Unit 2 Exploring English 单元话题阅读理解练习-2025-2026学年高一英语外研版必修第一册

Unit 2 Exploring English 单元话题阅读理解练习 Unit 2 Exploring English 单元话题：英语学习 本资料共10篇专题训练，从上到下依次按照难度分为基础语篇巩固练和重难语篇提升练 基础语篇巩固练 （24-25高一上·辽宁沈阳·阶段练习）One Canada, Two Languages Canada is one of the few nations in the world to have two official languages: English and French. There are 10 provinces in the country, but only one of these — Quebec is known as “French Canada”. This is because it was founded by French explorers while British adventurers discovered the rest. Canada left the British Empire (帝国) in 1867 to become an independent country and English and French have been recognized as the official languages ever since. Most people speak English as their first language and the two national television networks broadcast in English throughout the country. Apart from in Quebec and a few places on the east coast, French television is very rare. The same goes for traffic signs and menus, for example, outside of Quebec, there are only a few places where you’ll see traffic signs in French. In restaurants, it’s almost impossible to find French on the menu unless you are in the heartland (中心地带) of French Canada. However, all products sold in Canada must, by law, have labels (标签) instructions in both languages. In Canada’s English-speaking provinces, official bilingualism (双语) means that students can choose to complete a special French language course. Under this program, they are taught most of their subjects in French. If a student begins the course in kindergarten (幼儿园) or Grade One, it is likely that all his lessons will be in French. However, if he starts at junior high school, 25 percent of the teaching will continue to be in English. 1．How many provinces are there in Canada? A．Ten. B．Nine. C．Eleven. D．Two. 2．Which country controlled Canada before its independence? A．France. B．Britain. C．America. D．Germany. 3．Where can you watch French television programs? A．Only in Quebec. B．In Quebec and a few other places. C．From the two national television networks. D．All over Canada. 4．What’s the main idea of the passage? A．Canada has two official languages: English and French, B．English is spoken in Canada. C．French is spoken in Canada. D．All the above. （24-25高一上·浙江温州·期末）In 1999, a Japanese artist Shigetaka Kurita created his first set of emojis to be used on an emoji keyboard to deliver information in a simple way or provide context to text messages. This was a huge hit because these images helped bridge the gap between written and spoken communication. Little could he have known that the symbols he designed would become so popular that they’ve gone far beyond phones into apps, toys and more. So, could emojis become a global language? To some degree, they already are, but could they truly become a language for all human beings? Could they replace writing itself and we all just go with emojis? As emojis are images, their meanings can get across more easily to people from different cultures. They’ve been used in every country. They are becoming more nuanced (微妙的) and taking on varied meanings. They can be connected to create sentences as well, much like words. However, emojis are unlikely to become a global language. Emojis don’t have the depth and width of a written language. There is no grammar either, which allows for complex sentences in languages. It is also much harder to express abstract (抽象的) ideas through images alone, such as philosophy and cultural differences. Could emojis replace writing? That, too, is unlikely, Human thought is complex, often abstract and highly nuanced. Many fields such as law, science and technology require professional expressions that emojis can’t provide. Nor can emojis replace poetry and literature, important factors of human cultures and societies. While emojis may not become a global language or take the place of writing, it doesn’t make them any less important to humans. They can cross cultures and provide a way to show the beauty of common human values and feelings, as they already have. We all understand a smiley face and a heart or a broken heart. 1．Why were emojis first created? A．To make emoji keyboard a hit. B．To design popular images. C．To aid communication in texts. D．To apply them to apps and toys. 2．What is an advantage of emojis? A．They can express abstract ideas. B．They can take the place of writing. C．They can form complex sentences. D．They can be understood across cultures. 3．Why does the writer refer to law and science? A．To explain the weakness of emojis. B．To contrast with poetry and literature. C．To show professional usage of emojis. D．To stress human cultures and societies. 4．What can be a suitable title for the text? A．The Rise of Emojis B．The Limits of Emojis C．Emojis: Popular Symbols? D．Emojis: A Global Language? （24-25高一上·广东广州·阶段练习）At 10, by chance I heard Whitney Houston’s song titled “I will always love you”, which made a great deep impression on me though I didn’t understand what I heard. I kept trying to repeat the song but in vain; because I didn’t speak English, I tried to remember the melody only in order not to forget the song because maybe one day I’ll come to know this song’s title. About five years later and by chance again I bought a cassette that included the song. It was amazing that I found what I was looking for! Then I started to listen to my local radio stations which aired English songs. Then, with time going by, I started to understand a few words. Of course I was a secondary school student at that time but I want you to know that what was driving me is love, the love of that language. After I was grown up a little bit I decided to study English Literature at the university, because I said to myself this is the best subject I’ve been good at during my school life. And that’s what happened; I studied English Literature at university and graduated recently. My native-like speaking didn’t develop because of the university education, but from hard work and self-study. I used to listen to native speakers almost all the time and imitate (模仿) their pronunciation. And I had to repeat and practice even with myself. You know, I didn’t have a person to speak English with. So I decided to chat with English people on the Internet. Finally, one of the best ways to improve your English is using it. Use it or lose it. 1．What does the underlined phrase “in vain” in paragraph 1 mean? A．For no reason. B．In no time. C．Without success. D．At no cost. 2．What made the author study English Literature at university? A．The influence of local radio stations. B．Success in learning English. C．A deep love for the language. D．Desire to be like a native speaker. 3．How did the author achieve the native-like speaking? ①By listening to native speakers. ②By imitating native speakers. ③By speaking English repeatedly. ④By taking university courses. ⑤By practising with a partner. ⑥By chatting with native speakers. A．①②③⑥ B．①②⑤⑥ C．②③④⑤ D．②③⑤⑥ （24-25高一上·河北保定·阶段练习）Geda Qawla, who is 75, is having trouble remembering words from his native Ongota language. He’s one of only five people who can still speak it. As he gets older, he finds it harder to think of the names of things like trees and birds. “I can feel it leaving me. The others try to help me remember but they are the same, they are also forgetting and there’s no one left to teach us,” he said. Geda was afraid that as the remaining speakers age and pass away, the language may disappear with them. This is just one example of a bigger problem happening all over the world. Languages are disappearing fast, with one dying every two weeks. If things don’t change, by the end of this century, half of the 7,000 languages we have now might be gone. The ones in the most danger are those that aren’t written down and those spoken by very few people. The main reasons for this are technology and the way the world is becoming more connected. People who speak smaller languages are being pushed to stop using them and start speaking bigger languages. More people moving to new places also contributes to this, as they leave their native languages behind and learn new ones. However, some languages that were almost gone have been saved. This happened through long-term efforts to bring them back to life. These efforts included teaching them in schools, using them in the media (媒体), and even putting them on road signs. But for most languages, like Ongota, there isn’t enough money or support to do this. At Arba Minch University, some researchers are trying to save the Ongota language by making a dictionary. Some young Ongota people who have had an education also want to keep their language alive. For Savà, an Italian expert who studies people and their cultures, losing Ongota would be very sad. “When a language disappears,” he says, “you lose a special way of seeing the world that can’t be replaced (取代).” 1．What can we learn about Geda Qawla? A．He is skilled in his native language. B．He likes to teach others Ongota language. C．He is worried about the Ongota language. D．He has difficulties in remembering new words. 2．What does the author want to tell us in paragraph 3? A．Which languages need to be saved. B．How technology is changing languages. C．When we can keep languages from disappearing. D．Why smaller languages are becoming less common. 3．Why does the author mention Savà in the last paragraph? A．To stress the importance of language. B．To show the hard work in saving language. C．To recommend ways to view the world. D．To praise Ongota young people’s efforts. 4．What is the best title for the text? A．Technology and Language Loss. B．The Fight to Keep Languages Alive. C．The Challenge of Geda Qawla’s Language. D．Reasons for Saving the World’s Languages. （24-25高一上·福建福州·阶段练习）POLYGLOTS: WHAT ARE THEY AND WHO CAN BE ONE? Some polyglots, who can speak quite a few languages, may seem especially talented. Zhao Yuanren, a Chinese American linguist, could speak seven languages and more than 30 dialects. England’s Queen Elizabeth I could speak about 10 languages. A famous Italian named Guiseppe Mezzofanti was reported to have been able to communicate in 30 to 40 languages. Polyglots are indeed amazing, but American teenager Tim Doner is living proof that anyone can try to be one. As a child, Tim studied French and Latin at school, but he found it difficult to be interested in just words and grammar rules. When he was 13, Tim started listening to Hebrew rap music. One day, he looked up the words in a dictionary and realised he could put them together to make sentences! He started looking for people who spoke Hebrew so he could practise, and then, he decided to sign up for a summer Arabic class. One evening, just for fun, he posted a video of himself speaking Arabic and another of him speaking Hebrew. Hebrew and Arabic speakers wrote nice comments on his videos and gave him advice. Tim loved it. He could actually communicate with people! After that, Tim started looking for new languages to learn, and posting more videos of himself speaking new languages, including Chinese. Tim also began to use many other methods to make learning fun. Tim wishes everyone would learn more than one language and not just as a school subject. “Knowing a language is a lot more than knowing a couple of words out of a dictionary,” Tim says. Languages are for communicating with people, learning about their culture, and understanding how different people think. “Open up your mind to the fact that language represents a cultural world view,” says Tim. “You can translate words easily, but you can’t quite translate meaning.” Or, as Nelson Mandela said, “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” 1．Who could speak the most languages according to the article? A．Zhao Yuanren. B．Queen Elizabeth I. C．Guiseppe Mezzofanti. D．Tim Doner. 2．What made Tim Doner start learning Hebrew? A．His interest in Hebrew grammar. B．His love for Hebrew rap music. C．His desire to communicate with Hebrews. D．His school’s requirement. 3．How did Tim improve his language learning? A．Only by taking formal classes. B．Just by watching language videos. C．Through various methods including posting language videos. D．By simply reading dictionaries. 4．What does Tim think about learning languages? A．It’s just about memorizing words. B．It should be only a school subject. C．It’s mainly for getting good grades. D．It’s about communication, culture and understanding different minds. 5．What can be inferred from Nelson Mandela’s quote “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.”? A．Learning a new language is very difficult. B．Speaking a person’s native language can have a deeper impact. C．People only care about their own language. D．Translating languages is a waste of time. （24-25高一上·重庆·阶段练习）Though many of us may have been away somewhere nice last summer, few would say that we’ve “summered”. “Summer” is clearly a noun — a verbed noun. In our childhood, we all learned the difference between a noun and a verb. With such a clear definition, it was easy to notice the difference. Not so in adulthood, when we are expected to “foot” the bill and “chair” meetings. Chances are that you didn’t feel uncomfortable about those verbed nouns. “The verbing of nouns is as old as the English language,” says Patricia, a former editor at The New York Times Book Review. Experts found that 20% of all English verbs were originally nouns. And it seems to be snowballing. Since 1900, about 40% of new verbs have come from nouns. Even though the conversion (转化) is quite common, plenty of language experts disagree with it. William Strunk Jr. and E.B．White have this to say, “Many nouns lately have been pressed into service as verbs. Not all are bad, but some are in doubt.” The Chicago Manual of Style takes a similar standpoint, advising writers to use verbs with great care. “Sometimes people dislike a new verb because they refuse to accept what is unfamiliar to them,” says Patricia. That’s why we’re comfortable “hosting” a party, but we might feel upset by the thought of “medaling” in sports. So are there any rules for verbing? Benjamin Dreyer, copy chief at Random House, doesn’t offer a rule, but suggests that people think twice about “verbifying” (使动词化) a noun if it’s easily replaced by an already existing popular verb. Make sure it’s descriptive but not silly-sounding, he says. In the end, however, style is subjective (主观的). The easy conversion of nouns to verbs has been part of English grammar for centuries. It is one of the processes that make English “ English”. Not every new word passes into general use, but as for trying to end verbing altogether, forget it. 1．What can we learn about the verbing of nouns? A．It has come into use since a long time ago. B．It has been supported by many language experts. C．It is easily replaced by existing verbs in practice. D．It is more commonly accepted by children than adults. 2．What is language experts’ attitude towards the verbing of nouns? A．Negative. B．Careful. C．Unclear. D．Positive. 3．What can we infer from the last two paragraphs? A．It is impossible to end the verbing of nouns. B．New verbs will stay in the English language forever. C．Most people are against using new verbs from nouns. D．There is an obvious rule for changing verbs to nouns. 4．What can be the best title for the text? A．Are all new verbs from nouns? B．Are there any rules for verbing? C．Are you comfortable about a new verb? D．Are “summering” and “medaling” annoying? 重难语篇提升练 （24-25高一上·吉林·期末）Understanding ancient languages and texts has been a challenge for researchers for centuries. Now, they are using artificial intelligence (AI) to quickly translate ancient texts and languages like Akkadian into English. “In ancient Mesopotamia, people used clay tablets (粘土板) with special writing to remember and share important information about their history. These tablets provide facts about their society, economy, and science,” a new Oxford report said. “Even though there are many ancient clay tablets, most of the information on them is hard to understand. This is because there are only a small number of people who can read the ancient writing on them.” But using AI to read ancient texts is not as simple as running a picture through a ChatGPT system. “There is only a small amount of data (数据) we could use to train the models; given that, we tried to reach tens of thousands of examples,” said bai Gutherz, who co-authored the report. Akkadian was the common language in the old Middle East and Mesopotamia. People there spoke different languages and used Akkadian to communicate, so it served as a widely spoken and written language at that time. Moreover, along with other ancient languages, it had one of the earliest writing systems. It was considered to play a role comparable to English today. The Oxford report said that the problem about translating these ancient texts is finding a complete tablet, saying that Akkadian is an old language that has been gone for over 2, 000 years. Clay tablets are hardly preserved in their completeness. As a result, machine translation and human translation have a hard time understanding the full meaning without enough background information. The researchers have developed a website to show their technology. They have used a model known as Akkademia to train the collected data. The project aims to do translations for different ancient languages, starting with Akkadian. “We have a lot to learn from ancient history; the first letters and books were written in Akkadian and other ancient languages,” Gutherz said. “I think it’s super interesting to try to make it more accessible (容易理解的) and translate Akkadian into English and other languages that people speak today.” 1．What does the Oxford report state about ancient clay tablets? A．They were created for art expression. B．They draw the attention of many experts. C．They hold valuable untranslated information. D．They are commonly found in household goods. 2．Why is English mentioned in Paragraph 4? A．To show the wide use of Akkadian. B．To tell the importance of translation. C．To note its differences from Akkadian. D．To explain the early development of English. 3．What does the underlined word “preserved” in Paragraph 5 probably mean? A．Created. B．Changed. C．Thrown. D．protected. 4．What does Gutherz think of the work of translating Akkadian? A．Tiring. B．Risky. C．Meaningful. D．Useless. （24-25高一上·云南昭通·期末）People often ask which is the most difficult language to learn, and it is not easy to answer because there are too many factors to take into consideration. Firstly, in a first language the difficulties are unimportant as people learn their mother tongue naturally, so the question of how hard a language is to learn only makes more sense when learning a second language. A native speaker of Spanish, for example, will find Portuguese much easier to learn than a native speaker of Chinese because Portuguese is very similar to Spanish, while Chinese is very different, so first language can affect learning a second language. The greater the differences between the second language and our first language, the harder it will be for most people to learn. Many people answer that Chinese is the hardest language to learn, possibly influenced by the thought of learning the Chinese writing system, and the pronunciation of Chinese does appear to be very difficult for many foreign learners. However, for Japanese speakers, who already use Chinese characters in their own language, learning writing will be less difficult than for speakers of languages using the Roman alphabet. Some people seem to learn languages easily, while others find it very difficult. Teachers and the circumstances in which the language is learned also play an important role, as well as each learner’s motivation for learning. If people learn a language because they need to use it professionally, they often learn it faster than people studying a language that has no direct use in their day-to-day life. Obviously, British diplomats (外交官) and other embassy staff have found that the second hardest language is Japanese, which will probably come as no surprise to many, but the language that they have found to be the most problematic is Hungarian (匈牙利语), which uses a similar alphabet to English but has 35 cases(forms of a noun according to whether it is subject, object, genitive, etc). This does not mean that Hungarian is the hardest language to learn for everyone, but it causes British diplomatic personnel, who are generally used to learning languages, the most difficulty. However, Tabassaran, a Caucasian (高加索的) language, has 48 cases, so it might cause more difficulty if British diplomats had to learn it. Different cultures and individuals from those cultures will find different languages more difficult. Therefore, it is impossible to say that there is one language that is the most difficult language in the world. 1．What does the author want to tell us in the first paragraph? A．How hard a language is to learn is only applicable to second language acquisition. B．The question of how hard a language is to learn is easy to answer. C．The question of how hard a language is to learn is applicable to mother tongue. D．It’s difficult to say which language is the most difficult to learn. 2．Which language will a native Japanese speaker probably find easier to learn? A．Chinese, because Japanese use Chinese characters in their own language. B．Spanish, because it is similar to their own language. C．Portuguese, because it also uses Roman alphabet. D．Anyone but Chinese, because its pronunciation is very difficult. 3．According to the third paragraph, who learns a foreign language faster? A．A person who learns a foreign language only for fun. B．A person whose parents force him to learn a foreign language. C．A person living aboard wants to learn their language to work better. D．A person who learns a foreign language just to pass an exam. 4．The author is most likely to agree ________. A．many British diplomats learn Tabassaran B．Tabassaran is the hardest language to learn in the world C．learning a different writing system is very easy for British speakers D．Hungarian’s grammatical complexity causes problems for native British speakers 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $$ Unit 2 Exploring English 单元话题阅读理解练习 Unit 2 Exploring English 单元话题：英语学习 本资料共10篇专题训练，从上到下依次按照难度分为基础语篇巩固练和重难语篇提升练 基础语篇巩固练 （24-25高一上·辽宁沈阳·阶段练习）One Canada, Two Languages Canada is one of the few nations in the world to have two official languages: English and French. There are 10 provinces in the country, but only one of these — Quebec is known as “French Canada”. This is because it was founded by French explorers while British adventurers discovered the rest. Canada left the British Empire (帝国) in 1867 to become an independent country and English and French have been recognized as the official languages ever since. Most people speak English as their first language and the two national television networks broadcast in English throughout the country. Apart from in Quebec and a few places on the east coast, French television is very rare. The same goes for traffic signs and menus, for example, outside of Quebec, there are only a few places where you’ll see traffic signs in French. In restaurants, it’s almost impossible to find French on the menu unless you are in the heartland (中心地带) of French Canada. However, all products sold in Canada must, by law, have labels (标签) instructions in both languages. In Canada’s English-speaking provinces, official bilingualism (双语) means that students can choose to complete a special French language course. Under this program, they are taught most of their subjects in French. If a student begins the course in kindergarten (幼儿园) or Grade One, it is likely that all his lessons will be in French. However, if he starts at junior high school, 25 percent of the teaching will continue to be in English. 1．How many provinces are there in Canada? A．Ten. B．Nine. C．Eleven. D．Two. 2．Which country controlled Canada before its independence? A．France. B．Britain. C．America. D．Germany. 3．Where can you watch French television programs? A．Only in Quebec. B．In Quebec and a few other places. C．From the two national television networks. D．All over Canada. 4．What’s the main idea of the passage? A．Canada has two official languages: English and French, B．English is spoken in Canada. C．French is spoken in Canada. D．All the above. 【答案】1．A 2．B 3．B 4．A 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。主要介绍了加拿大的两种官方语言——英语和法语，并详细描述了这两种语言在加拿大不同地区的使用情况。 1．细节理解题。根据文章第一段“There are 10 provinces in the country (加拿大有10个省)”可知。加拿大共有10个省。故选A。 2．细节理解题。根据文章第二段“Canada left the British Empire (帝国) in 1867 to become an independent country (加拿大于1867年脱离大英帝国，成为一个独立国家)”可加，拿大独立前由英国控制。故选B。 3．细节理解题。根据文章第三段“Apart from in Quebec and a few places on the east coast, French television is very rare”(除了魁北克和东海岸的少数地方，法语电视节目非常少见)可知，法语电视节目主要在魁北克和其他少数地方播放。故选B。 4．主旨大意题。根据第一段“Canada is one of the few nations in the world to have two official languages: English and French. There are 10 provinces in the country, but only one of these — Quebec is known as “French Canada”.(加拿大是世界上少数几个有两种官方语言的国家之一：英语和法语。这个国家有10个省，但其中只有一个省——魁北克被称为“法语加拿大”)”以及第三段“Most people speak English as their first language and the two national television networks broadcast in English throughout the country.(大多数人以英语为第一语言，两家全国性的电视网络在全国播放英语)”可知，短文主要介绍了加拿大的两种官方语言—英语和法语，并详细描述了这两种语言在加拿大不同地区的使用情况。故选A。 （24-25高一上·浙江温州·期末）In 1999, a Japanese artist Shigetaka Kurita created his first set of emojis to be used on an emoji keyboard to deliver information in a simple way or provide context to text messages. This was a huge hit because these images helped bridge the gap between written and spoken communication. Little could he have known that the symbols he designed would become so popular that they’ve gone far beyond phones into apps, toys and more. So, could emojis become a global language? To some degree, they already are, but could they truly become a language for all human beings? Could they replace writing itself and we all just go with emojis? As emojis are images, their meanings can get across more easily to people from different cultures. They’ve been used in every country. They are becoming more nuanced (微妙的) and taking on varied meanings. They can be connected to create sentences as well, much like words. However, emojis are unlikely to become a global language. Emojis don’t have the depth and width of a written language. There is no grammar either, which allows for complex sentences in languages. It is also much harder to express abstract (抽象的) ideas through images alone, such as philosophy and cultural differences. Could emojis replace writing? That, too, is unlikely, Human thought is complex, often abstract and highly nuanced. Many fields such as law, science and technology require professional expressions that emojis can’t provide. Nor can emojis replace poetry and literature, important factors of human cultures and societies. While emojis may not become a global language or take the place of writing, it doesn’t make them any less important to humans. They can cross cultures and provide a way to show the beauty of common human values and feelings, as they already have. We all understand a smiley face and a heart or a broken heart. 1．Why were emojis first created? A．To make emoji keyboard a hit. B．To design popular images. C．To aid communication in texts. D．To apply them to apps and toys. 2．What is an advantage of emojis? A．They can express abstract ideas. B．They can take the place of writing. C．They can form complex sentences. D．They can be understood across cultures. 3．Why does the writer refer to law and science? A．To explain the weakness of emojis. B．To contrast with poetry and literature. C．To show professional usage of emojis. D．To stress human cultures and societies. 4．What can be a suitable title for the text? A．The Rise of Emojis B．The Limits of Emojis C．Emojis: Popular Symbols? D．Emojis: A Global Language? 【答案】1．C 2．D 3．A 4．D 【导语】本文是一篇议论文。文章主要讲述了表情符号（emoji）的普及、局限性和重要性。 1．细节理解题。由文章第一段中“In 1999, a Japanese artist Shigetaka Kurita created his first set of emojis to be used on an emoji keyboard to deliver information in a simple way or provide context to text messages. (1999年，日本艺术家Shigetaka Kurita创作了他的第一套表情符号，这些表情符号被用于表情符号键盘上，以简单的方式传递信息或为文本消息提供上下文。)”可知，表情符号最初是为了辅助文本中的交流而创造的。故选C。 2．细节理解题。由文章第三段中“As emojis are images, their meanings can get across more easily to people from different cultures. (由于表情符号是图像，因此它们的意思更容易被来自不同文化的人理解。)”可知，表情符号的一个优点是它们可以跨越文化被理解。故选D。 3．推理判断题。由文章第四段中“Could emojis replace writing? That, too, is unlikely, Human thought is complex, often abstract and highly nuanced. Many fields such as law, science and technology require professional expressions that emojis can’t provide. Nor can emojis replace poetry and literature, important factors of human cultures and societies. (表情符号能取代文字吗？这也不太可能。人类的思想是复杂的，往往是抽象的，而且高度微妙。法律、科学和技术等许多领域都需要专业的表达方式，而表情符号无法提供。表情符号也无法取代诗歌和文学，这些都是人类文化和社会的重要因素。)”可知，作者提到法律和科学是为了解释表情符号的局限性，即它们无法提供某些专业领域的表达。故选A。 4．主旨大意题。通读全文，尤其是由文章第二段“So, could emojis become a global language? To some degree, they already are, but could they truly become a language for all human beings? Could they replace writing itself and we all just go with emojis? (那么，表情符号能否成为一种全球语言呢？在某种程度上，它们已经算是了，但它们真的能成为一种全人类通用的语言吗？它们能否取代文字，让我们只靠表情符号交流呢？)”可知，文章主要探讨了表情符号是否能成为一种全球语言或替代写作的问题，通过分析表情符号的优点和局限性，得出结论：虽然表情符号可能不会成为全球语言或替代写作，但它们对人类仍然很重要。因此，最适合作为文章标题的是“Emojis: A Global Language? (表情符号：一种全球语言吗？)”。故选D。 （24-25高一上·广东广州·阶段练习）At 10, by chance I heard Whitney Houston’s song titled “I will always love you”, which made a great deep impression on me though I didn’t understand what I heard. I kept trying to repeat the song but in vain; because I didn’t speak English, I tried to remember the melody only in order not to forget the song because maybe one day I’ll come to know this song’s title. About five years later and by chance again I bought a cassette that included the song. It was amazing that I found what I was looking for! Then I started to listen to my local radio stations which aired English songs. Then, with time going by, I started to understand a few words. Of course I was a secondary school student at that time but I want you to know that what was driving me is love, the love of that language. After I was grown up a little bit I decided to study English Literature at the university, because I said to myself this is the best subject I’ve been good at during my school life. And that’s what happened; I studied English Literature at university and graduated recently. My native-like speaking didn’t develop because of the university education, but from hard work and self-study. I used to listen to native speakers almost all the time and imitate (模仿) their pronunciation. And I had to repeat and practice even with myself. You know, I didn’t have a person to speak English with. So I decided to chat with English people on the Internet. Finally, one of the best ways to improve your English is using it. Use it or lose it. 1．What does the underlined phrase “in vain” in paragraph 1 mean? A．For no reason. B．In no time. C．Without success. D．At no cost. 2．What made the author study English Literature at university? A．The influence of local radio stations. B．Success in learning English. C．A deep love for the language. D．Desire to be like a native speaker. 3．How did the author achieve the native-like speaking? ①By listening to native speakers. ②By imitating native speakers. ③By speaking English repeatedly. ④By taking university courses. ⑤By practising with a partner. ⑥By chatting with native speakers. A．①②③⑥ B．①②⑤⑥ C．②③④⑤ D．②③⑤⑥ 【答案】1．C 2．B 3．A 【导语】这是一篇记叙文。文章主要讲述了作者学习英语的经历和提高英语的方法。 1．词句猜测题。根据划线词上文“I kept trying to repeat the song but(我一直试图重复这首歌，但……)”以及后文“because I didn’t speak English, I tried to remember the melody only in order not to forget the song because maybe one day I’ll come to know this song’s title.(因为我不会说英语，我试着记住旋律只是为了不忘记这首歌，因为也许有一天我会知道这首歌的名字)”可知，but表示转折，说明作者因为不会说英语，没能成功重复这首歌。故划线词意思是“不成功”，故选C。 2．细节理解题。根据第二段“Then I started to listen to my local radio stations which aired English songs. Then, with time going by, I started to understand a few words. Of course I was a secondary school student at that time but I want you to know that what was driving me is love, the love of that language.(然后，随着时间的流逝，我开始理解一些单词。当然，那时我还是个中学生，但我想让你们知道，驱使我的是爱，对那门语言的爱)”以及第三段“After I was grown up a little bit I decided to study English Literature at the university, because I said to myself this is the best subject I’ve been good at during my school life. And that’s what happened; I studied English Literature at university and graduated recently.(在我长大一点之后，我决定在大学里学习英国文学，因为我对自己说这是我在学校生活中最擅长的科目。事情就是这样发生的；我在大学学的是英国文学，最近毕业了)”可知，成功地学习了英语促使作者在大学里学习英国文学。故选B。 3．细节理解题。根据倒数第二段“My native-like speaking didn’t develop because of the university education, but from hard work and self-study. I used to listen to native speakers almost all the time and imitate (模仿) their pronunciation. And I had to repeat and practice even with myself. You know, I didn’t have a person to speak English with. So I decided to chat with English people on the Internet.(我的母语水平并不是大学教育的结果，而是刻苦学习和自学的结果。我过去几乎一直在听以英语为母语的人说话，模仿他们的发音。我必须反复练习，甚至自己练习。你知道，我没有一个可以和我说英语的人。所以我决定在网上和英国人聊天)”可知，作者通过听母语人士说话、模仿母语人士、反复说英语以及与母语人士聊天做到像母语人士一样说话。故选A。 （24-25高一上·河北保定·阶段练习）Geda Qawla, who is 75, is having trouble remembering words from his native Ongota language. He’s one of only five people who can still speak it. As he gets older, he finds it harder to think of the names of things like trees and birds. “I can feel it leaving me. The others try to help me remember but they are the same, they are also forgetting and there’s no one left to teach us,” he said. Geda was afraid that as the remaining speakers age and pass away, the language may disappear with them. This is just one example of a bigger problem happening all over the world. Languages are disappearing fast, with one dying every two weeks. If things don’t change, by the end of this century, half of the 7,000 languages we have now might be gone. The ones in the most danger are those that aren’t written down and those spoken by very few people. The main reasons for this are technology and the way the world is becoming more connected. People who speak smaller languages are being pushed to stop using them and start speaking bigger languages. More people moving to new places also contributes to this, as they leave their native languages behind and learn new ones. However, some languages that were almost gone have been saved. This happened through long-term efforts to bring them back to life. These efforts included teaching them in schools, using them in the media (媒体), and even putting them on road signs. But for most languages, like Ongota, there isn’t enough money or support to do this. At Arba Minch University, some researchers are trying to save the Ongota language by making a dictionary. Some young Ongota people who have had an education also want to keep their language alive. For Savà, an Italian expert who studies people and their cultures, losing Ongota would be very sad. “When a language disappears,” he says, “you lose a special way of seeing the world that can’t be replaced (取代).” 1．What can we learn about Geda Qawla? A．He is skilled in his native language. B．He likes to teach others Ongota language. C．He is worried about the Ongota language. D．He has difficulties in remembering new words. 2．What does the author want to tell us in paragraph 3? A．Which languages need to be saved. B．How technology is changing languages. C．When we can keep languages from disappearing. D．Why smaller languages are becoming less common. 3．Why does the author mention Savà in the last paragraph? A．To stress the importance of language. B．To show the hard work in saving language. C．To recommend ways to view the world. D．To praise Ongota young people’s efforts. 4．What is the best title for the text? A．Technology and Language Loss. B．The Fight to Keep Languages Alive. C．The Challenge of Geda Qawla’s Language. D．Reasons for Saving the World’s Languages. 【答案】1．C 2．D 3．A 4．B 【导语】本文是一篇说明文，主要讲述了世界各地语言正在快速消失的问题，以及人们为了保持语言的活力所做的努力。 1．细节理解题。根据第一段“Geda was afraid that as the remaining speakers age and pass away, the language may disappear with them.(Geda担心，随着剩下的使用者年龄的增长和死亡，这种语言可能会随着他们的消失而消失。)”可知， Geda Qawla担心Ongota语。故选C。 2．主旨大意题。根据第三段“The main reasons for this are technology and the way the world is becoming more connected. People who speak smaller languages are being pushed to stop using them and start speaking bigger languages. More people moving to new places also contributes to this, as they leave their native languages behind and learn new ones.(造成这种情况的主要原因是技术和世界联系越来越紧密的方式。说小语种的人被迫停止使用小语种，开始说大语种。越来越多的人搬到新的地方也有助于这一点，因为他们离开自己的母语，学习新的语言。)”可知，作者在第三段想告诉我们为什么小语种越来越不常见。故选D。 3．推理判断题。根据最后一段“For Savà, an Italian expert who studies people and their cultures, losing Ongota would be very sad. “When a language disappears,” he says, “you lose a special way of seeing the world that can’t be replaced (取代).”(对于研究人类及其文化的意大利专家Savà来说，失去Ongota将是非常悲伤的。“当一种语言消失，”他说，“你就失去了一种看世界的特殊方式，这种方式无法被取代。”)”可知，作者在最后一段提到Savà是为了强调语言的重要性。故选A。 4．主旨大意题。通读全文，尤其是第二段“Languages are disappearing fast, with one dying every two weeks. If things don’t change, by the end of this century, half of the 7,000 languages we have now might be gone. The ones in the most danger are those that aren’t written down and those spoken by very few people.(语言正在迅速消失，每两周就有一种语言消亡。如果情况不改变，到本世纪末，我们现在拥有的7000种语言中的一半可能会消失。最危险的是那些没有写下来的和很少有人说的。)”和倒数第二段“However, some languages that were almost gone have been saved. This happened through long-term efforts to bring them back to life. These efforts included teaching them in schools, using them in the media (媒体), and even putting them on road signs.(然而，一些几乎消失的语言被保存了下来。这是通过长期努力使他们起死回生而实现的。这些努力包括在学校教授它们，在媒体上使用它们，甚至把它们放在路标上。)”可知，本文主要讲述了世界各地语言正在快速消失的问题，以及人们为了保持语言的活力所做的努力，因此最好的题目是B选项“The Fight to Keep Languages Alive(为语言的生存而战)”。故选B。 （24-25高一上·福建福州·阶段练习）POLYGLOTS: WHAT ARE THEY AND WHO CAN BE ONE? Some polyglots, who can speak quite a few languages, may seem especially talented. Zhao Yuanren, a Chinese American linguist, could speak seven languages and more than 30 dialects. England’s Queen Elizabeth I could speak about 10 languages. A famous Italian named Guiseppe Mezzofanti was reported to have been able to communicate in 30 to 40 languages. Polyglots are indeed amazing, but American teenager Tim Doner is living proof that anyone can try to be one. As a child, Tim studied French and Latin at school, but he found it difficult to be interested in just words and grammar rules. When he was 13, Tim started listening to Hebrew rap music. One day, he looked up the words in a dictionary and realised he could put them together to make sentences! He started looking for people who spoke Hebrew so he could practise, and then, he decided to sign up for a summer Arabic class. One evening, just for fun, he posted a video of himself speaking Arabic and another of him speaking Hebrew. Hebrew and Arabic speakers wrote nice comments on his videos and gave him advice. Tim loved it. He could actually communicate with people! After that, Tim started looking for new languages to learn, and posting more videos of himself speaking new languages, including Chinese. Tim also began to use many other methods to make learning fun. Tim wishes everyone would learn more than one language and not just as a school subject. “Knowing a language is a lot more than knowing a couple of words out of a dictionary,” Tim says. Languages are for communicating with people, learning about their culture, and understanding how different people think. “Open up your mind to the fact that language represents a cultural world view,” says Tim. “You can translate words easily, but you can’t quite translate meaning.” Or, as Nelson Mandela said, “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” 1．Who could speak the most languages according to the article? A．Zhao Yuanren. B．Queen Elizabeth I. C．Guiseppe Mezzofanti. D．Tim Doner. 2．What made Tim Doner start learning Hebrew? A．His interest in Hebrew grammar. B．His love for Hebrew rap music. C．His desire to communicate with Hebrews. D．His school’s requirement. 3．How did Tim improve his language learning? A．Only by taking formal classes. B．Just by watching language videos. C．Through various methods including posting language videos. D．By simply reading dictionaries. 4．What does Tim think about learning languages? A．It’s just about memorizing words. B．It should be only a school subject. C．It’s mainly for getting good grades. D．It’s about communication, culture and understanding different minds. 5．What can be inferred from Nelson Mandela’s quote “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.”? A．Learning a new language is very difficult. B．Speaking a person’s native language can have a deeper impact. C．People only care about their own language. D．Translating languages is a waste of time. 【答案】1．C 2．B 3．C 4．D 5．B 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要讲述了美国少年Tim Doner从对语言学习产生兴趣到用多种方法学习多门语言的经历，说明学习语言不只是记单词，更是为了交流、了解文化和理解不同思维方式。 1．细节理解题。根据第一段中“Zhao Yuanren, a Chinese American linguist, could speak seven languages and more than 30 dialects. England’s Queen Elizabeth I could speak about 10 languages. A famous Italian named Guiseppe Mezzofanti was reported to have been able to communicate in 30 to 40 languages. (美籍华人语言学家赵元任会说7种语言和30多种方言。英国女王伊丽莎白一世会说大约10种语言。据说，一位名叫Guiseppe Mezzofanti的著名意大利人能够用30到40种语言进行交流)”以及文中仅提到Tim学习法语、拉丁语、希伯来语、阿拉伯语及汉语可知，Guiseppe Mezzofanti会的语言最多。故选C项。 2．细节理解题。根据第二段中“When he was 13, Tim started listening to Hebrew rap music. One day, he looked up the words in a dictionary and realised he could put them together to make sentences! He started looking for people who spoke Hebrew so he could practise, and then, he decided to sign up for a summer Arabic class. (13岁时，Tim开始听希伯来说唱音乐。有一天，他在词典里查单词，意识到他可以把它们组合成句子！他开始寻找会说希伯来语的人，这样他就可以练习了，然后，他决定报名参加一个夏季阿拉伯语班)”可知，Tim对希伯来说唱音乐的喜爱促使他开始学习希伯来语。故选B项。 3．细节理解题。根据第二段中“One evening, just for fun, he posted a video of himself speaking Arabic and another of him speaking Hebrew. (一天晚上，只是为了好玩，他发布了一段自己说阿拉伯语的视频和另一段他说希伯来语的视频)”和“After that, Tim started looking for new languages to learn, and posting more videos of himself speaking new languages, including Chinese. Tim also began to use many other methods to make learning fun. (在那之后，Tim开始寻找新的语言学习，并发布了更多自己说新语言的视频，包括汉语。Tim也开始使用许多其他的方法来使学习变得有趣)”可知，Tim通过各种方法提高他的语言学习，包括发布语言视频。故选C项。 4．细节理解题。根据第三段中““Knowing a language is a lot more than knowing a couple of words out of a dictionary,” Tim says. Languages are for communicating with people, learning about their culture, and understanding how different people think. “Open up your mind to the fact that language represents a cultural world view,” says Tim. (Tim说：“了解一门语言远不止从词典里知道几个单词那么简单。”语言是用来与人交流，学习他们的文化，理解不同的人是如何思考的。“打开你的思维，认识到语言代表着一种文化世界观，”Tim说)”可知，Tim认为学习语言是关于交流、文化以及理解不同人的思维方式。故选D项。 5．推理判断题。根据第三段中曼德拉所说的这句名言“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart. (如果你用一个人听得懂的语言和他说话，他会记住你的话。如果你用他的语言和他说话，那就会进入他的内心)”可知，与说他人仅理解的语言相比，说他的母语可以在更深层次上打动他。由此可知，说一个人的母语能产生更深的影响。故选B项。 （24-25高一上·重庆·阶段练习）Though many of us may have been away somewhere nice last summer, few would say that we’ve “summered”. “Summer” is clearly a noun — a verbed noun. In our childhood, we all learned the difference between a noun and a verb. With such a clear definition, it was easy to notice the difference. Not so in adulthood, when we are expected to “foot” the bill and “chair” meetings. Chances are that you didn’t feel uncomfortable about those verbed nouns. “The verbing of nouns is as old as the English language,” says Patricia, a former editor at The New York Times Book Review. Experts found that 20% of all English verbs were originally nouns. And it seems to be snowballing. Since 1900, about 40% of new verbs have come from nouns. Even though the conversion (转化) is quite common, plenty of language experts disagree with it. William Strunk Jr. and E.B．White have this to say, “Many nouns lately have been pressed into service as verbs. Not all are bad, but some are in doubt.” The Chicago Manual of Style takes a similar standpoint, advising writers to use verbs with great care. “Sometimes people dislike a new verb because they refuse to accept what is unfamiliar to them,” says Patricia. That’s why we’re comfortable “hosting” a party, but we might feel upset by the thought of “medaling” in sports. So are there any rules for verbing? Benjamin Dreyer, copy chief at Random House, doesn’t offer a rule, but suggests that people think twice about “verbifying” (使动词化) a noun if it’s easily replaced by an already existing popular verb. Make sure it’s descriptive but not silly-sounding, he says. In the end, however, style is subjective (主观的). The easy conversion of nouns to verbs has been part of English grammar for centuries. It is one of the processes that make English “ English”. Not every new word passes into general use, but as for trying to end verbing altogether, forget it. 1．What can we learn about the verbing of nouns? A．It has come into use since a long time ago. B．It has been supported by many language experts. C．It is easily replaced by existing verbs in practice. D．It is more commonly accepted by children than adults. 2．What is language experts’ attitude towards the verbing of nouns? A．Negative. B．Careful. C．Unclear. D．Positive. 3．What can we infer from the last two paragraphs? A．It is impossible to end the verbing of nouns. B．New verbs will stay in the English language forever. C．Most people are against using new verbs from nouns. D．There is an obvious rule for changing verbs to nouns. 4．What can be the best title for the text? A．Are all new verbs from nouns? B．Are there any rules for verbing? C．Are you comfortable about a new verb? D．Are “summering” and “medaling” annoying? 【答案】1．A 2．B 3．A 4．D 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要讲述了名词动词化在英语中的历史、现状及语言专家的态度，并探讨了其合理性和接受度。 1．细节理解题。根据第三段““The verbing of nouns is as old as the English language,” says Patricia, a former editor at The New York Times Book Review. Experts found that 20% of all English verbs were originally nouns. And it seems to be snowballing. Since 1900, about 40% of new verbs have come from nouns.(“名词动词化与英语语言一样古老，”《纽约时报书评》前编辑帕特里夏说道。专家发现，20%的英语动词最初是名词。而且这种趋势似乎在加速发展。自1900年以来，约40%的新动词来自名词)”可知，名词用作动词这种做法很久以前就开始使用了。故选A。 2．推理判断题。根据第四段“Even though the conversion (转化) is quite common, plenty of language experts disagree with it. William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White have this to say, “Many nouns lately have been pressed into service as verbs. Not all are bad, but some are in doubt.” The Chicago Manual of Style takes a similar standpoint, advising writers to use verbs with great care.(尽管这种转换很常见，但许多语言专家不同意这种说法。小威廉·斯特伦克和E. B.怀特说：“近来许多名词都被当作动词使用了。不是所有的都是坏的，但有些是有疑问的。”《芝加哥文体手册》也持类似观点，建议作者在使用动词时要格外小心)”可知，尽管名词用作动词这种做法很常见，但许多语言专家并不同意，他们建议作家要谨慎使用动词。因此，语言专家对名词用作动词的态度是小心谨慎的。故选B。 3．推理判断题。根据最后两段，尤其是最后一段“In the end, however, style is subjective (主观的). The easy conversion of nouns to verbs has been part of English grammar for centuries. It is one of the processes that make English “ English”. Not every new word passes into general use, but as for trying to end verbing altogether, forget it.(然而，最终，风格是主观的。名词到动词的轻松转换已经成为了英语语法的一部分，历时数世纪。这是使英语成为“英语”的过程之一。并不是每个新词都会进入通用语言，但试图完全结束名词动词化，那是不可能的)”可推知，名词动词化已经成为英语的一部分，名词用作动词是不可能结束的。故选A。 4．主旨大意题。通读全文，尤其是第一段“Though many of us may have been away somewhere nice last summer, few would say that we’ve “summered”. “Summer” is clearly a noun — a verbed noun.(尽管我们中的许多人去年夏天可能去了某个不错的地方，但很少有人会说我们“summered”(度过了夏天)。显然，“summer”是一个名词——一个被用作动词的名词)”可知，文章主要围绕“summering”和“medaling”这两个例子展开，讨论了名词用作动词这种语言现象及引起的争议，因此，选项D“Are “summering” and “medaling” annoying?(“Summering”和“medaling”令人厌烦吗？)”最能概括文章主旨，作为标题最贴切。故选D。 重难语篇提升练 （24-25高一上·吉林·期末）Understanding ancient languages and texts has been a challenge for researchers for centuries. Now, they are using artificial intelligence (AI) to quickly translate ancient texts and languages like Akkadian into English. “In ancient Mesopotamia, people used clay tablets (粘土板) with special writing to remember and share important information about their history. These tablets provide facts about their society, economy, and science,” a new Oxford report said. “Even though there are many ancient clay tablets, most of the information on them is hard to understand. This is because there are only a small number of people who can read the ancient writing on them.” But using AI to read ancient texts is not as simple as running a picture through a ChatGPT system. “There is only a small amount of data (数据) we could use to train the models; given that, we tried to reach tens of thousands of examples,” said bai Gutherz, who co-authored the report. Akkadian was the common language in the old Middle East and Mesopotamia. People there spoke different languages and used Akkadian to communicate, so it served as a widely spoken and written language at that time. Moreover, along with other ancient languages, it had one of the earliest writing systems. It was considered to play a role comparable to English today. The Oxford report said that the problem about translating these ancient texts is finding a complete tablet, saying that Akkadian is an old language that has been gone for over 2, 000 years. Clay tablets are hardly preserved in their completeness. As a result, machine translation and human translation have a hard time understanding the full meaning without enough background information. The researchers have developed a website to show their technology. They have used a model known as Akkademia to train the collected data. The project aims to do translations for different ancient languages, starting with Akkadian. “We have a lot to learn from ancient history; the first letters and books were written in Akkadian and other ancient languages,” Gutherz said. “I think it’s super interesting to try to make it more accessible (容易理解的) and translate Akkadian into English and other languages that people speak today.” 1．What does the Oxford report state about ancient clay tablets? A．They were created for art expression. B．They draw the attention of many experts. C．They hold valuable untranslated information. D．They are commonly found in household goods. 2．Why is English mentioned in Paragraph 4? A．To show the wide use of Akkadian. B．To tell the importance of translation. C．To note its differences from Akkadian. D．To explain the early development of English. 3．What does the underlined word “preserved” in Paragraph 5 probably mean? A．Created. B．Changed. C．Thrown. D．protected. 4．What does Gutherz think of the work of translating Akkadian? A．Tiring. B．Risky. C．Meaningful. D．Useless. 【答案】1．C 2．A 3．D 4．C 【导语】本文为一篇说明文。文章介绍了研究者利用AI翻译阿卡德语的古老粘土板文字，克服数据稀缺和保存不完整等难题，让历史知识更易获取。 1．推理判断题。根据第二段“Even though there are many ancient clay tablets, most of the information on them is hard to understand. This is because there are only a small number of people who can read the ancient writing on them.(尽管有许多古老粘土板，但上面的大部分信息都很难理解。这是因为只有少数人能读懂上面的古代文字)”可推知，粘土板记载了关于古代的社会、经济和科学等方面的信息，但只有少数人能读懂这些古老的文字，因此它们包含有价值的未翻译的信息。故选C。 2．推理判断题。根据第四段“People there spoke different languages and used Akkadian to communicate, so it served as a widely spoken and written language at that time. Moreover, along with other ancient languages, it had one of the earliest writing systems. It was considered to play a role comparable to English today.(那里的人们说着不同的语言，并使用阿卡德语进行交流，因此它在当时是一种广泛的口语和书面语。此外，和其他古代语言一样，汉语也是最早的文字系统之一。它被认为扮演着与今天的英语相当的角色)”可推知，这里提到英语是为了说明阿卡德语在当时作为一种语言被广泛使用，类似于今天英语的普及程度。故选A。 3．词义猜测题。根据第五段划线词前文“The Oxford report said that the problem about translating these ancient texts is finding a complete tablet, saying that Akkadian is an old language that has been gone for over 2, 000 years.(牛津大学的报告说，翻译这些古代文本的问题是找到一个完整的石板，并说阿卡德语是一种已经消失了2000多年的古老语言)”及后文“As a result, machine translation and human translation have a hard time understanding the full meaning without enough background information.(因此，如果没有足够的背景信息，机器翻译和人工翻译都很难理解完整的意思)”可知，由于阿卡德语已经消失2000多年了，粘土板很难保持完整，造成文本背景信息缺失，因此机器翻译和人工翻译很难理解其完整含义。preserved此处是指“被保护或保存”的状态，与protected意思相近。故选D。 4．推理判断题。根据最后一段““We have a lot to learn from ancient history; the first letters and books were written in Akkadian and other ancient languages,” Gutherz said. “I think it’s super interesting to try to make it more accessible (容易理解的) and translate Akkadian into English and other languages that people speak today.”(“我们有很多东西要从古代历史中学习；最早的信件和书籍是用阿卡德语和其他古代语言写成的，”Gutherz说。“我认为把阿卡德语翻译成英语和其他人们今天说的语言是非常有趣的。”)”可知，Gutherz认为从古代历史中可以学到很多东西，将阿卡德语翻译成英语和其他语言，使之易于理解，能够帮助人们更好地接触和理解古代文明的成果，因此这项翻译工作是“有意义的”。故选C。 （24-25高一上·云南昭通·期末）People often ask which is the most difficult language to learn, and it is not easy to answer because there are too many factors to take into consideration. Firstly, in a first language the difficulties are unimportant as people learn their mother tongue naturally, so the question of how hard a language is to learn only makes more sense when learning a second language. A native speaker of Spanish, for example, will find Portuguese much easier to learn than a native speaker of Chinese because Portuguese is very similar to Spanish, while Chinese is very different, so first language can affect learning a second language. The greater the differences between the second language and our first language, the harder it will be for most people to learn. Many people answer that Chinese is the hardest language to learn, possibly influenced by the thought of learning the Chinese writing system, and the pronunciation of Chinese does appear to be very difficult for many foreign learners. However, for Japanese speakers, who already use Chinese characters in their own language, learning writing will be less difficult than for speakers of languages using the Roman alphabet. Some people seem to learn languages easily, while others find it very difficult. Teachers and the circumstances in which the language is learned also play an important role, as well as each learner’s motivation for learning. If people learn a language because they need to use it professionally, they often learn it faster than people studying a language that has no direct use in their day-to-day life. Obviously, British diplomats (外交官) and other embassy staff have found that the second hardest language is Japanese, which will probably come as no surprise to many, but the language that they have found to be the most problematic is Hungarian (匈牙利语), which uses a similar alphabet to English but has 35 cases(forms of a noun according to whether it is subject, object, genitive, etc). This does not mean that Hungarian is the hardest language to learn for everyone, but it causes British diplomatic personnel, who are generally used to learning languages, the most difficulty. However, Tabassaran, a Caucasian (高加索的) language, has 48 cases, so it might cause more difficulty if British diplomats had to learn it. Different cultures and individuals from those cultures will find different languages more difficult. Therefore, it is impossible to say that there is one language that is the most difficult language in the world. 1．What does the author want to tell us in the first paragraph? A．How hard a language is to learn is only applicable to second language acquisition. B．The question of how hard a language is to learn is easy to answer. C．The question of how hard a language is to learn is applicable to mother tongue. D．It’s difficult to say which language is the most difficult to learn. 2．Which language will a native Japanese speaker probably find easier to learn? A．Chinese, because Japanese use Chinese characters in their own language. B．Spanish, because it is similar to their own language. C．Portuguese, because it also uses Roman alphabet. D．Anyone but Chinese, because its pronunciation is very difficult. 3．According to the third paragraph, who learns a foreign language faster? A．A person who learns a foreign language only for fun. B．A person whose parents force him to learn a foreign language. C．A person living aboard wants to learn their language to work better. D．A person who learns a foreign language just to pass an exam. 4．The author is most likely to agree ________. A．many British diplomats learn Tabassaran B．Tabassaran is the hardest language to learn in the world C．learning a different writing system is very easy for British speakers D．Hungarian’s grammatical complexity causes problems for native British speakers 【答案】1．D 2．A 3．C 4．D 【导语】这是一篇议论文。文章论述了世界上哪一种语言最难学。 1．主旨大意题。根据第一段“People often ask which is the most difficult language to learn, and it is not easy to answer because there are too many factors to take into consideration.(人们经常问哪种语言最难学，这并不容易回答，因为有太多的因素需要考虑。)”可知，作者在第一段想告诉我们很难说哪种语言最难学。故选D。 2．细节理解题。根据第二段“However, for Japanese speakers, who already use Chinese characters in their own language, learning writing will be less difficult than for speakers of languages using the Roman alphabet.(然而，对于已经在自己语言中使用汉字的日本人来说，学习书写将比使用罗马字母的语言使用者更容易。)”可知，以日语为母语的人可能会觉得汉语更容易学，因为日语中使用了汉字。故选A。 3．推理判断题。根据第三段“If people learn a language because they need to use it professionally, they often learn it faster than people studying a language that has no direct use in their day-to-day life.(如果人们学习一门语言是因为他们需要在专业上使用它，他们通常比那些学习在日常生活中没有直接用途的语言的人学得更快。)”可知，在国外生活想学习他们的语言以更好地工作的人学习外语更快。故选C。 4．推理判断题。根据第四段“Obviously, British diplomats and other embassy staff have found that the second hardest language is Japanese, which will probably come as no surprise to many, but the language that they have found to be the most problematic is Hungarian, which uses a similar alphabet to English but has 35 cases(forms of a noun according to whether it is subject, object, genitive, etc). This does not mean that Hungarian is the hardest language to learn for everyone, but it causes British diplomatic personnel, who are generally used to learning languages, the most difficulty. (显然，英国外交官和其他大使馆工作人员发现，第二难的语言是日语，这对许多人来说可能并不奇怪，但他们发现问题最多的语言是匈牙利语，它使用与英语相似的字母表，但有35个格(名词的形式取决于它是主语、宾语、属格等)。这并不是说匈牙利语对每个人来说都是最难学的语言，但它让一般习惯学习语言的英国外交人员最困难。)”可推知，匈牙利语的语法复杂性给本地英国学者带来麻烦。故选D。 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $$