” with what most person mean when they discuss “ the population problem”: too many people on earth and a too rapid increase in the number added each year. The facts are not in dispute. It was quite right to employ a similar matter that linked demographic(人口统计学）growth to “ a long, thin power fuse that burns steadily from time to time until it finally reaches the limit, and explodes”.
To understand the current situation, which is characterized by rapid increases in population, it is necessary to understand the history of population trends. Rapid growth is a comparatively recent phenomenon. Looking back at the 8,000 years of demographic history. We find that population have been really stable or growing very slightly for most of human history. For most of our ancestors, life was hard, often nasty, and very short. For most of human history, it was seldom the case that one in ten persons would live past forty, where infancy and childhood were especially risky periods. Often, societies were in clear danger of extinction because death rates could exceed their birth rates. Thus, the population problem throughout most of history was how to prevent extinction of the human race.
This pattern is important to know. Not only does it put the current problems of demographic growth into a historical perspective, but it suggests that the cause of rapid increase in population in recent years is not a sudden enthusiasm for more children, but an improvement in the conditions that traditionally have caused high rate of death.
Demographic history can be divided into two major periods: a time of long, slow growth which extended from about 8000B.C. till approximately 1650 A.D. And a period of rapid growth since 1650. In the first period of some 9,600 years, the population increased form some 8 million to 500 million in 1650. Between 1650 and the present, the population has increased from 500 million to more than 4 billion. And it is estimated that by the year 2020 there will be 8 billion people throughout the world. One way to appreciate this dramatic difference in such abstract numbers is to reduce the time frame to something that is more manageable. Between 8000B.C. and 1650, an average of only 50,000 persons was being added annually to the world’s population each year. At present, this number is added very six hours. The increase is about 80,000,000 persons annually.
小题1:According to the passage, “population as a global issue” ____.| A．is quite unlike the population problem and thus doesn’t need our concern | | B．focuses on tracking down the reason of rapid population growth | | C．deals with the same problem aroused by the population problem | | D．will manage the population growth problem from global perspectives |
小题2:It can be inferred from the example of a power fuse that _____.| A．too much population will one day lead to the doom of human beings | | B．the trend of population growth will keep unsteady until the destruction of Earth | | C．demographic growth will follow a certain pattern of ups and downs | | D．it is likely in the near future that population will reduce gradually |
小题3:What leads to a stable growth of population for most of human history?| A．Species competition | B．Low fertility | C．Tribal fights | D．High rate of death |
小题4:The reason for a rapid growth of population lies in the fact that ______.| A．people are permitted to have more children | | B．people can live better than before | | C．newborn babies die less than before | | D．we have found the secret of longevity |
小题5:How many people are born every six hours at present, according to the author?| A．Eighty million. | B．Eight thousand | | C．Fifty thousand | D．Five million |
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The number of speakers of English in Shakespeare"s time is estimated to have been about five million. Today it is estimated that some 260 million people speak it as a native language, mainly in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. In addition to the standard varieties of English found in these areas, there are a great many regional and social varieties of the language as well as various levels of usage that are employed both in its spoken and written forms.
In fact, it is impossible to estimate the number of people in the world who have acquired an adequate working knowledge of English in addition to their own languages. The purpose for English learning and the situations in which such learning takes place are so varied that it is difficult to explain and still more difficult to judge what forms an adequate working knowledge for each situation.
The main reason for the widespread demand for English is its presentday importance as a world language. Besides serving the indefinite needs of its native speakers, English is a language in which some of important works in science, technology, and other fields are being produced, and not always by native speakers. It is widely used for such purposes as meteorological and airport communications, international conferences, and the spread of information over the radio and television networks of many nations. It is a language of wider communication for a number of developing countries, especially former British colonies. Many of these countries have multilingual populations and need a language for internal communication in such matters as government, commerce, industry, law and education as well as for international communication and for entrance to the scientific and technological developments in the West.
小题1:Which of the following statements is NOT true?| A．Some 260 million people in the world have an adequate working knowledge of English. | | B．There are some 260 million native speakers of English in the world. | | C．It is almost impossible to estimate the number of people with an adequate working knowledge of English. | | D．People learn English for a variety of reasons. |
小题2:According to the passage, what is the main reason for the widespread use of English?| A．It was popular during Shakespeare"s time. | | B．It is used in former British colonies. | | C．It serves the needs of its native speakers. | | D．It is a world language that is used for international communication. |
小题3:What forms an adequate working knowledge of English?| A．The ability to read a newspaper. | | B．It is difficult to judge because it differs for each situation. | | C．Being a multilingual. | | D．Being a native speaker. |
小题4:What type of developing countries would be most likely to use English?| A．Those geographically close to the United States. | | B．Those interested in the culture of the United States. | | C．Former colonies of Great Britain. | | D．Countries where international conferences are held. |
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I have nothing to say about whether or not “A Day Without Immigrants(移民)” had a positive or negative effect on the question of how the federal government should deal with the huge population of undocumented illegal immigrants in this country. I"ll leave that question to others.
Regardless of how you feel about the event, one conclusion is obvious. Using the theme of “A Day Without” as a way to focus national attention on a particular subject is a great idea, and could serve as a method for increasing public consciousness about other issues that affect daily life in America. Here are my top three examples:
“A Day Without Speeding.” How hard could this be? If all drivers would strictly obey every posted speed limit on highways, downtown, on neighborhood streets, and in parking lots for one 24-hour cycle, the benefits would be huge.
“A Day Without Losing Your Temper.” A higher degree of difficulty here, and I know that from personal experience. When something goes wrong at home or on the job, there may be brief satisfaction in yelling or kicking the furniture, but bursting into anger usually has nothing to do with the approach to the heart of the matter.
“A Day Without Having All The Answers.” I would like to get a break from hearing anyone speak the phrase, “Here’s what you’re doing wrong.” Right now the US is packed with citizens who believe they can point out the cause of every single problem in existence and then solve it in a moment. I believe they need to be quiet sometimes and use their ears instead of their voices.
I wonder how would average Americans react to such a national pause? Would it be a day of reaction against anger, or joyful celebrations?
小题1:The first paragraph suggests ________.| A．the writer is against “A Day Without Immigrants” | | B．immigrants are not equally treated by the US government | | C．the immigrants issue is so complex that the author has to refer to others | | D．some move to America without the permission of the US government |
小题2:The author uses his “top three examples” to________.| A．criticize the undocumented illegal immigrants in America | | B．show public consciousness of some subjects could be raised | | C．encourage common people to create more similar activities | | D．indicate some bothering issues affecting people’s daily life |
小题3:According to the author, losing one’s temper is ________.| A．unpleasant | B．pointless | C．relaxing | D．personal |
小题4:The writer suggests “a day without having all the answers”, because ________.| A．he thinks the Americans are too proud | | B．he wants to have a chance to speak his mind | | C．he expects others to keep quiet and calm | | D．he hopes to get a break from the problems |
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America’s Beauty Is in Its Diversity
America is built on the idea of freedom, and there is no exception for Muslim women. I the freedom of religion and speech. But mostly, I believe it’s OK to be , and to stand up for who and what you are. So I believe in wearing the hijab.
The hijab is a religious head covering, like a scarf. I am Muslim, and keeping my head covered is a of maturity（成熟）and respect toward my and to Allah’s will. , I also like to wear it to be different. I don’t usually like to do what everyone else is doing. I want to be a(n) , not just part of the crowd. But when I first wore it, I was also afraid of the that I’d get at school.
I on my own that sixth grade was the I should start wearing the hijab. I was about what the kids would say or even do to me. I thought they might make fun of me, or be scared of me and my headscarf. Kids at that age usually like to be all the same, and there’s little or no of differences.
On the first day of school, I put all those thoughts behind my back and walked in with my head held high. I was holding my breath a little, but I was also proud to be a Muslim, proud to be wearing the hijab, proud to be different.
I was about everything I thought the kids would say or even do to me. I actually met a lot of people because of wearing my head covering. Most of the kids would come and ask me questions — — about the hijab and why I wore it.
I did hear some kid was making fun of me, there was one girl—she wasn’t even in my class, and we never really talked much–and she spoke me, and I wasn’t even there! I made a lot of new friends that year, friends that I still have until this very day, five years later.
Yes, I’m different, but everyone is different here, in one way or another. This is the of America.
| 小题1: | | A．believe in | B．stick to | C．carry out | D．push for |
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| 小题2: | | A．independent | B．free | C．sensitive | D．different |
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| 小题3: | | A．signal | B．sign | C．reminder | D．cause |
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| 小题4: | | A．religion | B．country | C．parents | D．status |
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| 小题5: | | A．In a word | B．In general | C．To be exact | D．To be honest |
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| 小题6: | | A．princess | B．heroine | C．individual | D．adult |
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| 小题7: | | A．praise | B．punishment | C．reaction | D．reflection |
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| 小题8: | | A．hoped | B．expected | C．realized | D．decided |
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| 小题9: | | A．time | B．chance | C．case | D．occasion |
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| 小题10: | | A．disappointed | B．scared | C．enthusiastic | D．angry |
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| 小题11: | | A．still | B．already | C．even | D．ever |
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| 小题12: | | A．show off | B．pull off | C．pick up | D．put up |
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| 小题13: | | A．rejection | B．ignorance | C．awareness | D．acceptance |
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| 小题14: | | A．negative | B．optimistic | C．serious | D．strange |
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| 小题15: | | A．often | B．inside | C．only | D．outside |
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| 小题16: | | A．concerned | B．particular | C．wrong | D．convinced |
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| 小题17: | | A．respectfully | B．cautiously | C．suspiciously | D．critically |
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| 小题19: | | A．in terms of | B．in front of | C．in charge of | D．in favor of |
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| 小题20: | | A．significance | B．beauty | C．value | D．power |
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