If you are fond of learning languages, you must start learning Chinese. English is the most widely spoken language in the world and it is a more powerful language in all fields. But it is expected that Chinese, which is one of the six official languages of the United Nations (UN), will be the most important language in the coming years. What are the reasons behind the rapid spread of this language and why should you learn it?

My desire to learn languages was the reason why I studied many Latin languages and in the process, I deepened my knowledge of the languages and literature.  However, I did not feel  self-sufficient ( 自 给 自 足 的 ) from  this knowledge. I gained a lot of information about the Western world. But my thinking was always about Asian civilizations. I always felt I needed to learn Chinese to be a global citizen (全球公民) because “without learning Chinese, we see with one eye”.

My contact with many international organizations and government institutions ( 机构 ) made me believe that Chinese is one of the most important languages of our time. After visiting the world’s most celebrated capitals such as Paris and London, I discovered that Chinese language can be seen everywhere in these places. In the subway in Paris, you will hear instructions in French, English and Chinese. In London, for example, the Chinese language was introduced for instruction in schools.

China is an important political (政治的) and economic country because it is making great economic progress that has never been seen before. The world is watching  China with great surprise, and this peaceful Chinese rise makes us decide to focus on learning the Chinese language and knowing more about Chinese culture.

To be a global citizen these days, I would advise you to learn Chinese. It will add more beauty to your life and allow you to better understand Chinese civilization.

32．What can we learn about languages in the future according to the first paragraph?

A．Some of them will disappear.

B．More official languages will be added to the UN.

C．English will still have an advantage over others.

D．Chinese language will probably be second to none.

33．What do the examples in Paragraph 3 show?

A．Paris is a wonderful capital city worth a visit.

B．Chinese learning is very popular in schools in London.

C．People in some western countries like speaking Chinese.

D．Chinese language is playing an important role in the world.

34．What mainly causes Westerners to start learning Chinese according to the text?

A．The rise of Chinese economy.

B．Their love for language learning.

C．Their curiosity about Asian culture.

D．The long history of Chinese civilization.

35．What could be the best title for the text?

A．How to be a global citizen

B．Chinese — the language you must learn

C．What you should know about Chinese culture

D．Chinese economy—the most powerful engine

 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, industrialization, 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(中位数) 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.

97．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 patters.                             D．They were closely connected

98．Which of the following best explains "dominant" underlined in paragraph 2？

A．Complex.                                                  B．Advanced.

C．Powerful.                                                  D．Modern.

99．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.

100．What is the main idea of the text?

A．New languages will be created.

B．Peoples lifestyles are reflected in languages.

C．Human development results in fewer languages.

D．Geography determines language evolution.

    While many of us may have been away somewhere nice last summer, few would say that we’ve “summered.” “Summer” is clearly a noun, more precisely, a verbed noun.

Way back in our childhood, we all learned the difference between a noun and a verb. With such a tidy definition, it was easy to spot the difference. Not so in adulthood, where we are expected to “foot” bills, “chair” committees, and “dialogue” with political opponents. Chances are you didn’t feel uncomfortable about the sight of those verbed nouns.

“The verbing of nouns is as old as the English language,” says Patricia O’Conner, a former editor at The New York Times Book Review. Experts estimate that 20 percent of all English verbs were originally nouns. And the phenomenon seems to be snowballing. Since 1900, about 40 percent of all new verbs have come from nouns.

Even though conversion (转化) is quite universal, plenty of grammarians object to the practice. William Strunk Jr. and E.B．White, in The Elements of Style — the Bible for the use of American English — have this to say: “Many nouns lately have been pressed into service as verbs. Not all are bad, but all are suspect.” The Chicago Manual of Style takes a similar standpoint, advising writers to use verbs with great care.

“Sometimes people object to a new verb because they resist what is unfamiliar to them,” says O’Conner. That’s why we’re comfortable “hosting” a party, but we might feel upset by the thought of “medaling” in sports. So are there any rules for verbing? Benjamin Dreyer, copy chief at Random House, doesn’t offer a rule, but suggests that people think twice about “verbifying” a noun if it’s easily replaceable by an already existing popular verb. Make sure it’s descriptive but not silly-sounding, he says.

In the end, however, style is subjective. Easy conversion of nouns to verbs has been part of English grammar for centuries; it is one of the processes that make English “English.” Not every coinage (新创的词语) passes into general use, but as for trying to end verbing altogether, forget it.

80．What can we learn about the verbing of nouns?

A．It hasn’t recently been opposed by many grammarians.

B．It is more commonly accepted by children than adults.

C．It hasn’t been a rare phenomenon in the past century.

D．It is easily replaced by existing verbs in practice

81．What is most leading experts’ attitude towards the practice of the verbing of nouns?

A．Cautious.                                                  B．Satisfied.

C．Disappointed.                                            D．Unconcerned.

82．What does the author think of ending the verbing of nouns?

A．Predictable.                                               B．Practicable.

C．Approaching.                                            D．Impossible.

83．What is the best title for the text?

A．Are 40 Percent of all new verbs from nouns？

B．Are Summering and Medaling Annoying?

C．Are You Comfortable about a New Verb?

D．Are There Any Rules for Verbing?

    The meaning of silence varies among cultural groups.Silences may be thoughtful, or they may be empty when a person has nothing to say. A silence in a conversation may also show stubbornness, uneasiness, or worry. Silence may be viewed by some cultural groups as extremely uncomfortable; therefore attempts may be made to fill every gap(间隙) with conversation. Persons in other cultural groups value silence and view it as necessary for understanding a person's needs.

Many Native Americans value silence and feel it is a basic part of communicating among people, just as some traditional Chinese and Thai persons do. Therefore, when a person from one of these cultures is speaking and suddenly stops, what may be implied(暗示) is that the person wants the listener to consider what has been said before continuing.In these cultures, silence is a call for reflection.

Other cultures may use silence in other ways, particularly when dealing with conflicts among people or in relationships of people with different amounts of power. For example, Russian, French, and Spanish persons may use silence to show agreement between parties about the topic under discussion. However, Mexicans may use silence when instructions are given by a person in authority rather than be rude to that person by arguing with him or her. In still another use, persons in Asian cultures may view silence as a sign of respect, particularly to an elder or a person in authority.

Nurses and other care-givers need to be aware of the possible meanings of silence when they come across the personal anxiety their patients may be experiencing. Nurses should recognize their own personal and cultural construction of silence so that a patient’s silence is not interrupted too early or allowed to go on unnecessarily. A nurse who understands the healing(治愈) value of silence can use this understanding to assist in the care of patients from their own and from other cultures.

207．What does the author say about silence in conversations?

A．It implies anger.

B．It promotes friendship.

C．It is culture-specific.

D．It is content-based.

208．Which of the following people might regard silence as a call for careful thought?

A．The Chinese.

B．The French.

C．The Mexicans.

D．The Russians.

209．What does the author advise nurses to do about silence?

A．Let it continue as the patient pleases.

B．Break it while treating patients.

C．Evaluate its harm to patients.

D．Make use of its healing effects.

210．What may be the best title for the text?

A．Sound and Silence

B．What It Means to Be Silent

C．Silence to Native Americans

D．Speech Is Silver; Silence Is Gold

    Green is an important color in nature. It is the color of grass and the leaves on trees. It is also the color of most growing plants.

Sometimes, the word “green” means young, fresh and growing. For example, a greenhorn is someone who has no experience. In the 15th century, a greenhorn was a young cow or an ox whose horns(角) had not yet developed. A century later, a greenhorn was a soldier who had no experience in war. By the 18th century, a greenhorn had the meaning it has today—a person who is new in a job.

Someone who is good at growing plants is said to have a green thumb(大拇指). The expression comes from the early 20th century. A person with a green thumb can make plants grow quickly and well.

Green is also the color used to describe the powerful feeling, jealousy(嫉妒). The green-eyed monster(怪物) is not a dangerous animal from outer space. It is an expression used about 400 years ago by the British writer William Shakespeare in his play “Othello”. It describes the unpleasant feeling when someone has something he wants. For example, a young man may suffer from the green-eyed monster if you get a pay rise and he does not.

In most places in the world, a green light means to move ahead. In everyday speech, a green light means agree to continue with a project.

273．A greenhorn now refers to ________.

A．a person who is new in a job

B．a new soldier

C．a young horse

D．a cow without horns

274．A person with a green thumb is a person ________.

A．who is good at growing plants

B．whose thumbs are of green color

C．whose garden is greener than others’

D．who is younger than his neighbors

275．A man may meet the green-eyed monster if ________.

A．he sees a dangerous animal

B．he reads a sad play

C．his friend gets a prize that he wants

D．he can’t get something

276．The main idea of the passage is ________.

A．a greenhorn

B．a green thumb

C．the Green Revolution

D．the word “green” and its story