The world's native languages are dying out at an unprecedented(空前的) rate, taking with them irreplaceable(不能替代的) knowledge about the natural world, according to a new study.
The study identified five global "hot spots" where languages are vanishing faster than anywhere else ---- eastern Siberia, northern Australia, central South America, the US state of Oklahoma and the US Pacific Northwest. "Languages are suffering a global extinction crisis that greatly goes beyond the pace of species extinction," linguistics(语言学的) professor David Harrison noted, who said half of the world's 7,000 languages were expected to disappear before the end of the century.
Native people had an intimate(详尽的) knowledge of their environment that was lost when their language disappeared, along with other certain things often unfamiliar to us, Harrison stressed. "Most of what we know about species and ecosystems is not written down anywhere, it's only in people's heads," he said. "We are seeing in front of our eyes the loss of the human knowledge base."
Harrison was one of a team of linguists who carried out the study. The researchers traveled to Australia this year to study native languages, some of the most endangered. According to Harrison, in Australia, they were heartened to see a woman in her 80s who was one of the only three remaining speakers of the Yawuru language passing on her knowledge to schoolchildren. He said such inter-generational exchanges were the only way native languages could survive. "The children had elected to take this course, no one forced them," he said. "When we asked them why they were learning it, they said,‘This is a dying language, we need to learn it'." Also, while there they found a man with knowledge of the Amurdag language, which had previously been thought extinct.
The researchers said all five of the hot spots identified were areas that had been successfully colonized and where a dominant language such as Spanish or English was threatening native tongues.What does this text mainly talk about?
| A．A study on native languages endangered. |
| B．The knowledge of native languages. |
| C．People's efforts in saving native languages |
| D．Harrison and his study on languages. |
According to Harrison, language extinction .
| A．causes the researchers lots of worries |
| B．speeds up the pace of species extinction |
| C．threatens the existing of Spanish and English |
| D．brings about a loss of knowledge about the environment |
Which of the following can be described as good news?
| A．Native languages became less endangered in Australia. |
| B．A man was found with knowledge of the Amurdag language. |
| C．Researchers were well received by native people in Australia. |
| D．Many schoolchildren showed interest in the Yawuru language. |
How many times a day do you check your email? When you wake up? Before bed? A dozen times in between? The technology that was supposed to simplify our lives has become the vital time-suck: the average teen spends more than seven hours a day using technological devices, plus an additional hour just text-messaging friends.
The advantage of technological devices is connectedness: email lets us respond on the go, and we are in touch with more people during more hours of the day than at any other time in history. But is it possible we’re more lonely than ever, too? That’s what MIT professor Sherry Turkle observes in her new book, Alone Together, a fascinating portrait of our changing relationship with technology. Turkle details the ways technology has redefined our comprehension of closeness and loneliness—and warns us of the danger of accepting such virtual(虚拟的) relationships in place of lasting emotional connections.
For Turkle, the biggest worry is the effect all these shallow connections have on our development. Is technology offering us the lives we want to live? “We’re texting people at a distance,” says Turkle, “We’re using lifeless objects to convince ourselves that even when we’re alone, we feel together. And then when we’re with each other, we put ourselves in situations where we are alone—constantly on our mobile devices. It’s what I call a perfect storm of confusion about what’s important in our human connections.”
What can’t be denied is that technology, whatever its faults, makes life a whole lot easier. It allows us to communicate with more people in less time and makes conversation simple. But it can also be seductive(具有诱惑性的), providing more stimulation than our natural lives. There are usually some unhealthy videos online which remove teenagers’ attention from their schoolwork. Besides, some online activities make people addicted, which occupied their daily life and affected their ability to form real-world relationships.“Technology can be more immediately satisfying than the labor of building an intimate relationship,” said one highschool student, “Every time I text, I start to have some happy feelings.”
But are any of those feelings equal to the kind we feel when engaged in real, face-to-face communication? Online, you can neglect others’ feelings. In a text message, you can avoid eye contact. A number of studies have found that this generation of teens is less sympathetic than ever. That doesn’t spell disaster, says Turkle—but，From the first paragraph we can infer that_________.
| A．email checking helps people wake up early |
| B．technological device production has been simplified |
| C．using technological devices costs teens much time |
| D．people communicate mainly by text-messaging now |
Turkle’s new book mainly discussed________.
| A．ways to draw a fascinating portrait |
| B．how technology influences human relationships |
| C．the dangers of accepting emotional connections |
| D．the advantages of technology |
What worries Turkle most is that more and more people are_________.
| A．starting to accept emotional connections in place of virtual connections |
| B．convincing themselves by using fewer lifeless objects in connections |
| C．dropping the use of technological devices for connection with each other |
| D．being affected by the shallow connections through the mobile devices |
Which of the following is True according to the passage?
| A．Others’ feelings can be ignored in online communication. |
| B．No stimulation is provided in natural life connections. |
| C．People always send text messages to avoid eye contact. |
| D．It may be a disaster that teens are less sympathetic than ever. |
What is the main purpose of the passage?
| A．To instruct people how to do with emails. |
| B．To stress the importance of technology. |
| C．To promote a wider use of technological devices. |
| D．To lead us to consider what’s important in human connections. |
The snow cap of Mount Kilimanjaro, famous in literature and beloved by tourists, initially formed some 11,000 years ago, but will be gone in two decades, according to researchers who say the ice fields on Africa’s highest mountain shrank by 80 percent in the past century.
Lonnie G. Thompson,one professor from Ohio State University, said measurements using modern navigation satellites show that the oldest ice layers on the famous mountain were deposited during an extremely wet period starting about 11,700 years ago.The mountain appears in literature, most notably Ernest Hemingway’s “The Snows of Kilimanjaro” and some ancient beliefs in Africa hold the mountain to be a sacred place.
But a temperature rise in recent years is destroying the 150-foot-high blocks of ice that gave Kilimanjaro its unique white cap.“The ice will be gone by about 2030,” said Thompson. The disappearing ice already has reduced the amount of water in some Tanzanian rivers and the government fears that when Kilimanjaro is bald of snow the tourists will stop coming.
“Kilimanjaro is the number one foreign currency earner for the government of Tanzania,” said Thompson. “It has its own international airport and some 20,000 tourists every year. The question is how many will come if there are no ice fields on the mountain.”
Africa was not alone in the global drought. Thompson said other records show that civilizations during this period collapsed in India, the Middle East and South America.
Researchers put markers on the ice field blocks in 1962 and Thompson said measurements using satellites show the summit of the ice has been lowered by about 56 feet in 40 years. The margin of the ice also has moved back more than six feet in the past two years, much smaller than before.
“That’s more than two meter’s worth of ice lost from a wall 164 feet (50 meters) high,” said Thompson. “That’s an enormous amount of ice.”The snow cap of Mount Kilimanjaro ________.
| A．will disappear in two centuries |
| B．first developed some 11,000 years ago |
| C．resulted in a temperature rise in recent years |
| D．has decreased to 80 percent over the past century |
According to Thompson, the disappearing of the snow may mainly influence________.
| A．the local water supply |
| B．the local tourism |
| C．the weather in the surrounding areas |
| D．the government foreign currency exchange |
The underlined word “margin”inParagraph6 means__________.
| A．center | B．Top | C．edge | D．back |
The writer’s tone in this article is___________.
| A．concerned | B．casual |
| C．doubtful | D．angry |
Which of the following can be the best title for this passage?
| A．Risks of Visiting Mount Kilimanjaro |
| B．ASacred Place— Kilimanjaro |
| C．Africa’s Highest Mountain |
| D．Kilimanjaro Snow Cap May Melt Soon |
Karl Fleming joined the military because he needed a change in his life. He had a successful career with a shipping company but he wanted to do something more. He found that something in the U.S. army. Fleming began his service in 2009 and never looked back.
A few years later, Fleming volunteered to go to Afghanistan. There, he worked as a bodyguard for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He enjoyed it, except for the almost-nightly rocket attacks. Karl was never hit directly by a rocket, but he didn’t need to be to feel its effects. The rockets caused severe shaking, shaking so bad that Fleming was left with many injuries. He was also diagnosed with concussions(脑震荡) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD).
Fleming said he was down but not out. Once he returned from Afghanistan, Fleming underwent one test after another. At first, Fleming said he thought he could recover or be able to return to duty and realize his dream of becoming an officer. But then came the news he had never imagined: Fleming would never be an officer because he was too injured to continue.
Fleming said he was depressed after learning his military career was over. Add that to the memory loss, extreme anxiety and the many painful medical procedures he was already experiencing. He rarely ventured outside on the weekend. Instead, he preferred to sleep in. All that changed, however, with Fleming’s service dog, Kuchar.
Fleming said he had heard dogs could help people suffering from PTSD, so he started doing research. Karl eventually selected K9s for Warriors, which is where he met Kuchar, a yellow lab. Fleming and Kuchar trained together for weeks, before returning to Fort Benning. K9s for Warriors provided Fleming with Kuchar and the training for free.
Life with Kuchar has been life-changing. Fleming doesn’t sleep in any more because Kuchar won’t let him. Instead, they venture out into a world Karl was once afraid of — a world for Fleming that now seems impossible to imagine without Kuchar by his side.Karl Fleming joined the army because ___________.
| A．he had a successful career |
| B．he loved to be a soldier |
| C．he wanted to have a change |
| D．he expected to work in a shipping company |
From Paragraph 2, we can learn Karl Fleming was __________.
| A．forced to go to Afghanistan |
| B．struck directly by a rocket one day |
| C．satisfied with everything in the army |
| D．injured because of the shaking from the rockets |
Fleming suffered from the following illnesses except ___________.
| A．concussions | B．PTSD |
| C．memory loss | D．a heart attack |
Karl Fleming recovered with the help of ___________.
| A．an experienced bodyguard | B．a well-trained dog |
| C．a laboratory engineer | D．a military officer |
The passage is mainly about Fleming’s__________.
| A．change of life | B．service in the military |
| C．medical procedures | D．experiences in Afghanistan |
You're riding in the car on this family vacation. Suddenly your dad slows down. And you may see the following：
1．Bubblegum Alley
San Luis Obispo, California
Some call it art; others call it just plain gross. Bubblegum Alley is covered from top to bottom with wads of chewed gum, a tradition that was started mysteriously by locals in the 1950s. Some artists even created images of funny faces and the American flag.
2．Blue Whale
Catoosa, Oklahoma
Not ready to dive the depths of the ocean to see a blue whale? No problem. Just visit this 80footlong cement beast, which even has a slide and diving board so visitors can take a dip in the pond. When the artist died, the whale fell into disrepair. Neighbors couldn't stand to see the grinning whale fall apart, so they fixed it and now keep it bright with gallons of blue paint.
3.Lonesome Legs
Amarillo, Texas
Just what are these large legs doing in a cow pasture? According to artist Lightnin' McDuff, they represent a poem about a traveler who finds a bodiless statue of an Egyptian pharaoh (法老) called Ozymandias.Using concrete over a steel frame, McDuff constructed the legs to appear as if they were made of weathered sandstone. And the socks? A prankster (恶作剧的人) keeps adding them—even though McDuff always removes the unwanted addition.
4.Giant Penguin
Cut Bank, Montana
Bundle up (使……穿暖)when you visit this statue, because temperatures here can get as low as 47 degrees below zero. As a nod to the frosty conditions, a local businessman built the 27foottall penguin out of 10,000 pounds of concrete. The creator left for warmer weather, but the statue—7 times the height of a real emperor penguin—still stands, welcoming visitors to its chilly home.How can you see the roadside attractions?
| A．By participating in tours. |
| B．By having a family vacation in a car. |
| C．By daydreaming. |
| D．By going to places of interest. |
The following are descriptions about these sites, which is TRUE?
①The Blue Whale has been ruined.
②Visitors can entertain in the whale.
③The socks were added by the designer.
④The legs were made of weathered sandstone.
⑤The penguin is located in a very cold area.
⑥The statue of penguin is 6 times higher than a real emperor penguin.
| A．①②③ | B．④⑤⑥ | C．①④⑤ | D．②⑤⑥ |
What led to the formation of the Bubblegum Alley?
| A．Artists made it by creating images of funny faces and the American flag. |
| B．It's covered with pieces of chewed gum. |
| C．It spread for some unknown reason. |
| D．Artists guided this trend. |
What impression of these sites does the author give you?
| A．Funny. | B．Strange. | C．Amazing. | D．Usual. |
When I was younger, I thought that boys and grown men should not cry. The tears were signs of being weak and a sissy(胆小鬼), which a man is not supposed to be. This was even strengthened in my young mind when the song, Boys Don't Cry, came out in the early 1980s.
But just this June, I discovered that courage is not all about trying to keep all the pain inside in check. Courage is not all about trying to hide the tears. It is the opposite — the tears strengthen the heart's courage. And I saw this in my father. That day my father cried.
My 18-year-old sister eloped (私奔) and from it I saw how weak my father's heart was. My sister and I were used to seeing him as an iron-willed figure and authoritarian father.
For three days after my sister eloped, he would not talk. He would just sit quietly outside our house in the dark. On the fourth night, I sat beside him and asked him to tell me what he felt about everything.
It has been years since I have laid my hand on my father's shoulder as we have drifted apart (疏远) farther and farther while I was growing up. That night，though, I sensed my father trying to control his pain and I wanted him to be able to let it out. We have all cried over what happened except him. All of us except him.
The simple touch and my words, “Dad, it is not your fault.”, broke my father's dam. In the darkness, he began to cry. I felt his shoulders shaking as he whispered, "Where did I go wrong? All I ever wanted was for my children to grow up right. Why couldn't your sister wait?"
I understood then why he preferred to be in the dark. By being there, he hoped to spare his family of a father's pain. His tears, though we did not see them before that night, were there all the same. I saw his courage, that night when my father cried with my hand on his shoulder, and understood his pain.
Why did the author think men shouldn’t cry when he was younger?
(No more than 12 words) (3 marks)
____________________________________________________________________________According to the author and his sister, what kind of person was their father?
(No more than 6 words) (2 marks)
____________________________________________________________________________How did the author make his father let out his pain?
(No more than 9 words) (3 marks)
____________________________________________________________________________ When did the author see his father’s courage?
(No more than 7 words) (2 marks)
___________________________________________________________________________.
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