Unit 5 Languages Around the World单元话题阅读理解练习-2025-2026学年高一英语人教版必修第一册

Unit 5 Languages Around the World 单元话题阅读理解 Unit 5 Languages Around the World单元话题：语言 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 When I mentioned to some friends that we all have accents (口音), most of them proudly replied. “Well, I speak perfect English/Chinese/etc.” But this kind of response makes me fail to understand the true meaning of accents. Usually, what we mean when we say someone “has an accent” is that their accent is different from the local one, or that pronunciations are different from our own. But this explanation of accents is narrow and could give rise to misunderstanding. Funnily enough, as far as the language study is concerned, every person speaks with an accent. It is the regular differences in how we produce sounds that shape our accents. Even if you don’t hear it yourself, you speak with some sort of accent. In this sense, it’s meaningless to point out that someone “has an accent”. We all do! Every person speaks a dialect (方言), too. In the field of language study, a dialect refers to a language that is characterized by its changes of structure, phrases and words. For example, “You got eat or not?” (meaning “Have you eaten?”) is an acceptable and understood question in Singapore Oral English. The fact that this expression would cause standard American English speaker to take pause doesn’t mean that Singapore Oral English is “wrong” or “ungrammatical”. The sentence is well-formed and clearly communicative, according to native Singapore English speakers’ solid system of grammar. Why should it be wrong just because it’s different? We need to move beyond a narrow explanation of accents and dialects — for the benefit of everyone. Language differences like these provide deep understandings into people’s cultural experiences and backgrounds. In a global age, the way one speaks is clearly a part of who he is. Most people would be happy to talk about the cultures behind their speech. We’d learn more about the world we live in and make friends along the way. 1．What can be inferred about the author’s opinion towards people who say they speak “perfect English”? A．They are right to be proud of their language skills. B．They are most likely language teachers. C．They should try harder to copy the local accent. D．They may misunderstand the nature of accents. 2．According to the article, the Singapore English expression “You got eat or not?” is: A．Grammatically well-formed within its own system. B．Considered incorrect by its speakers. C．Directly borrowed from American English. D．Confusing to all native English speakers. 3．How does the author develop his idea in Paragraph 3? A．Following time order. B．Giving examples. C．Listing figures. D．Explaining causes. 4．Where is this passage most likely taken from? A．A grammar textbook. B．A language learning magazine. C．An English novel. D．A travel brochure. 【答案】1．D 2．A 3．B 4．B 【导语】本文是一篇议论文。文章主要论述了每个人说话都有口音和方言，并指出对口音和方言狭隘的解释会带来误解，人们应该超越这种狭隘的解释，因为语言差异能深入了解人们的文化经历和背景。 1．推理判断题。根据第一段中“When I mentioned to some friends that we all have accents (口音), most of them proudly replied. “Well, I speak perfect English/Chinese/etc.”(当我向一些朋友提到我们都有口音时，大多数人骄傲地回答。“嗯，我的英语/中文等说得很完美。”)”和第二段中“In this sense, it’s meaningless to point out that someone “has an accent”. We all do!(从这个意义上说，指出某人“有口音”是没有意义的。我们都有的!)”可知，作者指出每个人其实都有口音，所以那些说自己“英语/中文等说得很完美”的人可能误解了口音的本质。故选D项。 2．细节理解题。根据第三段中“For example, “You got eat or not?” (meaning “Have you eaten?”) is an acceptable and understood question in Singapore Oral English. The fact that this expression would cause standard American English speaker to take pause doesn’t mean that Singapore Oral English is “wrong” or “ungrammatical”. The sentence is well-formed and clearly communicative, according to native Singapore English speakers’ solid system of grammar.(例如，“You got eat or not?”(意思是“你吃了吗?”)在新加坡英语口语中是一个可以接受且能被理解的问题。这个表达会让说标准美式英语的人停顿一下，但这并不意味着新加坡英语口语是“错误的”或“不符合语法的”。根据新加坡英语母语者坚实的语法体系，这个句子结构良好，表达清晰)”可知，新加坡英语表达“You got eat or not?”在其自身的语法体系中是结构良好的。故选A项。 3．推理判断题。根据第三段中“For example, “You got eat or not?” (meaning “Have you eaten?”) is an acceptable and understood question in Singapore Oral English.(例如，“You got eat or not?”(意思是“你吃了吗?”)在新加坡英语口语中是一个可以接受且能被理解的问题)”可知，作者在第三段中通过举新加坡英语表达“You got eat or not?”的例子来阐述自己的观点，即每种语言都有其自身的方言，且这些方言在其自身的语法体系中是合理的。故选B项。 4．推理判断题。通读全文，结合第一段中“When I mentioned to some friends that we all have accents (口音), most of them proudly replied. “Well, I speak perfect English/Chinese/etc.”(当我向一些朋友提到我们都有口音时，大多数人骄傲地回答。“嗯，我的英语/中文等说得很完美。”)”和最后一段中“We need to move beyond a narrow explanation of accents and dialects — for the benefit of everyone.(我们需要超越对口音和方言的狭隘解释——为了每个人的利益)”可知，本文主要讨论了口音和方言的问题，指出每个人都有口音，且每种语言都有其方言，人们应该超越对口音和方言的狭隘解释，这有助于深入了解人们的文化经历和背景。由此可推知，文章最有可能出自语言学习杂志。故选B项。 Year-12 student Noah Little has already sat his first Chinese-speaking exam and said it was “the easiest exam I’ve ever done”. That view is not surprising given the Wagga High School student loves language — so much so he has built a Chinese translation app. Noah said his love of language was encouraged by his community. “Wagga is a place full of people from different cultures, and sometimes when I meet new people who have trouble speaking English I like to talk to them in their own language,” he said. “I also have a few Chinese friends so I think it will be cool to talk to them in their language.” The 17-year-old started teaching himself Chinese around five years ago, before taking distance education classes at the start of Year 11. His language ability was also useful in his part-time job at a local Chinese restaurant, where he translated orders for the cooks and customers. Noah said he also had a basic knowledge of seven other languages. It was while teaching himself that Noah got the idea of the translation tool. “I decided to make my own app because there weren’t many around — all the other apps were full of advertisements (广告) and the translation feature (功能) wasn’t powerful enough,” he said. His app also includes a word of the day feature, lessons on how to write Chinese characters (汉字) and a news feed of important Chinese news. He said learning computer programming to build the app had been like studying another language. With the end of school around the corner, Noah said he would like to pursue (追求) both his interests in computer programming and languages. “I’m planning to work for a year and save so I can go on to university as I really want to make a career (事业) out of one of these two topics.” 1．What do we know about Noah? A．He failed his first Chinese exam. B．He began to learn Chinese at 11. C．He gets a lot from learning Chinese. D．He likes teaching Chinese to people. 2．What are included in Noah’s app? A．Advertisements. B．Ways of writing Chinese characters. C．Pieces of world news. D．Suggestions for memorizing words. 3．What has Noah decided to do shortly after high school graduation? A．Attend university. B．Look for a job. C．Develop a new app. D．Learn more languages. 4．Which of the following can best describe Noah? A．Creative and curious. B．Courageous and caring. C．Humorous and honest. D．Warm-hearted and responsible. 【答案】1．C 2．B 3．B 4．A 【导语】本文是一篇新闻报道。文章主要讲述了12年级学生Noah Little热爱语言与编程，自学中文并开发中文翻译应用，同时规划未来相关职业方向的事迹。 1．推理判断题。根据文章第一段“Year-12 student Noah Little has already sat his first Chinese-speaking exam and said it was “the easiest exam I’ve ever done”.(12年级学生Noah Little已经参加了他的第一次中文口语考试，他说这是“我参加过的最简单的考试”)”、第三段“The 17-year-old started teaching himself Chinese around five years ago, before taking distance education classes at the start of Year 11. His language ability was also useful in his part-time job at a local Chinese restaurant, where he translated orders for the cooks and customers.(这位17岁的少年大约五年前开始自学中文，11年级开学时又参加了远程教育课程。他的语言能力在当地一家中餐馆的兼职工作中也派上了用场，他在那里为厨师和顾客翻译订单)”以及第四段“It was while teaching himself that Noah got the idea of the translation tool.(正是在自学过程中，Noah萌生了开发翻译工具的想法)”可知，Noah中文考试轻松通过，12岁左右开始自学中文，中文能力既助力兼职工作，又启发他开发翻译应用，从中文学习中收获颇丰。故选C。 2．细节理解题。根据文章第五段“His app also includes a word of the day feature, lessons on how to write Chinese characters (汉字) and a news feed of important Chinese news.(他的应用还包含每日一词功能、汉字书写教程，以及重要中文新闻的资讯推送)”可知，Noah的应用包含每日一词功能、汉字书写教程以及重要中文新闻资讯推送。故选B。 3．细节理解题。根据文章最后一段Noah所说的话“I’m planning to work for a year and save so I can go on to university as I really want to make a career (事业) out of one of these two topics.(我计划先工作一年攒钱，然后去上大学，因为我真的想在这两个领域中的一个开创自己的事业)”可知，Noah计划高中毕业后先工作一年攒钱，之后再上大学，短期内（毕业后不久）的决定是找工作。故选B。 4．推理判断题。根据文章第五段“His app also includes a word of the day feature, lessons on how to write Chinese characters (汉字) and a news feed of important Chinese news.(他的应用还包含每日一词功能、汉字书写教程，以及重要中文新闻的资讯推送)”可知，Noah具有创造力；再根据他自学中文以及七种其他语言可知，他有强烈的求知欲。故选A。 Do you often use the words “tapestry”, “delve” or “testament” in English? Many of us would say no. These words aren’t among the “Top 500 spoken words” — a list of the most common English words. However, these words are becoming more common in some written content, as a study in 2024 found that five percent of all articles published on a research site used the word “delve.” In 2022, it was less than one percent. Since ChatGPT was released to the public in November 2022, we’ve seen that artificial intelligence (AI) favors certain words. Why does ChatGPT prefer these words? The answer is actually very human. While ChatGPT seems to think for itself, what it really does is analyze a very large amount of human-generated information, and use the data to spit out answers to our enquiry (询问). It doesn’t actually understand what it’s telling us. The process of rating AI responses, as part of training the software, is called “reinforcement (强化) learning from human feedback”, and this provides the first clue about why ChatGPT favors certain word. It’s not cheap to employ a lot of testers to rate thousands of responses from AI. So, big companies outsource these jobs to lower-income countries, often places where English is not the first language. One such country that offers cheap labor is Nigeria, and in Nigerian English, “delve” is a common word in professional settings. So, when Nigerian testers tell AI which responses sound natural, their own linguistic preferences come through. As AI-generated content becomes more common, will it also affect the way we speak to each other? In some ways, AI has already left its mark. Of course, language is a living thing, often affected by current events and by new technology. The point is that language is always updating itself, and how we use language is affected by the people we talk to and by the media we consume. As AI-generated media spread, it is possible, even likely that AI will affect the development of our own vocabulary. 1．Why does the author mention the words we don’t often use? A．To raise readers’ interest in language change. B．To remind readers of AI’s threat to language. C．To show the varieties of language. D．To introduce a study in language development. 2．What does the underlined sentence mean? A．AI’s answers are directly written by humans. B．AI is specially designed to think like humans. C．AI understands human language independently. D．AI depends on human to develop its language. 3．Why does AI favor certain uncommon words? A．Spoken English has been used to train AI. B．AI tries to have impact on human language. C．Non-native English speakers work as AI trainers. D．Companies develop strange language models. 4．Which statement will the author probably agree with? A．Language pushes the development of AI-generated media. B．New technology reduces the number of English words. C．AI plays an important role in language development. D．The use of uncommon words makes communication harder. 【答案】1．A 2．D 3．C 4．C 【导语】本文是一篇说明文，主要探讨了人工智能，如ChatGPT对语言的影响，包括其偏好某些不常见词汇的原因以及可能对人类语言发展产生的作用。 1．推理判断题。根据第一段“Do you often use the words “tapestry” “delve” or “testament” in English? Many of us would say no. These words aren’t among the “Top 500 spoken words” — a list of the most common English words. (你经常在英语中使用“tapestry”“delve”或“testament”这些词吗？我们中的许多人会说不。这些词不在“500大常用口语词汇”——也就是最常见的英语词汇列表中。)”可知，作者提及这些不常用词，是为了引发读者对语言变化的兴趣，从而自然地引入下文关于AI与语言发展的讨论。故选A项。 2．句意猜测题。根据第二段中 “While ChatGPT seems to think for itself, what it really does is analyze a very large amount of human-generated information, and use the data to spit out answers to our enquiry(询问). It doesn’t actually understand what it’s telling us. (虽然ChatGPT看似能自主思考，但它实际上所做的是分析大量人类生成的信息，并利用这些数据来给出我们询问的答案。它其实并不理解自己在说什么。)”可知，划线句子“The answer is actually very human.”的意思是AI的语言发展依赖于人类，其输出的内容基于人类生成的信息，D选项“人工智能的语言发展依赖于人类”，符合语境。故选D项。 3．细节理解题。根据第三段中“It’s not cheap to employ a lot of testers to rate thousands of responses from Al. So, big companies outsource these jobs to lower-income countries, often places where English is not the first language. One such country that offers cheap labor ts Nigeria, and in Nigerian English, “delve” is a common word in professional settings. So, when Nigerian testers tell Al which responses sound natural, their own linguistic preferences come through. (雇佣大量测试人员对人工智能的数千条回应进行评分并不便宜。因此，大公司会将这些工作外包给低收入国家，这些地方通常英语并非第一语言。尼日利亚就是这样一个提供廉价劳动力的国家，在尼日利亚英语中，“delve” 在专业场合是一个常用词。所以，当尼日利亚测试人员告诉人工智能哪些回应听起来自然时，他们自身的语言偏好就会体现出来。)”可知，AI偏爱某些不常见词汇是因为非英语母语者担任了AI训练师，他们的语言偏好影响了AI。故选C项。 4．推理判断题。根据最后一段中“As AI-generated media spreads, it is possible, even likely that AI will affect the development of our own vocabulary. (随着AI生成的媒体的传播，AI有可能，甚至很可能会影响我们自身词汇的发展。)”可知，作者认为AI在语言发展中扮演重要角色。故选C项。 Do you often use the words “tapestry”, “delve” or “testament” in English? Many of us would say no. These words aren’t among the “Top 500 spoken words” — a list of the most common English words. However, these words are becoming more common in some written content, as a study in 2024 found that five percent of all articles published on a research site used the word “delve”. In 2022, it was less than one percent. Since ChatGPT was released to the public in November 2022, we’ve seen that AI favors certain words. Why does ChatGPT prefer these words? The answer is actually very human. While ChatGPT seems to think for itself, what it really does is analyze a very large amount of human-generated (人工生成的) information, and use the data to spit out answers to our questions. It doesn’t actually understand what it’s telling us. The process of rating AI responses, as part of training the software, is called “reinforcement(强化)learning from human feedback,” and this provides the first clue about why ChatGPT favors certain words. The answer lies in the background of the human trainers themselves. It’s not cheap to employ a lot of testers to rate thousands of responses from AI. So, big companies hire lower-income countries to do these jobs, often places where English is not the first language. One such country that offers cheap labor is Nigeria, and in Nigerian English, “delve” is a common word in professional settings. So, when Nigerian testers tell AI which responses sound natural, their own language preferences come through. As AI-generated information becomes more common, will it also affect the way we speak to each other? In some ways, AI has already left its mark. Of course, language is a living thing that always updates itself, shaped by current events, technology, and the media we use. As AI-generated media spreads, it is possible, even likely that AI will affect the development of our own vocabulary. 1．What does the underlined sentence mean? A．AI’s answers are directly written by humans. B．AI is specially designed to think like humans. C．AI depends on humans to develop its language. D．AI understands human language independently. 2．Why does AI favor certain uncommon words? A．Spoken English has been used to train AI. B．AI tries to have impact on human language. C．Companies develop strange language models. D．Non-native English speakers work as AI trainers. 3．Which statement does the last paragraph support? A．AI plays an important role in language development. B．New technology reduces the number of English words. C．Language pushes the development of AI-generated media. D．The use of uncommon words makes communication harder. 4．Which of the following is the best title for the passage? A．Will ChatGPT Target a New Market? B．Will AI Change the Way We Speak? C．Reinforcement Learning: Key to AI’s Power D．Uncommon English Words: Usage in Daily Life 【答案】1．C 2．D 3．A 4．B 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。主要介绍ChatGPT等AI偏好某些不常用英语词汇的原因，以及AI生成内容可能对人类语言表达和词汇发展产生的影响。 1．词句猜测题。根据第二段中的“While ChatGPT seems to think for itself, what it really does is analyze a very large amount of human-generated information, and use the data to spit out answers to our questions. It doesn’t actually understand what it’s telling us.(虽然ChatGPT看起来能独立思考，但它实际所做的是分析大量人工生成的信息，并利用这些数据来给出我们问题的答案。它其实并不理解自己在说什么。)”可知，AI的语言能力依赖人类生成的数据，核心是依靠人类发展其语言，划线句表达的正是这一含义。故选C项。 2．细节理解题。根据第三段中的“So, big companies hire lower-income countries to do these jobs, often places where English is not the first language. One such country that offers cheap labor is Nigeria, and in Nigerian English, “delve” is a common word in professional settings.(因此，大公司会雇佣低收入国家的人来做这些工作，这些地方的人通常不以英语为母语。尼日利亚就是这样一个提供廉价劳动力的国家，在尼日利亚英语中，“delve”在专业场景中是常用词。)”可知，AI偏好某些不常用词汇，是因为非英语母语者担任了AI训练师，他们的语言偏好影响了AI。故选D项。 3．推理判断题。根据最后一段中的“As AI-generated media spreads, it is possible, even likely that AI will affect the development of our own vocabulary.(随着AI生成的媒体不断传播，AI有可能甚至很可能会影响我们自身词汇的发展。)”可知，该段支持“AI在语言发展中扮演重要角色”这一观点。故选A项。 4．主旨大意题。通读全文，尤其是最后一段中的“As AI-generated information becomes more common, will it also affect the way we speak to each other?(随着AI生成的信息变得越来越普遍，它也会影响我们彼此的交流方式吗？)”可知，文章围绕AI对人类语言的影响展开，核心探讨AI是否会改变我们的说话方式，这一主题最能概括全文，适合作为最佳标题。故选B项。 Learning multiple (多个的) languages simultaneously (同时) might seem like a difficult task, but it is entirely achievable. In fact, your brain is good at dealing with the challenge. When you study multiple languages simultaneously, your brain creates separate networks for each language while also building connections between similar language features. This means you’re not just memorizing words; you’re developing different yet interconnected language systems. This process is particularly effective (有效) when learning related languages. For example, if you’re studying Spanish, picking up Italian or Portuguese at the same time can actually quicken your learning, as these Romance languages share similar grammatical structures and vocabulary. Research supports the idea that learning multiple languages simultaneously can be beneficial. A study of Persian speakers learning both French and English found that studying two languages simultaneously did not slow them down. In fact, it enhanced students’ understanding of each language, suggesting that our brains might benefit from learning multiple languages at the same time. However, it’s important to consider the ideal number of languages to learn at the same time. Researchers find that two to three languages is a manageable range (范围), depending on how much time you have and how hard you work. If you can spend 1-3 hours a day on language learning, studying two languages means each gets an hour of focused attention. Add a third language, and you’re down to 40 minutes per language. Any more than that, and you risk spreading yourself too thin to make real progress. When choosing languages to study simultaneously, it’s helpful to consider languages that go well together or are very different. For instance, you might pair Spanish with Italian, as they share Latin roots and similar grammar, or choose contrasting languages like Spanish and Japanese on purpose, where the clear differences help prevent confusion. By carefully managing your time and choosing languages that either go well together or differ from each other, you can effectively learn multiple languages at the same time without tiring yourself out. 1．What point is the example in paragraph 2 used to prove? A．Different languages have similar grammatical rules. B．Learning multiple languages is like remembering words. C．Similar words in different languages are easy to learn. D．The brain can manage different languages at the same time. 2．What does the underlined word “enhanced” mean in paragraph 3? A．Improved. B．Weakened. C．Compared. D．Recorded. 3．According to the finding, learning 2 to 3 languages simultaneously is a good choice depending on ________. A．age groups B．language types C．learners’ time and effort D．learners’ ability of understanding 4．What’s the advice on choosing multiple languages to study in the last paragraph? A．Limiting the number of them. B．Focusing on your own interest. C．Weighing their worldwide influences. D．Considering their differences and similarities. 【答案】1．D 2．A 3．C 4．D 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。研究表明，学习者同时学习多门语言可行且有益，通常学习两到三门语言是最佳选择。此外，学习者选择同时学习多门语言时，如果能充分考虑语言之间的相似性和差异性，则能取得更好的学习效果。 1．推理判断题。根据第二段“When you study multiple languages simultaneously, your brain creates separate networks for each language while also building connections between similar language features. This means you’re not just memorizing words; you’re developing different yet interconnected language systems. This process is particularly effective (有效) when learning related languages.(当你同时学习多门语言时，大脑会为每种语言建立独立的网络，同时还会在相似的语言特征之间建立关联。这意味着你不只是在记忆单词，更是在构建不同却相互关联的语言体系。这种学习过程在学习相关语言时尤其有效。)”可知，本段通过举例说明了大脑可以同时处理不同的语言。故选D。 2．词句猜测题。根据第三段“A study of Persian speakers learning both French and English found that studying two languages simultaneously did not slow them down. In fact, it enhanced students’ understanding of each language, suggesting that our brains might benefit from learning multiple languages at the same time.(一项对波斯语使用者同时学习法语和英语的研究发现，同时学习两种语言并没有减缓他们的学习速度。事实上，它_____了学生对每种语言的理解，这表明我们的大脑可能从同时学习多种语言中受益。)”可知，同时学习两种语言并没有减缓学习速度，反而提升了学生对每种语言的理解，由此可知，enhanced意为“改善”。故选A。 3．细节理解题。根据第四段“However, it’s important to consider the ideal number of languages to learn at the same time. Researchers find that two to three languages is a manageable range, depending on how much time you have and how hard you work.(然而，重要的是要考虑同时学习的理想语言数量。研究人员发现，两到三种语言是一个可管理的范围，这取决于你有多少时间和你的努力程度。)”可知，基于学习者的时间分配和精力投入，选择同时学习两到三门语言最佳。故选C。 4．细节理解题。根据最后一段“When choosing languages to study simultaneously, it’s helpful to consider languages that go well together or are very different. For instance, you might pair Spanish with Italian, as they share Latin roots and similar grammar, or choose contrasting languages like Spanish and Japanese on purpose, where the clear differences help prevent confusion.(在选择同时学习的语言时，考虑那些搭配得很好或非常不同的语言是有帮助的。例如，你可以把西班牙语和意大利语配对，因为它们有共同的拉丁语根源和相似的语法，或者故意选择像西班牙语和日语这样对比鲜明的语言，因为明显的差异有助于防止混淆。)”可知，最后一段关于选择多种语言学习的建议是考虑它们的异同。故选D。 Language is not just a tool for communication; it’s also a playground for the mind. English, in particular, is noted for its rich vocabulary and influence from many different languages, which provides a great basis for creativity and humor. One example of this is the use of puns (双关语) the clever or humorous use of a word that has more than one meaning, or of words that have different meanings but sound the same. Puns can be categorized (分类) into different types, Homophonic puns rely on word pairs that sound alike but have different meanings, like “A bicycle can’t stand on its own because it’s two-tired.” Homographic puns use words that are spelled the same but have different meanings and sometimes different pronunciations, for example, “I can’t bear the weight of that bear.” Compound puns often combine homophonic and homographic elements, creating even more complex wordplay, for example, “I was struggling to figure out how lightning works, but then it struck me.” The history of puns in English literature and culture is rich and interesting. Following their development shows how language, culture, and humor have changed over time. Puns have been a part of English literature from the early days, appearing in medieval (中世纪的) texts and Shakespeare’s plays, often used for humor or to show double meanings. During the Victorian Era, strict social norms promoted the use of puns, as they allowed people to comment on issues subtly (巧妙地) while avoiding directness. Today, puns are widely used in advertising, television, and social media, reflecting how English wordplay adapts to different contexts and media. People’s opinions of puns have changed throughout history. Once seen as a sign of cleverness, puns were sometimes criticized (批评) as low-level humor. However, in recent years, they’ve regained popularity, largely because of the Internet and social media, which allow for quick sharing and creativity in pun-based humor. 1．What does the first sentence in paragraph 1 mainly show? A．The development of language over time. B．The difficulty of learning a new language. C．The creative and playful aspect of language. D．The different functions of language in daily life. 2．Which of the following contains a homographic pun? A．You can call a bee from America a USB． B．Six is afraid of seven because seven ate nine. C．Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana. D．I only know 25 letters of the alphabet; I don’t know Y. 3．What was the major purpose of using puns in the Victorian Era? A．To break social rules. B．To express ideas indirectly. C．To spread different opinions. D．To make communication easier. 4．What is the last paragraph mainly about? A．The rise and fall of the popularity of puns. B．The new changes of language in recent years. C．The relationship between language and society. D．The influence of social media on modern humor. 【答案】1．C 2．C 3．B 4．A 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。主要介绍英语中双关语的类型、历史发展及其在不同时期的社会应用与人们对它的态度变化。 1．推理判断题。根据第一段中的“Language is not just a tool for communication; it’s also a playground for the mind. (语言不仅仅是交流的工具；它也是心灵的游乐场。)”可知，该句将语言比作“心灵的游乐场”，强调了语言具有创造性和趣味性的一面。故选C项。 2．细节理解题。根据第二段中的“Homographic puns use words that are spelled the same but have different meanings and sometimes different pronunciations (同形双关语使用拼写相同但含义不同、有时发音也不同的词)”可知，选项C中“flies”拼写相同，既可以表示“飞行”（动词，对应“Time flies”，意为“时光飞逝”），也可以表示“苍蝇”（名词，对应“fruit flies”，意为“果蝇”），属于同形双关语。故选C项。 3．细节理解题。根据第四段中的“During the Victorian Era, strict social norms promoted the use of puns, as they allowed people to comment on issues subtly while avoiding directness. (在维多利亚时代，严格的社会规范促使双关语的使用，因为它们让人们能够巧妙地评论问题，同时避免直接表达。)”可知，维多利亚时代人们使用双关语的主要目的是间接表达观点。故选B项。 4．主旨大意题。根据最后一段中的“People’s opinions of puns have changed throughout history. Once seen as a sign of cleverness, puns were sometimes criticized as low-level humor. However, in recent years, they’ve regained popularity (纵观历史，人们对双关语的看法一直在变化。双关语曾被视为聪明的标志，有时却被批评为低级幽默。然而，近年来它们又重新流行起来)”可知，该段主要讲述了双关语受欢迎程度的兴衰变化。故选A项。 Americans use many expressions with the word dog. People in the United States love their dogs and treat them well. They take their dogs for walks, let them play outside and give them good food and medical care. However, dogs without owners to care for them lead a different kind of life. The expression, to lead a dog’s life, describes a person who has an unhappy life. Some people say we live in a dog-eat-dog world. That means many people are competing for the same things, like good jobs. They say that to be successful, a person has to work like a dog. The hard work can make people dog-tired. And, the situation would be even worse if they became sick as a dog. Still, people say every dog has its day. This means that every person enjoys a successful period during his or her life. To be successful, people often have to learn new skills. Yet, some people say that you can never teach an old dog new tricks. They believe that older people do not like to learn new things and will not change the way they do things. Husbands and wives use doghouse when they are angry at each other. For example, a woman might get angry at her husband for forgetting their wedding anniversary. She might tell him that he is in the doghouse and treats him badly. However, the husband may decide that it is best to leave things alone and not create more problems. He might decide to let sleeping dogs lie. Dog expressions are also used to describe the weather. The dog days of summer are the hottest days of the year. A rainstorm may cool the weather. But we do not want it to rain too hard. We do not want it to rain cats and dogs. 1．What does the underlined expression “work like a dog” in paragraph 2 mean? A．Work very hard. B．Have an unhappy life. C．Compete for the same things. D．Become successful. 2．If a man experiences a failure at work, what might his wife say to encourage him? A．It will rain cats and dogs. B．Every dog has its day. C．You lead a dog’s life. D．You are in the doghouse. 3．Which of the following has the same meaning as “leave things untouched”? A．Become sick as a dog. B．Teach an old dog new tricks. C．Let sleeping dogs lie. D．Make people dog-tired. 4．What’s the text mainly about? A．Expressions in American culture. B．Dog’s influence on American culture. C．A fun way to learn English. D．Some expressions with the word dog. 【答案】1．A 2．B 3．C 4．D 【导语】这是一篇说明文。本文介绍了美国人使用的一些与“dog”这个单词有关的表达方式，并解释了这些表达方式的含义和用法。 1．词句猜测题。根据上文“Some people say we live in a dog-eat-dog world. That means many people are competing for the same things, like good jobs.They say that to be successful,(有人说，我们生活在一个“弱肉强食”的世界里。意思是很多人都在争夺同样的东西，比如好工作。他们说，要想成功)”和下文“The hard work can make people dog-tired.(这份辛劳会让人“筋疲力尽”。)”可知，他们说，要想成功，就得“拼命工作”。由此可知，work like a dog意为“非常努力工作”。故选A。 2．推理判断题。根据第三段“Still, people say every dog has its day. This means that every person enjoys a successful period during his or her life.(尽管如此，人们还是说每个人都会有成功的时候。这意味着每个人在一生中都会有一段成功的时期。)”可知，如果一个人在工作中失败了，他的妻子可能会说“每个人都会有成功的时候”来鼓励他。故选B。 3．词句猜测题。根据第四段“However, the husband may decide that it is best to leave things alone and not create more problems.(不过，丈夫或许会觉得最好顺其自然，别再引发更多麻烦。)”可知，let sleeping dogs lie意为“别自找麻烦”与“leave things untouched”意思相同。故选C。 4．主旨大意题。根据第一段“Americans use many expressions with the word dog.(美国人使用很多带有‘dog’这个词的表达。)”可知，文章主要介绍了美国人使用的一些与“dog”这个单词有关的表达方式。故选D。 As one of the most widely used languages in the world, Chinese, spoken by about 1.4 billion people, has become much more important around the globe in recent decades. Yet, few people fully understand the difficulties that non-native learners will face when trying to master this language. Unlike many alphabetic languages, Chinese has a unique writing system. It uses characters instead of letters, and each character carries its own meaning and pronunciation. This makes its vocabulary rich but also brings challenges. For example, characters like “辩 (argue)” and “辨 (distinguish)” share the same part “辛” and look almost identical at first sight, differing only in middle parts (‘讠’ and ‘忄’). Telling them apart correctly is even hard for learners who have studied Chinese for years. Chinese’s tonal system is another big and well-known challenge for learners. It has four basic tones, and even a tiny change can completely change a word’s meaning. Take “shi” for example: when read with the first tone (shi), it means “poetry”; with the second tone (shi), it stands for “stone”; with the third tone (shi), it refers to “to cause”; with the fourth tone (shi), it can mean “matter” or “event”. If a tone is mispronounced, it will lead to misunderstandings in daily interactions, so learners need lots of repeated listening and speaking practice to get them right. Mastering Chinese isn’t just about memorizing characters and tones, it also needs a good understanding of Chinese culture behind the language. The traditional greeting “Ni chi le ma? (Have you eaten?)”, which isn’t a literal question about whether someone has had a meal. Instead, it’s a warm way to show care for others. Learners who fail to recognize this cultural meaning may either respond literally (e.g., “Yes, I had noodles.”) or misinterpret it as an invitation to eat, resulting in awkward communication gaps that hinder genuine social connection. In short, learning Chinese well comes with many difficulties, as Chinese is more than just a tool for communication, it’s a key to understanding the rich culture of China. 1．Why are characters “辩” and “辨” tough for learners? A．They have no fixed meanings. B．They look similar to each other. C．Their pronunciation is easy to mix up. D．Their spelling is too complex to memorize. 2．What might happen when a tone is mispronounced? A．A new tone may come out. B．The listener may get surprised. C．The speaker may feel awkward. D．Improper messages may be delivered. 3．What does the underlined word “hinder” in paragraph 4 mean? A．Block. B．ignore. C．Deepen. D．Develop. 4．What can be a suitable title for the text? A．Ways to Master Chinese Characters B．Cultural Context in Chinese Greetings C．Challenges in the Course of Learning Chinese D．Difficulties in Tonal Pronunciation of Chinese 【答案】1．B 2．D 3．A 4．C 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要阐述了非中文母语学习者学汉语时面临的多重挑战。 1．细节理解题。根据第二段中的“For example, characters like ‘辩 (argue)’ and ‘辨 (distinguish)’ share the same part ‘辛’ and look almost identical at first sight, differing only in middle parts (‘讠’ and ‘忄’). Telling them apart correctly is even hard for learners who have studied Chinese for years.(例如，像‘辩（争论）’和‘辨（辨别）’这样的汉字有相同的部分‘辛’，乍一看几乎一模一样，只有中间部分（‘讠’和‘忄’）不同。即使是学了多年汉语的学习者也很难正确区分它们。)”可知，这两个汉字对学习者来说很难是因为它们看起来很相似。故选B项。 2．细节理解题。根据第三段中的“If a tone is mispronounced, it will lead to misunderstandings in daily interactions, so learners need lots of repeated listening and speaking practice to get them right.(如果声调发音错误，会导致日常交流中的误解，所以学习者需要大量的重复听和说的练习来正确发音。)”可知，当声调发音错误时，可能会传递错误的信息。故选D项。 3．词句猜测题。根据第四段中的“Learners who fail to recognize this cultural meaning may either respond literally (e.g., ‘Yes, I had noodles.’) or misinterpret it as an invitation to eat, resulting in awkward communication gaps that hinder genuine social connection.(未能认识到这种文化意义的学习者可能会直译回答（例如，‘是的，我吃了面条。’)或将其误解为邀请吃饭，导致尴尬的交流障碍，hinder真正的社交联系。)”可知，未能认识到这种文化意义会导致尴尬的交流障碍，从而影响真正的社交联系，所以hinder意为“阻碍，阻止”，与block意思一致。故选A项。 4．主旨大意题。通读全文，结合第一段中的“Yet, few people fully understand the difficulties that non-native learners will face when trying to master this language.(然而，很少有人完全理解非母语学习者在试图掌握这门语言时将面临的困难。)”可知，文章主要介绍了学习汉语过程中面临的诸多困难，包括独特的汉字书写系统、声调系统以及背后的文化理解等方面。由此可知，C项（学习汉语过程中的挑战）是文章最佳标题。故选C项。 重难语篇提升练 Past research has shown that children who grew up bilingual (双语的) have enhanced sensitivities to communicative cues (提示) and are more capable of understanding a speaker’s context and intent. An area that had yet to be explored was the role of bilingualism in a child’s ability to assess communicative hints along with the speaker’s context and intent. Associate Professor Yow Wei Quin from the Singapore University of Technology and Design addressed this gap by investigating how children with varying language backgrounds consider context when evaluating a speaker’s reliability in communicative cues. The participating children, aged between three and five, were tasked with finding a sticker hidden in one of two boxes, which were either transparent or partially covered. An informant was present to aid them by giving accurate or inaccurate cues to the whereabouts of the sticker. Yow found that children with greater language diversity were more sensitive to contextual factors when assessing the informant’s reliability than those with less language diversity. When the informant had visual access to information, these children would selectively trust the informant if he or she had previously provided accurate cues ,but not when he or she provided inaccurate cues in the past. On the other hand, if the children chalked the informant’s former inaccuracy up to the lack of visual access to information, they showed comparable trust towards both accurate and inaccurate informant. “The advantages of bilingualism in children’s social-cognitive (社会认知的) development likely result from a greater communicative flexibility that the children have acquired in order to interact socially with people from different language and cultural backgrounds,” Yow explained. Through this research, Yow aims to develop ideas on ways to accept language diversity. Her next step is to extend her research to the role of multilingualism in children’s development and the impact of language diversity in adulthood. Her team is evaluating how bilingual experiences promote cognitive and brain plasticity, believing that these new insights can help humans make use of the advantages of language diversity for personal growth and social unity. 1．Which aspect of bilingual children did Yow’s research focus on? A．Their multicultural awareness. B．The role of their bilingualism in information assessment. C．The level of their language proficiency. D．Their communicative competence. 2．What were the bilingual children asked to do in the research? A．Seek help from the informants. B．Provide visual information. C．Locate a hidden object. D．Pick the right box from the two. 3．How did the bilingual children complete their task? A．By talking with their companions. B．By using their bilingual knowledge. C．By asking the informant’s questions. D．By considering contextual factors. 4．What will Yow’s follow-up research focus on? A．Advantages of multilingualism. B．Social impacts of bilingual experience. C．Promotion of bilingual education. D．Cultural significance of language diversity. 【答案】1．B 2．C 3．D 4．A 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍了新加坡科技设计大学的Yow Wei Quin副教授针对双语儿童展开的研究。 1．细节理解题。根据第一段中的“An area that had yet to be explored was the role of bilingualism in a child’s ability to assess communicative hints along with the speaker’s context and intent. Associate Professor Yow Wei Quin from the Singapore University of Technology and Design addressed this gap by investigating how children with varying language backgrounds consider context when evaluating a speaker’s reliability in communicative cues.(有待探索的一个领域是双语能力在儿童结合说话者的语境和意图评估交流提示能力中所扮演的角色。新加坡科技设计大学的Yow Wei Quin副教授通过研究不同语言背景的儿童在评估说话者交流提示可信度时如何考量语境，填补了这一研究空白。)”可知，Yow的研究聚焦于双语能力在儿童信息评估（评估交流提示、判断说话者可信度）中的作用。故选B项。 2．细节理解题。根据第二段中的“The participating children, aged between three and five, were tasked with finding a sticker hidden in one of two boxes, which were either transparent or partially covered.(参与研究的儿童年龄在3至5岁之间，他们的任务是找到藏在两个盒子中的一个里的贴纸，这些要么是透明的，要么是部分被遮盖的。)”可知，参与研究的双语儿童被要求找到藏在盒子里的贴纸，即，定位隐藏的物品。故选C项。 3．细节理解题。根据第三段中的“Yow found that children with greater language diversity were more sensitive to contextual factors when assessing the informant’s reliability than those with less language diversity.(Yow发现，语言多样性程度更高的儿童在评估信息提供者的可信度时，比语言多样性程度较低的儿童对语境因素更敏感。)”可知，双语儿童通过考虑语境因素来完成寻找贴纸的任务，他们会依据语境判断信息提供者的可信度。故选D项。 4．细节理解题。根据第五段中的“Her next step is to extend her research to the role of multilingualism in children’s development and the impact of language diversity in adulthood.(她的下一步计划是将研究扩展到多语能力在儿童发展中的作用以及语言多样性在成年后的影响。)”可知，Yow后续研究将聚焦于多语能力在儿童发展中的作用和对成年后的积极影响，即，多语能力的优势。故选A项。 Lots of papers have been published on the advantages of bilingualism (双语制). Beyond the conversational doors it can open, bilingualism is supposed to improve the ability to ignore distractions, plan complex tasks and update beliefs as new information arrives. Most strikingly, numerous studies have even shown that bilinguals develop a later dementia (痴呆), perhaps of around four years, on average. A study from 2019 showed that bilingualism does mitigate age-related decline. The biggest benefits seem to come to those who master their second languages fully. Switching languages frequently in the course of a day may be particularly important. A bit of university French does not, unfortunately, convey the same advantages as deep knowledge and long experience. Studies of interpreters and translators have provided some of the strongest evidence for a bilingual advantage. For example, they are faster at jumping back and forth between simple addition and subtraction problems than monolinguals, suggesting generally better cognitive (认知) control. Studies have found striking evidence that in poorer parts of the world multilingual people show the strongest advantages from speaking several languages. Where schooling is limited, researchers assumed that bilingualism exercises children’s brains in a way that their schooling may not. Age plays a role, too. Studies suggest that the effects of languages on the brain are stronger for young children and the old than they are for young adults. One meta-analysis on the topic revealed that 25 studies out of 45 found a bilingual advantage in children younger than six, while only 17 found them in children aged 6-12. But all these studies take for granted the mental superpower that you get from language study: being able to talk to people you could not have spoken to, or understood, otherwise. Even if you cannot be fluent from infancy (幼儿), that should be more than enough reason to give it a go. 1．What does the underlined word“ mitigate” most likely mean in paragraph 1? A．Speed. B．Worse. C．Reduce. D．Ignore. 2．Who will most likely show a strong bilingual advantage? A．A translator who uses two languages in everyday life. B．A professor who reads academic papers in another language. C．A social media influencer who occasionally uses foreign phrases. D．A tourist who can manage basic conversations in a second language. 3．What can be inferred about the “bilingual advantage” from the text? A．It’s only determined by the number of involved languages. B．It’s strongest for those with higher education. C．It’s limited for children living in poor areas. D．It’s obvious in young kids and seniors. 4．What is the main idea of the text? A．The cognitive benefits of bilingualism are consistent and universal. B．Bilingualism provides cognitive advantages that vary in strength. C．Mastering multiple languages is the key to preventing dementia. D．The value of bilingualism lies in enhanced social communication. 【答案】1．C 2．A 3．D 4．B 【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章介绍了双语能力带来的认知优势，同时说明该优势的强弱会受语言掌握程度、所处环境、年龄等因素影响，最后强调即使不从小精通，学习第二语言也有重要价值。 1．词义猜测题。根据上文“Most strikingly, numerous studies have even shown that bilinguals develop a later dementia, perhaps of around four years, on average(最值得关注的是，多项研究均表明，双语使用者患上痴呆症的时间平均会推迟约四年。)”可知，双语制可以延缓痴呆症的发病，即减少与年龄相关的衰退，所以mitigate在此处意为“减少”。故选C。 2．细节理解题。根据第二段“Studies of interpreters and translators have provided some of the strongest evidence for a bilingual advantage.(对口译员和笔译员的研究为双语优势提供了一些最有力的证据。)”可知，在日常生活中使用两种语言的翻译人员最有可能表现出强大的双语优势。故选A。 3．推理判断题。根据第四段“Studies suggest that the effects of languages on the brain are stronger for young children and the old than they are for young adults.(研究表明，语言对大脑的影响在幼儿和老年人中比在年轻人中更强。)”可知，双语优势在幼儿和老年人中很明显。故选D。 4．主旨大意题。首段是主旨段，根据“Lots of papers have been published on the advantages of bilingualism. Beyond the conversational doors it can open, bilingualism is supposed to improve the ability to ignore distractions, plan complex tasks and update beliefs as new information arrives. Most strikingly, numerous studies have even shown that bilinguals develop a later dementia, perhaps of around four years, on average. A study from 2019 showed that bilingualism does mitigate age-related decline.(许多论文都发表了关于双语能力优势的研究。除了能够打开对话交流的大门之外，双语能力还被认为可以提高忽略干扰、规划复杂任务以及在新信息出现时更新认知的能力。最引人注目的是，大量研究甚至表明，双语者患痴呆症的时间平均会推迟大约四年。2019 年的一项研究表明，双语能力确实能缓解与年龄相关的衰退)”可知，本文阐述了双语能力能带来认知优势。后文围绕它展开论述，但这种优势并非统一不变：先指出“完全掌握第二语言、频繁切换语言”的人能获得最大优势，再说明贫困地区的多语者优势更显著，最后通过研究数据证实“幼儿和老年人的双语优势强于年轻人”，清晰呈现优势强度受“语言掌握程度、所处环境、年龄”等因素影响的差异特征，选项B(双语能力能带来认知优势，但优势强度存在差异)与分析相吻合。故选B。 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $ Unit 5 Languages Around the World 单元话题阅读理解 Unit 5 Languages Around the World单元话题：语言 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 When I mentioned to some friends that we all have accents (口音), most of them proudly replied. “Well, I speak perfect English/Chinese/etc.” But this kind of response makes me fail to understand the true meaning of accents. Usually, what we mean when we say someone “has an accent” is that their accent is different from the local one, or that pronunciations are different from our own. But this explanation of accents is narrow and could give rise to misunderstanding. Funnily enough, as far as the language study is concerned, every person speaks with an accent. It is the regular differences in how we produce sounds that shape our accents. Even if you don’t hear it yourself, you speak with some sort of accent. In this sense, it’s meaningless to point out that someone “has an accent”. We all do! Every person speaks a dialect (方言), too. In the field of language study, a dialect refers to a language that is characterized by its changes of structure, phrases and words. For example, “You got eat or not?” (meaning “Have you eaten?”) is an acceptable and understood question in Singapore Oral English. The fact that this expression would cause standard American English speaker to take pause doesn’t mean that Singapore Oral English is “wrong” or “ungrammatical”. The sentence is well-formed and clearly communicative, according to native Singapore English speakers’ solid system of grammar. Why should it be wrong just because it’s different? We need to move beyond a narrow explanation of accents and dialects — for the benefit of everyone. Language differences like these provide deep understandings into people’s cultural experiences and backgrounds. In a global age, the way one speaks is clearly a part of who he is. Most people would be happy to talk about the cultures behind their speech. We’d learn more about the world we live in and make friends along the way. 1．What can be inferred about the author’s opinion towards people who say they speak “perfect English”? A．They are right to be proud of their language skills. B．They are most likely language teachers. C．They should try harder to copy the local accent. D．They may misunderstand the nature of accents. 2．According to the article, the Singapore English expression “You got eat or not?” is: A．Grammatically well-formed within its own system. B．Considered incorrect by its speakers. C．Directly borrowed from American English. D．Confusing to all native English speakers. 3．How does the author develop his idea in Paragraph 3? A．Following time order. B．Giving examples. C．Listing figures. D．Explaining causes. 4．Where is this passage most likely taken from? A．A grammar textbook. B．A language learning magazine. C．An English novel. D．A travel brochure. Year-12 student Noah Little has already sat his first Chinese-speaking exam and said it was “the easiest exam I’ve ever done”. That view is not surprising given the Wagga High School student loves language — so much so he has built a Chinese translation app. Noah said his love of language was encouraged by his community. “Wagga is a place full of people from different cultures, and sometimes when I meet new people who have trouble speaking English I like to talk to them in their own language,” he said. “I also have a few Chinese friends so I think it will be cool to talk to them in their language.” The 17-year-old started teaching himself Chinese around five years ago, before taking distance education classes at the start of Year 11. His language ability was also useful in his part-time job at a local Chinese restaurant, where he translated orders for the cooks and customers. Noah said he also had a basic knowledge of seven other languages. It was while teaching himself that Noah got the idea of the translation tool. “I decided to make my own app because there weren’t many around — all the other apps were full of advertisements (广告) and the translation feature (功能) wasn’t powerful enough,” he said. His app also includes a word of the day feature, lessons on how to write Chinese characters (汉字) and a news feed of important Chinese news. He said learning computer programming to build the app had been like studying another language. With the end of school around the corner, Noah said he would like to pursue (追求) both his interests in computer programming and languages. “I’m planning to work for a year and save so I can go on to university as I really want to make a career (事业) out of one of these two topics.” 1．What do we know about Noah? A．He failed his first Chinese exam. B．He began to learn Chinese at 11. C．He gets a lot from learning Chinese. D．He likes teaching Chinese to people. 2．What are included in Noah’s app? A．Advertisements. B．Ways of writing Chinese characters. C．Pieces of world news. D．Suggestions for memorizing words. 3．What has Noah decided to do shortly after high school graduation? A．Attend university. B．Look for a job. C．Develop a new app. D．Learn more languages. 4．Which of the following can best describe Noah? A．Creative and curious. B．Courageous and caring. C．Humorous and honest. D．Warm-hearted and responsible. Do you often use the words “tapestry”, “delve” or “testament” in English? Many of us would say no. These words aren’t among the “Top 500 spoken words” — a list of the most common English words. However, these words are becoming more common in some written content, as a study in 2024 found that five percent of all articles published on a research site used the word “delve.” In 2022, it was less than one percent. Since ChatGPT was released to the public in November 2022, we’ve seen that artificial intelligence (AI) favors certain words. Why does ChatGPT prefer these words? The answer is actually very human. While ChatGPT seems to think for itself, what it really does is analyze a very large amount of human-generated information, and use the data to spit out answers to our enquiry (询问). It doesn’t actually understand what it’s telling us. The process of rating AI responses, as part of training the software, is called “reinforcement (强化) learning from human feedback”, and this provides the first clue about why ChatGPT favors certain word. It’s not cheap to employ a lot of testers to rate thousands of responses from AI. So, big companies outsource these jobs to lower-income countries, often places where English is not the first language. One such country that offers cheap labor is Nigeria, and in Nigerian English, “delve” is a common word in professional settings. So, when Nigerian testers tell AI which responses sound natural, their own linguistic preferences come through. As AI-generated content becomes more common, will it also affect the way we speak to each other? In some ways, AI has already left its mark. Of course, language is a living thing, often affected by current events and by new technology. The point is that language is always updating itself, and how we use language is affected by the people we talk to and by the media we consume. As AI-generated media spread, it is possible, even likely that AI will affect the development of our own vocabulary. 1．Why does the author mention the words we don’t often use? A．To raise readers’ interest in language change. B．To remind readers of AI’s threat to language. C．To show the varieties of language. D．To introduce a study in language development. 2．What does the underlined sentence mean? A．AI’s answers are directly written by humans. B．AI is specially designed to think like humans. C．AI understands human language independently. D．AI depends on human to develop its language. 3．Why does AI favor certain uncommon words? A．Spoken English has been used to train AI. B．AI tries to have impact on human language. C．Non-native English speakers work as AI trainers. D．Companies develop strange language models. 4．Which statement will the author probably agree with? A．Language pushes the development of AI-generated media. B．New technology reduces the number of English words. C．AI plays an important role in language development. D．The use of uncommon words makes communication harder. Do you often use the words “tapestry”, “delve” or “testament” in English? Many of us would say no. These words aren’t among the “Top 500 spoken words” — a list of the most common English words. However, these words are becoming more common in some written content, as a study in 2024 found that five percent of all articles published on a research site used the word “delve”. In 2022, it was less than one percent. Since ChatGPT was released to the public in November 2022, we’ve seen that AI favors certain words. Why does ChatGPT prefer these words? The answer is actually very human. While ChatGPT seems to think for itself, what it really does is analyze a very large amount of human-generated (人工生成的) information, and use the data to spit out answers to our questions. It doesn’t actually understand what it’s telling us. The process of rating AI responses, as part of training the software, is called “reinforcement(强化)learning from human feedback,” and this provides the first clue about why ChatGPT favors certain words. The answer lies in the background of the human trainers themselves. It’s not cheap to employ a lot of testers to rate thousands of responses from AI. So, big companies hire lower-income countries to do these jobs, often places where English is not the first language. One such country that offers cheap labor is Nigeria, and in Nigerian English, “delve” is a common word in professional settings. So, when Nigerian testers tell AI which responses sound natural, their own language preferences come through. As AI-generated information becomes more common, will it also affect the way we speak to each other? In some ways, AI has already left its mark. Of course, language is a living thing that always updates itself, shaped by current events, technology, and the media we use. As AI-generated media spreads, it is possible, even likely that AI will affect the development of our own vocabulary. 1．What does the underlined sentence mean? A．AI’s answers are directly written by humans. B．AI is specially designed to think like humans. C．AI depends on humans to develop its language. D．AI understands human language independently. 2．Why does AI favor certain uncommon words? A．Spoken English has been used to train AI. B．AI tries to have impact on human language. C．Companies develop strange language models. D．Non-native English speakers work as AI trainers. 3．Which statement does the last paragraph support? A．AI plays an important role in language development. B．New technology reduces the number of English words. C．Language pushes the development of AI-generated media. D．The use of uncommon words makes communication harder. 4．Which of the following is the best title for the passage? A．Will ChatGPT Target a New Market? B．Will AI Change the Way We Speak? C．Reinforcement Learning: Key to AI’s Power D．Uncommon English Words: Usage in Daily Life Learning multiple (多个的) languages simultaneously (同时) might seem like a difficult task, but it is entirely achievable. In fact, your brain is good at dealing with the challenge. When you study multiple languages simultaneously, your brain creates separate networks for each language while also building connections between similar language features. This means you’re not just memorizing words; you’re developing different yet interconnected language systems. This process is particularly effective (有效) when learning related languages. For example, if you’re studying Spanish, picking up Italian or Portuguese at the same time can actually quicken your learning, as these Romance languages share similar grammatical structures and vocabulary. Research supports the idea that learning multiple languages simultaneously can be beneficial. A study of Persian speakers learning both French and English found that studying two languages simultaneously did not slow them down. In fact, it enhanced students’ understanding of each language, suggesting that our brains might benefit from learning multiple languages at the same time. However, it’s important to consider the ideal number of languages to learn at the same time. Researchers find that two to three languages is a manageable range (范围), depending on how much time you have and how hard you work. If you can spend 1-3 hours a day on language learning, studying two languages means each gets an hour of focused attention. Add a third language, and you’re down to 40 minutes per language. Any more than that, and you risk spreading yourself too thin to make real progress. When choosing languages to study simultaneously, it’s helpful to consider languages that go well together or are very different. For instance, you might pair Spanish with Italian, as they share Latin roots and similar grammar, or choose contrasting languages like Spanish and Japanese on purpose, where the clear differences help prevent confusion. By carefully managing your time and choosing languages that either go well together or differ from each other, you can effectively learn multiple languages at the same time without tiring yourself out. 1．What point is the example in paragraph 2 used to prove? A．Different languages have similar grammatical rules. B．Learning multiple languages is like remembering words. C．Similar words in different languages are easy to learn. D．The brain can manage different languages at the same time. 2．What does the underlined word “enhanced” mean in paragraph 3? A．Improved. B．Weakened. C．Compared. D．Recorded. 3．According to the finding, learning 2 to 3 languages simultaneously is a good choice depending on ________. A．age groups B．language types C．learners’ time and effort D．learners’ ability of understanding 4．What’s the advice on choosing multiple languages to study in the last paragraph? A．Limiting the number of them. B．Focusing on your own interest. C．Weighing their worldwide influences. D．Considering their differences and similarities. Language is not just a tool for communication; it’s also a playground for the mind. English, in particular, is noted for its rich vocabulary and influence from many different languages, which provides a great basis for creativity and humor. One example of this is the use of puns (双关语) the clever or humorous use of a word that has more than one meaning, or of words that have different meanings but sound the same. Puns can be categorized (分类) into different types, Homophonic puns rely on word pairs that sound alike but have different meanings, like “A bicycle can’t stand on its own because it’s two-tired.” Homographic puns use words that are spelled the same but have different meanings and sometimes different pronunciations, for example, “I can’t bear the weight of that bear.” Compound puns often combine homophonic and homographic elements, creating even more complex wordplay, for example, “I was struggling to figure out how lightning works, but then it struck me.” The history of puns in English literature and culture is rich and interesting. Following their development shows how language, culture, and humor have changed over time. Puns have been a part of English literature from the early days, appearing in medieval (中世纪的) texts and Shakespeare’s plays, often used for humor or to show double meanings. During the Victorian Era, strict social norms promoted the use of puns, as they allowed people to comment on issues subtly (巧妙地) while avoiding directness. Today, puns are widely used in advertising, television, and social media, reflecting how English wordplay adapts to different contexts and media. People’s opinions of puns have changed throughout history. Once seen as a sign of cleverness, puns were sometimes criticized (批评) as low-level humor. However, in recent years, they’ve regained popularity, largely because of the Internet and social media, which allow for quick sharing and creativity in pun-based humor. 1．What does the first sentence in paragraph 1 mainly show? A．The development of language over time. B．The difficulty of learning a new language. C．The creative and playful aspect of language. D．The different functions of language in daily life. 2．Which of the following contains a homographic pun? A．You can call a bee from America a USB． B．Six is afraid of seven because seven ate nine. C．Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana. D．I only know 25 letters of the alphabet; I don’t know Y. 3．What was the major purpose of using puns in the Victorian Era? A．To break social rules. B．To express ideas indirectly. C．To spread different opinions. D．To make communication easier. 4．What is the last paragraph mainly about? A．The rise and fall of the popularity of puns. B．The new changes of language in recent years. C．The relationship between language and society. D．The influence of social media on modern humor. Americans use many expressions with the word dog. People in the United States love their dogs and treat them well. They take their dogs for walks, let them play outside and give them good food and medical care. However, dogs without owners to care for them lead a different kind of life. The expression, to lead a dog’s life, describes a person who has an unhappy life. Some people say we live in a dog-eat-dog world. That means many people are competing for the same things, like good jobs. They say that to be successful, a person has to work like a dog. The hard work can make people dog-tired. And, the situation would be even worse if they became sick as a dog. Still, people say every dog has its day. This means that every person enjoys a successful period during his or her life. To be successful, people often have to learn new skills. Yet, some people say that you can never teach an old dog new tricks. They believe that older people do not like to learn new things and will not change the way they do things. Husbands and wives use doghouse when they are angry at each other. For example, a woman might get angry at her husband for forgetting their wedding anniversary. She might tell him that he is in the doghouse and treats him badly. However, the husband may decide that it is best to leave things alone and not create more problems. He might decide to let sleeping dogs lie. Dog expressions are also used to describe the weather. The dog days of summer are the hottest days of the year. A rainstorm may cool the weather. But we do not want it to rain too hard. We do not want it to rain cats and dogs. 1．What does the underlined expression “work like a dog” in paragraph 2 mean? A．Work very hard. B．Have an unhappy life. C．Compete for the same things. D．Become successful. 2．If a man experiences a failure at work, what might his wife say to encourage him? A．It will rain cats and dogs. B．Every dog has its day. C．You lead a dog’s life. D．You are in the doghouse. 3．Which of the following has the same meaning as “leave things untouched”? A．Become sick as a dog. B．Teach an old dog new tricks. C．Let sleeping dogs lie. D．Make people dog-tired. 4．What’s the text mainly about? A．Expressions in American culture. B．Dog’s influence on American culture. C．A fun way to learn English. D．Some expressions with the word dog. As one of the most widely used languages in the world, Chinese, spoken by about 1.4 billion people, has become much more important around the globe in recent decades. Yet, few people fully understand the difficulties that non-native learners will face when trying to master this language. Unlike many alphabetic languages, Chinese has a unique writing system. It uses characters instead of letters, and each character carries its own meaning and pronunciation. This makes its vocabulary rich but also brings challenges. For example, characters like “辩 (argue)” and “辨 (distinguish)” share the same part “辛” and look almost identical at first sight, differing only in middle parts (‘讠’ and ‘忄’). Telling them apart correctly is even hard for learners who have studied Chinese for years. Chinese’s tonal system is another big and well-known challenge for learners. It has four basic tones, and even a tiny change can completely change a word’s meaning. Take “shi” for example: when read with the first tone (shi), it means “poetry”; with the second tone (shi), it stands for “stone”; with the third tone (shi), it refers to “to cause”; with the fourth tone (shi), it can mean “matter” or “event”. If a tone is mispronounced, it will lead to misunderstandings in daily interactions, so learners need lots of repeated listening and speaking practice to get them right. Mastering Chinese isn’t just about memorizing characters and tones, it also needs a good understanding of Chinese culture behind the language. The traditional greeting “Ni chi le ma? (Have you eaten?)”, which isn’t a literal question about whether someone has had a meal. Instead, it’s a warm way to show care for others. Learners who fail to recognize this cultural meaning may either respond literally (e.g., “Yes, I had noodles.”) or misinterpret it as an invitation to eat, resulting in awkward communication gaps that hinder genuine social connection. In short, learning Chinese well comes with many difficulties, as Chinese is more than just a tool for communication, it’s a key to understanding the rich culture of China. 1．Why are characters “辩” and “辨” tough for learners? A．They have no fixed meanings. B．They look similar to each other. C．Their pronunciation is easy to mix up. D．Their spelling is too complex to memorize. 2．What might happen when a tone is mispronounced? A．A new tone may come out. B．The listener may get surprised. C．The speaker may feel awkward. D．Improper messages may be delivered. 3．What does the underlined word “hinder” in paragraph 4 mean? A．Block. B．ignore. C．Deepen. D．Develop. 4．What can be a suitable title for the text? A．Ways to Master Chinese Characters B．Cultural Context in Chinese Greetings C．Challenges in the Course of Learning Chinese D．Difficulties in Tonal Pronunciation of Chinese 重难语篇提升练 Past research has shown that children who grew up bilingual (双语的) have enhanced sensitivities to communicative cues (提示) and are more capable of understanding a speaker’s context and intent. An area that had yet to be explored was the role of bilingualism in a child’s ability to assess communicative hints along with the speaker’s context and intent. Associate Professor Yow Wei Quin from the Singapore University of Technology and Design addressed this gap by investigating how children with varying language backgrounds consider context when evaluating a speaker’s reliability in communicative cues. The participating children, aged between three and five, were tasked with finding a sticker hidden in one of two boxes, which were either transparent or partially covered. An informant was present to aid them by giving accurate or inaccurate cues to the whereabouts of the sticker. Yow found that children with greater language diversity were more sensitive to contextual factors when assessing the informant’s reliability than those with less language diversity. When the informant had visual access to information, these children would selectively trust the informant if he or she had previously provided accurate cues ,but not when he or she provided inaccurate cues in the past. On the other hand, if the children chalked the informant’s former inaccuracy up to the lack of visual access to information, they showed comparable trust towards both accurate and inaccurate informant. “The advantages of bilingualism in children’s social-cognitive (社会认知的) development likely result from a greater communicative flexibility that the children have acquired in order to interact socially with people from different language and cultural backgrounds,” Yow explained. Through this research, Yow aims to develop ideas on ways to accept language diversity. Her next step is to extend her research to the role of multilingualism in children’s development and the impact of language diversity in adulthood. Her team is evaluating how bilingual experiences promote cognitive and brain plasticity, believing that these new insights can help humans make use of the advantages of language diversity for personal growth and social unity. 1．Which aspect of bilingual children did Yow’s research focus on? A．Their multicultural awareness. B．The role of their bilingualism in information assessment. C．The level of their language proficiency. D．Their communicative competence. 2．What were the bilingual children asked to do in the research? A．Seek help from the informants. B．Provide visual information. C．Locate a hidden object. D．Pick the right box from the two. 3．How did the bilingual children complete their task? A．By talking with their companions. B．By using their bilingual knowledge. C．By asking the informant’s questions. D．By considering contextual factors. 4．What will Yow’s follow-up research focus on? A．Advantages of multilingualism. B．Social impacts of bilingual experience. C．Promotion of bilingual education. D．Cultural significance of language diversity. Lots of papers have been published on the advantages of bilingualism (双语制). Beyond the conversational doors it can open, bilingualism is supposed to improve the ability to ignore distractions, plan complex tasks and update beliefs as new information arrives. Most strikingly, numerous studies have even shown that bilinguals develop a later dementia (痴呆), perhaps of around four years, on average. A study from 2019 showed that bilingualism does mitigate age-related decline. The biggest benefits seem to come to those who master their second languages fully. Switching languages frequently in the course of a day may be particularly important. A bit of university French does not, unfortunately, convey the same advantages as deep knowledge and long experience. Studies of interpreters and translators have provided some of the strongest evidence for a bilingual advantage. For example, they are faster at jumping back and forth between simple addition and subtraction problems than monolinguals, suggesting generally better cognitive (认知) control. Studies have found striking evidence that in poorer parts of the world multilingual people show the strongest advantages from speaking several languages. Where schooling is limited, researchers assumed that bilingualism exercises children’s brains in a way that their schooling may not. Age plays a role, too. Studies suggest that the effects of languages on the brain are stronger for young children and the old than they are for young adults. One meta-analysis on the topic revealed that 25 studies out of 45 found a bilingual advantage in children younger than six, while only 17 found them in children aged 6-12. But all these studies take for granted the mental superpower that you get from language study: being able to talk to people you could not have spoken to, or understood, otherwise. Even if you cannot be fluent from infancy (幼儿), that should be more than enough reason to give it a go. 1．What does the underlined word“ mitigate” most likely mean in paragraph 1? A．Speed. B．Worse. C．Reduce. D．Ignore. 2．Who will most likely show a strong bilingual advantage? A．A translator who uses two languages in everyday life. B．A professor who reads academic papers in another language. C．A social media influencer who occasionally uses foreign phrases. D．A tourist who can manage basic conversations in a second language. 3．What can be inferred about the “bilingual advantage” from the text? A．It’s only determined by the number of involved languages. B．It’s strongest for those with higher education. C．It’s limited for children living in poor areas. D．It’s obvious in young kids and seniors. 4．What is the main idea of the text? A．The cognitive benefits of bilingualism are consistent and universal. B．Bilingualism provides cognitive advantages that vary in strength. C．Mastering multiple languages is the key to preventing dementia. D．The value of bilingualism lies in enhanced social communication. 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $