Languages have been coming and going for thousands of years, but in recent times there has been less coming and a lot more going. When the world was still populated by hunter-gatherers, small, tightly knit (联系) groups developed their own patterns of speech independent of each other. Some language experts believe that 10,000 years ago, when the world had just five to ten million people, they spoke perhaps 12,000 languages between them.
Soon afterwards, many of those people started settling down to become farmers, and their languages too became more settled and fewer in number. In recent centuries, trade, industrialisation, the development of the nation-state and the spread of universal compulsory education, especially globalization and better communications in the past few decades, all have caused many languages to disappear, and dominantlanguages such as English, Spanish and Chinese are increasingly taking over.
At present, the world has about 6,800 languages. The distribution of these languages is hugely uneven. The general rule is that mild zones have relatively few languages, often spoken by many people, while hot, wet zones have lots, often spoken by small numbers. Europe has only around 200 languages; the Americas about 1,000; Africa 2,400; and Asia and the Pacific perhaps 3,200, of which Papua New Guinea alone accounts for well over 800. The median number （中位数）of speakers is a mere 6,000, which means that half the world's languages are spoken by fewer people than that.
Already well over 400 of the total of 6,800 languages are close to extinction (消亡), with only a few elderly speakers left. Pick, at random, Busuu in Cameroon (eight remaining speakers), Chiapaneco in Mexico (150), Lipan Apache in the United States (two or three) or Wadjigu in Australia (one, with a question-mark): none of these seems to have much chance of survival.
28.What can we infer about languages in hunter-gatherer times?
| A． | They developed very fast. |
| B． | They were large in number. |
| C． | They had similar patterns. |
| D． | They were closely connected. |
29.Which of the following best explains "dominant" underlined in paragraph 2?
| A． | Complex. |
| B． | Advanced |
| C． | Powerful. |
| D． | Modern. |
30.How many languages are spoken by less than 6,000 people at present?
| A． | About 6,800. |
| B． | About 3,400. |
| C． | About 2,400. |
| D． | About 1,200. |
31.What is the main idea of the text?
| A． | New languages will be created. |
| B． | People's lifestyles are reflected in languages. |
| C． | Human development results in fewer languages. |
| D． | Geography determines language evolution. |
UFO stands for "unidentified flying object"(不明飞行物). Many people reported having seen UFOs in the sky. A lot of countries tried to research into them and in 1952 they got the name of UFO.
There were several reports published in the 19th century which were related to UFOs. Denison Daily News in its report of 25th January, 1878 wrote that a farmer, Martin saw a flying object in the sky and it was just like a plate. This was the first time that the word plate had been related to the UFO.
First reports on UFOs came during the World War II. In 1947 the pilot Kenneth Arnold said while he was flying near the Mount Rainer he saw a very bright object in the sky. He told that it was like a plate, too. The information given by Kenneth got lots of attention from the media and people.
Several research organisations gave their reports on the UFOs. They showed direct or indirect physical evidence of UFOs, and sometimes UFOs’ appearance was found in the radar (雷达) screen. Many people try to take video tapes or photos of UFOs as proof. Most UFOs are in plate shape while many UFOs are like cigarettes or half balls.
Many films and TV shows are made about UFOs. There are two famous movies which are created on the topic of UFOs and aliens (外星人), War of the World and Star Wars. UFOs have created a new field in science which is known as Ufology (飞碟学).Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．People named the flying object UFO in the 19th century. |
| B．The UFOs Martin and Kenneth Arnold saw were in different shapes. |
| C．Kenneth Arnold was given much attention for his discovering the UFO. |
| D．Martin was the first person that described the flying object as a plate. |
What does the underlined word "proof" in the fourth paragraph mean?
| A．Research. | B．Evidence. |
| C．Appearance. | D．Exhibition. |
The next paragraph following the passage probably talks about ________.
| A．the introduction to UFOs’shapes |
| B．famous movies on UFOs |
| C．the new science —Ufology |
| D．effects of UFOs on humans |
This passage is mainly telling us ______.
| A．how to discover UFOs |
| B．who discovered UFOs |
| C．a new field in science |
| D．UFOs’ discoveries and research |
I told my friend Graham, "I often walk two miles from my house to the town centre. Unfortunately, there is a big hill on the way." He replied, "You should say 'fortunately’." He explained that I should be glad for the extra exercise that the hill gave.
I thought he was right. My attitude to the hill has now changed. As I approach the foot of the hill and prepare to climb, I tell myself that this hill will help me lose weight and get fit. This hill is my friend. I have a smile of satisfaction as I reach the top of the hill.
Problems are to be faced. We cannot achieve anything with an easy life. Helen Keller once wrote that "Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experiences of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened ..."
Our attitude towards difficulties is of importance in life. From time to time, we all face problems, accidents and difficulties. We cannot choose the situation but we can choose our attitude toward the situation.
How can you change your attitude towards difficulties? Try these steps:1. Face the problem. Do not avoid it. 2. Take a positive attitude. 3. Imagine how you will feel when you solve the problem. 4. Develop an action plan for how to deal with it. 5. Smile.
Many great people like Helen Keller, took these steps to deal with their problems. They chose their attitude. They chose to be positive. They accepted the challenge. They won.We can infer from the passage that_____.
| A．the author’s favorite sport is climbing hills |
| B．the author has to climb a hill to go to work |
| C．Graham helped change the author’s attitude |
| D．Graham often climbs hills to exercise |
The underlined word "approach" in Paragraph 2 means "_______".
| A．come near | B．look at |
| C．look for | D．come across |
The author used Helen Keller’s words to_____.
| A．tell us to learn from successful people |
| B．tell us to do more exercise to keep fit |
| C．prove that we should choose a hard life |
| D．prove that difficulties make a man great |
The author tries to prove his idea by____.
| A．giving numbers | B．giving examples |
| C．comparing facts | D．using old sayings |
London’s Chinese community dates back to the 18th century, when a small number of Chinese sailors moved to the city to work in Limehouse, east London. As time went by, other Chinese people came to this area and Limehouse began to be known as "Chinatown". At the start of the 20th century, there were just 545 Chinese people in Britain. However, this situation changed greatly after the Second World War. At this time, many farmers in Hong Kong lost their jobs, and decided to move to London. In the 1950s, a small Chinese restaurant opened in central London. Many British people visited it and said that Chinese food was wonderful! Suddenly, Chinese restaurants started opening in every part of the city. Instead of too little work, the new Chinese immigrants (移民) now found that they had too much! Most of the new immigrants enjoyed their lives and the chances they were offered. Many asked their friends and relatives to join them from their hometowns, and a lot of families were reunited again at this time.
As time went by, London’s Chinese community became more and more successful. The sons and daughters of the first restaurant workers, encouraged by their parents, studied very hard at school and university. And most got highly-paid jobs. As a result, increasing numbers of Chinese families left Chinatown and moved to the more expensive places. Chinatown, however, is still as lively as ever, and a must-see for any visitor to London.From the passage, we can learn that the first members of "Chinatown" were _____.
| A．early Chinese sailors | B．restaurant workers |
| C．Hong Kong farmers | D．visitors to London |
What does the author mean by the underlined sentence in Paragraph 1?
| A．Limehouse was influenced by World War II. |
| B．The new immigrants found it hard to find jobs during the war. |
| C．Many Hong Kong farmers lost their jobs because of the war. |
| D．The number of Chinese people in Britain increased after the war. |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．Before the 20th century, "Chinatown" in London was still very small. |
| B．In the 1950s, Chinese food became quite popular in Britain. |
| C．Most of the new immigrants could find a job in the 1950s. |
| D．With the help of the British government, Chinatown was very successful。 |
The passage is mainly about _______.
| A．"Chinatown" in World War II |
| B．the history of "Chinatown" in London |
| C．the successful Chinese in London |
| D．an old Chinese restaurant |
When we donate（捐献） blood, a small amount is usually taken in advance for at least ABO and Rh systems typing. If you are O+, the O is your ABO type and the + is your Rh type. It is possible to be A, B, AB, or O as well as Rh + or Rh-.
The ABO system was discovered by Karl Landsteiner in the early 1900s. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for his achievements. There are four basic types of blood in the ABO system: A, B, AB and O. Everybody is born with one of these four types of blood. We get blood type, just like hair color and height from parents. Because of the substances(物质) contained in each type, the four groups must be transfused carefully, If two different blood types are mixed together, it may put a person into an extremely dangerous situation. Basically, A and B cannot be mixed. A and B cannot receive AB, but AB may receive A or B. In an emergency, type O blood can be given because it is most likely to be accepted by all blood types, so it is often called the universal donor. However, there is still a risk. For the opposite reason, AB is sometimes called the universal receiver. However, because there can be so many reactions in the blood bank of the hospital.
There is a relationship between your blood type and your nationality. Among the Europeans, about 45 percent have type O while 42 percent have type A. The least common is type AB. Other races have different percentage. For example, some American Indian groups have nearly 100 percent type O out of 100 donors in the world.Which of the following shown the correct relationships in blood transfusions?
The underlined word “transfuse” most probably means ________.
| A．to put the blood into a container |
| B．to move the blood from one place to another |
| C．to put the blood of one person into the body of another |
| D．to give power to another person |
The writer suggests that the third most common blood type among the Europeans is ______.
| A．B | B．A | C．AB | D．O |
The text mainly tells us ______.
| A．about the basic types of human blood |
| B．what kind of blood is the most common |
| C．about Karl Landsteiner who won the Nobel Prize |
| D．the relationship between blood type and nationality |
Long long ago, there was a small seed（种子）. Because it was only a seed, nobody noticed it. Thus, feeling inferior (低级的), the seed gave no importance to his existence. Then one day, a wind picked him up and threw him on an open field in the sun. Later, he was given rain. Years later he saw a traveler sitting by his side. "Thank you God for this. I really needed some rest," he heard the traveler say. "What are you talking about?" the seed quickly asked. He thought the man was making fun of him. No one ever spoke to him like that. "Who just spoke?" the shocked man asked. "It is me, a seed." "A seed?" the man looked at the big tree. "Are you joking? You are no seed. You are a big tree!" "Really?" "Yes! Why else do you think people come here?" "What do they come here for?" "To feel your shade (树阴)! Don’t tell me you didn’t know you had grown over time. "A moment passed. The seed thought and smiled for the first time in his life. The years of torture (磨难) by the sun and the rain finally helped him grow up. "Oh! That means I’m not a little seed anymore! I was actually born to make people feel comfortable. Wow! That’s great! "The seed didn’t realize the importance of his existence because ______.
| A．nobody looked after him |
| B．he didn’t believe in himself |
| C．he was such a small seed |
| D．he was thrown into the open air |
The traveler sat by the seed’s side to ______.
| A．escape from the rain |
| B．thank God for offering him a tree |
| C．have a rest and enjoy the shade |
| D．talk with the big tree |
The author’s purpose of writing the passage is to ____.
| A．tell us that we should help each other |
| B．praise the seed for his strength |
| C．teach us a lesson: never laugh at others |
| D．tell us that we should never lose hope |
Where does the passage most probably come from?
| A．A storybook. | B．A science book. |
| C．A history book. | D．A novel. |
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