Though there are about 400 languages from all over the world that are in danger of disappearing completely,Zoque-Ayapaneco,a native Mexican language is considered the most likely to become extinct,because the only two people in the world that speak it fluently do not talk to each other!

And,it's not because they live in different countries,states or even villages. In fact,Manuel Segovia and Isidro Velazquez,both in their 70s,live within 500 yards of each other,in the village of Ayapa in the Southern Mexican State of Tabasco. They,however,refuse to communicate because they simply don't have much in common. Segovia is apparently a little frank in nature while Velazquez is described as shy.

Segovia was at least able to talk in Zoque-Ayapanece with his brother until he passed away about 12 years ago,and still manages to practice it with his family,especially his son Manuel,who for the last five years has been trying to learn it and hopes to become fluent enough to teach it to the next generation. Velazquez on the other hand,has not been heard speaking in the language with anybody.

The two men say the language used to be widely spoken in the village,but the younger generation refused to learn it for fear of being laughed at,and it therefore began to die a slow death,as the elders passed away.

Unless the two men get their acts together,the only way to hear the language will be to either listen to Manuel's not-so-fluent statement or see them talk in a documentary entitled “Lengua Muerta” (Dead Language) that is being filmed to capture Zoque Ayapaneco and 364 other native Mexican languages that are in a similar state.

We sure hope Segovia and Velazquez soon find something common to talk about. Maybe the fact is that the language is dying and that they should start encouraging and teaching the next generation together.

1.What do we know about Zoque-Ayapaneco?

A.It was widely used twelve years ago.

B.It is a Southern American language.

C.It will be popular in Mexico in the near future.

D.It will be dying out if no effective measures are taken.

2.The reason why Segovia and Velazquez don't talk to each other is that ________.

A.they both are too shy

B.they have no similarity in their character

C.they are too familiar to talk

D.they live in different villages

3.From the passage,we can conclude that ________.

A.altogether 365 languages are becoming extinct in the world

B.Segovia and Velazquez will communicate with each other soon

C.the government cares a lot about the protection of Zoque-Ayapaneco

D.we can hear the language from Manuel or documentary “Lengua Muerta”

4.What's the main idea of the passage?

A.World's endangered languages are being filmed.

B.Villagers are trying to protect their old language.

C.An endangered language is spoken by only two people.

D.There are a lot of languages in Mexico.

Last spring, I was fortunate to be chosen to join in an exchange study program. The moment I arrived in Paris, I was greeted by a nice French couple who would become my host parents. The bit of French I had taken in high school began coming out of my mouth; speaking the language would only become more natural over the course of the term. At the airport, we all got into the couple’s car and began the journey to their townhouse. We talked the whole way, getting to know one another.

Every day afterwards, I would eat breakfast with the two of them, and then we’d all go our separate ways for the day. In the evening, my host mother would make delicious dinners for the three of us. My experience was exciting until I received some shocking news from my program coordinator(协调人): There had been a death in my host parents' family and they would have to go away for several weeks to deal with all the business that arises from the death. That afternoon, I had to move out of one family's house and into another.

The coordinator told me I'd have a roommate and asked whether I would mind sharing a bedroom with an English speaker. To avoid speaking my native language, I asked not to be placed with an English-speaking roommate. When I got to my new room, I introduced myself to my new roommate Paolo, a Brazilian(巴西人), the same age as I, whom I was surprised to find playing one of my favorite CDs on his computer! In just a few hours, we knew we'd be good friends for the rest of the term.

I left France with many stories, so when people ask me what my favorite part of the trip was, they always hear about my Brazilian friend Paolo and the weekdays in class, weeknights on the town, and weekends exploring France we enjoyed together. I would recommend an exchange program to anyone who wants to experience foreign cultures and gain meaningful friendships.

1.What do we learn about the author?

A. He was good at French before arriving in Paris.

B. He studied in France for a term.

C. He got to his host family by taxi.

D. He worked very hard in France on weekends.

2.Why did the author move into another host family?

A. He wanted to make friends with different people.

B. The first family’s host mother was seriously ill.

C. The first family had to leave for some time.

D. He hoped to live with an English speaker.

3.What helped start the author’s friendship with Paolo?

A. Lessons B. Stories C. Music D. English

4.Why did the author write the text?

A. To show the importance of learning foreign cultures.

B. To discuss how to build meaningful friendships.

C. To explain how exchange study programs work.

D. To describe his experiences in an exchange program.

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