Unit 2 Bridging Cultures单元话题阅读理解练习-2025-2026学年高二英语人教版选择性必修第二册

Unit 2 Bridging Cultures 单元话题阅读理解练习 Unit 2 Bridging Cultures单元话题：文化沟通 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 Go on an Environmental Field Trip While outdoor field studies can happen throughout the year we hope this month’s “Growing Healthy Schools” theme inspires you to plan something special that will connect your students to the world around them. Below are some recommendations on activities and projects: Explore Your neighborhood See the environmental features of the District’s neighborhoods through the eyes of a landscape architect by going on a self-guided walking tour developed by the American Society of Landscape architects (ASLA). Get Close to the Anacostia River Take your students on the water by going on a field experience with Anacostia Watershed Society, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, or Living Classrooms. Want to stay on land? Try visiting Kingman Island or Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens to see amazing wildlife habitat along the river that runs through the District. Discover Environmental exhibits at Museums Here are some ideas of museum exhibits and programs on the National Mall that can integrate environmental themes: history of food, plants, Native Americans, natural history investigations, and satellite observations. Gone Fishing Want to see the fish, frogs, and turtles that call the District home? Take a tour of the Aquatic Resources Education Center, where you can also schedule a fishing activity for your students. For more information, contact Teresa Rodriguez by emailing Teresa.Rodriguez@ dc.gov. If you would like assistance planning or carrying out any of these projects, please contact Grace Manubay, environmental officer at the Office of the State Superintendent of Education by emailing Grace.Manubay@dc.gov or visiting OSSE’s website. 1．Who is the text most probably written for? A．School teachers. B．School students. C．Wildlife enthusiasts. D．Community volunteers. 2．Which is developed by the ASLA? A．A guided riverboat tour. B．A neighborhood walking tour. C．A National Mall educational tour. D．A natural history investigation tour. 3．What can Teresa Rodriguez help with? A．Arranging a fishing activity. B．Identifying plants in the wild. C．Explaining all of OSSE’s projects. D．Contacting Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. 【答案】1．A 2．B 3．A 【导语】本文是一篇应用文。文章介绍了四种帮助学生接触自然、学习环境知识的户外活动。 1．推理判断题。通读全文可知，文中多次出现“your students (你的学生)”以及“field trip (田野研究)”、“educational tours (教育旅游)”等教学相关词汇，再结合第一段“While outdoor field studies can happen throughout the year we hope this month’s “Growing Healthy Schools” theme inspires you to plan something special that will connect your students to the world around them. (虽然户外田野研究可以在全年进行，我们希望这个月的“发展健康学校”主题启发你计划一些特别的事情，将你的学生与他们周围的世界连接起来。)”可推知，文章的目标受众是能够组织学生户外活动的人，即教师。故选A项。 2．细节理解题。根据Explore Your neighborhood中的“See the environmental features of the District’s neighborhoods through the eyes of a landscape architect by going on a self-guided walking tour developed by the American Society of Landscape architects (ASLA). (通过参加由美国景观设计师协会(ASLA)开发的自助徒步旅行，通过景观设计师的眼睛来了解该地区社区的环境特征。)”可知，ASLA开发了一个社区徒步旅行。故选B项。 3．细节理解题。根据Gone Fishing中的“Take a tour of the Aquatic Resources Education Center, where you can also schedule a fishing activity for your students. For more information, contact Teresa Rodriguez by emailing Teresa.Rodriguez@ dc.gov. (参观一下水产资源教育中心，在那里你还可以为你的学生安排钓鱼活动。欲了解更多信息，请通过电子邮件Teresa.Rodriguez@ dc.gov联系Teresa Rodriguez。)”可知，Teresa Rodriguez可以帮助安排钓鱼活动。故选A项。 America’s State Department places the languages it teaches ambassadors (外交官) into four categories, with estimates of how long they take to learn them ranging from 24 to 88 weeks. What underlies the difficulty of such languages for an English speaker? The first thing many will think of is the different writing system. Indeed none of the State Department’s hardest languages is written with the Latin alphabet (字母表) used by most European languages. Chinese stands out for its difficulty. Arabic is alphabet, with just a couple of dozen letters. Its two complications are that letters change shape depending on where they appear in a word (beginning, middle, end or alone) and that short vowels (元音) are not written. A second way languages can be hard is with sound distinctions that do not exist in the learner’s language. In Hindi, the t-and d-sounds can be retroflex (卷舌音的) or not, making two different letters that can distinguish two different words (moti with a retroflex means “fat, thick” and with a non-retroflex t means “pearl”). The words obviously matter too. Most European languages share an ancestor and so their words, too, often come in related pairs. If you know water in Spanish is agua, it is easy to figure out Italian aqua and English aquatic. Languages unrelated to European ones will lack linguistic (语言的) similarity in vocabulary. Grammar can further complicate foreign language learning. Therefore, the overall hardness of a language can be seen as the sum of the difficulty of its writing system, sounds, words and grammar. These come in different percentages: one professor of Chinese has called it the most difficult language he has ever learned to write and the easiest he has learned to speak. If you want to learn a language just for fun, start with Swedish. If you want to learn an impressive number, stay in Europe. But if you really want to impress, boosting your brain power to master Chinese is the sign of the true linguistic Ironman. 1．What makes writing Arabic difficult for English speakers? A．The variations of its vowels. B．The flexibility of its letters. C．The width of its vocabulary. D．The similarities it bears to Latin. 2．What can we learn about retroflex sounds? A．They are very common in Arabic. B．They differentiate meaning in Hindi. C．They make Hindi vocabulary easy to learn. D．They are unfound in many European languages. 3．Why is the professor mentioned in paragraph 5? A．To recognize his achievements in studying grammar. B．To offer a standard to decide on language complexity. C．To show that language difficulty is multi-dimensional. D．To highlight the high-level difficulty of Chinese. 4．What is the best title for the text? A．Which languages take English users the longest to learn? B．How can Americans learn a foreign language more effectively? C．Which foreign languages are popular with English speakers? D．Why is learning a second language important for ambassadors? 【答案】1．B 2．B 3．C 4．A 【导语】这是一篇说明文。本文主要分析了英语母语者学习不同外语的难度因素，包括书写系统、发音差异、词汇相似性和语法复杂性，并以具体语言（如汉语、阿拉伯语、印地语）为例说明这些难点。 1．细节理解题。根据第二段中“Arabic is alphabet, with just a couple of dozen letters. Its two complications are that letters change shape depending on where they appear in a word (beginning, middle, end or alone) and that short vowels are not written. (阿拉伯语是字母表，只有几十个字母。它的两个复杂之处是，字母的形状会根据它们在单词中的出现位置（开始、中间、结束或单独出现）而变化，并且短元音不会被书写。)”可知，让说英语的人很难写阿拉伯语的原因在于其字母的灵活多变。故选B。 2．细节理解题。根据第三段中“In Hindi, the t-and d-sounds can be retroflex or not, making two different letters that can distinguish two different words (moti with a retroflex means “fat, thick” and with a non-retroflex t means “pearl”). (在印地语中，t和d音可以是卷舌音，也可以不是卷舌音。这两个字母可以区分两个不同的单词（带有卷舌音的moti表示“胖、厚”，而带有非卷舌音t则表示“珍珠”）。)”可知，卷舌音在印地语中能够区分词义。故选B。 3．推理判断题。根据第五段“Grammar can further complicate foreign language learning. Therefore, the overall hardness of a language can be seen as the sum of the difficulty of its writing system, sounds, words and grammar. These come in different percentages: one professor of Chinese has called it the most difficult language he has ever learned to write and the easiest he has learned to speak. (语法会使外语学习更加复杂。因此，语言的整体难度可以看作是其书写系统、发音、单词和语法难度的总和。这些方面在不同语言中占比不同：一位中文教授称其为他学过的最难写的语言，也是他学过最容易说的语言。)”可知，提到教师的例子是为了说明前面提出的观点：语言的整体难度是各个方面难度的总和，说明语言难度是多维度的。故选C。 4．主旨大意题。通读全文内容，且结合第一段“America’s State Department places the languages it teaches ambassadors into four categories, with estimates of how long they take to learn them ranging from 24 to 88 weeks. What underlies the difficulty of such languages for an English speaker? (美国国务院将其教授给外交官的语言分为四类，据估计，学习这些语言所需的时间从24周到88周不等。那么，对于英语使用者来说，这些语言的难度根源何在？)”可知，文章开篇即提出美国国务院将外交官需要学习的语言按难度分为四类，学习时间从24到88周不等，接着从书写系统、发音、词汇和语法四个方面分析了造成语言难度差异的原因，最后给出学习建议。全文核心是在探讨不同语言对英语使用者的学习难度及原因，选项A“哪些语言需要英语用户学习的时间最长？”适合作为文章标题。故选A。 When you are in another country, it is important to know the language, but it is equally important to know how to communicate nonverbally. Before saying anything, people communicate nonverbally by making gestures. According to an investigation (调查), only 30 to 35 percent of our communication is verbal. When people don’t know the language, the most common way to communicate is through gestures. However, many gestures have different meanings, or no meaning at all, in different parts of the world. In the United States, for example, nodding your head up and down means “yes”. In some parts of Greece and Turkey, however, this motion can mean “no”. In southeast Asia, nodding your head is a polite way of saying “I’ve heard you”. In ancient Rome, when the emperor wanted to spare someone’s life, he would put his thumb up. Today in the United States, when someone puts his/her thumb up, it means “Everything is all right.” However, in Sardinia and Greece, the gesture is insulting and should not be used there. In the United States, raising your clasped (握紧的) hands above your head means “I’m the champion” or “I’m the winner”. It is the sign prizefighters make when they win a fight. When a leading Russian statesman (政治家) made his gesture after a White House meeting, Americans misunderstood and thought he meant he was a winner. In Russia, however, it is a sign of friendship. There are other nonverbal signals that people should be aware of when they go to another country, such as the distance to maintain between speakers. Americans stand closer to each other than English people. English people don’t like touching somebody or being touched. Now in America, touch is important. Friends touch each other on the arm, for example. They often put an arm around a friend when they say “hello” or “goodbye”. 1．It is very important to know how to communicate nonverbally when you are in another country because ________. A．most people speak different languages B．people usually make gestures before saying anything C．it’s easy to learn how to express oneself through gestures D．much of our communication is nonverbal on many occasions 2．If a native in Singapore nods his head up and down when you talk to him, his motion means “________”. A．yes B．no C．I’ve heard you D．that’s all right 3．The gesture of putting one’s thumb up shouldn’t be used when you are travelling in ________. A．Greece B．Italy C．the United States D．Southeast Asia 4．When the Russian leader put up his clasped hands after the meeting at the White House ________. A．he meant Russia was the winner B．he was insulting America C．he in fact meant nothing at all D．he made a show of friendship to America 【答案】1．D 2．C 3．A 4．D 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要讲述了在异国他乡了解当地语言很重要，但掌握非语言沟通方式同样关键，而手势等非语言信号在世界不同地区含义差异显著，此外人们还需注意交谈距离等其他非语言信号，避免产生误解。 1．推理判断题。根据文章第一段“According to an investigation (调查), only 30 to 35 percent of our communication is verbal. When people don’t know the language, the most common way to communicate is through gestures.(根据一项调查，我们的交流中只有30%到35%是口头的。当人们不懂语言时，最常见的交流方式是通过手势。)”可知，人们的交流中语言性交流所占比例较少，手势是人们不懂语言时最常见的交流方式；由此可知，当你在另一个国家时，知道如何用非语言交流是非常重要的，因为在很多场合大部分沟通是非语言的。故选D。 2．细节理解题。根据文章第二段“In southeast Asia, nodding your head is a polite way of saying “I’ve heard you”. (在东南亚，点头是一种礼貌的表示“我听到了”的方式。)”可知，在东南亚，点头是礼貌表示“我听到你说的话了”，新加坡属于东南亚国家，因此，如果一个新加坡人在你跟他说话的时候上下点头，他的动作表示“我听到你说话了”。故选C。 3．细节理解题。根据第三段中“Today in the United States, when someone puts his/her thumb up, it means “Everything is all right.” However, in Sardinia and Greece, the gesture is insulting and should not be used there.(今天在美国，当有人竖起大拇指时，意思是“一切都很好”。然而，在撒丁岛和希腊，这个手势是侮辱性的，不应该在那里使用。)”可知，在撒丁岛和希腊竖起大拇指是侮辱性的，结合选项可知，当你在希腊旅行时，不应该使用竖起大拇指的手势。故选A。 4．细节理解题。根据文章第四段“In the United States, raising your clasped (握紧的) hands above your head means “I’m the champion” or “I’m the winner”. It is the sign prizefighters make when they win a fight. When a leading Russian statesman (政治家) made his gesture after a White House meeting, Americans misunderstood and thought he meant he was a winner. In Russia, however, it is a sign of friendship.(在美国，将握紧的双手举过头顶意味着“我是冠军”或“我是赢家”。这是职业拳击手赢得比赛时会做出的手势。一位俄罗斯重要政治家在白宫会议后做出这一手势时，美国人产生了误解，认为他是在表示自己是赢家。但在俄罗斯，这一手势是友谊的象征。)”可知，在俄罗斯将双手高举过头顶是友谊的象征，由此可知，当这位俄罗斯领导人在白宫会面后举起他紧握的双手时，他遵循的是本国文化，是在向美国表示友谊。故选D。 Imagine walking into a room filled with strangers, you haven’t spoken a word. You haven’t heard one either. Yet something is already being said. You might feel the slight pressure of a look from across the room. You sense comfort in the way another person smiles—not just with their lips, but with their whole face. You know who is confident, who is nervous, who seems open, and who seems closed. All this happens before a single word is spoken. This isn’t magic. It’s the mind’s secret language. It’s the silent, invisible force beneath every human interaction, shaping our relationships, influencing our judgments, and connecting us in ways that words never could. Long before you learned to talk, you were already a master of silent communication. Babies just days old can detect eye contact. They respond to tone, rhythm and facial expressions. They cry to signal need and smile to build bonds (联系). No vocabulary is needed. This is the foundation of what neuroscientists call social cognition—the brain’s ability to understand and respond to others. Our brains are built for connection. We don’t just observe others: we simulate (模仿) their actions inside ourselves. When you see someone smile, your brain activates the same regions that fire when you yourself smile. This is the basis of mirror neurons, a system discovered in the 1990s that helps explain how we “feel” what others feel. From babyhood, we start building a theory of mind. This means understanding that others have their own separate thoughts, feelings and intentions. We use this knowledge constantly, mostly without speaking. You don’t need someone to say, “I’m depressed.” You recognize it in how they shut a door firmly or avoid meeting your eyes. This skill to sense others—to read their mental state from their face, posture, gestures, voice tone and even silences—is the essential foundation of human connection. It explains our talent for storytelling, teamwork, and caring. It’s also why misunderstandings can happen so easily. 1．What can we learn about babies according to paragraph 3? A．They learn words quickly. B．They bond through smiles. C．They ignore facial expressions. D．They rarely signal needs. 2．Why does the author mention “mirror neurons”? A．To describe brain diseases. B．To explain sharing others’ feelings. C．To argue against social cognition. D．To prove speech’s importance. 3．What is paragraph 5 mainly about? A．How brains process language. B．Why people avoid eye contact. C．The role of the theory of mind. D．The discovery of babies’ abilities. 4．What ability is a key function of the theory of mind? A．Predicting weather changes. B．Creating complex vocabulary. C．Understanding others’ intentions. D．Memorizing scientific terms. 【答案】1．B 2．B 3．C 4．C 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍了人类无声交流的能力，包括通过表情、姿势等感知他人情绪（镜像神经元），以及理解他人意图的“心智理论”。 1．细节理解题。根据文章第三段中的“They cry to signal need and smile to build bonds (联系). No vocabulary is needed.(婴儿们通过哭泣来表达需求，通过微笑来建立联系，不需要词汇)”可知，婴儿通过微笑来建立联系。故选B。 2．推理判断题。根据文章第四段中的“When you see someone smile, your brain activates the same regions that fire when you yourself smile. This is the basis of mirror neurons, a system discovered in the 1990s that helps explain how we “feel” what others feel.(当你看到别人微笑时，你的大脑会激活与你自己微笑时相同的区域。这就是镜像神经元的基础，这个系统是在20世纪90年代被发现的，它有助于解释我们如何“感受”别人的感受)”可知，作者提到“镜像神经元”是为了解释我们如何分享别人的感受。故选B。 3．主旨大意题。根据文章第五段中的“From babyhood, we start building a theory of mind. This means understanding that others have their own separate thoughts, feelings and intentions.(从婴儿时期开始，我们就开始建立一种心理理论，即理解别人有自己独立的思想、感情和意图)”以及“We use this knowledge constantly, mostly without speaking. You don’t need someone to say, “I’m depressed.” You recognize it in how they shut a door firmly or avoid meeting your eyes.( 我们经常运用这种认知能力，但往往无需言语表达。你无需有人告诉你说“我很沮丧”。你能够通过他们紧闭房门的动作或者避免与你对视的方式察觉出这种情绪。)”可知，本段描述了我们在日常生活中如何使用我们婴儿时期所建立的“心理理论”，即本段讲述了心理理论的作用。故选C。 4．细节理解题。根据文章第五段中的“From babyhood, we start building a theory of mind. This means understanding that others have their own separate thoughts, feelings and intentions.(从婴儿时期开始，我们就开始建立一种心理理论，即理解别人有自己独立的思想、感情和意图)”可知，理解别人的意图是心理理论的一个关键功能。故选C。 Google Translate has improved significantly over the years. Initially, it relied on statistical machine translation (SMT), which analyzed many translated texts to predict the most likely translations. However, in recent years, Google has switched to neural (神经的) machine translation (NMT), which uses deep learning models to improve accuracy by understanding context rather than just individual words. The system works by translating entire sentences instead of translating word by word. This produces more natural-sounding results, especially for European languages, which share similar structures. However, for more complex language pairs, particularly those with major grammatical differences, the accuracy is lower. Several studies have been conducted to measure the accuracy of Google Translate, including research from the UCLA Medical Center. The results show that while the tool works well with commonly spoken languages, it has difficulty with complex sentence structures and less commonly translated texts. A study by Slator found that Google Translate’s accuracy largely depends on the specific language pairs. For example, translations between English and Spanish are often better than translations involving Asian or African languages, where grammatical structures and cultural differences are very different. Moreover, research from Smartling indicates that Google Translate is most suitable for basic communication rather than professional or legal translations. While it can provide a general idea of a text’s meaning, it often falls short of delivering correct translations for specialized fields like medicine, law, or marketing. Despite improvements, Google Translate is not free from errors. First, the tool sometimes translates phrases word-for-word, resulting in unnatural or incorrect meanings. Second, sentence structures may be incorrect, especially in non-European languages. Additionally, Google Translate has trouble with ambiguous (含糊的) words or cultural differences that require deeper understanding. AI translations often lose the meaning of phrases that are unique to a specific culture. 1．How does NMT differ from SMT? A．It takes advantage of big data. B．It focuses on structural changes. C．It gives diverse translation results. D．It stresses relations between lines. 2．What can be inferred from Google Translate-related studies? A．It works poorly for all non-European languages. B．Some language pairs produce better results than others. C．Its translations in legal fields are fully reliable. D．Cultural differences have little effect on translation. 3．What does the underlined phrase “falls short of” mean in paragraph 4? A．Try one’s best. B．Make a quick decision. C．Fail to meet the standard. D．Fall a very short distance. 4．What is an improvement direction for Google Translate? A．Fewer grammar mistakes. B．Unique user experiences. C．Quicker responses. D．Offline translation. 【答案】1．D 2．B 3．C 4．A 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍了谷歌翻译从统计机器翻译到神经机器翻译的发展，分析了其工作方式、不同语言对的翻译表现、适用场景及现存问题（如语法错误、文化差异处理不足等）。 1．细节理解题。根据第一段中的“Initially, it relied on statistical machine translation (SMT), which analyzed many translated texts to predict the most likely translations. However, in recent years, Google has switched to neural (神经的) machine translation (NMT), which uses deep learning models to improve accuracy by understanding context rather than just individual words.(最初，它依赖统计机器翻译（SMT），这种翻译方式会分析大量已翻译文本以预测最可能的译文。然而，近年来，谷歌转向了神经机器翻译（NMT），它使用深度学习模型，通过理解语境而非仅关注单个单词来提高准确性。)”可知，NMT与SMT的区别在于NMT注重理解语境，而非SMT仅依赖文本分析。故选D项。 2．推理判断题。根据第三段中的“A study by Slator found that Google Translate’s accuracy largely depends on the specific language pairs. For example, translations between English and Spanish are often better than translations involving Asian or African languages, where grammatical structures and cultural differences are very different.(Slator的一项研究发现，谷歌翻译的准确性在很大程度上取决于特定的语言组合。例如，英语和西班牙语之间的翻译通常比涉及亚洲或非洲语言的翻译效果更好，因为这些语言的语法结构和文化差异非常大。)”可知，不同语言组合的翻译效果存在差异，部分语言组合的翻译结果优于其他组合。故选B项。 3．词句猜测题。根据第四段中的“Moreover, research from Smartling indicates that Google Translate is most suitable for basic communication rather than professional or legal translations. While it can provide a general idea of a text’s meaning, it often falls short of delivering correct translations for specialized fields like medicine, law, or marketing.(此外，来自Smartling的研究表明，谷歌翻译最适合基础交流，而非专业或法律领域的翻译。虽然它能让人了解文本的大致意思，但在医学、法律或营销等专业领域，它往往______提供准确的译文。)”可知，前文明确谷歌翻译不适合专业领域，且“while”表转折，强调其在基础交流中能发挥作用，但在专业领域无法达到“提供准确译文”的要求，结合语境可推断，“falls short of”表达“无法达到某种标准或要求”的含义。故选C项。 4．推理判断题。根据最后一段中的“Despite improvements, Google Translate is not free from errors. First, the tool sometimes translates phrases word-for-word, resulting in unnatural or incorrect meanings. Second, sentence structures may be incorrect, especially in non-European languages. Additionally, Google Translate has trouble with ambiguous (含糊的) words or cultural differences that require deeper understanding.(尽管有所改进，谷歌翻译仍存在错误。首先，该工具有时会逐字翻译短语，导致意思不自然或不正确。其次，句子结构可能不正确，尤其是在非欧洲语言的翻译中。此外，谷歌翻译在处理需要深入理解的含糊单词或文化差异时存在困难。)”可知，谷歌翻译当前存在句子结构错误（语法错误）等问题，因此减少语法错误是其重要的改进方向，选项中“Fewer grammar mistakes”（更少的语法错误）与原文中“sentence structures may be incorrect”（句子结构可能不正确）的问题直接对应。故选A项。 Getting students interested and active helps them do their best in class. It’s important to use different fun activities to keep everyone learning. Playing Guess Who Learning who is who from history can get confusing so use this teaching strategy to help. Put those problem- solving skills to good use in history class (or others). Describe a time, place, or person from history with only three clues. The entire class has to try to figure out who or what you are referring to, then race to the whiteboard to write the answer. Writing a Journal Develop creative writing skills by asking each student to write a journal from someone else’s viewpoint. There are many famous diarists who provide key insight into life through history. You could ask students to give a different diary and then ask them to read it in front of the class. Brainstorming Group brainstorming sessions are a great way to bring your students together to connect with whatever they are learning. Instead of thinking about the topic alone at their desk, they get to expand (详述) their ideas with other students in small groups. Use brainstorming worksheets for this activity idea. Debating Most students will have a view of what they’re learning. Use this to your advantage and create a school activity of debating the pros or cons of whatever they are learning about. Get them to write down their main points on pieces of paper ahead so they can practice and be prepared for the debate. This can be done in front of the whole class and you can change the debaters each week. 1．How do students play Guess Who? A．They debate about historical figures in groups. B．They brainstorm historical timelines in small groups. C．They write a journal entry based on a historical figure. D．They identify historical people or events with known information. 2．In which activity will the teacher ask students to read their works? A．Playing Guess Who. B．Writing a Journal. C．Brainstorming. D．Debating. 3．What do students do during group brainstorming sessions? A．They debate the pros and cons of topics. B．They loudly tell others historical diaries. C．They explain their ideas to other students. D．They complete projects alone at their desks. 【答案】1．D 2．B 3．C 【导语】本文是一篇应用文。文章主要讲述了通过一些有趣的活动（如玩猜猜是谁游戏、写日记、头脑风暴和辩论）来激发学生学习兴趣并使他们积极参与课堂的方法。 1．细节理解题。根据Playing Guess Who部分中“Describe a time, place, or person from history with only three clues. The entire class has to try to figure out who or what you are referring to, then race to the whiteboard to write the answer.(只用三个线索描述历史上的一个时间、地点或人物。全班同学都要试着弄清楚你指的是谁或什么，然后跑到白板上写下答案)”可知，学生们通过已知信息识别历史人物或事件来玩“猜猜是谁”这个游戏。故选D。 2．细节理解题。根据Writing a Journal部分中“You could ask students to give a different diary and then ask them to read it in front of the class.(你可以让学生写一篇不同的日记，然后让他们在全班同学面前朗读)”可知，在“写日记”这个活动中，老师会要求学生朗读他们的作品。故选B。 3．细节理解题。根据Brainstorming部分中“Instead of thinking about the topic alone at their desk, they get to expand (详述) their ideas with other students in small groups.(他们不再独自坐在书桌前思考这个话题，而是可以在小组中与其他学生一起扩展他们的想法)”可知，在小组头脑风暴环节中，学生们会与其他学生一起详述他们的想法，即向其他学生解释他们的想法。故选C。 Old Mr. Hazlewood mended books in a shop that smelled of dust and drying glue. He was, by his own account, a gardener of words. “Words are like seeds,” he once told me. “They contain life, but they need the right soil to grow.” I was sent to him as a boy because I used language clumsily (笨拙地). My sentences were awkward, full of thorny (晦涩的) phrases. Instead of criticizing me. he placed a worn dictionary between us. “This is the seed catalogue,” he said, his finger, tracing the words. “But knowing the name of a seed is different from knowing how to make it grow.” One afternoon, he pointed to the word “effervescent”. “This one,” he said, “is a bubble. It belongs in a description of a stream in sunlight, or a child’s laughter. Plant it in a sad sentence, and the bubble will pop.” Then he showed me “sombre,” which he called “a deep-rooted thing, needing the shade of a serious thought.” Under his care, I learned to feel the weight and texture of words. I learned that “home” is a strong oak tree, offering shelter, while “house” is merely its timber (木材). That “lonely” has a colder chill than “alone”. Years later, when word reached me that Mr. Hazlewood had died, I went back to the silent shop. On his workbench lay a note, left for me. It was short, reading: “The garden is yours now. Tend it well.” I finally understood. He was not just tending words; he was tending minds. He knew that a well-chosen word, planted in a moment of understanding, could bloom for a lifetime, its meaning ripening long after the gardener was gone. 1．How did Mr. Hazlewood help the author understand words? A．By providing him with difficult books to read. B．By correcting his grammar mistakes strictly. C．By making him memorize long lists of definitions. D．By comparing them to seeds and explaining their use. 2．What is the difference between the words “home” and “house”? A．“Home” implies warmth and emotion, while “house” just a building. B．“Home” represents something artificial, while “house” something natural. C．“Home” suggests a specific existence, while “house” an abstract concept. D．“Home” indicates an integrated project, while “house” just raw materials. 3．What does “The garden is yours now.” in Paragraph 5 mean to the writer? A．He should develop his own understanding of language. B．He is supposed to continue mending books in the shop. C．He becomes the legal owner of the physical property. D．He has to rebuild the garden to honour his late teacher. 4．What is the author’s purpose in writing this text? A．To memorize a precious childhood friendship. B．To argue the traditional book mending is dying. C．To provide a biography of an unusual book mender. D．To show language is alive and needs care and love. 【答案】1．D 2．A 3．A 4．D 【导语】本文是一篇记叙文。文章主要讲述了作者小时候语言笨拙，在老Hazlewood先生的引导下，通过将单词比作种子学习语言，明白了语言需要呵护的道理。 1．细节理解题。根据第三段“One afternoon, he pointed to the word “effervescent”. “This one,” he said, “is a bubble. It belongs in a description of a stream in sunlight, or a child’s laughter. Plant it in a sad sentence, and the bubble will pop.” Then he showed me “sombre,” which he called “a deep-rooted thing, needing the shade of a serious thought.”(一天下午，他指着“effervescent（冒泡的）”这个词。“这个，”他说，“是一个气泡。它适合用来描述阳光下的溪流，或者孩子的笑声。把它种在一个悲伤的句子里，气泡就会破裂。”然后他给我看了“sombre（昏暗的）”，他称之为“一种根深蒂固的东西，需要严肃思想的阴凉。”)”以及第一段中““Words are like seeds,” he once told me. “They contain life, but they need the right soil to grow.”(“单词就像种子，”他曾经告诉我。“它们包含生命，但需要合适的土壤才能生长。”)”可知，Hazlewood先生通过将单词比作种子并解释它们的用法来帮助作者理解单词。故选D。 2．细节理解题。根据倒数第三段中“I learned that “home” is a strong oak tree, offering shelter, while “house” is merely its timber (木材).(我了解到，“home（家）”是一棵强壮的橡树，提供庇护，而“house（房子）”只是它的木材。)”可知，home意味着温暖和情感，而house只是一座建筑。故选A。 3．词句猜测题。根据最后一段“I finally understood. He was not just tending words; he was tending minds. He knew that a well-chosen word, planted in a moment of understanding, could bloom for a lifetime, its meaning ripening long after the gardener was gone.(我终于明白了。他不仅是在照料文字，他还在照料心灵。他知道，一个精心挑选的词，在理解的时刻种下，可以绽放一生，在园丁离开很久之后，它的意义才会成熟。)”以及第五段中“Years later, when word reached me that Mr. Hazlewood had died, I went back to the silent shop. On his workbench lay a note, left for me.(多年后，当我得知Hazlewood先生去世的消息时，我回到了那家寂静的书店。在他的工作台上放着一张留给我的便条。)”可知，Hazlewood先生去世后，作者回到书店，看到工作台上留给自己的便条，上面写着“The garden is yours now.（花园现在是你的了）”，结合上文Hazlewood先生对作者的教导可知，Hazlewood先生这句话的意思是作者应该发展自己对语言的理解。故选A。 4．推理判断题。通读全文，尤其是根据最后一段“I finally understood. He was not just tending words; he was tending minds. He knew that a well-chosen word, planted in a moment of understanding, could bloom for a lifetime, its meaning ripening long after the gardener was gone.(我终于明白了。他不仅是在照料文字，他还在照料心灵。他知道，一个精心挑选的词，在理解的时刻种下，可以绽放一生，在园丁离开很久之后，它的意义才会成熟。)”可知，文章主要讲述了作者小时候语言笨拙，在老Hazlewood先生的引导下，通过将单词比作种子学习语言，明白了语言需要呵护的道理。可推知，作者写这篇文章的目的是为了表明语言是有生命的，需要呵护和关爱。故选D。 Working at a new school as a science teacher was exciting but tiring. By late May, I wanted to make the school year more enjoyable for everyone. I decided to follow the advice of a book named Never Work Harder Than Your Students. I let my students choose the topic of their final project, how they would present (描述) their knowledge, and how they would be graded (评分). On the first day of work on the final project, each student picked a science topic on their own. Some kids chose to dig deeper into things we’d learned, and some explored new topics and studied other things. For example, one student built a model of DNA using a video game, while another connected her love of art with science. Next, I worked with each student to create a grading plan for their project. Based on the type of project the student chose, I reviewed earlier grading plans about that type of project in the year. Then, I rewrote the grading plan based on the student’s new project and performance. For students who understood new ideas quickly and easily, I had different requirements. Some students accepted my plans, while others suggested changes. “I really love doing art —  can I have some more points if I put some drawings in my presentation?” one student asked. I almost always said yes. Kids were learning how to speak up for themselves in proper ways and what worked for them. In the end, I was left with a collection of projects having wildly different styles and topics. I shared all the projects online so students could look at each other’s work. There was no boring repetition (重复) of the same presentation over and over, no stress of having to present their project to the whole class, but a whole lot more learning. Most importantly, it helped me connect better with my students, and they trusted me more. 1．What did the author ask students to do in late May? A．Read a famous book. B．Design their final project. C．Suggest after-class activities. D．communicate with each other. 2．Why did the author rewrite the grading plans? A．To suit students’ learning ability. B．To grade students’ work fairly. C．To encourage competition. D．To save more time. 3．What does the example in paragraph 4 show about the students? A．Taking a deep interest in art. B．Improving their projects actively. C．Reporting their challenges in time. D．Focusing on developing social skills. 4．What can be inferred from the author’s teaching experience? A．Students need balanced development. B．Scientific research matters to students. C．Students’ control over learning drives progress. D．New teachers bring more creativity to students. 【答案】1．B 2．A 3．B 4．C 【导语】本文是一篇记叙文。文章主要讲述了作者作为科学教师在新学校的工作经历，尤其是在五月底为让学年更愉快，采取让学生自主设计期末项目的教学实践及带来的积极影响。 1．细节理解题。根据第一段“By late May, I wanted to make the school year more enjoyable for everyone. I decided to follow the advice of a book named Never Work Harder Than Your Students. I let my students choose the topic of their final project, how they would present (描述) their knowledge, and how they would be graded (评分). (到了五月底，我想让每个人的学年过得更愉快。我决定听从《永远不要比学生更努力》一书中的建议。我让我的学生选择他们期末项目的主题，他们将如何展示他们的知识，以及他们将如何评分。)”可知，在五月底，作者让学生选择他们期末项目的主题、展示知识的方式以及评分方式，也就是让学生设计他们的期末项目。故选B。 2．细节理解题。根据第三段“Based on the type of project the student chose, I reviewed earlier grading plans about that type of project in the year. Then, I rewrote the grading plan based on the student’s new project and performance. For students who understood new ideas quickly and easily, I had different requirements. (根据学生选择的项目类型，我回顾了当年关于该类型项目的早期评分计划。然后，我根据学生的新项目和成绩重写了评分计划。对于那些能够快速轻松地理解新思想的学生，我有不同的要求。)”可知，作者重写评分计划是为了适应学生的学习能力。故选A。 3．细节理解题。根据第四段中“Some students accepted my plans, while others suggested changes. ‘I really love doing art — can I have some more points if I put some drawings in my presentation?’ one student asked. I almost always said yes. (一些学生接受了我的计划，而另一些人则提出了修改意见。一位学生问道：“我真的很喜欢做艺术——如果我在我的演讲中加入一些绘画，我能得到更多的分数吗？”我几乎总是说是的。)”可知，这些例子表明学生们在积极地改进他们的项目。故选B。 4．推理判断题。通读全文，可知作者让学生自己选择期末项目的主题、展示方式和评分方式，学生们积极参与项目，积极提出改进建议，最后取得了很好的学习效果，作者也和学生建立了更好的联系。故推断学生对学习的掌控推动了他们的进步。故选C。 重难语篇提升练 When I arrived at the Sign Language Center in Manhattan for my first American Sign Language (ASL) class, a man took one look at my hesitant posture and held up some fingers. One? Two? I put up one finger, and he directed me to the Level 1 class. It was disorienting: Class time was strictly “voices off” to encourage immersive learning and to show respect to the deaf teachers. Without the power of speech, all my classmates and I could do was smile and nod at one another as we took in the new vocabulary. Learning ASL in the early weeks was a culture shock. As a writer, I pride myself on a certain facility with language. I was taught that there’s a perfect combination of words that can most precisely communicate any thought. With ASL, I expected to feel similarly, and thought fluency would come once I collected a critical mass of signs. The first thing you learn in ASL class is the alphabet. As my classmates and I asked and answered questions using words we didn’t have the signs for, those early weeks were filled with laborious spelling. It was embarrassing: Seeing a dozen politely smiling faces watching me as I slowly spelled, misspelled and restarted spelling words —often multiple times — was its own kind of torture. Over time, I picked up on new conventions, like waving a hand or stomping (跺脚) on the ground to get someone’s attention. My fingers stopped as they reached for new shapes, and I struggled to differentiate very similar looking signs. Eventually I realized that when you’re communicating in sign language, diction (措辞) is not as important as the way you embody (具体化) what you’re communicating. I once asked a teacher how to sign the word “desperate”. “ASL doesn’t have a direct translation of every English word,” he told me. “If you want to sign ‘desperate’, you might just sign the word ‘want’, but with the appropriate facial and body posturing to show your desperation. It doesn’t make sense to sign ‘frustrated’ if your face doesn’t look at all frustrated,” he added — it’s like speaking in a single unvarying tone while claiming you’re angry. I’ve been attending ASL classes for almost two years. Initially, my reason was insignificant: a childhood fascination with “secret languages”. While ASL may not wholly share a vocabulary with English, that doesn’t mean it lacks precision. Its precision, I’ve learned, lies in the common language of the body. 1．How did the author feel in the first ASL class? A．Confused. B．Frustrated. C．Anxious. D．Ambitious. 2．What made the author embarrassed when learning the alphabet? A．Putting on smiling facial expressions. B．Being made fun of in front of the class. C．Misspelling and respelling words repeatedly. D．Waving a hand to get someone’s attention. 3．According to the passage, what can we learn about ASL? A．It requires a combination of signs and emotions. B．It conveys more emotions than verbal language. C．It’s a universal language system across cultures. D．It has a direct translation of signs for every word. 4．What has the author learned from her learning experience? A．ASL prioritizes precision over communication. B．Diction is what gives language flavour. C．Fluency comes from the mastery of signs. D．The body is what gives language life. 【答案】1．A 2．C 3．A 4．D 【导语】本文是一篇记叙文。主要讲述作者学习美国手语（ASL）的经历，从初期的困惑、尴尬，到逐渐理解手语的交流特点，领悟到其精准性源于肢体语言的表达。 1．推理判断题。根据第一段中的“It was disorienting: Class time was strictly “voices off” to encourage immersive learning and to show respect to the deaf teachers. Without the power of speech, all my classmates and I could do was smile and nod at one another as we took in the new vocabulary.(这让人晕头转向：为了鼓励沉浸式学习并尊重聋人教师，上课时间严格要求“保持安静”。没有了说话的能力，我和所有同学只能一边学习新词汇，一边互相微笑点头。)”可知，“disorienting”意为“令人困惑的”，作者在第一堂手语课上因课堂规则和交流方式的陌生而感到困惑。故选A项。 2．细节理解题。根据第二段中的“It was embarrassing: Seeing a dozen politely smiling faces watching me as I slowly spelled, misspelled and restarted spelling words — often multiple times — was its own kind of torture.(这很尴尬：看着十几张礼貌微笑的脸注视着我，我慢慢地拼写、拼错，然后重新拼写——通常要重复好几次——这本身就是一种折磨。)”可知，作者在学习字母表时，因反复拼写、拼错单词而感到尴尬。故选C项。 3．推理判断题。根据第三段中的““If you want to sign ‘desperate’, you might just sign the word ‘want’, but with the appropriate facial and body posturing to show your desperation. It doesn’t make sense to sign ‘frustrated’ if your face doesn’t look at all frustrated,” he added — it’s like speaking in a single unvarying tone while claiming you’re angry. (“如果你想表达“极度渴望”，或许只需比出“想要”这个手语，但要配合恰当的面部表情和肢体姿态来传递那种迫切感。”他补充道，“如果你的表情完全看不出沮丧，那比出“沮丧”的手语也毫无意义 ——这就好比你声称自己很生气，说话的语气却平淡无波。”)”可知，美国手语需要手势与情感相结合。故选A项。 4．推理判断题。根据最后一段中的“While ASL may not wholly share a vocabulary with English, that doesn’t mean it lacks precision. Its precision, I’ve learned, lies in the common language of the body. (虽然美国手语可能与英语没有完全相同的词汇，但这并不意味着它缺乏精准性。我了解到，它的精准性在于肢体这一通用语言。)”可知，作者从学习经历中领悟到，肢体是赋予语言生命力的关键，手语的精准性正是通过肢体表达实现的。故选D项。 Children who grow up speaking two languages develop strengths that shape the way they learn and connect with others. Bilingualism (双语) is often seen only as a practical skill for communication, but research in educational psychology shows it is far more. It fuels children’s learning capacity, social development, and emotional growth, allowing them to see the world through multiple perspectives. One of the most powerful benefits of bilingualism is its impact on higher-order thinking skills. Researchers call this the executive function advantage, the set of mental processes that support self-control, flexible thinking, and working memory. Switching between two languages gives children constant practice with these skills, making them better at focusing, solving problems, and adapting to challenges in school and beyond. Research supports this advantage. A recent study in Egypt looked at children who spoke Arabic at home and English at school and some of those who only spoke Arabic. The results showed that bilingual children kept pace in both languages and, more importantly, outperformed their monolingual (单语的) peers in reasoning, memory, and problem-solving. Findings like this challenge the idea that learning two languages slows development and instead show that bilingualism fuels intellectual growth. Equally important are the social and emotional rewards that bilingualism offers. Children who speak two languages learn to navigate between cultures, and this exposure fosters empathy, respect, and an early ability to see life from multiple perspectives. When they engage in conversations across two linguistic systems, children begin to appreciate differences in communication and thinking, which nurtures deeper connections with their peers and strengthens their social competence. Some concerns about bilingualism still linger. Parents and teachers sometimes worry that children will lag behind if they try to master two languages simultaneously. Others believe that maintaining a family’s native language slows assimilation (同化) into mainstream culture Research shows the opposite. Children who continue using their home language often acquire English more effectively, and the connection to family culture strengthens, not weakens, their ability to thrive in diverse settings. Far from being a barrier, bilingualism enriches both learning and belonging. 1．What is Bilingualism usually regarded as? A．A fuel to improve learning capacity. B．A perspective to see the world. C．A useful skill to communicate with others. D．A way to connect with others. 2．How does the research support the executive function advantage? A．It observed children who spoke English at school. B．It compared the bilingual children with the monolingual ones. C．It looked at children who spoke Arabic at home. D．It collected and studied the data from previous studies. 3．What can we know from the last two paragraphs? A．Bilingual children tend to get an ability to see life from multiple perspectives. B．Bilingual students will lag behind as they spend time mastering two languages. C．Bilingualism is a barrier between native culture and mainstream culture. D．Children who speak one language can foster empathy and respect more easily. 4．What is the author’s attitude towards bilingualism? A．negative. B．indifferent. C．critical. D．favorable. 【答案】1．C 2．B 3．A 4．D 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。主要介绍双语能力对儿童学习、社交和情感发展的多重益处，反驳对双语学习的常见担忧。 1．细节理解题。根据第一段中的“Bilingualism(双语)is often seen only as a practical skill for communication(双语通常仅被视为一种实用的交流技能)”可知，双语通常被认为是一种有用的交流技能。故选C项。 2．细节理解题。根据第三段中的“ Research supports this advantage. A recent study in Egypt looked at children who spoke Arabic at home and English at school and some of those who only spoke Arabic. The results showed that bilingual children kept pace in both languages and, more importantly, outperformed their monolingual (单语的) peers in reasoning, memory, and problem-solving.(埃及最近的一项研究观察了在家说阿拉伯语、在学校说英语的儿童以及一些只说阿拉伯语的儿童。结果显示，双语儿童在推理、记忆和解决问题方面表现优于单语同龄人。)”可知，研究通过对比双语儿童和单语儿童的表现，证明了双语带来的执行功能优势。故选B项。 3．细节理解题。根据第四段中的“Children who speak two languages learn to navigate between cultures, and this exposure fosters empathy, respect, and an early ability to see life from multiple perspectives.(说两种语言的儿童学会在不同文化间周旋，这种接触培养了他们的同理心、尊重意识，以及早期从多个角度看待生活的能力。)”可知，双语儿童往往具备从多个角度看待生活的能力。故选A项。 4．推理判断题。通读全文，作者多次强调双语对儿童思维、社交和情感发展的积极作用，还反驳了“双语会阻碍发展”“影响融入主流文化”等担忧，最后指出“Far from being a barrier, bilingualism enriches both learning and belonging.(双语绝非障碍，反而能丰富学习体验和归属感。)”，可见作者对双语能力持支持态度。故选D项。 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $ Unit 2 Bridging Cultures 单元话题阅读理解练习 Unit 2 Bridging Cultures单元话题：文化沟通 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 Go on an Environmental Field Trip While outdoor field studies can happen throughout the year we hope this month’s “Growing Healthy Schools” theme inspires you to plan something special that will connect your students to the world around them. Below are some recommendations on activities and projects: Explore Your neighborhood See the environmental features of the District’s neighborhoods through the eyes of a landscape architect by going on a self-guided walking tour developed by the American Society of Landscape architects (ASLA). Get Close to the Anacostia River Take your students on the water by going on a field experience with Anacostia Watershed Society, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, or Living Classrooms. Want to stay on land? Try visiting Kingman Island or Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens to see amazing wildlife habitat along the river that runs through the District. Discover Environmental exhibits at Museums Here are some ideas of museum exhibits and programs on the National Mall that can integrate environmental themes: history of food, plants, Native Americans, natural history investigations, and satellite observations. Gone Fishing Want to see the fish, frogs, and turtles that call the District home? Take a tour of the Aquatic Resources Education Center, where you can also schedule a fishing activity for your students. For more information, contact Teresa Rodriguez by emailing Teresa.Rodriguez@ dc.gov. If you would like assistance planning or carrying out any of these projects, please contact Grace Manubay, environmental officer at the Office of the State Superintendent of Education by emailing Grace.Manubay@dc.gov or visiting OSSE’s website. 1．Who is the text most probably written for? A．School teachers. B．School students. C．Wildlife enthusiasts. D．Community volunteers. 2．Which is developed by the ASLA? A．A guided riverboat tour. B．A neighborhood walking tour. C．A National Mall educational tour. D．A natural history investigation tour. 3．What can Teresa Rodriguez help with? A．Arranging a fishing activity. B．Identifying plants in the wild. C．Explaining all of OSSE’s projects. D．Contacting Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. America’s State Department places the languages it teaches ambassadors (外交官) into four categories, with estimates of how long they take to learn them ranging from 24 to 88 weeks. What underlies the difficulty of such languages for an English speaker? The first thing many will think of is the different writing system. Indeed none of the State Department’s hardest languages is written with the Latin alphabet (字母表) used by most European languages. Chinese stands out for its difficulty. Arabic is alphabet, with just a couple of dozen letters. Its two complications are that letters change shape depending on where they appear in a word (beginning, middle, end or alone) and that short vowels (元音) are not written. A second way languages can be hard is with sound distinctions that do not exist in the learner’s language. In Hindi, the t-and d-sounds can be retroflex (卷舌音的) or not, making two different letters that can distinguish two different words (moti with a retroflex means “fat, thick” and with a non-retroflex t means “pearl”). The words obviously matter too. Most European languages share an ancestor and so their words, too, often come in related pairs. If you know water in Spanish is agua, it is easy to figure out Italian aqua and English aquatic. Languages unrelated to European ones will lack linguistic (语言的) similarity in vocabulary. Grammar can further complicate foreign language learning. Therefore, the overall hardness of a language can be seen as the sum of the difficulty of its writing system, sounds, words and grammar. These come in different percentages: one professor of Chinese has called it the most difficult language he has ever learned to write and the easiest he has learned to speak. If you want to learn a language just for fun, start with Swedish. If you want to learn an impressive number, stay in Europe. But if you really want to impress, boosting your brain power to master Chinese is the sign of the true linguistic Ironman. 1．What makes writing Arabic difficult for English speakers? A．The variations of its vowels. B．The flexibility of its letters. C．The width of its vocabulary. D．The similarities it bears to Latin. 2．What can we learn about retroflex sounds? A．They are very common in Arabic. B．They differentiate meaning in Hindi. C．They make Hindi vocabulary easy to learn. D．They are unfound in many European languages. 3．Why is the professor mentioned in paragraph 5? A．To recognize his achievements in studying grammar. B．To offer a standard to decide on language complexity. C．To show that language difficulty is multi-dimensional. D．To highlight the high-level difficulty of Chinese. 4．What is the best title for the text? A．Which languages take English users the longest to learn? B．How can Americans learn a foreign language more effectively? C．Which foreign languages are popular with English speakers? D．Why is learning a second language important for ambassadors? When you are in another country, it is important to know the language, but it is equally important to know how to communicate nonverbally. Before saying anything, people communicate nonverbally by making gestures. According to an investigation (调查), only 30 to 35 percent of our communication is verbal. When people don’t know the language, the most common way to communicate is through gestures. However, many gestures have different meanings, or no meaning at all, in different parts of the world. In the United States, for example, nodding your head up and down means “yes”. In some parts of Greece and Turkey, however, this motion can mean “no”. In southeast Asia, nodding your head is a polite way of saying “I’ve heard you”. In ancient Rome, when the emperor wanted to spare someone’s life, he would put his thumb up. Today in the United States, when someone puts his/her thumb up, it means “Everything is all right.” However, in Sardinia and Greece, the gesture is insulting and should not be used there. In the United States, raising your clasped (握紧的) hands above your head means “I’m the champion” or “I’m the winner”. It is the sign prizefighters make when they win a fight. When a leading Russian statesman (政治家) made his gesture after a White House meeting, Americans misunderstood and thought he meant he was a winner. In Russia, however, it is a sign of friendship. There are other nonverbal signals that people should be aware of when they go to another country, such as the distance to maintain between speakers. Americans stand closer to each other than English people. English people don’t like touching somebody or being touched. Now in America, touch is important. Friends touch each other on the arm, for example. They often put an arm around a friend when they say “hello” or “goodbye”. 1．It is very important to know how to communicate nonverbally when you are in another country because ________. A．most people speak different languages B．people usually make gestures before saying anything C．it’s easy to learn how to express oneself through gestures D．much of our communication is nonverbal on many occasions 2．If a native in Singapore nods his head up and down when you talk to him, his motion means “________”. A．yes B．no C．I’ve heard you D．that’s all right 3．The gesture of putting one’s thumb up shouldn’t be used when you are travelling in ________. A．Greece B．Italy C．the United States D．Southeast Asia 4．When the Russian leader put up his clasped hands after the meeting at the White House ________. A．he meant Russia was the winner B．he was insulting America C．he in fact meant nothing at all D．he made a show of friendship to America Imagine walking into a room filled with strangers, you haven’t spoken a word. You haven’t heard one either. Yet something is already being said. You might feel the slight pressure of a look from across the room. You sense comfort in the way another person smiles—not just with their lips, but with their whole face. You know who is confident, who is nervous, who seems open, and who seems closed. All this happens before a single word is spoken. This isn’t magic. It’s the mind’s secret language. It’s the silent, invisible force beneath every human interaction, shaping our relationships, influencing our judgments, and connecting us in ways that words never could. Long before you learned to talk, you were already a master of silent communication. Babies just days old can detect eye contact. They respond to tone, rhythm and facial expressions. They cry to signal need and smile to build bonds (联系). No vocabulary is needed. This is the foundation of what neuroscientists call social cognition—the brain’s ability to understand and respond to others. Our brains are built for connection. We don’t just observe others: we simulate (模仿) their actions inside ourselves. When you see someone smile, your brain activates the same regions that fire when you yourself smile. This is the basis of mirror neurons, a system discovered in the 1990s that helps explain how we “feel” what others feel. From babyhood, we start building a theory of mind. This means understanding that others have their own separate thoughts, feelings and intentions. We use this knowledge constantly, mostly without speaking. You don’t need someone to say, “I’m depressed.” You recognize it in how they shut a door firmly or avoid meeting your eyes. This skill to sense others—to read their mental state from their face, posture, gestures, voice tone and even silences—is the essential foundation of human connection. It explains our talent for storytelling, teamwork, and caring. It’s also why misunderstandings can happen so easily. 1．What can we learn about babies according to paragraph 3? A．They learn words quickly. B．They bond through smiles. C．They ignore facial expressions. D．They rarely signal needs. 2．Why does the author mention “mirror neurons”? A．To describe brain diseases. B．To explain sharing others’ feelings. C．To argue against social cognition. D．To prove speech’s importance. 3．What is paragraph 5 mainly about? A．How brains process language. B．Why people avoid eye contact. C．The role of the theory of mind. D．The discovery of babies’ abilities. 4．What ability is a key function of the theory of mind? A．Predicting weather changes. B．Creating complex vocabulary. C．Understanding others’ intentions. D．Memorizing scientific terms. Google Translate has improved significantly over the years. Initially, it relied on statistical machine translation (SMT), which analyzed many translated texts to predict the most likely translations. However, in recent years, Google has switched to neural (神经的) machine translation (NMT), which uses deep learning models to improve accuracy by understanding context rather than just individual words. The system works by translating entire sentences instead of translating word by word. This produces more natural-sounding results, especially for European languages, which share similar structures. However, for more complex language pairs, particularly those with major grammatical differences, the accuracy is lower. Several studies have been conducted to measure the accuracy of Google Translate, including research from the UCLA Medical Center. The results show that while the tool works well with commonly spoken languages, it has difficulty with complex sentence structures and less commonly translated texts. A study by Slator found that Google Translate’s accuracy largely depends on the specific language pairs. For example, translations between English and Spanish are often better than translations involving Asian or African languages, where grammatical structures and cultural differences are very different. Moreover, research from Smartling indicates that Google Translate is most suitable for basic communication rather than professional or legal translations. While it can provide a general idea of a text’s meaning, it often falls short of delivering correct translations for specialized fields like medicine, law, or marketing. Despite improvements, Google Translate is not free from errors. First, the tool sometimes translates phrases word-for-word, resulting in unnatural or incorrect meanings. Second, sentence structures may be incorrect, especially in non-European languages. Additionally, Google Translate has trouble with ambiguous (含糊的) words or cultural differences that require deeper understanding. AI translations often lose the meaning of phrases that are unique to a specific culture. 1．How does NMT differ from SMT? A．It takes advantage of big data. B．It focuses on structural changes. C．It gives diverse translation results. D．It stresses relations between lines. 2．What can be inferred from Google Translate-related studies? A．It works poorly for all non-European languages. B．Some language pairs produce better results than others. C．Its translations in legal fields are fully reliable. D．Cultural differences have little effect on translation. 3．What does the underlined phrase “falls short of” mean in paragraph 4? A．Try one’s best. B．Make a quick decision. C．Fail to meet the standard. D．Fall a very short distance. 4．What is an improvement direction for Google Translate? A．Fewer grammar mistakes. B．Unique user experiences. C．Quicker responses. D．Offline translation. Getting students interested and active helps them do their best in class. It’s important to use different fun activities to keep everyone learning. Playing Guess Who Learning who is who from history can get confusing so use this teaching strategy to help. Put those problem- solving skills to good use in history class (or others). Describe a time, place, or person from history with only three clues. The entire class has to try to figure out who or what you are referring to, then race to the whiteboard to write the answer. Writing a Journal Develop creative writing skills by asking each student to write a journal from someone else’s viewpoint. There are many famous diarists who provide key insight into life through history. You could ask students to give a different diary and then ask them to read it in front of the class. Brainstorming Group brainstorming sessions are a great way to bring your students together to connect with whatever they are learning. Instead of thinking about the topic alone at their desk, they get to expand (详述) their ideas with other students in small groups. Use brainstorming worksheets for this activity idea. Debating Most students will have a view of what they’re learning. Use this to your advantage and create a school activity of debating the pros or cons of whatever they are learning about. Get them to write down their main points on pieces of paper ahead so they can practice and be prepared for the debate. This can be done in front of the whole class and you can change the debaters each week. 1．How do students play Guess Who? A．They debate about historical figures in groups. B．They brainstorm historical timelines in small groups. C．They write a journal entry based on a historical figure. D．They identify historical people or events with known information. 2．In which activity will the teacher ask students to read their works? A．Playing Guess Who. B．Writing a Journal. C．Brainstorming. D．Debating. 3．What do students do during group brainstorming sessions? A．They debate the pros and cons of topics. B．They loudly tell others historical diaries. C．They explain their ideas to other students. D．They complete projects alone at their desks. Old Mr. Hazlewood mended books in a shop that smelled of dust and drying glue. He was, by his own account, a gardener of words. “Words are like seeds,” he once told me. “They contain life, but they need the right soil to grow.” I was sent to him as a boy because I used language clumsily (笨拙地). My sentences were awkward, full of thorny (晦涩的) phrases. Instead of criticizing me. he placed a worn dictionary between us. “This is the seed catalogue,” he said, his finger, tracing the words. “But knowing the name of a seed is different from knowing how to make it grow.” One afternoon, he pointed to the word “effervescent”. “This one,” he said, “is a bubble. It belongs in a description of a stream in sunlight, or a child’s laughter. Plant it in a sad sentence, and the bubble will pop.” Then he showed me “sombre,” which he called “a deep-rooted thing, needing the shade of a serious thought.” Under his care, I learned to feel the weight and texture of words. I learned that “home” is a strong oak tree, offering shelter, while “house” is merely its timber (木材). That “lonely” has a colder chill than “alone”. Years later, when word reached me that Mr. Hazlewood had died, I went back to the silent shop. On his workbench lay a note, left for me. It was short, reading: “The garden is yours now. Tend it well.” I finally understood. He was not just tending words; he was tending minds. He knew that a well-chosen word, planted in a moment of understanding, could bloom for a lifetime, its meaning ripening long after the gardener was gone. 1．How did Mr. Hazlewood help the author understand words? A．By providing him with difficult books to read. B．By correcting his grammar mistakes strictly. C．By making him memorize long lists of definitions. D．By comparing them to seeds and explaining their use. 2．What is the difference between the words “home” and “house”? A．“Home” implies warmth and emotion, while “house” just a building. B．“Home” represents something artificial, while “house” something natural. C．“Home” suggests a specific existence, while “house” an abstract concept. D．“Home” indicates an integrated project, while “house” just raw materials. 3．What does “The garden is yours now.” in Paragraph 5 mean to the writer? A．He should develop his own understanding of language. B．He is supposed to continue mending books in the shop. C．He becomes the legal owner of the physical property. D．He has to rebuild the garden to honour his late teacher. 4．What is the author’s purpose in writing this text? A．To memorize a precious childhood friendship. B．To argue the traditional book mending is dying. C．To provide a biography of an unusual book mender. D．To show language is alive and needs care and love. Working at a new school as a science teacher was exciting but tiring. By late May, I wanted to make the school year more enjoyable for everyone. I decided to follow the advice of a book named Never Work Harder Than Your Students. I let my students choose the topic of their final project, how they would present (描述) their knowledge, and how they would be graded (评分). On the first day of work on the final project, each student picked a science topic on their own. Some kids chose to dig deeper into things we’d learned, and some explored new topics and studied other things. For example, one student built a model of DNA using a video game, while another connected her love of art with science. Next, I worked with each student to create a grading plan for their project. Based on the type of project the student chose, I reviewed earlier grading plans about that type of project in the year. Then, I rewrote the grading plan based on the student’s new project and performance. For students who understood new ideas quickly and easily, I had different requirements. Some students accepted my plans, while others suggested changes. “I really love doing art —  can I have some more points if I put some drawings in my presentation?” one student asked. I almost always said yes. Kids were learning how to speak up for themselves in proper ways and what worked for them. In the end, I was left with a collection of projects having wildly different styles and topics. I shared all the projects online so students could look at each other’s work. There was no boring repetition (重复) of the same presentation over and over, no stress of having to present their project to the whole class, but a whole lot more learning. Most importantly, it helped me connect better with my students, and they trusted me more. 1．What did the author ask students to do in late May? A．Read a famous book. B．Design their final project. C．Suggest after-class activities. D．communicate with each other. 2．Why did the author rewrite the grading plans? A．To suit students’ learning ability. B．To grade students’ work fairly. C．To encourage competition. D．To save more time. 3．What does the example in paragraph 4 show about the students? A．Taking a deep interest in art. B．Improving their projects actively. C．Reporting their challenges in time. D．Focusing on developing social skills. 4．What can be inferred from the author’s teaching experience? A．Students need balanced development. B．Scientific research matters to students. C．Students’ control over learning drives progress. D．New teachers bring more creativity to students. 重难语篇提升练 When I arrived at the Sign Language Center in Manhattan for my first American Sign Language (ASL) class, a man took one look at my hesitant posture and held up some fingers. One? Two? I put up one finger, and he directed me to the Level 1 class. It was disorienting: Class time was strictly “voices off” to encourage immersive learning and to show respect to the deaf teachers. Without the power of speech, all my classmates and I could do was smile and nod at one another as we took in the new vocabulary. Learning ASL in the early weeks was a culture shock. As a writer, I pride myself on a certain facility with language. I was taught that there’s a perfect combination of words that can most precisely communicate any thought. With ASL, I expected to feel similarly, and thought fluency would come once I collected a critical mass of signs. The first thing you learn in ASL class is the alphabet. As my classmates and I asked and answered questions using words we didn’t have the signs for, those early weeks were filled with laborious spelling. It was embarrassing: Seeing a dozen politely smiling faces watching me as I slowly spelled, misspelled and restarted spelling words —often multiple times — was its own kind of torture. Over time, I picked up on new conventions, like waving a hand or stomping (跺脚) on the ground to get someone’s attention. My fingers stopped as they reached for new shapes, and I struggled to differentiate very similar looking signs. Eventually I realized that when you’re communicating in sign language, diction (措辞) is not as important as the way you embody (具体化) what you’re communicating. I once asked a teacher how to sign the word “desperate”. “ASL doesn’t have a direct translation of every English word,” he told me. “If you want to sign ‘desperate’, you might just sign the word ‘want’, but with the appropriate facial and body posturing to show your desperation. It doesn’t make sense to sign ‘frustrated’ if your face doesn’t look at all frustrated,” he added — it’s like speaking in a single unvarying tone while claiming you’re angry. I’ve been attending ASL classes for almost two years. Initially, my reason was insignificant: a childhood fascination with “secret languages”. While ASL may not wholly share a vocabulary with English, that doesn’t mean it lacks precision. Its precision, I’ve learned, lies in the common language of the body. 1．How did the author feel in the first ASL class? A．Confused. B．Frustrated. C．Anxious. D．Ambitious. 2．What made the author embarrassed when learning the alphabet? A．Putting on smiling facial expressions. B．Being made fun of in front of the class. C．Misspelling and respelling words repeatedly. D．Waving a hand to get someone’s attention. 3．According to the passage, what can we learn about ASL? A．It requires a combination of signs and emotions. B．It conveys more emotions than verbal language. C．It’s a universal language system across cultures. D．It has a direct translation of signs for every word. 4．What has the author learned from her learning experience? A．ASL prioritizes precision over communication. B．Diction is what gives language flavour. C．Fluency comes from the mastery of signs. D．The body is what gives language life. Children who grow up speaking two languages develop strengths that shape the way they learn and connect with others. Bilingualism (双语) is often seen only as a practical skill for communication, but research in educational psychology shows it is far more. It fuels children’s learning capacity, social development, and emotional growth, allowing them to see the world through multiple perspectives. One of the most powerful benefits of bilingualism is its impact on higher-order thinking skills. Researchers call this the executive function advantage, the set of mental processes that support self-control, flexible thinking, and working memory. Switching between two languages gives children constant practice with these skills, making them better at focusing, solving problems, and adapting to challenges in school and beyond. Research supports this advantage. A recent study in Egypt looked at children who spoke Arabic at home and English at school and some of those who only spoke Arabic. The results showed that bilingual children kept pace in both languages and, more importantly, outperformed their monolingual (单语的) peers in reasoning, memory, and problem-solving. Findings like this challenge the idea that learning two languages slows development and instead show that bilingualism fuels intellectual growth. Equally important are the social and emotional rewards that bilingualism offers. Children who speak two languages learn to navigate between cultures, and this exposure fosters empathy, respect, and an early ability to see life from multiple perspectives. When they engage in conversations across two linguistic systems, children begin to appreciate differences in communication and thinking, which nurtures deeper connections with their peers and strengthens their social competence. Some concerns about bilingualism still linger. Parents and teachers sometimes worry that children will lag behind if they try to master two languages simultaneously. Others believe that maintaining a family’s native language slows assimilation (同化) into mainstream culture Research shows the opposite. Children who continue using their home language often acquire English more effectively, and the connection to family culture strengthens, not weakens, their ability to thrive in diverse settings. Far from being a barrier, bilingualism enriches both learning and belonging. 1．What is Bilingualism usually regarded as? A．A fuel to improve learning capacity. B．A perspective to see the world. C．A useful skill to communicate with others. D．A way to connect with others. 2．How does the research support the executive function advantage? A．It observed children who spoke English at school. B．It compared the bilingual children with the monolingual ones. C．It looked at children who spoke Arabic at home. D．It collected and studied the data from previous studies. 3．What can we know from the last two paragraphs? A．Bilingual children tend to get an ability to see life from multiple perspectives. B．Bilingual students will lag behind as they spend time mastering two languages. C．Bilingualism is a barrier between native culture and mainstream culture. D．Children who speak one language can foster empathy and respect more easily. 4．What is the author’s attitude towards bilingualism? A．negative. B．indifferent. C．critical. D．favorable. 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $