3.Long live language.That's the message Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson and city councilor Amarjeet Sohi voiced when they declared Feb.21to be International Mother Language Day (IMLD)in Edmonton,the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta.
The pair were on hand for the International and Heriage Languages Association's (IHLA)12th annual Mother Language Day celebrations in an effort to save endangered languages.
"Keeping languages alive is important for me richness of our culture and the diversity that strengthens Edmonton,"said Iveson.
There are nearly 7,000unique languages spoken worldwide,but according to data from the United Nations Educational,Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) half of those languages are at risk of going extinct in just a few generations.
For example,there are currently over 3,000languages spoken throughout Africa.This sounds impressive until you realize that there were over 10,000languages spoken on the continent before colonization during the 19th century.
"People who lose their language experience suffering,"said Olenka Bilash,professor of second language education at the University of Alberta.Bilash likened the loss of language to the loss of cultural identity.
"As a multicultural society,it is very important to continue to preserve and pass on to future generations the language,culture,traditions and customs that we bring to Canada,"said IHLA president Olga Prokhorova.
While the City of Edmonton's citizen and new arrival centre in city hall provides services in 150languages,Bilash said research shows that"most people are still uncomfortable speaking their own language in public spaces."
Bliash hopes the official announcement of International Mother Language Day in Edmonton--which echoes International Mother Language Day declared by UNESCO in 1999--will be a step toward encouraging more language diversity in order to preserve the cultures tied to them.
"Our words define us; our expressions and vocabulary define who we are as people,"said Marueen Kubinec,Alberta's minister of culture and tourism."Our words are living examples,perhaps the best that there are,of human creativity."
28.The example of the languages in Africa is given to showB.
A.there're many languages in Arica.
B.a(chǎn) great number of languages became extinct.
C.Africa believes in encouraging cultural diversity.
D.Africans are trying to save endangered languages.
29.Both Bilash and Prokhorova stress the importance ofC.
A.mastering more than one foreign language.
B.public policy on Canadian traditions and customs.
C.protecting languages and cultures from extinction.
D.the official announcement of IMLD by UNESCO.
30.What does the underlined word"echoes"in the text mean?D
A.Suggests. B.Creates.
C.Celebrates. D.Imitates.
31.What can we learn from Kubinec's words?A
A.Your language is your identity.
B.Native language is disappearing.
C.Alberta is rich in language diversity.
D.Language can be saved by creativity.
分析 本文是一篇社會文化類閱讀,屬于新聞報道.長期存在的語言.埃德蒙頓市市長唐•艾文森(Don Iveson)和市議員阿馬爾杰特•索伊(Amarjeet Sohi)在加拿大艾伯塔省首府埃德蒙頓宣布2月21日成為國際母語日.
解答 28.B.推理判斷題.非洲現(xiàn)在有3000多種語言,而在19世紀殖民地化之前存在一萬多種語言,即很多語言己經(jīng)消失了.本段內(nèi)容承接上一段內(nèi)容but according to data from the United Nations Educational,Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) half of those languages are at risk of going extinct in just a few generations.來說明很多語言瀕臨滅絕.故選B.
29.C.細節(jié)理解題.由第六、七、九段可知,Bilash 和Prokhorova都強調(diào)了保護語言和文化的重要性.故選C.
30.D.詞義猜測題.根據(jù)Bliash hopes the official announcement of International Mother Language Day in Edmonton--which echoes International Mother Language Day declared by UNESCO in 1999可知,聯(lián)合國教科文組織于1999年成立國際母語日,如今加拿大埃德蒙頓市宣布每年2月21日為該市國際母語日,此舉是效仿聯(lián)合國教科文組織的做法.故該詞意為效仿.故選D.
31.A.推理判斷題.由最后一段"Our words define us; our expressions and vocabulary define who we are as people,"said Marueen Kubinec,Alberta's minister of culture and tourism."Our words are living examples,perhaps the best that there are,of human creativity."可知,這些話包含的一個意思是:一個人的語言就是一個人的身份.故選A.
點評 本文是一篇社會文化類閱讀,題目涉及多道細節(jié)理解題,推理判斷題,詞義猜測題.做題時學生應(yīng)仔細閱讀原文,把握文章主要內(nèi)容,聯(lián)系文章上下文內(nèi)容并結(jié)合所給選項含義,從中選出正確答案,一定要做到有理有據(jù),切忌胡亂猜測.