WASHINGTON—Thousands of public schools stopped teaching foreign languages in the last decade,according to a survey.But another contrary trend has educators and policy makers abuzz: a rush by schools in all parts of America to offer instructions in Chinese.
Some schools are paying for Chinese classes on their own,but hundreds are getting some help.The Chinese government is sending teachers from China to schools all over the world—and paying part of their salaries.
No one keeps an exact count,but rough calculations based on the government's survey suggest that perhaps 1,600 American public and private schools are teaching Chinese,up from 300 or so a decade ago.And the number is growing exponentially(成倍地).
"It's really changing the language education landscape of this country,"said Nancy C.Rhodes,director at the center.Other indicators point to the same trend."The number of students taking the Advanced Placement test in Chinese,introduced in 2007,has grown so fast that it is likely to pass German this year as the third most-tested A.P.language,after Spanish and French",said Trevor Packer,vice president at the College Board.
"We've all been surprised that in such a short time Chinese would grow to surpass A.P.German,"Mr.Packer said.
A decade ago,most of the schools with Chinese programs were on the East and West Coasts.But in recent years, many schools have started Chinese programs in heartland states,including Ohio and Illinois in the Midwest,Texas and Georgia in the South,and Colorado and Utah in the Rocky Mountain West.
America has had the study of a foreign language grow before,only to see the bubble burst.Many schools began teaching Japanese in the 1980s,after Japan emerged as an economic rival.But thousands have dropped the language, the survey found.Japanese is not the only language that has declined.Thousands of schools that offered French, German or Russian have stopped teaching those languages,too,the survey found.
25.What's the meaning of the underlined word "abuzz" in the first paragraph?
A.Be noisy like the sound of a bee. B.Be lively for various activities.
C.Cause people to discuss something hotly. D.Motivate people to march bravely.
26.What can we infer from what Mr.Packer said?
A.More and more people choose Chinese in A.P.test. B.A.P.test is the most difficult one in the world.
C.Chinese is more important than Spanish and French. D.Chinese is a necessary subject in most important tests.
27.What can we know from the last two paragraphs?
A.Many schools started Chinese programs in the Midwest ten years ago.
B.Chinese programs have been started in more areas in America recently.
C.American schools have stopped teaching French,German and Russian.
D.People are gradually fond of learning Chinese and Japanese in recent years.
28.What is the main idea of the passage?
A.Chinese is being learned as an official language in America.
B.Foreign Languages fade in American schools except Chinese.
C.Teaching Chinese in foreign countries has become a trend.
D.Foreign languages are no longer being taught in America.
CABB
新闻报道类阅读的概念:
阅读理解的选材明显地呈现出关注实际生活的趋势,这种趋势与当前基础教育改革的目标是一致的,而中学生学习语言的根本目标与基础教育学会求知,学会做事,学会合作,学会做人的目标是一致的,真实新颖的选材对基础英语教学课程改革具有重要的反作用。
新闻报道类阅读理解技巧点拨:
新闻报道类类文章有一共同特点,即都是由标题(Headline)、导语(Lead)、主体(Mainbody)、背景(Background)和结尾(End)五部分构成。标题是新闻报道中心思想高度而又精辟的概括;导语位于新闻报道的首段,高度概括新闻事实;主体则对导语概括的新闻事实进行详细叙述;新闻背景是指新闻事实之外,对新闻事实或新闻事实的某个部分进行解释或补充的材料;结尾往往是新闻事件的结果或动态展望,也是中心思想的概括并常常与新闻导语相呼应。
新闻报道中的导语非常重要,它位于文章的第一段,通过它点出新闻的主题,五个W和一个H(When,Where,Who,What,Why和How)通常是构成一则完整消息不可缺少的要素。文章往往呈现出“倒金字塔”的特征,因此读懂首句或首段至关重要。
另外,从句的使用也是此类文章的一大语言特色,因为从句信息量大,适合新闻报道的要求。此外,大量的副词和插入语的使用也是此类文章的特点。为使文章更客观、更具信服力,常用The study said…, Scientists believe that…Experts said…, It's reported that…, According to the survey…等语言。同事在阅读过程中,我们要对材料所提供信息如when, where, who, how, why等进行提问,将信息迅速提炼出来。
新闻报道类阅读应试策略:
【命题趋势】
阅读理解的选材明显地呈现出关注实际生活的趋势,这种趋势与当前基础教育改革的目标是一致的,而中学生学习语言的根本目标与基础教育学会求知,学会做事,学会合作,学会做人的目标是一致的,真实新颖的选材对基础英语教学课程改革具有重要的反作用。时文报道就在文章中体现了这一要求。主要表现在以下几个方面:
1、反映海内外事件,文章结构严谨,内容贴近生活,用现代英语反映现代生活。
2、如果是新闻报道,都有比较固定的写作格式,如文首通常有报道的地点或时间,第一句话常常是文章的导语,有助于了解文章的大致内容和主题。
3、如果是新闻报道则是记叙文,有地点、时间、人物、事物等要素。
4、有许多大量反映当代社会变化的新词汇和表达方式。
5、命题既重细节,又重推理和主旨。
6、大背景中的小事件,大事件中的小插曲往往是选材的热点。
【应试对策】
1、在平时学习中,关注生活,阅读新闻报道和广告类文章、把阅读时事文章作为学习英语的重要途径。
2、了解新的词汇和表达方式。如:tsunami海啸,MP3players(MP3)播放器,well_offsociety小康社会等。
3、抓住文章主题,准确捕捉细节和内涵,进行合理的推理。
4、品味新闻的标题,联系平时所积累的知识,为了解材料大意作铺垫。
5、了解新闻报道的特殊规律,其内容和多含何人、何地、何事、何时等,阅读时要抓住新闻的这一主要特点去理解判断。
6、要注意文中以黑体、大写、下划线等方式加以提示的文字,因为这很有可能是材料的核心或至少是一部分内容的概括。
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