Question

【题目】 Kids learn to count on their fingers, because they’re so, well, handy! And it makes sense ----most number systems originally developed as people counted using their fingers.

The counting system of native Greenlanders not only uses all ten fingers, but all ten toes as well! Here’s how it works. The Greenlandic word for the number seven translates as, “second hand, two.” That means you count five on the first hand and add two from the second, to make seven. After you run out of fingers, go for the toes. Thirteen translates as “first foot, three”. That means you add ten fingers plus three toes.

The counting system we use has a base of ten. Larger numbers are simply multiples of ten. For example, ten tens make one hundred. We’re so used to our base ten system that it may seem like the only possibility. But the Greenlandic number system has a base of twenty, and other have a base of five. Of all the number systems ever invented, five, ten, and twenty are the most common bases.

It’s no coincidence (巧合) that these bases match the number of fingers on one hand, or two hands, or all of our fingers and toes. The connection between fingers and counting is so close that several languages have just one word means both “hand” and the number five. Even in English, the word digit describes either a number or a finger. So if anyone teases(取笑) you for counting on your fingers, just tell them you find your digits quite handy!

【1】Kids learn to count on their fingers because they’re ________.

A.originalB.handyC.interestingD.difficult

【2】The native Greenlanders may use ________ if their fingers are not enough for counting.

A.toesB.stonesC.armsD.nothing else

【3】Which number translates as “second foot, one”? ________.

A.6B.11C.16D.21

【4】The writer mentioned all the following number systems except _______.

A.a base of 2.B.a base of 5C.a base of 10D.a base of 20

【5】What can we infer from the passage? ________

A.Greenlanders are much cleverer than others..

B.The connection between fingers and counting is a coincidence.

C.Digit means five and finger in English.

D.People with the number system of Base 5 probably used one hand to count in the past.

【6】What’s the best title for the passage? ________.

A.The magic of numbers

B.What can we learn from Greenlandrs’ way of counting?

C.It’s convenient to count using fingers

D.The fun of kids’ fingers

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】B

【2】A

【3】C

【4】A

【5】D

【6】B

【解析】

这篇短文主要介绍了孩子们用手指数数的道理。大多数数字系统最初是在人们用手指数数的时候发展起来的，作者以格林兰人的数数方法为例给我们做了讲解。

【1】细节理解题。根据Kids learn to count on their fingers, because they’re so, well, handy可知用手指数数非常方便，故选B。

【2】细节理解题。根据After you run out of fingers, go for the toes.可知手指用完，用脚趾，故选A。

【3】推理判断题。根据The Greenlandic word for the number seven translates as, “second hand, two.” That means you count five on the first hand and add two from the second, to make seven. After you run out of fingers, go for the toes. Thirteen translates as “first foot, three”. That means you add ten fingers plus three toes.可知当手指用完，用脚趾，“first foot, three”意为十个手指加三个脚趾，由此推断“second foot, one”意为十个手指加第一只脚的脚趾，再加第二只脚的一个脚趾，所以为数字16，故选C。

【4】细节理解题。根据Of all the number systems ever invented, five, ten, and twenty are the most common bases.可知没有提及二进制，故选A。

【5】推理判断题。根据第二段介绍格林兰人怎么用计数及后文But the Greenlandic number system has a base of twenty可知他们的二十进制使用两只手的手指，两只脚的脚趾数数，由此推断五进制则是使用一只手的手指数数，故选D。

【6】标题归纳题。根据短文主要以格林兰人的数数方法为例给我们做讲解，说明大多数数字系统最初是在人们用手指数数的时候发展起来，孩子们数数用手指是有道理的。故答案为B。