Question

【题目】Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

Science fiction often presents us with planets that speak a single language. However,【1】 humans can express themselves in several thousand languages is a delight. Few would welcome the loss of this variety, and, along with it, a multiplicity of nations and cultures.

Unfortunately, the days 【2】 English shares the planet with thousands of other languages are numbered. A traveler to the future is likely to notice two things about the language landscape of Earth. One, there will be vastly fewer languages. Two, languages will be 【3】 (complicated) than they are today.

By 2115, it’s possible that only about 600 languages will be left on the planet as opposed to today’s 6,000. Too often, colonization has led to the disappearance of languages: Native speakers are punished 【4】 using their own languages. Urbanization has only furthered the destruction by bringing people away from their homelands to cities where a single language dominates.

In addition, it is easy for speakers to associate larger languages with opportunities and smaller ones with backwardness. Consequently, people stop passing on smaller languages to their children.

There are diligent efforts 【5】 (keep) endangered languages from dying. Sadly, few are likely to lead to communities’ 【6】 (raise) children in the languages, which is the only way the languages exist as their full selves.

Instead, many communities create new versions of the languages, with smaller vocabularies and simpler grammar. The Irish Gaelic (盖尔语) proudly spoken by today’s English-Gaelic bilinguals is an example, something that one might call a “New Gaelic.”

Linguists have no single term yet for these new speech varieties, 【7】 from Germany’s “Kiezdeutsch” to Singapore’s “Singlish,” the world is witnessing the birth of more optimized versions of old languages. This simplification should not be taken as a sign of decline. All of the “optimized” languages remain full languages in every sense of the term.

We 【8】 regret the eclipse of a world where 6,000 different languages 【9】 (speak), but fortunately, it seems a decent amount of linguistic diversity will be preserved. Besides, 【10】 languages become easier to pick up, the future may promise even more mutual comprehension.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】that

【2】when

【3】less complicated

【4】for

【5】to keep

【6】raising

【7】but

【8】may / might

【9】are spoken

【10】as / when/ if

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。文章指出英语和其他成千上万种语言共享地球的日子已经屈指可数了。一个前往未来的旅行者可能会注意到关于地球语言景观的两件事。第一，语言将大大减少。第二，语言会比现在更简单。并说明了世界上语言的消亡情况，以及人们为使濒危语言不至于消亡，所做出的不懈的努力。

【1】

考查连接词。句意：然而，人类可以用几千种语言来表达自己是一件令人高兴的事。本句为主语从句，从句中不缺少成分，故用that引导。故填that。

【2】

考查定语从句。句意：不幸的是，英语和其他成千上万种语言共享地球的日子已经屈指可数了。此处为定语从句修饰先行词days，且先行词在从句中作时间状语，故用关系副词when。故填when。

【3】

考查比较级。句意：第二，语言不像现在这么复杂。结合句意可知，表示“不那么复杂”应用形容词比较级less complicated。故填less complicated。

【4】

考查介词。句意：母语使用者会因为使用自己的语言而受到惩罚。表示“因……受到惩罚”短语为be punished for。故填for。

【5】

考查非谓语动词。句意：为使濒危语言不至于消亡，我们做出了不懈的努力。分析句子结构可知，keep在句中应用非谓语动词形式，且本句中作目的状语应用不定式。故填to keep。

【6】

考查非谓语动词。句意：可悲的是，很少会导致社区用这些语言来养育孩子，这是语言作为完整自我存在的唯一方式。分析句子结构可知raise在句中应用非谓语动词形式，且根据上文communities’为名词所有格，可知此处为动名词作宾语。故填raising。

【7】

考查连词。句意：语言学家还没有一个专门的词汇来形容这些新的语言变体，但是从德国的“Kiezdeutsch”到新加坡的“Singlish”，全世界都在见证着古老语言的优化版本的诞生。结合句意可知前后文为转折关系，故用连词but。故填but。

【8】

考查情态动词。句意：我们可能会为6000种不同语言的世界消失而感到遗憾，但幸运的是，相当数量的语言多样性将得到保护。结合句意可知表示“可能”，应用情态动词may或might。故填may / might。

【9】

考查动词时态语态。句意同上。此处主语与谓语动词构成被动关系，且根据后文seems可知为一般现在时，主语为languages，谓语动词用复数形式。故填are spoken。

【10】

考查连接词。句意：此外，如果语言变得更容易学习/当语言变得更容易掌握时，未来可能会有更多的相互理解。本句可理解为时间状语从句，表示“当……时候”用as或when引导；也可理解为条件状语从句，表示“如果”用if引导。故填as / when /if。