Languages have been coming and going for thousands of years, but in recent times there has been less coming and a lot more going. When the world was still populated by hunter-gatherers, small, tightly knit(联系) groups developed their own patterns of speech independent of each other. Some language experts believe that 10,000 years ago, when the world had just five to ten million people, they spoke perhaps 12,000 languages between them.
Soon afterwards, many of those people started settling down to become farmers, and their languages too became more settled and fewer in number. In recent centuries, trade, industrialization, the development of the nation-state and the spread of universal compulsory education, especially globalisation and better communications in the past few decades, all have caused many languages to disappear, and dominant languages such as English, Spanish and Chinese are increasingly taking over.
At present, the world has about 6,800 languages. The distribution of these languages is hugely uneven. The general rule is that mild zones have relatively few languages. Often spoken by many people while hot, wet zones have lots, often spoken by small numbers. Europe has only around 200 Languages: the Americas about 1,000, Africa 2,400; and Asia and the Pacific perhaps 3,200, of which Papua New Guinea alone accounts for well over 800. The median number(中位数) of speakers is a mere 6.000, which means that half the worlds languages are spoken by fewer people than that.
Already well over 400 of the total of 6,800 languages are close to extinction(消亡), with only a few elderly speakers left. Pick, at random, Busuu in Cameroon (eight remaining speakers), Chiapaneco in Mexico(150). Lipan Apache in the United States(two or three) or Wadjigu in Australia (one, with a question-mark): none of these seems to have much chance of survival.
1.What can we infer about languages in hunter-gatherer times?
A.They developed very fast. B.They were large in number.
C.They had similar patters. D.They were closely connected
2.Which of the following best explains "dominant" underlined in paragraph 2？
A.Complex. B.Advanced.
C.Powerful. D.Modern.
3.How many languages are spoken by less than 6, 000 people at present?
A.About 6,800 . B.About 3,400
C.About 2,400 D.About 1,200.
4.What is the main idea of the text?
A.New languages will be created.
B.Peoples lifestyles are reflected in languages.
C.Human development results in fewer languages.
D.Geography determines language evolution.
Attending college can be expensive, and applying to college can be costly as well. With today’s college application fees averaging around $ 80, you can expect to spend hundreds of dollars on college before you are even accepted into a school.
One of the easiest ways to save money on college application fees before you begin applying is to narrow down your list of schools. To save money, try to limit the schools to which you apply to about 2-3 reach schools and 2-3 safety schools.
At some schools, being a relative of a graduate can secure you a free application. If you are applying to a school where one of your parents or grandparents is a former graduate, check to see if you’ re qualified for it.
Research the preferred method of applying for each school on your list. Some schools offer free online applications, yet charge a fee for paper submissions. This is because online applications save schools the cost of employing a staff member to physically enter the application information.
Several states, such as Michigan and North Carolina, take part in College Application Week, where many schools in the participating states cancel their application fee for the week. Be sure to contact the schools to I j which you are applying to see if they participate in College Application Week and when the program takes place in that state.
Apply for early admission. If you have already decided on which college is your top choice, consider applying under an Early Action or Early Decision admission program. If you are accepted, you won’t have to submit application fees to other schools.
For more information regarding college applications and the fees associated with them, contact your high I school advisor or the admissions department at your school(s) of interest.
1.The passage is mainly written to______.
A.introduce famous universities in the United Stales
B.show some practical ways to apply an ideal college
C.advertise for successful applications and advisors
D.offer tips to save money on college application fees
2.What does the author advise to do in the second paragraph?
A.Write down your favorite universities.
B.Reduce the number of your university choices.
C.Apply to two universities each time.
D.Mind your safety when applying to college.
3.Some schools offer free online application to______,
A.receive fees faster than before B.employ someone else to work
C.cut down the cost of employment D.enter the application information
4.It can be known from the passage that______,
A.application fee might be canceled conditionally
B.many countries attend College Application Week
C.applying for early admission is the best policy
D.admission departments determine your future
Food serves as a form of communication in two fundamental ways. Sharing bread or other foods is a common human tradition that can promote unity and trust. Food can also have a specific meaning, and play a significant role in a family or culture's celebrations or traditions. The foods we eat—and when and how we eat them—are often unique to a particular culture or may even differ between rural (农村的) and urban areas within one country.
Sharing bread, whether during a special occasion (时刻) or at the family dinner table, is a common symbol of togetherness. Many cultures also celebrate birthdays and marriages with cakes that are cut and shared among the guests. Early forms of cake were simply a kind of bread, so this tradition hits its roots in the custom of sharing bread.
Food also plays an important role in many New Year celebrations. In the southern United States, pieces of corn bread represent blocks of gold for prosperity (兴旺) in the New Year. In Greece, people share a special cake called vasilopita. A coin is put into the cake, which signifies (预示) success in the New Year for the person who receives it.
Many cultures have ceremonies to celebrate the birth of a child, and food can play a significant role. In China, when a baby is one month old, families name and welcome their child in a celebration that includes giving red-colored eggs to guests. In many cultures, round foods such as grapes, bread, and moon cakes are eaten at welcome celebrations to represent family unity.
Nutrition is necessary for life, so it is not surprising that food is such an important part of different cultures around the world.
1.According to the passage, sharing bread______.
A.indicates a lack of food
B.can help to develop unity
C.is a custom unique to rural areas
D.has its roots in birthday celebrations
2.What does the coin in vasilopita signify for its receiver in the New Year?
A.Trust. B.Success.
C.Health. D.Togetherness.
3.The author explains the role of food in celebrations by______.
A.using examples B.making comparisons
C.analyzing causes D.describing processes
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A.The custom of sharing food.
B.The specific meaning of food.
C.The role of food in ceremonies.
D.The importance of food in culture.
Listed here are four of the thousands of impressive museums around the world.
The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Bilbao，Spain
Built in 1997，the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is one of the newest in the world.It has transformed the industrial city of Bilbao into a travelers' desired destination.The beautiful architecture of the museum has provided a dramatic background for movies and commercials.
The Louvre in Paris，France
Probably the most famous Louvre also holds the most famous painting in the world，the “Mona Lisa” by Leonardo da Vinci.Crowds can be found any day surrounding the small，but mysterious painting of the smiling woman.But，the Louvre is much more than a home to the “Mona Lisa”．The Louvre is visited by more people each year than any other museum in the world.
The Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia，America
Just opened in its new downtown location in 2012，the Barnes Foundation is “unique”in that it is a completely reproduced display from one man's private collection.Dr.Albert C．Barnes started collecting art in the early 20th century and collected，among others，the largest number of original Renoir paintings in the world.
The Uffizi Gallery in Florence，Italy
Walking on the marbled floors feels like stepping back in time.The building itself is a beautiful palace—like structure with frescoes(湿壁画) decorating the ceilings and walls.Viewers are bowled over(印象深刻) by the works by Botticelli，such as “The Birth of Venus”．Classic artworks from nearly 1，000 years ago describe religious events of the time.
1.Which of the following is the most popular?
A.The Louvre.
B.The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.
C.The Barnes Foundation.
D.The Uffizi Gallery.
2.What makes the Barnes Foundation particular?
A.Its structure. B.Its collection.
C.Its location. D.Its history.
3.What type of writing is this text?
A.An activity poster.
B.An exhibition announcement.
C.An art show review.
D.A travel guide.
阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。
A young man and a young girl fell in love. But the man came from a poor family. The girl’s parents weren’t too happy. So the young man decided not only to please the girl but to please her parents as well. In time, the parents saw that he was a good man and was worthy of their daughters hand.
But there was another problem: The man was a soldier. Soon, war broke out and he was being sent overseas for a year. The week before he left, the man knelt on his knee and asked his lady love, “Will you marry me?” She wept happy tears, said yes, and they were engaged. They agreed that when he got back in one year, they would get married.
But tragedy struck. A few days after he left, the girl had a major vehicular accident. It was a head-on collision. When she woke up in the hospital, she saw her father and mother crying. Immediately, she knew that she must have been badly injured.
She later found out that she suffered brain injury. The part of her brain that controlled her face muscles was damaged. Her once lovely face was now disfigured.
She cried as she saw herself in the mirror. “Yesterday I was beautiful. Today, I’m a monster.” Her body was also covered with so many ugly wounds. Right there and then, she decided to release her fiancé (未婚夫) from their promise. She knew he wouldn’t want her anymore. She would forget about him and never see him again.
For one year, the soldier wrote many letters—but she wouldn’t answer. He phoned her many times but she wouldn’t return her calls.
But after one year, the mother walked into her room and announced, “He’s back from the war.” The girl shouted, “No! Please don’t tell him about me. Don’t tell him I’m here!”
注意：
1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2. 应使用5个以上短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3. 续写部分分为两段,每段的开头语已为你写好；
4. 续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1:
The mother said, “He’s getting married,” and handed her a wedding invitation.
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Paragraph 2:
That was when the young man entered her room with a bouquet of flowers.
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假定你是李华，你的英国朋友Emily要找一位中国书法老师，请给她回信。推荐一位合适人选。内容包括：推荐原因，人物介绍以及联系方式。
注意：1. 词数80左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3. 书信的开头已给出，不计入词的总数。
Dear Emily,
Hearing that you are looking for a Chinese calligraphy teacher. I am writing to introduce Ms. Li to you.
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Yours sincerely
Li Hua
