B
There are over 6,000 languages spoken in the world. But did you know that some of them are in danger of dying out? From Dusner (three speakers) to Kelabit (five thousand), these languages are spread all over the world, but they all have one thing in common: unless we act soon, they could become extinct (不再存在的).
Researchers at Oxford University are studying these languages. And Dr. Johanneke Sytsema, who has organized a popular seminar (研讨会) on endangered languages, thinks there could be a magic bullet for keeping minority (少数的) languages alive: social media. “Social media could help save a language,” Dr. Sytsema says. “Because young people text each other in the same way they speak, even if they don't know how to spell it.”
Minority languages are often at risk of being drowned out (压过) by the louder voices of the bigger languages, which are spoken at school and in the media. But, with social media giving control to the users, the popularity of these platforms might just have the opposite effect.
Dr. Sytsema has first-hand experience: she speaks Frisian. Frisian, spoken in a province in the Netherlands called Friesland, has 350,000 speakers. Using her own language has given Dr. Sytsema food for thought about how languages could be saved in the future. “In Friesland, young people who don't learn much Frisian writing at school send each other messages on social media in Frisian,” she says. In this way, a new generation of Frisian speakers keeps the language alive.
According to Dr. Sytsema, our languages, like our wildlife, are natural creations. “Natural beauty needs to be protected. Once languages die, you don't get them back, because they've grown over thousands and thousands of years,” Dr. Sytsema explains. “Every language has its own beauty. And that's why it's so important.”
4. Why does the author mention Dusner and Kelabit?
()
A. To describe the richness of human language.
B. To discuss the influence of language on culture.
C. To explain the importance of cultural exchange.
D. To show the serious situation of endangered languages.
5. What do the underlined words “a magic bullet” mean in Paragraph 2?
()
A. A challenging task.
B. An effective solution.
C. An open standard.
D. A common goal.
6. What gave Dr. Sytsema the idea of language protection?
()
A. Teaching at a language school.
B. The popularity of Frisian on social media.
C. Her personal experience with Frisian.
D. Working with young people in Friesland.
7. What message does Dr. Sytsema want to give us in the last paragraph?
()
A. A language is well worth saving.
B. Society is shaping human language.
C. The extinction of languages can be avoided.
D. The young hold the key to language protection.
Ⅱ.读后续写(25分)
得分
阅读下面材料,根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段,使之构成一篇完整的短文。
There are many things that we should be thankful for in life, but many people aren't, including me.
Growing up, I wanted to be just like my mom. Kind and caring, she always seemed to make people comfortable. For years she was a volunteer in our community. I loved going to the local nursing home to help her until I became a teenager. Suddenly, I was too caught up in my world to worry about helping others.
One summer day when I was twelve, Mom came into my room and told me to get up and meet her at the car. I had planned to spend the day at the lake with friends. Why did she have to ruin(破坏) everything? Eventually, I made my way outside. I imagined the lake water cooling my skin. Feeling angry, I climbed into the car and slammed the door shut. I sat in silence, too upset to make a conversation.
“Tasha, would you like to know where we are going?” Mom asked calmly.
“I guess ...,” I murmured(低语) under my breath.
“Sweetheart, we are going to a children's shelter. I have been there before and I think it would benefit you,” she explained.
I felt even more angry. How was I supposed to help there?
When we reached the shelter, I was rather surprised. It was a large white Victorian home. As we got close to the large front porch, wind bells played a calming tune while trees and flowers welcomed us. Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad.
Mom rang the doorbell. The door opened and we were shown to the front room, where all of the children were playing. Toys were spread out across the floor. I noticed a baby with wounds on his body. The majority of the children had noticeable physical scars(伤疤) such as cuts, scratches(抓伤) and burns. What a terrible life they had before they moved here! My heart sank.
注意:1.续写词数应为150左右;
2.请按如下格式作答。
As I was looking around, I felt a gentle pull on my shirt.


I returned to the shelter with Mom several times.

语篇解读 本文是一篇说明文。文章主要说明了世界上有许多语言正在消亡,并介绍了牛津大学的研究者有关通过社交媒体来保护和挽救这些濒危语言的观点。
4. D 推理判断题。根据第一段中“From Dusner（three speakers）to Kelabit（five thousand）, these languages are spread all over the world, but they all have one thing in common: unless we act soon, they could become extinct（不再存在的）.”可知,作者提到 Dusner 和 Kelabit 是为了展示濒危语言现状之严峻。故选 D。
5. B 词义猜测题。根据画线部分后的“‘Social media could help save a language,’ Dr. Sytsema says. ‘Because young people text each other in the same way they speak, even if they don't know how to spell it.’”可知,Sytsema 博士认为社交媒体可以帮助拯救一门语言,由此可推知,a magic bullet 应是“一种有效的方法”之意,和 B 项“An effective solution.”意思相近。故选 B。
6. C 细节理解题。根据倒数第二段内容可知,Sytsema 博士使用弗里西亚语的亲身经历使她有了通过社交媒体来保护语言的想法。故选 C。
7. A 推理判断题。根据最后一段内容可知,Sytsema 博士在最后一段想表达的是一门语言非常值得保护。故选 A。
Ⅱ.读后续写
As I was looking around, I felt a gentle pull on my shirt. I looked down to see a little girl with brown eyes looking up at me. Her angelic face lit up, although there were some scars on her little arms. “Hi. I'm Ashley. Do you want to play dolls with me?” she asked. I looked over and saw Mom nodding to me with a smile. I bent toward Ashley and whispered, “Sure. I'd love to.” Her tiny hand reached up and took mine, and we walked toward the doll house. Our time together brought her great joy and fun and she also made my day.
I returned to the shelter with Mom several times. During those visits, some of the children including Ashley shared their troubled pasts with me in great detail. I felt sorry for what had happened to them and treasured the friendship between us. I would like to do everything in my power to help the children there. At the same time, I learned to be grateful for all that I had. It was a meaningful time in my young life that I will never forget. It was Mom who taught me the valuable lesson that summer.