阅读理解

A

Languages have been coming and going for thousands of years， but in recent times there has been less coming and a lot more going. When the world was still populated by hunter-gatherers， small， tightly knit （联系） groups developed their own patterns of speech independent of each other. Some language experts believe that 10，000 years ago， when the world had just five to ten million people， they spoke perhaps 12，000 languages between them.

Soon afterwards， many of those people started settling down to become farmers， and their languages too became more settled and fewer in number. In recent centuries， trade， industrialisation， the development of the nation-state and the spread of universal compulsory education， especially globalisation and better communications in the past few decades， all have caused many languages to disappear， and dominant languages such as English， Spanish and Chinese are increasingly taking over.

At present， the world has about 6，800 languages. The distribution of these languages is hugely uneven. The general rule is that mild zones have relatively few languages， often spoken by many people， while hot， wet zones have lots， often spoken by small numbers. Europe has only around 200 languages; the Americas about 1，000; Africa 2，400; and Asia and the Pacific perhaps 3，200， of which Papua New Guinea alone accounts for well over 800. The median number （中位數） of speakers is a mere 6，000， which means that half the worlds languages are spoken by fewer people than that.

Already well over 400 of the total of 6，800 languages are close to extinction （消亡）， with only a few elderly speakers left. Pick， at random， Busuu in Cameroon （eight remaining speakers）， Chiapaneco in Mexico （150）， Lipan Apache in the United States （two or three） or Wadjigu in Australia （one， with a question-mark）： none of these seems to have much chance of survival.

1. What can we infer about languages in hunter-gatherer times？

A. They developed very fast.

B. They were large in number.

C. They had similar patterns.

D. They were closely connected.

2. Which of the following best explains the underlined word “dominant” in Paragraph 2？

A. Complex. B. Advanced.

C. Powerful. D. Modern.

3. How many languages are spoken by less than 6，000 people at present？

A. About 6，800. B. About 3，400.

C. About 2，400. D. About 1，200.

4. What is the main idea of the text？

A. New languages will be created.

B. Geography determines language evolution.

C. Peoples lifestyles are reflected in languages.

D. Human development results in fewer languages.

B

Children pushed in buggies （嬰儿车） which face away from their parents may suffer long-term emotional and language problems， according to a study published on Friday.

The research， believed to be the first of its kind， found that children who were not facing the person pushing them were less likely to talk， laugh and interact with their parents.

The findings were based on a study of 2，722 parents and babies and an experiment where 20 babies were wheeled in buggies for a mile， facing their parents for half the journey and facing away for the other half. Parents using face-to-face buggies were twice as likely to talk to their children while the babies heart rates fell and they were twice as likely to fall asleep， an indication that they were feeling relaxed and safe. In addition， only one baby out of the 20 studied laughed while sitting in an away?facing buggy.

“Our data suggests that for many babies today， life in a buggy is emotionally impoverished and possibly stressful. Stressed babies grow into anxious adults， ” said Dr Suzanne Zeedyk， Developmental Psychologist at Scotlands Dundee University who carried out the research. The study， which was published by National Literacy Trust as part of its “Talk To Your Baby” campaign， found that 62 percent of all children observed travelled in away?facing buggies. Zeedyk said it would impact negatively on babies development if they spent a long time in away?facing buggies， which would undermine （削弱） their ability to communicate with their parents at a time when their brain was developing rapidly.

Laura Barbour of the Sutton Trust， a social mobility charity which funded the research， said buggy manufacturers should look closely at the findings.

5. What is the possible result of using away?facing buggies？

A. Benefiting both the babies and their parents.

B. Affecting babies language ability permanently.

C. Helping babies communicate with their parents.

D. Having positive effect on babies development.

6. What can we know about the experiment from Paragraph 3？

A. Children feel relaxed and safe in buggies.

B. Only one baby laughed in the away?facing buggy.

C. 20 babies were wheeled in buggies facing their parents.

D. Parents talk more with the babies in away?facing buggies.

7. What does the underlined word “impoverished” in Paragraph 4 mean？

A. Poor. B. Nervous.

C. Safe. D. Energetic.

8. What can be the best title for the text？

A. Best for Kids to Face Parents in Buggy

B. Stressed Babies Grow into Anxious Adults

C. Best for Kids to Communicate with Parents

D. Buggy Manufacturers Care about the Finding

閱读七选五

There are many factors which may have an influence on adults and children being able to lead a healthy life.

Often， both parents work outside the home. Children are expected to take on more responsibility at home to help their parents. They also have sporting and leisure activities （休闲活动） as well as school expectations.

The business also adds another factor： The need to use cars to get from one place to another quickly.  Computers， DVDs， CDs， television， PlayStations and Xboxes have become major leisure activities， rather than traditional more active pursuits （消遣）. This has led to a lifestyle of less exercise.

Unfortunately， they also promote fast food which fits easily into busy lifestyles. It is much more convenient at times to buy a quick takeaway rather than prepare a meal. The media constantly bombard （轰炸） their audience with “perfect” body images， the need to buy the most fashionable clothes， the most up?-to-?date computer games， the best places to visit and the best things to do.

Environments vary.  This can be harmful to people who suffer from breathing difficulties. Environments where passive smoking is unavoidable make it difficult to lead a healthy life.

Any person who wants to be healthy will find a way to be healthy—if he or she is motivated enough！

A. Nowadays， people are very busy.

B. People are living in a bad air environment.

C. The media provide entertainment and information.

D. Today society places a lot of emphasis on technology.

E. Advertisements play an important role in peoples life.

F. We may be exposed to pollution， such as cigarette

smoke.

G. The important one is motivation or the desire to be

healthy.

1.                2.                3.                4.                5.

完形填空

I spent last summer volunteering at a hospital. It was a gift to  so many amazing people and Id like to share one of these moments. One day， I was called to a room where a（n）  woman was staying. Usually I helped with  who were ready to leave. Instead， she  to go to the gift shop. I got a wheelchair，  her into it， and headed down to the entrance.

When we got there， it wasnt open yet. After a 30-minute ， we entered the gift shop. As I pushed her around， I could see the  in her face as she looked at everything， happy to be out of  her room. She  some window decorations， and then saw chocolates.

She asked me to push her in that ， and then I helped her  all the different chocolate arrangements.  she decided on three different boxes.

She told me to write the numbers 1， 2， and 3 on the boxes. She  that the nurses were taking such good care of her， so she  chocolates for each of the three shifts of nurses. As we gave the current shift of nurses their box of chocolate， they  offered some to me before taking some themselves.

There were  all around. Witnessing the old ladys  and getting the opportunity to spend time with someone who got so much joy from life was a  in itself. I have so many more stories， and each person made an impact on my life. Ive  that health has a way of bringing people together.  is a blessing， and being in a place where health is so  and appreciated is unlike anything else.

1. A. introduce B. meet C. attract D. describe

2. A. elderly B. strange C. important D. famous

3. A. nurses B. kids C. patients D. parents

4. A. pretended B. wanted C. failed D. promised

5. A. helped B. led C. showed D. pushed

6. A. ride B. walk C. drive D. wait

7. A. relief B. anxiety C.  joy D.  puzzle

8. A. chose B. made C. used D. received

9. A. manner B. case C. direction D. point

10. A. prepare for B. make up C. figure out D. look through

11. A. Suddenly B. Eventually C. Fortunately D. Actually

12. A. explained B. declared C. expected D. imagined

13. A. exchanged B. designed C. tasted D. bought

14. A. in fact B. at a loss C. in turn D. at ease

15. A. whispers B. smiles C. shouts D. cheers

16. A. kindness B. choice C. decision D. loneliness

17. A. lesson  B. chance C. gift D. sign

18. A. concluded B. resisted C. predicted D. learned

19. A. Health B. Luck C. Virtue D. Praise

20. A. tested B. valued C. maintained D. promoted

語法填空

Once a manager wanted to test his people about their values of life. He announced that in their folder， there was a PVC pouch （小袋） and in  a seed. When they return， they must put the seed in a pot with good soil and look after it very well. He would hold a  （compete） at the next years seminar and the best plants would be awarded  （suitable）.

Everyone did what was told. And the next year in a big hall， there were hundreds of pots and a great  （vary） of plants—all except one. In this pot was soil，  no plant！ The owner of the pot  （stand） quietly and feeling ashamed of himself.

The manager asked him what had happened and he told him the truth. He planted the seed，  he was given， and did what needed  （do）—but nothing happened.

The general manager declared him the winner！ Everyone   （shock）.

It was announced， “Gentlemen！ The seeds I gave you were

（boil） seeds. You planted them and nothing happened！ You acted smartly and used some other seeds. This man was honest about his work and therefore， he did not cheat me or himself！”

1.                2.                3.                4.                5.

6.                7.                8.                9.                10.

短文改错

My hometown is a pretty city， so people there are kind and polite. With the coming of spring， grass， tree and flowers grew in many colors. In summer， the sea under blue sky is even more beautiful. After autumn arrives， the city looks as an old man with leaves fallen from the trees. In winter， a lot of white birds coming to my city for food. They can wait more patiently above the sea for quite a long time. When they find fish come to the surface， they fly down immediate and catch it without delay. That is my city， and I love it very much.