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 globalization 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 mere 6,000, which that half the world‘s 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 fastB. They were large in numberC. They had similar patternsD. They were closely connected2. Which of the following best explains "dominant" underlined in paragraph 2？A. ComplexB. .AdvancedC. Powerful.D. Modern3. How many languages are spoken by less than 6,000 people at present？A. About 6,800B. About 3,400C. About 2,400D. About 1,2004. What is the main idea of the text？A. New languages will be created.B. People‘s lifestyles are reflected in languages.C. Human development results in fewer languages.D. Geography determines language evolution.
For her first twenty-four year, she‘d been known as Deb bie--a name that didn‘t suit her good looks and elegant manner. "My name has always made me think I should be a cheer leader," She complained. "I just don‘t feel like a Debbie!" One day, while filling out an application form for publishing job, the young woman suddenly changed middle name, Lynne, for her first name Debbie. "That was the smartest thing I ever did," She says now. "As soon as I stopped calling myself Debbie. I felt more comfortable with myself.., and other people started to take me more seriously". Two years after her successful job interview, the former waitress is now a successful magazine editor friends and associates call her Lynne. Naturally, the name change didn‘t cause Debbie/Iyanna’s professional achievement but it surely helped if only by adding a bit of self-confidence to her talents. Social scientists say that what you‘re called can affect your life. Throughout history, names have not only identified people but also described them. "... As his name is, so is he..." says the Bible. For better or worse, qualities such as friendliness or reserves, simpleness or charm may be suggested by your name and encourage other people before they even meet you. Of course, names with a good sense can work for you even encouraging new acquaintances. A recent survey showed that American men thought Susan to be the most attractive female name, while women believed Richard and David were the most attractive to men. One woman I know turned down a blind date with a man named Harry because "he sounded dull". Several evenings later she came up to me at a party, pressing for an introduction to a very nice man with whom they looked at each other all evening. "Oh, ‘I said. "You mean Harry? "She was ill at ease.1. Debbie‘s changing her name______.A. had actually little to do with her careerB. was what she happened to do when filling out the formC. did have an effect on her successD. entirely contributed to her luck2. The author introduced Harry to the woman______.A. at the request of the woman herselfB. to tell her that name didn‘t matter reallyC. to make her feel uneasy in mindD. the person is more important than his/her name3. The name Debbie may be connected with something______.A. hugeB. quietC. dullD. attractive4. The best possible tide for the passage may be______A. Names are the most importantB. Your name is your fortuneC. Don‘t care much for namesD. Names and making friends
