Throughout history, people have been interested in knowing how languages first began, but no one knows exactly where or how this happened. However, we do know a lot about languages, the languages of today and also the languages of earlier times. There are probably about 3,000 languages in the world today. Chinese is the language with the most speakers. English, Russian and Spanish are also spoken by many millions of people. On the other hand, some languages in the world have less than one hundred speakers.

There are several important families of languages in the world. For example, most of the languages of Europe are in one large family called Indo-European. The original (最初的) language of this family was spoken about 4,500 years ago. Many of the present day languages of Europe and India are modern forms of the language of 4,500 yeas ago.

Languages are always changing. The English of today is very different from the English of 500 years ago. In time some even died out completely. About 1,000 years ago, English was a little-known relative of German spoken on one of the borders of Europe.

If a language has a large number of speakers or if it is very old, there may be differences in the way it is spoken in different areas. That is, the language may have several dialects. Chinese is a good example of dialect differences. Chinese has been spoken for thousands of years by many millions of speakers. The differences between the dialects of Chinese are so great that speakers of Chinese from some parts of China can’t understand speakers from other parts.

The first paragraph mainly tells us that ____ .

       A. most people in the world speak Chinese

       B. there are thousands of languages in the world today

       C. man has much knowledge about languages

       D. some people know several languages

According to the passage, most European and Indian languages ____ .

       A. will soon die out completely    B. were once a relative of English

       C. are no longer spoken        D. come from the same family

According to the passage, ____ has the most speakers.

       A. Chinese      B. English      C. Spanish      D. German

According to the passage, ____ seems to have changed a lot.

       A. German     B. English      C. Spanish     D. Chinese

The underlined word dialect in the last paragraph probably means ____ .

       A. a special language spoken by Chinese

       B. the sign used by the Chinese people in a special area

       C. the difference between the old and today’s Chinese

      D. the form of a language used in one part of the country

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BEIJING, Dec.21, 2012--Hundreds of college graduates yesterday attended interviews to be volunteer teachers of Chinese in Thailand, the Philippines and other Asian countries.

As many as 380 people turned out at the Minzu University of China for the recruitment(招募) drive organized by the Beijing Center of the Promotion of Chinese Overseas.

Recruiters(招聘人员)say they’ll pick 300 people from Beijing to teach Chinese in neighboring countries, to meet the ever-increasing demand for Chinese teachers in foreign countries. An official of the volunteer center of the Office of the Chinese Language Council International said that Chinese teachers are in great demand because learning Chinese is now part of compulsory education(义务教育) in many primary schools in Asian countries such as Thailand. Chinese teachers can be found in almost all the elementary schools in Thailand.

An official with the Beijing International Center for Chinese Language, said those who passed the interview would go through a five-month training period. Successful candidates would then become volunteers and teach Chinese to primary and middle school students in Thailand, Philippines and other neighboring countries. Each volunteer would receive $800 in subsidies(津贴), with accommodation and medical insurance covered by the school. Volunteers who perform well will be recommended to continue their graduate studies of teaching Chinese at universities when they return.

The official added that the basic requirement for candidates is that they have to have a bachelor’s degree, pass a Chinese-level test and a College English Band Four Exam. Candidates were tested on Chinese grammar, pronunciation, blackboard writing and English. Those with skills such as singing Chinese songs or dancing were preferred, she said.

Graduates line up to teach 1._______________ overseas

Date of the interview                Dec. 20, 2012

2.___________ of the interview       the Minzu University of China

Basic 73. _______________ for candidates  ★having a 4. _______________ degree

                                ★5. _______________ a Chinese-level test

                                ★passing a College English Band Four Exam

Tested subjects                    Chinese grammar, 6._______________, blackboard writing and English

Destination countries               7._______________, the Philippines and other Asian countries

Rewards                         ★$800 a month with accommodation and 8.______________ insurance covered by the school

                                ★ may have the 9._______________ to continue their graduate studies of teaching Chinese at universities.

10._______________for increasing need for Chinese teachers   Learning Chinese is now part of compulsory education in many Asian countries.

You can find language pollution whenever you open a newspaper or turn on your TV set, listen to a popular song at various advertisements. Language pollution exists almost everywhere and can be seen in the following places:

1. Chinese characters are written in the complex (复杂的 ) form. Although simplified Chinese characters were accepted for use many years ago, it seems that more and more people like Chinese characters written in the complex form.

2. Many goods are produced in China but carry foreign names, which sound strange and have no meaning at all.

3. Words and expressions being used have a bad meaning. "Ba"(霸), which means bully in Chinese, is one example. Now there are a lot of goods, restaurants, even factories or firms, with "Ba" in their names.

4. There are too many incorrect grammatical expressions. Some films have strange names and incorrect grammatical structures. "Ai ni mei shang liang', which means "I love you without consulting", is grammatically incorrect and this kind of expression is now becoming popular.

Some language experts point out that language pollution must be done away with, which is an idea shared by myself and many others.       

FanYongqin

1.The writer of the letter suggests that ______.

A．something be done to make our language pure (纯正)

B．the Chinese language not have the word "ba"

C．everything have a good name and a good meaning

D．everybody try their best to stop pollution

2.What the writer wants to say is that ____.

A．great difference exists between the Chinese characters written in the complex form and simplified form

B．many people agree with the experts on language pollution in China

C．our newspapers, TV programs, pop songs and advertisements are getting polluted

D．some film writers haven't studied Chinese grammar

3.What do you guess Fan Yongqian is? He or she probably is _____.

A．a reader                              B．a singer of pop songs

C．a language expert                       D．an expert of grammar

Next Hot Language to Study: Chinese

The fourth-graders at Chicago’s McCormick Primary School are unaware of the difficulty in learning Chinese. For most, who speak Spanish at home, it’s becoming their third language. They’ve been learning and using Chinese words since kindergarten, and it’s now second nature to give a hearty “ni hao” when strangers enter the classroom.

The classroom scene at McCormick is unusual, but it may soon be a common fixture(固定物) in American schools, where Chinese is rapidly becoming the hot new language. Government officials have long wanted more focus on security—useful languages like Chinese, and pressure from them—as well as from business leaders, politicians, and parents—has driven a quick growth in the number of programs.

Chicago itself is home to the largest effort to include Chinese in US public schools. The program here has grown to include 3,000 students in 20 schools, with more schools on a waiting list. Programs have also spread to places like Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, and North Carolina. It’s true that the number of students learning Chinese is tiny compared with how many study Spanish or French.

Advocates (提倡者，拥护者) see knowledge of the Chinese language and culture as a help in a global economy where China is growing in importance. “This is an interesting way to begin to engage with the world’s next superpower,” says Michael Levine, director of education at the Asia Society, which has started five new public high schools that offer Chinese. “Globalization（全球化) has already changed the arrangements in terms of how children today are going to need to think about their careers… The question is, when not whether, the schools are going to adjust.”

In Chicago, the trend extends beyond schools with high numbers of Asian students. “The fact that my students are 98% low income and 99% Latino(拉丁美洲人) and they are succeeding in this, tells me everyone should have a try at learning languages,” says Virginia Rivera, principal at McCormick.“We want to give our young people opportunities to advance… and Chinese is a great opportunity to survive in today’s economy,” says Richard M. Daley, Mayor of Chicago.

1.The first paragraph is mainly written to _______.

A. show the importance of Chinese learning  

B. introduce the topic to be followed

C. advise primary schools to teach Chinese   

D. prove it’s easy for children to learn language

2. How many languages are mentioned in this passage?

A. Six.                  B. Two.      

C. Three.                D. Four.

3. In the last paragraph, the underlined word “this ”probably refers to _____.

A. the competition between Latino and Asian students  

B. the global economy  

C. the interesting way to engage with China  

D. the Chinese learning

4. What CANNOT be learned from this passage?

A. Most students at McCormick can speak three languages.

B. Chinese is gaining its popularity in all schools in Chicago.

C. French has far more speakers than Chinese does in Chicago.

D. Globalization in a way makes it necessary to learn Chinese.

5. Which of the following is mainly about in this passage?

A. The Chinese learning in Chicago.  

B. The ways to learn Chinese.

C. McCormick Primary School.      

D. Globalization and Chinese learning.

As a foreigner , I often hear the Chinese calling me laowai ” . If I could not speak Chinese or if I had no understanding of Asian customs , I might be angry when I am called a “ laowai ” . But having lived in the Philippines and China’s Taiwan Province teaching English for several years , I have come to China with a different view from most other foreign teachers here . In such situations , I just answer back in standard Chinese : “ Ni zenmo zhidao wo shi waiguoren ?( How do you know I’m a foreigner ? )” When I hear people shout out “ hello ” in a more impolite way and then laugh , I reply in Chinese with “ Ni de yingyu bi wo de hao .(Your English is better than mine .)”

Speaking Chinese is a way of living an easier life in China . As an English teacher at Hubei University in Wuhan , I was once invited by a student to spend the weekend with his family . Because I can speak Chinese quite freely , I was able to talk with my student’s entire family . From my personal experience , I knew that the Chinese have a “ gift ”for making foreigners in China feel right at home . That fun-filled weekend I spent with my student’s family in Caidian , a small suburb of Wuhan , just showed that my idea was right .

It was an experience I will never forget .

Americans have a saying : If you can’t beat them , then join them .The secret to feeling at home with the Chinese people isn’t to try to make them change over to Western ways . The secret is to become one of them . Just go with the flow , or don’t take things too seriously . In this way you will surely feel at home in China .

If you no longer emphasize (强调) our differences from the Chinese , you will be more willing to concentrate on what “ big noses ” and “ small noses ” have in common .

68. The reply “Ni de yingyu bi wo de hao ” shows _______ .

A. the author likes to talk with the Chinese    

B. the author isn’t angry

C. the author really think so        

D. the author likes to speak Chinese

69. Which of the following is NOT true ?

A. The author has known Chinese customs fairly well .

B. The author can speak Chinese very well .

C. The author doesn’t mind being called a “ laowai ” .

D. The author is difficult to get along with .

70. Shouting out “ hello ” to a strange foreigner is usually considered ______ by foreigners .

A. friendly                      B. curious       

C. rude                         D. brave

71. The phrase “ go with the flow ” here means _______ .

A. feel at home                     

B. when in Rome , do as the Romans do

C. flow with the river                

D. take things easy