Question

    One of the latest trends(趋势) in American childcare is Chinese au pairs.Au Pair in Stamford,Conn.,for example,has got increasing numbers of requests for Chinese au pairs from zero to around 4,000 since 2004.And that’s true all across the country.

“I thought it would be very useful for him to learn Chinese at an early age,”Joseph Stocke,the managing director of a company,says of his 2-year-old son.“I would at least like to give him the chance to use the language in the future.”After only six months of being cared for by a 25-year-old woman from China,the boy can already understand basic Chinese daily expressions,his dad says.

Li Drake,a Chinese native raising two children in Minnesota with an American husband,had another reason for looking for an au pair from China:She didn’t want her children to miss out on their roots.“Because I am Chinese,my husband and I wanted the children to keep exposed to(接触) the language and culture(文化),”she says.

“Staying with a native speaker is better for children than simply sitting in a classroom,” says Suzanne Flynn,a professor in language education of children.“But parents must understand that just one year with an au pair is unlikely to produce wonders.Complete mastery demands continued learning until the age of 10 or 12.”

The popularity of au pairs from China has been strengthened by the increasing numbers of American parents who want their children to learn Chinese.It is expected that American demand for au pairs will continue to rise in the next few years.

1.What does the term “au pair” in the text mean?

A.A mother raising her children on her own.

B.A young foreign woman taking care of children.

C.A professor in language education of children.

D.A child learning a foreign language at home.

2.Li Drake has her children study Chinese because she wants them ______.

A.to live in China some day

B.to speak the language at home

C.to catch up with other children

D.to learn about the Chinese culture

3.How can children learn a foreign language best according to Flynn?

A.From their parents.

B.By attending classes.

C.From a native speaker.

D.By starting at an early age.

4.What can we infer from the text?

A.Learning Chinese is becoming popular in America.

B.Educated women do better in looking after children.

C.Chinese au pairs need to improve their English skills.

D.Children can learn a foreign language well in six months.

Answer

1.B

2.D

3.C

4.A

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。本文告诉我们在美国现在有了一个新的趋势：为孩子找一个中国保姆。让孩子接触中文，了解中国文化。说明在美国学习中文越来越流行了。

1.

词句猜测题。根据第二段“After only six months of being cared for by a 25-year-old woman from China,the boy can already understand basic Chinese daily expressions,his dad says.”可知，他爸爸说，在一位来自中国的25岁女子照顾了6个月后，这个男孩已经能听懂基本的中国日常用语了。由此可知，“au pair”指的是照顾孩子的年轻外国女性。故选B项。

2.

细节理解题。根据第三段“Because I am Chinese,my husband and I wanted the children to keep exposed to(接触) the language and culture(文化),”she says.”可知，她说：“因为我是中国人，我和丈夫希望孩子们不断接触中国语言和文化。由此可知，Li Drake让她的孩子学习中文，因为她想让他们了解中国文化。故选D项。

3.

细节理解题。根据第四段“Staying with a native speaker is better for children than simply sitting in a classroom,” says Suzanne Flynn,a professor in language education of children.”可知，儿童语言教育学教授苏珊娜·弗林说：“与本民族语为母语的人呆在一起比坐在教室里要学得好。由此可知，弗林认为，孩子们应该向来自本民族语为母语的人学习才能学好一门外语。故选C项。

4.

推理判断题。根据文章第一句One of the latest trend（趋势） in American Childcare is Chinese au pairs. 美国儿童保育的最新趋势之一是找能照顾孩子的年轻的中国保姆。 以及最后一段The popularity if au pairs from china has been strengthened by the increasing numbers of American parents who want their children who want their children to learn Chinese. It is expected that American demand for au pairs will continue to rise in the next few years. 越来越多的美国父母希望自己的孩子学习中文，这使得来自中国的保姆更加受欢迎。预计未来几年，美国对中国保姆的需求将继续上升。由此判断出，学习汉语在美国越来越流行。故选A项。