Question

How quickly can you count from one to ten? Do you use ten different words to do it? Can you do it in English, or do you have to use your first languages? Do you count on your fingers? Many people think that numbers and math are the same all over the world. But scientists have discovered that it is not true.

People in different parts of the world use different ways to count on their fingers. In the United States, people think begin counting with their first fingers, which they extend or stick out. They then extend the rest of their fingers and finally the thumb(拇指）to count to five. Then they repeat this with the other hand to get to ten. In China, people count by using different finger positions. In this way, a Chinese person can easily count to ten on only one hand.

Besides ways of finger counting, scientists have found that cultures and languages are also different when it comes to numbers. Some languages have only a few words for numbers, and others have no words for numbers. A group of scientists studied aboriginal(土著的）people in Australia. These people don’t have hand movements to stand for numbers. They don’t even have word for numbers. However, they are still able to understand different ideas about numbers.

In a similar study, researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology discovered that people of the Piraha tribe(部落） in northwestern Brazil don’t have words for numbers such as “one” or “three.”. They are not able to say “five trees” or “ten trees” but can say “some trees,” “more trees,” or “many trees.” Professor Edward Gibson said that mist people believe that everyone knows how to count, “but here is a group that does not count. They could learn, but it’s not useful in their culture, so they’ve never picked it up.”

Although all humans are able to understand quantities(数量）,not all languages have numbers and not all people use counting. Number words in a certain language are a result of people needing numbers in their daily lives. Now we know that people have different ideas about numbers and math, too.

1.The writer begins with the four questions in order to______.

A.make a survey       B.interest readers

C.tell a story        D.solve math problems

2.What do we learn from the difference in finger counting between the U.S. and China?

A.People from China count much faster than people from the U.S.

B.People from China need two hands to count from one to ten.

C.People of different cultures may use different ways of finger counting

D.People of different cultures use the same way of finger counting.

3.Which of following is true about aboriginal Australians?

A.They have only a few words for numbers

B.They have hand movements to stand for numbers

C.They can only count to five on their fingers

D.They can understand different ideas about numbers

4.The study of the Piraha tribe shows that____

A.people all over the world know how to count

B.People of the tribe have words for number

C.Some groups of people are not smart enough to count

D.Counting is not useful in the culture of the tribe

5.What is the main idea of the passage?

A.people from different cultures have different ideas about numbers and math

B.Chinese people can count more easily on their fingers than Americans

C.In some aboriginal culture,people don’t even know how to count

D.Some languages don’t have number words because people don’t need numbers.

Answer

1.B

2.C

3.D

4.D

5.A

【解析】

试题分析：这篇短文中作者给我们介绍的是关于数字和数学，不同的文化有不同的观点。不同文化的国家里，人们数数的方式是不同的，有些国家里根本没有表示数字的单词，他们不用数字来数数，但是他们同样理解关于数字的想法，故数字和数学并不是一回事。

1.推理判断题。作者在这篇短文的开头连续问了四个问题，How quickly can you count from one to ten? Do you use ten different words to do it? Can you do it in English, or do you have to use your first languages? Do you count on your fingers?你从一数到十有多快？你用十个不同的词来数吗？你能用英语数吗，还是用你的母语？你用手指数吗？用这些问题开头的目的是一下子吸引读者的注意力，让读者对接下来作者要说的事情产生兴趣。故选B。

2.细节理解题。短文的第二段中作者分别举了美国和中国人用手指数数的例子，美国人是先伸出第一个手指，然后再伸出其他的手指，最后是拇指，这样数到五，再用同样的方法伸出另一只手，数到十；而中国人用不同的手指的位置数数。通过这样的对比，作者想告诉我们不同文化的国家，使用不同的手指数数的方式，故选C。

3.推理判断题。根据短文第三段中However, they are still able to understand different ideas about numbers可知选项是正确的；根据They don’t even have word for numbers.可知A是不对的；根据These people don’t have hand movements to stand for numbers可知B是不对的；根据第三段的内容可知，澳大利亚的土著居民没有表示数字的单词，也没有动作来代表数字，但是他们仍然能理解关于数字的不同的想法。故选D。

4.细节理解题。根据短文第四段的内容可知，这一段中作者给我们举了一个部落的例子，这个部落里没有关于数字的单词，他们也不用数字来数数。They could learn, but it’s not useful in their culture, so they’ve never picked it up他们可以学数数，但是在他们的文化里，那是没用的，所以他们也不学。由此可知选D。

5.主旨大意题。这篇短文中作者给我们介绍的是关于数字和数学，不同的文化有不同的观点。不同文化的国家里，人们数数的方式是不同的，有些国家里根本没有表示数字的单词，他们不用数字来数数，但是他们同样理解关于数字的想法，故数字和数学并不是一回事。故选A。

考点：科普类短文阅读。