One Language For Everyone
A story from the Bible tells of old Babylon, where the men decided to build a tower that would touch the sky. But God was unhappy, and he made them speak different languages.They couldn't understand each other, so their dream never came true.
Yet the dream remains alive:if all men speak the same language, they can do anything.L.L.Zamenhof from Poland was among the men who pursue this dream.He developed Esperanto (世界語) between 1877 and 1885.
As the most successful man-made world language, it is spoken by over two million people around the world.
Last month, the World Esperanto Congress (大會), dealing with language rights, ended in Sweden.
Most Esperanto speakers are in Central and Eastern Europe and in East Asia, particularly Chinese mainland.Esperanto has two advantages.First, it's easy.Each letter has exactly one sound and there are just 16 basic grammar rules.The second advantage is that it belongs to no country.
But Esperanto has only reached a small number of people compared with natural languages widely used around the world — such as English or Chinese.While these languages are deeply connected with their nations and cultures, Esperanto doesn't have this background.
Will Esperanto really become a global language? It remains a question.
1.The writer tells us a story at the beginning to _______.
A.explain why men have been making the effort to create a language shared by all
B.explain why men now speak different languages
C.show the relationship between man and God
D.prove language is very important
2.What does the word “pursue” in the second paragraph mean?
A.realize B.work for C.be against D.come true
3.What is the basic difference between Esperanto and English?
A.More people speak English than Esperanto.
B.Esperanto words are easier to spell.
C.Esperanto has fewer grammar rules.
D.Esperanto is not supported by any country or culture.
4.What does the story mainly talk about?
A.The advantages of Esperanto.
B.Men's dream of sharing the same language.
C.Comparison of Esperanto and other languages.
D.The most successful man-made world language — Esperanto.
科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解
English nowadays is widely used in science, business, the media and popular culture. For example, 80% of e-mails on the internet are in English. But where will English be at the end of the 21st century?
One view is that English is going to become even more important as a global language, being most widely used in trade and media while some other languages will become less important or just disappear. Another view is that English is already breaking up into several separate languages. There are already dictionaries of the “New Englishes”, such as Australian English, full of words that a British English speaker would not recognize.
Hopefully, neither of these things will happen. Although different varieties of English will continue to develop around the world, standard English will survive for international communication. However, it is impossible for one language to totally control the world. Already, other languages are fighting back against the control of English on the net. Governments around the world are also starting to protect smaller languages and recognize the importance of keeping a variety of cultures and languages. English will probably stay in control for a long time, but it certainly won’t become the only language in the world.
According to the situation, how many people do you think speak English now?
A. 200 million B. 300 million C. 500 million D. a billion
At present, what is the most important language in the world?
A. Chinese B. English C. French D. German
What is the best title of the passage?
A. The Change of English B. Different Varieties of English
C. The Future of English D. The Cause of English Change
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科目:高中英語 來源:河北省正定中學(xué)2009-2010學(xué)年度高一下學(xué)期第一次考試 題型:閱讀理解
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Among the four skills in learning English ,which of these is the “Odd-Man-Out”?The answer is speaking. The other three you can do alone on your own. But you can't really speak alone! Speaking to yourself can be “dangerous” because men in white coats may come and take you away!?
Where can you find people to speak English? And how can you practise speaking when you are alone?At school if you pay to go to a language school ,you should use the chance to speak .If your teacher asks you to speak in pairs or groups with other students ,try to say as much as possible. Don't worry about your mistakes. Just speak!?
Conversation Clubs Many cities around the world have conversation clubs where people can exchange one language for another .Look in your local newspaper to find a conversation club near you .They are usually free although some may charge a small entrance fee.?
Shopping Even if you don't want to buy anything ,you can ask questions about products that interest you in a shop.“How much does this cost?” “Can I pay by cheque?” Often you can start a real conversation—and it costs you nothing!?
Cafe and Bars There are often American, Britain, Irish and Australian bars in many large cities .If you can find one, you'll probably meet many people speaking English as a first or second language.?
Language is all around you Everywhere you go, you find language .Shop names, street names ,advertisements ,notices ,and car numbers....When you walk down the street ,practise reading the words and numbers that you see .Say them to yourself .It's not exactly a conversation ,but it will help you to “think” in English .But don't speak too loud!?
Songs and Video Repeat the words of an English-language song singing with the music until it becomes automatic. It's good practice for your memory and for the mouth muscles that you need for English.?
Above all ,speak as much as possible! Make as many mistakes as possible! When you know that you have made a mistake, you know that you have made progress!?
57.What does “Odd-Man-Out” probably mean according to the passage??
A.Someone or something appearing different from others.?
B.Someone or something standing out of the group.?
C.Someone or something arranged in pairs.?
D.Someone or something easily mistaken for another.?
58.What might happen if you speak to yourself loudly in public??
A.The police will take you away and punish you.?
B.The doctors will force you to stay in hospital.?
C.You will have to pay to escape being punished.?
D.You will be forbidden to be member of the club.?
59.Why does the writer say “Make as many mistakes as possible”?Because _______.
A.everyone will make mistakes in learning English?
B.everyone will meet people speaking English with some mistakes?
C.making mistakes is a must in making progress in learning English?
D.making mistakes can make one realize the importance of speaking?
60.According to the passage,which way is not likely to be accepted by English beginners?
A.Recite poems loudly along the riverside.?
B.Listen to some English pop songs and video.?
C.Find an Englishman to speak English with.?
D.Take to the TV showing programmes at home.??
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科目:高中英語 來源:2015屆安徽省阜陽市高二上學(xué)期期中考試英語試卷(解析版) 題型:閱讀理解
It is not unusual for people to speak two or three languages; they’re known as bilinguals or trilinguals. Speakers of more than three languages are known as polyglots. And when we refer to people who speak many languages, perhaps a dozen or more, we use the term hyper-polyglot.
The most famous hyper-polyglot was Giuseppe Mezzofanti, a 19th century Italian cardinal, who was said to speak 72 languages. This claim sounds absurd. If you assume each language had 20,000 words, Mezzofanti would have to learn a word a minute, six hours a day, for eleven years—an impossible task. But Mezzofanti was tested by critics, and they were all impressed.
Did Mezzofanti have an extraordinary brain? Or are hyper-polyglots just ordinary people with ordinary brains who manage to do something extraordinary through hard work?
U.S. linguist Stephen Drashen believes that outstanding language learners just work harder at it and then they acquire unusually strong language ability. As an example, he mentions a Hungarian woman who worked as an interpreter during the 20th century. When she was 86, she could speak 16 languages and was still working on learning new languages. She said she learned them mostly on her own, reading fiction or working through dictionaries or textbooks.
Some researchers argue to the contrary. They believe that there is such a thing as a talent for learning languages. In the 1930s, a German scientist examined parts of the preserved brain of a hyper-polyglot named Emil Krebs, who could speak 60 languages fluently. The scientist found that the area of Krebs’s brain called Broca’s area, which is associated with language, looked different from the Broca’s area in the brains of men who speak only one language. However, we still don’t know if Krebs was born with a brain ready to learn dozens of languages or if his brain adapted to the demands he put on it.
Although it is still not clear whether the ability to learn many languages is in born, there’s no doubt that just about all of us can acquire skills in a second, third, or even fourth language by putting our mind to it.
1.What does the underlined sentence imply?
A. Mezzofanti could remember 360 words a day.
B. Mezzofanti had a special way to learn languages.
C. Mezzofanti’s achievement was ridiculous.
D. Mezzofanti language ability was astonishing.
2.The Hungarian woman became a hyper-polyglot mainly because of her __.
A. good memory B. unique brain C. hard work D. learning methods
3.The German scientist’s findings showed that Krebs ___.
A. had an unusual brain
B. was born with great talent
C. had worked hard at languages
D. expected too much of himself
4.The author seems to agree that ___.
A. it is not hard to learn foreign languages
B. hard work plays a part in language learning
C. there is no such thing as a talent for languages
D. hyper-polyglots have an inborn talent for language
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科目:高中英語 來源:2015屆安微省池州市高二上學(xué)期期中考試英語試卷(解析版) 題型:閱讀理解
It is not unusual for people to speak two or three languages; they’re known as bilinguals or trilinguals. Speakers of more than three languages are known as polyglots. And when we refer to people who speak many languages, perhaps a dozen or more, we use the term hyper-polyglot.
The most famous hyper-polyglot was Giuseppe Mezzofanti, a 19th century Italian cardinal, who was said to speak 72 languages. This claim sounds absurd. If you assume each language had 20,000 words, Mezzofanti would have to learn a word a minute, six hours a day, for eleven years—an impossible task. But Mezzofanti was tested by critics, and they were all impressed.
Did Mezzofanti have an extraordinary brain? Or are hyper-polyglots just ordinary people with ordinary brains who manage to do something extraordinary through hard work?
U.S. linguist Stephen Drashen believes that outstanding language learners just work harder at it and then they acquire unusually strong language ability. As an example, he mentions a Hungarian woman who worked as an interpreter during the 20th century. When she was 86, she could speak 16 languages and was still working on learning new languages. She said she learned them mostly on her own, reading fiction or working through dictionaries or textbooks.
Some researchers argue to the contrary. They believe that there is such a thing as a talent for learning languages. In the 1930s, a German scientist examined parts of the preserved brain of a hyper-polyglot named Emil Krebs, who could speak 60 languages fluently. The scientist found that the area of Krebs’s brain called Broca’s area, which is associated with language, looked different from the Broca’s area in the brains of men who speak only one language. However, we still don’t know if Krebs was born with a brain ready to learn dozens of languages or if his brain adapted to the demands he put on it.
Although it is still not clear whether the ability to learn many languages is in born, there’s no doubt that just about all of us can acquire skills in a second, third, or even fourth language by putting our mind to it.
1.What does the underlined sentence imply?
A. Mezzofanti could remember 360 words a day.
B. Mezzofanti had a special way to learn languages.
C. Mezzofanti’s achievement was ridiculous.
D. Mezzofanti language ability was astonishing.
2.The Hungarian woman became a hyper-polyglot mainly because of her __.
A. good memory B. unique brain C. hard work D. learning methods
3.The German scientist’s findings showed that Krebs ___.
A. had an unusual brain
B. was born with great talent
C. had worked hard at languages
D. expected too much of himself
4.The author seems to agree that ___.
A. it is not hard to learn foreign languages
B. hard work plays a part in language learning
C. there is no such thing as a talent for languages
D. hyper-polyglots have an inborn talent for language
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科目:高中英語 來源:2015屆安微省池州市高二上學(xué)期期中考試英語試卷(解析版) 題型:閱讀理解
It is not unusual for people to speak two or three languages; they’re known as bilinguals or trilinguals. Speakers of more than three languages are known as polyglots. And when we refer to people who speak many languages, perhaps a dozen or more, we use the term hyper-polyglot.
The most famous hyper-polyglot was Giuseppe Mezzofanti, a 19th century Italian cardinal, who was said to speak 72 languages. This claim sounds absurd. If you assume each language had 20,000 words, Mezzofanti would have to learn a word a minute, six hours a day, for eleven years—an impossible task. But Mezzofanti was tested by critics, and they were all impressed.
Did Mezzofanti have an extraordinary brain? Or are hyper-polyglots just ordinary people with ordinary brains who manage to do something extraordinary through hard work?
U.S. linguist Stephen Drashen believes that outstanding language learners just work harder at it and then they acquire unusually strong language ability. As an example, he mentions a Hungarian woman who worked as an interpreter during the 20th century. When she was 86, she could speak 16 languages and was still working on learning new languages. She said she learned them mostly on her own, reading fiction or working through dictionaries or textbooks.
Some researchers argue to the contrary. They believe that there is such a thing as a talent for learning languages. In the 1930s, a German scientist examined parts of the preserved brain of a hyper-polyglot named Emil Krebs, who could speak 60 languages fluently. The scientist found that the area of Krebs’s brain called Broca’s area, which is associated with language, looked different from the Broca’s area in the brains of men who speak only one language. However, we still don’t know if Krebs was born with a brain ready to learn dozens of languages or if his brain adapted to the demands he put on it.
Although it is still not clear whether the ability to learn many languages is in born, there’s no doubt that just about all of us can acquire skills in a second, third, or even fourth language by putting our mind to it.
1.What does the underlined sentence imply?
A. Mezzofanti could remember 360 words a day.
B. Mezzofanti had a special way to learn languages.
C. Mezzofanti’s achievement was ridiculous.
D. Mezzofanti language ability was astonishing.
2.The Hungarian woman became a hyper-polyglot mainly because of her __.
A. good memory B. unique brain C. hard work D. learning methods
3.The German scientist’s findings showed that Krebs ___.
A. had an unusual brain
B. was born with great talent
C. had worked hard at languages
D. expected too much of himself
4.The author seems to agree that ___.
A. it is not hard to learn foreign languages
B. hard work plays a part in language learning
C. there is no such thing as a talent for languages
D. hyper-polyglots have an inborn talent for language
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