The fourth-graders at Chicago’s McCormick Primary School are unaware of the difficulty in learning Chinese. For most, who speak Spanish at home, it’s becoming their third language. They’ve been learning and using Chinese words since kindergarten, and it’s now second nature to give a hearty “ni hao” when strangers enter the classroom.
The classroom scene at McCormick is unusual, but it may soon be a common fixture(固定物) in American schools, where Chinese is rapidly becoming the hot new language. Government officials have long wanted more focus on security—useful languages like Chinese, and pressure from them—as well as from business leaders, politicians, and parents—has driven a quick growth in the number of programs.
Chicago itself is home to the largest effort to include Chinese in US public schools. The program here has grown to include 3,000 students in 20 schools, with more schools on a waiting list. Programs have also spread to places like Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, and North Carolina. It’s true that the number of students learning Chinese is tiny compared with how many study Spanish or French.
Advocates see knowledge of the Chinese language and culture as a help in a global economy where China is growing in importance. “This is an interesting way to begin to engage with the world’s next superpower,” says Michael Levine, director of education at the Asia Society, which has started five new public high schools that offer Chinese. “Globalization has already changed the arrangements in terms of how children today are going to need to think about their careers… The question is, when not whether, the schools are going to adjust.”
In Chicago, the trend extends beyond schools with high numbers of Asian students. “The fact that my students are 98% low income and 99% Latino(拉丁美洲人) and they are succeeding in this, tells me everyone should have a try at learning languages,” says Virginia Rivera, principal at McCormick. “We want to give our young people opportunities to advance… and Chinese is a great opportunity to survive in today’s economy,” says Richard M. Daley, Mayor of Chicago.
小題1:The underlined word “Advocates” in the text probably means”              .
A.SupportersB.ObjectorsC.TeachersD.Learners
小題2: How many languages are mentioned in this passage?
A.Six.B.Two.C.Three.D.Four.
小題3:In the last paragraph, the underlined word “this ”probably refers to _____.
A.the competition between Latino and Asian students
B.the global economy
C.the interesting way to engage with China
D.the Chinese learning
小題4: What CANNOT be learned from this passage?
A.Most students at McCormick can speak three languages.
B.Chinese is gaining its popularity in all schools in Chicago.
C.French has far more speakers than Chinese does in Chicago.
D.Globalization in a way makes it necessary to learn Chinese.
小題5:Which of the following is mainly about in this passage?
A.The Chinese learning in Chicago.
B.The ways to learn Chinese.
C.McCormick Primary School.
D.Globalization and Chinese learning.

小題1:A
小題2:C
小題3:D
小題4:B
小題5:A

試題分析:文章通過介紹了芝加哥人學(xué)習(xí)中文的情況,說明在一定意義上,全球化(進(jìn)程)使得學(xué)習(xí)中文成為一種必然。
小題1:猜詞題:根據(jù)Advocates see knowledge of the Chinese language and culture as a help in a global economy where China is growing in importance.可猜出“Advocates”意思是支持者,故選A。
小題2:計(jì)算題:通過閱讀文章可知,文章一共提到了三種語言, 故選C。
小題3:詞義猜測(cè)題。根據(jù)倒數(shù)第2段的語境(即談?wù)撜Z言學(xué)習(xí))再結(jié)合全文的話題(即中文學(xué)習(xí))即可以推斷這里this 所指的是中文學(xué)習(xí)。故選D。
小題4:推理判斷題。根據(jù)第1段第2句“For most, who speak Spanish at home, it’s becoming their third language.”可排除A項(xiàng);根據(jù)第2段最后一句“It’s true that the number of students learning Chinese is tiny compared with how many study Spanish or French.”可排除C項(xiàng);根據(jù)第3段第1句得知,對(duì)全球經(jīng)濟(jì),中文學(xué)習(xí)有著積極的作用,所以“在一定意義上,全球化(進(jìn)程)使得學(xué)習(xí)中文成為一種必要”這種觀點(diǎn)是成立的,可排除D項(xiàng);而B 項(xiàng)在文中沒有明顯依據(jù),故選B。
小題5:主旨大意題。全文主要介紹了芝加哥人學(xué)習(xí)中文的情況,故選A。
練習(xí)冊(cè)系列答案
相關(guān)習(xí)題

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

“Can’t hold a candle to” is a popular expression.When there wasn’t electricity, someone would have a servant light his way by holding a candle.The expression meant that the person who cannot hold a candle to you is not fit even to be your servant.Now,it means such a person cannot compare or compete.
Another expression is“hold your tongue.”It means to be still and not talk.“Hold your tongue”is not something you would tell a friend.But a parent or teacher might use the expression to quiet a noisy child.
“Hold out”is an expression one hears often in sports reports and labor news.It means to refuse to play or work.Professional football and baseball players“hold out” if their team refuses to pay them what they think they are worth.
The expression“hold up” has several different meanings.One is a robbery.A man with a gun may say,“This is a hold up.Give me your money.”Another meaning is to delay.A driver who was held up by heavy traffic might be late for work.Another meaning is for a story to be considered true after an investigation.A story can hold up if it is proved true.
“Hold on”is another expression,which means wait or stop.As you leave for school,your brother may say,“Hold on,you forgot your book.” It is used to ask a telephone caller to wait and not hang up his telephone.
Our final expression is“hold the line.”That means to keep a problem or situation from getting worse—to hold steady.For example,the president may say he will“hold the line on taxes.”He means there will be no increase in taxes.
小題1:The author introduces the expressions mainly by _____________.
A.giving examplesB.making comparisons
C.raising questions D.quoting famous remarks
小題2:The expression“can’t hold a candle to”call be used when ____________.
A.some footballers refuse to play a game
B.someone else is wanted on the phone
C.someone is not qualified for a position
D.someone was delayed by heavy traffic
小題3:The tune ofthe phrase“hold your tongue”is probably a little ___________.
A.a(chǎn)musingB.politeC.unfriendlyD.offensive
小題4:If some teachers“hold out”,they probably __________.
A.change their artitudeB.refuse to work
C.make a compromise D.show their devotion
小題5:Which of the following sentences can convey positive meanings?
A.I was late as I was held up by a hold up.
B.Hold on!You have to pay the bill,sir.
C.You can’t even hold a candle to Michael.
D.I promise to hold the line on house prices.

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Pet owners are being encouraged to take their animals to work , a move scientists say can be good for productivity , workplace morale (士氣), and the well-being of animals .
A study found that 25% of Australian women would like to keep an office pet . Sue Chaseling of Petcare Information Service said the practice of keeping office pets was good both for the people and the pets . “On the pets’ side , they are not left on their own and won’t feel lonely and unhappy,” she said . A study of major US companies showed that 73% found office pets beneficial (有益的) , while 27% experienced a drop in absenteeism (缺勤).
Xarni Riggs has two cats walking around her Global Hair Salon in Paddington . “My customers love them. They are their favorites ,” she said . “They are not troublesome . They know when to go and have a sleep in the sun .”
Little black BJ has spent nearly all his two years “working” at Punch Gallery in Balmain . Owner Iain Powell said he had had cats at the gallery for 15 years . “BJ often lies in the shop window and people walking past tap on the glass ,” he said .
Ms Chaseling said cats were popular in service industries because they enabled a point of conversation . But she said owners had to make sure both their co-workers and the cats were comfortable .
小題1:The percentage of American companies that are in favor of keeping office pets is         .
A.73%B.27%C.25%D.15%
小題2:We know from the text that “BJ”       
A.works in the Global Hair Salon
B.often greets the passers-by
C.likes to sleep in the sun
D.is a two-year-old cat
小題3:The best title for this text would be             .
A.Pets Help Attract Customers
B.Your Favorite Office Pets
C.Pets Join the Workforce
D.Busy Life for Pets

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Parents and kids today dress alike, listen to the same music, and are friends. Is this a good thing? Sometimes, when Mr. Ballmer and his 16-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, listen to rock music together and talk about interests both enjoy, such as pop culture, he remembers his more distant relationship with his parents when he was a teenager.
“I would never have said to my mom, ‘Hey, the new Weezer album is really great. How do you like it?’” says Ballmer. “There was just a complete gap in taste.”
Music was not the only gulf. From clothing and hairstyles to activities and expectations, earlier generations of parents and children often appeared to move in separate orbits.
Today, the generation gap has not disappeared, but it is getting narrow in many families. Conversations on subjects such as sex and drugs would not have taken place a generation ago. Now they are comfortable and common. And parent—child activities, from shopping to sports, involve a feeling of trust and friendship that can continue int0 adulthood.
No wonder greeting cards today carry the message, “To my mother, my best friend.”
But family experts warn that the new equality can also result in less respect for parents. “There’s still a lot of strictness and authority on the part of parents out there, but there is a change happening,” says Kerrie, a psychology professor at Lebanon Valley College. “In the middle of that change, there is a lot of confusion among parents.”
Family researchers offer a variety of reasons for these evolving roles and attitudes. They see the 1960s as a turning point. Great cultural changes led to more open communication and a more democratic process that encourages everyone to have a say.
“My parents were on the ‘before’ side of that change, but today’s parents, the 40-year-olds, were on the  ‘a(chǎn)fter’ side,” explains Mr. Ballmer. “It’s not something easily accomplished by parents these days, because life is more difficult to understand or deal with, but sharing interests does make it more fun to be a parent now.”
41. The underlined word gulf in Para.3 most probably means _________.
A. interest
B. distance
C. difference
D. separation
42. Which of the following shows that the generation gap is disappearing?
A. Parents help their children develop interests in more activities.
B. Parents put more trust in their children’s abilities.
C. Parents and children talk more about sex and drugs.
D. Parents share more interests with their children.
43. The change in today’s parent-child relationship is _________.
A. more confusion among parents
B. new equality between parents and children
C.1ess respect for parents from children
D. more strictness and authority on the part of parents
44. By saying “today’s parents, the 40-year-olds, were on the ‘a(chǎn)fter’ side.” the author means that today’s parents _________.
A. follow the trend of the change
B. can set a limit to the change
C. fail to take the change seriously
D. have little difficulty adjusting to the change
45. The purpose of the passage is to _________.
A. describe the difficulties today’s parents have met with
B. discuss the development of the parent—child relationship
C. suggest the ways to handle the parent—child relationship
D. compare today’s parent—child relationship with that in the past

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

  Beauty has always been regarded as something praiseworthy. Almost everyone thinks attractive people are happier and healthier, have better marriages and have more respectable jobs. Personal advisors give them better advice for finding jobs. Even judges are softer on attractive defendants. But in the executive circle, beauty can become a liability.
While attractiveness is a positive factor for a man on his way up the executive ladder, it is harmful to a woman.
Handsome male executives were considered as having more honesty than plainer men; effort and ability were thought to lead to their success.
Attractive female executives were considered to have less honesty than unattractive ones; their success was connected not with ability but with factors such as luck.
All unattractive women executives were thought to have more honesty and to be more capable than the attractive female executives. Interestingly, though, the rise of the unattractive overnight successes was connected more to personal relationships and less to ability than that of the attractive overnight successes.
Why are attractive women not thought to be able? An attractive woman is considered to be more feminine and an attractive man more manly than the less attractive ones. Thus, an attractive woman has an advantage in traditionally' female jobs, but an attractive woman in a traditionally manly position appears to lack the "manly" qualities required.
This is true even in politics. "When the only clue is how he or she looks, people treat men and women differently," says Anne Bowman, who recently published a study on the effects of attractiveness on political candidates. She asked 125 undergraduate students to rank two groups of photographs, one of men and one of
women, ir o_nler of attractiveness. The students were told the photographs were of candidates for political offices. They were asked to rank them again, in the order they would vote for them.
The results showed that attractive males completely defeated unattractive men, but the women who had ranked most attractive unchangeably received the fewest votes.
51. The word "liability" most probably means       
A. disadvantage     B. advantage         C. misfortune        D. trouble
52. In traditionally female jobs, attractiveness       
A. makes women look more honest and capable
B. strengthens the feminine qualifies required
C. is of no importance to women
D. often enables women to succeed quickly
53. Bowman's experiment shows that when it comes to polities, attractiveness        
A. turns out to be a disadvantage to men
B. is more of a disadvantage than an advantage to women
C. affects men and women alike
D. has as little effect on men as on women
54. It can be inferred from the passage that people's views on beauty are often      
A. practical     B. supportive      C. old-fashioned    D. one-sided
55. The author writes this passage to
A. give advice to job-seekers who are attractive
B. discuss the disadvantages of being attractive
C. demand equal rights for women
D. state the importance of appearance

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

English is an important global language, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to learn. Many experts have tried to make English easier for students to learn―but they weren’t always successful.
In 1930, Professor CK Ogden of Cambridge University invented Basic English. It had only 850 words (and just eighteen verbs) and Ogden said most people could learn it in just thirty hours. The problem was that people who learned Basic English could write and say simple messages, but they couldn’t understand the answers in “real” English! It was also impossible to explain a word if it wasn’t in the Basic English word list. For example, if you wanted a watermelon, you asked for “a large green fruit with the form of an egg, which has a sweet red inside and a good taste”!
RE Zachrisson, a university professor in Sweden, decided that the biggest problem for learners of English was spelling, so he invented a language called Anglic. Anglic was similar to English, but with much simpler spelling. “Father” became “faadher”, “new” became “nue’ and “years” became “yeerz”. Unfortunately for some students of English, Anglic never became popular.
Even easier is the language which ships’ captains use: it’s called “Seaspeak”. Seaspeak uses a few simple phrases for every possible situation. In Seaspeak, for example, you don’t say, “I’m sorry what did you say?” or “I didn’t understand, can you repeat that?” It’s just “Say again.” No more grammar!
In the age of international communication through the Internet who knows? ... a new form of English might appear. A large number of the world’s e-mails are in English and include examples of “NetLingo” like OIC (Oh, I see) and TTYL (Talk to you later). In another fifty years, English might not exist ... we will probably all speak fluent Internetish!
小題1:The best title for the passage would be ______.
A.SeaspeakB.Basic English
C.InternetishD.Easy English
小題2:It will take a person about ______ weeks to learn Basic English if he spends two hours
learning it every day.
A.sixB.fourC.twoD.three
小題3:According to Professor Zachrisson, what was the biggest problem for learners of English?
A.Grammar.B.Vocabulary.
C.Speaking.D.Spelling.
小題4:Which of the following is likely to be Anglic?
A.IOUB.A graet batl.
C.Long time no see.D.Two five, no lights.
小題5:What might happen to English in another fifty years?
A.It might be replaced by Internetish.
B.It might become a global language.
C.It might take the place of all other languages.
D.It might become more and more difficult.

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Working with a group of baboons (狒狒)in the Namibian desert, Dr. Alecia Carter of the Department of Zoology,Cambridge University set baboons learning tasks involving a novel food and a familiar food hidden in a box. Some baboons were given the chance to watch another baboon who already knew how to solve the task, while others had to learn for themselves. To work out how brave or anxious the baboons were, Dr. Carter presented them either with a novel food or a threat in the form of a model of a poisonous snake.
She found that personality had a major impact on learning. The braver baboons learnt, but the shy ones did not learn the task although they watched the baboon perform the task of finding the novel food just as long as the brave ones did. In effect, despite being made aware of what to do, they were still too shy to do what the experienced baboon did.
The same held true for anxious baboons compared with calm ones. The anxious individuals learnt the task by observing others while those who were relaxed did not, even though they spent more time watching.
This mismatch between collecting social information and using it shows that personality plays a key role in social learning in animals, something that has previously been ignored in studies on how animals learn to do things. The findings are significant because they suggest that animals may perform poorly in cognitive (認(rèn) 知的)tasks not because they aren’t clever enough to solve them,but because they are too shy or nervous to use the social information.
The findings may impact how we understand the formation of culture in societies through social learning. If some individuals are unable to get information from others because they don’t associate with the knowledgeable individuals,or they are too shy to use the information once they have it,information may not travel between all group members, preventing the formation of a culture based on social learning.
小題1:What is the first paragraph mainly about?
A.The design of Dr. Carter’s research.
B.The results of Dr. Carter’s research.
C.The purpose of Dr. Carter’s research.
D.The significance of Dr. Carter’s research.
小題2:According to the research, which baboons are more likely to complete a new learning task?
A.Those that have more experience.
B.Those that can avoid potential risks.
C.Those that like to work independently.
D.Those that feel anxious about learning.
小題3:Which best illustrates the “mismatch” mentioned in Paragraph 4?
A.Some baboons are intelligent but slow in learning.
B.Some baboons are shy but active in social activities.
C.Some baboons observe others but don’t follow them.
D.Some baboons perform new tasks but don’t concentrate.
小題4:Dr. Carter’s findings indicate that our culture might be formed through   .
A.storing information
B.learning from each other
C.understanding different people
D.travelling between social groups

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Many years ago,a French naturalist,the Count de Buffon,wrote some books about natural history.The books were a great success even though some critics did not like them.Some critics said,“Count Buffon is more of a poet than a scientist.”
Thomas Jefferson did not like what the Count had said about the natural wonders of the New World.It seemed to Jefferson that the Count had spoken of natural wonders in America as if they were unimportant.
This troubled Thomas Jefferson.He too was a naturalist,as well as a farmer,inventor,historian,writer and politician.He had seen the natural wonders of Europe.To him,they were no more important than those of the New World.
In 1788,Thomas Jefferson wrote about his home state,Virginia.While writing,he thought of its natural beauty and then of the words of the Count de Buffon.At that moment.Jefferson created a new word—belittle.He said.“The Count de Buffon believes that nature belittles her productions on this side of the Atlantic.”
Noah Webster,the American word expert,liked this word.He put it in this English language dictionary in 1806,“Belittle—to make small,unimportant.”
Americans had already accepted Jefferson’s word and started to use it.In 1797,the Independent Chronicle newspaper used the word to describe a politician the paper supported.“He is an honorable man,”the paper wrote,“so let the opposition try to belittle him as much as they please.”
In 1872,a famous American word expert decided that the time had come to kill this word.He said,“Belittle has no chance of becoming English.And as more critical writers of America,like those of Britain,feel no need of it,the sooner it is forgotten,the better.”
This expert failed to kill the word.Today.belittle is used where the English language is spoken.
小題1:Why did Thomas Jefferson disagree with the Count de Buffon?
A.The Count said something silly about the Atlantic.
B.The Count wasn’t a true scientist in natural history.
C.The Count was a poet from a different country.
D.The Count belittled the natural wonders in America.
小題2:We can infer that Jefferson created the word“belittle”out of his .
A.a(chǎn)ngerB.excitementC.kindnessD.responsibility
小題3:From the text we can know that .
A.a(chǎn)ll critics thought little of the Count de Buffon
B.Europe has better wonders than the New World
C.the word“belittle”survived from disagreements
D.word experts can change the future of a new word
小題4:Which of the following is true of the word“belittle”?
A.It is gradually accepted by people.
B.It was invented by the Count de Buffon.
C.It was used to describe nature.
D.The Independent Chronicle made it popular.
小題5:What is the main idea of the text?
A.How the word“belittle”came into being.
B.The argument about natural wonders.
C.Every word has a long history behind.
D.Noah Webster supported Jefferson’s idea.

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

There is a story about a man who lost his legs and left arm in an accident. After the accident, only a finger and thumb on his right hand remained.
He was a brilliant, creative, and educated man. He had gained a lot of experience while traveling around the world, so he became very depressed after his accident. He was afraid that he would spend the rest of his life suffering and would no longer be able to spend his life in a meaningful way. Then, he realized that he still had partial function of his right hand and could still write even though it was very difficult. An idea occurred to him. "Why not write to other people who need encouragement?"
He wrote to the prison ministry about sending letters to the prisoners. The prison minister replied, "Writing to the prisoners is acceptable, but your letters will not be answered."
Filled with excitement, the man knew he could write his letters. He began sending one-way messages of God’s love, hope, strength, and encouragement. He wrote twice a week, testing his strength and ability to the limit. He poured his heart and soul into his words and shared his experience, sense of humor, optimism, and faith.
It was difficult to write those letters, especially without hope of a reply. One day he received a letter from the prison ministry. It was a short note from the officer who monitored and checked the prison mail.
The letter said, "Please write on the best paper you can afford. Your letters are passed from cell to cell until they literally fall to pieces!"
No matter what circumstances life may present, we all have unique experiences, abilities, and God-given talents. We can discover ways to reach others who desperately need messages of encouragement and strength.
小題1:Before the man had the accident, he ________.
A.had toured around the world
B.had visited local prisons
C.had tried doing exercise to recover himself
D.had been friends with the prison minister
小題2:In order to live in a meaningful way, the man began to ________.
A.receive the school education
B.write to other people who needs encouragement
C.meet the people who are depressed
D.help other people lost arms and legs
小題3:According to the prison minister, ________.
A.the man was not allowed to write to the prisoners
B.the man couldn’t go to see the prisoners himself
C.the prisoners were not allowed to answer the letters
D.he was not sure if the prisoners liked receiving the letters
小題4:From the officer’s short note we are told that ________.
A.the man would be offered free paper to write letters on
B.some of the prisoners were not satisfied with his letters
C.the prisoners eagerly wanted to write back to the man
D.his letters were very popular among the prisoners
小題5:What can be the best title for the passage?
A.Stories about a humorous Person
B.Popularity of Special Letters
C.Special letters of Encouragement
D.Relationship between writers and prisoners

查看答案和解析>>

同步練習(xí)冊(cè)答案