English is fast becoming the language of science around the world, but what is its future among everyday speakers? One expert points out that the percentage(比率) of native English speakers is declining (降低) while the languages of other rapidly growing regions are being spoken by increasing numbers of people. But English will continue to remain widespread and important.
However, British language scholar David Graddol says English will probably drop in dominance(主导) by the middle of this century to rank after Chinese, about equally with Arabic, Hindi, and Urdu. “The number of people speaking English as a first language continues to rise, but it isn’t rising nearly as fast as the numbers of many other languages around the world, simply because the main population group has been largely in the less developed countries where languages other than English have been spoken,” he says.
In a recent article in the journal Science, Mr. Graddol noted that three languages that are not near the top of the list of the most widely spoken now might be there soon. These are Bengali, Tamil, and Malay, spoken in south and southeast Asia.
David Crystal, the author of the Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language, says about 1.5 billion of the world’s six billion people speak it as a second language compared to the 400 million native speakers. But another expert on the English language says Mr. Graddol underestimates (低估) the future of its dominance. “Nobody quite knows what’s going to happen because no language has been in this position before. But all the evidence (证据) suggests that the English language snowball is rolling down a hill and is getting faster” he said.
1. In David Graddol’ s opinion, English will _______.| A．remain widespread and important |
| B．be more important than any other language |
| C．lose its dominant position |
| D．die away in the near future |
| A．more and more language users will choose English |
| B．the English language snowball is rolling down faster than any time in the past |
| C．English language will soon drop in dominance |
| D．snowballs will roll down faster than language balls |
| A．2. | B．3. | C．4. | D．5. |
| A．English Remaining in the Dominant Position |
| B．The Future of English? Who Knows? |
| C．Opinions from Different Experts |
| D．The English Language Snowball Rolling Down |
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【推荐1】A study has found that people who are literate (识字的）had a third the risk of developing dementia (痴呆症）compared with those who had never learnt to read and write. The scientists — behind the study suggested that learning to read may reveal new intellectual worlds and promote a life of the mind that might help to keep brains sharp into old age.
“If one acquires the ability to read and write, that opens up opportunities to engage in cognitively (认知的）stimulating activities, ” Miguel Arce Renteria ，from Columbia University Medical Centre, said. “Even with low education， you can read newspapers and books. That provides opportunities for constant stimulation that can last for the rest of your life. Maybe that might give protection and reduce the effects of dementia."
The research published in the journal Neurology, looked at almost 1, 000 older people in New York, chosen because they had received little education as children. The average age was 77 and more than 90 percent were immigrants (移民），Ali of them had had four years or less of education, with about a quarter describing themselves as illiterate.
Among those who did not read, 35 percent had dementia at the start of the study, increasing to 48 percent four years later. Among the literate respondents, 18 percent had dementia at the outset, rising to 27 percent. After adjusting for social class, age and other risk factors, the scientists concluded that illiterate people were three times more likely to have dementia. They were also twice as likely to have it over the four years of the investigation.
It is impossible to say for certain that the link means that literacy delays dementia. It may be that people who managed to get a better education before arriving in the US were also different in other ways. However, Dr Arce Renteria said, “What this provides is strong evidence for a pretty strong link. ”
1. What is the finding of the study?| A．Dementia slows people’s reading speed. |
| B．Dementia can be cured, by reading. |
| C．Literacy prmotes life quality of old people. |
| D．Literacy makes dementia less likely. |
| A．Bottom. | B．Middle | C．Beginning. | D．End. |
| A．By carrying out experiments. | B．By making a comparison. |
| C．By working on an assumption. | D．By analyzing different answers. |
【推荐2】Even a child knows that nodding the head means “Yes”. But some people will probably be puzzled when they first come to India. When they talk to an Indian, he often shakes his head. They might think that the Indian does not like what he said, but on the contrary he is expressing agreement.
The Indians have a habit of shaking their heads slightly when they talk to somebody. It doesn’t mean “No”, but “Yes”.
If a person doesn’t know this, it might cause misunderstanding.
At one time a foreigner in Indian told his driver who was an Indian to take him to his office. The driver shook his head. The foreigner repeated his request and the driver shook his head again. At last, the foreigner shouted angrily, “Drive me to my office at once!” The driver said in a low voice, “Yes, sir,” smiling and shaking his head again at the same time.
1. Generally speaking, nodding the head means , and shaking the head means .| A．Yes; No | B．No; Yes |
| C．Yes; Yes | D．No; No |
| A．the Indian driver had something important to do |
| B．the foreigner promised to give him only a little money |
| C．the driver felt uncomfortable at that time |
| D．in India shaking the head means agreement |
| A．the Indian driver didn’t want to send him to his office |
| B．he misunderstood the meaning of shaking the head m India |
| C．he asked the driver to send him to his office, but the Indian driver didn’t say any words |
| D．the Indian driver asked him for a lot of money |
| A．just the opposite | B．clear difference between two things |
| C．doing what you want to do | D．on the other hand |
【推荐3】“I like your smile, but dislike you put your shoes on my face”. A charming way of saying “Keep off the grass”. But could you figure it out? Or this: “Wash Clothing Store” for laundry.
They are both typical Chinglish, a combination of English vocabulary and Chinese grammar. Expressions such as “people mountain people sea”, means extremely crowded, and “give you some color to see see”, meaning a punishment, are widely known and recognized.
Chinglish has been attracting global attention in recent years as China grows rapidly in status on the world stage, attracting both fans and detractors（诽谤者）.
The Beijing Speaks Foreign Languages Programme and English First China Company, a language trainer known as EF Education, jointly launched a campaign to root out poor grammar and misused vocabulary in downtown Beijing. They argue Chinglish is an embarrassment that we should let it die out at all costs.
“It is meaningful to allow the capital to show its most beautiful historical and cultural heritage to the world.” said Michael Lu, vice-president of EF Education. He believed signs were very important in public services. “The signs in some old buildings confused foreign visitors.”
Chinglish, although the target of much criticism, has also won supporters who regard it as an interesting way for foreigners to learn how Chinese people think and express themselves.
“Many Chinglish logos carry Chinese elements and they will enrich the English language,” 32-year-old Oliver Radtke said. He had even published a book “Chinglish: Found in Translation,” on the subject, 50,000 copies of which have been sold since it was published in 2007.
Some Chinese university experts also side with Chinglish. "English has absorbed elements from other languages such as French and Spanish in its growth, and the emergence of Chinglish again testifies to the language’s liveliness and inclusiveness（包容性）," said Shi Anbin, an associate professor of Tsinghua University.
1. The examples in Paragraph 1 and Paragraph 2 are intended to ____________.| A．show the stupid mistakes in Chinglish |
| B．generalize the typical Chinglish expressions |
| C．tell the readers that Chinglish is widely known and recognized |
| D．introduce the controversial topic about Chinglish |
| A．Chinese people misunderstood the meaning of the new words. |
| B．Chinese people combined English vocabulary with Chinese grammar. |
| C．Chinese people based their English on the native English speakers. |
| D．Chinese people make wide use of English vocabulary with bad spelling. |
| A．there are many French and Spanish words in English |
| B．English is the language with liveliness and inclusiveness |
| C．Chinglish enriches English and shouldn’t be got rid of |
| D．Chinglish has greater effect on English than French and Spanish |
| A．shows how Chinese people think |
| B．does damage to the English language |
| C．shows the great humor of Chinese people |
| D．should be sold to all over the world |
【推荐1】The human brain remembers negative experiences more easily than positive ones. Our brains have developed in this way because threats, like dangerous animal, have a more immediate effect on people's survival compared to positive things like food or shelter. As a result, you clearly know what makes you unhappy, but do you know what makes you happy?
Research suggests that our level of happiness is partly shaped by the choices we make. If you've been chasing wealth, fame, power and some material things, you may be looking for happiness in the wrong places. Psychologists suggest that the following habits can make people happier.
People who own close relationships tend to be happier than those who do not. The number of our friends is not important. What matters is the quality of our relationships. Relationships that bring happiness usually consist of the sharing of feelings, acceptance, mutual respect and trust.
People who exercise regularly can improve both their physical and mental well-being. Some research has shown that exercise can be as effective as some medicine in treating depression.
If we are so interested in an activity, we may lose track of time, and we can be in a state of flow. The activity could be playing the piano, surfing the Internet or playing a game. People who experience flow in their work or life tend to be happier.
People are more likely to be happy if they know what their strengths are and can use them regularly. People are especially happy when they can set goals and use their strengths to achieve them.
People, who think positively by being grateful, mindful and optimistic, are more likely to be happy. Being grateful means being thankful. Being mindful means considering, focusing on, and enjoying the experiences of the present moment. Being optimistic means being hopeful about the future.
1. Human brains remember negative things more easily because negative things_________.| A．tend to affect human survival immediately |
| B．are much more important than other thing |
| C．can make people live much happier |
| D．are easy to remember |
| A．being famous | B．setting life goals |
| C．chasing power | D．earning money |
| A．think more about our future |
| B．focus on everything in our life |
| C．be positive in our life and work |
| D．only enjoy the present moment |
| A．Why people remember positive things easily. |
| B．Why people remember negative things easily. |
| C．What makes people happy. |
| D．What makes people sad. |
【推荐2】Every year, more books on happiness are published. And every year, more people feel depressed because they do not see themselves as happy. They don’t remember or know what it feels like, and instead, they feel guilty that they aren’t as happy as everyone says they should be. This is really a sad state of emotional affairs.
The books, blogs, YouTube videos and advice columns (专栏) will tell you that if you read, exercise, stay busy, help others, and increase your intimacy (亲密) every day, then you too can be happy.
The simple truth is that no one can be happy all the time. That doesn’t mean you have to be sad, angry, or depressed the rest of the time but that you can find a middle ground called contentment. This middle ground is a good place mentally and emotionally, and spending time there is a healthy choice.
Contentment is somewhere between satisfied and peaceful. When you are in that place, the stuff of life can be going on around you, but you don’t need to allow it to bother you. And that, my friends, is a very nice way to go through life.
I find contentment in walks and in writing, and in talking with my partner and reminding each other that our life is good, despite temporary setbacks or scary moments. Because I know about myself and I can respond differently. Doing this takes away stress and will keep you from losing your state of contentment.
If there is even one thing that puts you in a state of contentment — you do it regularly and early enough each day — it will help you go through any challenges you may have to face later.
Right at this moment, things around me are still a little out of my control — such is life — but I am feeling pretty good because I actively living my purpose. I am now content, and that feeling will last the whole day through. You can do the same.
1. What does the author want to stress by mentioning “Books on happiness in paragraph 1?| A．People find it difficult to agree on what happiness is. |
| B．Such books are so popular that they are sold out very soon. |
| C．Happiness is something easy to gain in our daily life. |
| D．Experts find it useless to argue about the value of happiness. |
| A．He turns to such media as blogs. |
| B．He definitely communicates with partners. |
| C．He adjusts himself and reacts positively. |
| D．He sees himself unlucky and feels depressed. |
| A．Still water runs deep. | B．Health is better than wealth. |
| C．Enough is as good as a feast. | D．One good turn deserves another. |
| A．To introduce a novel experience. |
| B．To advocate a proper life attitude. |
| C．To encourage studies on happiness. |
| D．To persuade us to work endlessly. |
【推荐3】In most cases wars are initiated by governments，not by populations．And，most of the time，they are the result of disputes over resources and land，or of a government’s desire to increase its influence and power．However, looking back over the history of warfare，what is most striking is how willing most people have been to fight in wars，or at least to support them．
The early American psychologist William James once suggested that war is so popular because of its positive psychological effects．It creates a sense of unity in the face of a collective threat and inspires individual citizens (not just soldiers) to behave honorably and unselfishly, in the service of a greater good．It supplies meaning and purpose beyond the routine of everyday life．War also enables the expression of higher human qualities that often lie hidden in ordinary life，such as courage and self-sacrifice．
James’s argument is that human beings need to find activities that provide the same positive effects of warfare but which don’t involve the same destruction，or as he calls it．“the moral equivalent of war”．
In stable , peaceful and more economically developed countries，life is so rich and varied that there are many ways of satisfying these needs—through sport，our careers，entertainment and hobbies．However, in other parts of the world where life is especially hard—when people live in poverty and are oppressed，and where there is little hope for the future，it's harder to satisfy those impulses，and if there is an obvious enemy or oppressor to direct them towards，then war is almost unavoidable．
This isn’t to say that a waning party may not have a just cause，and this argument doesn’t explore other important social and psychological factors involved in war, such as social identity and moral exclusion．However, it does show that any stable．1asting peace depends on creating societies with a richness of opportunity and variety that can meet human needs．The fact that so many societies throughout the world fail to do this makes our future prospects of peace look very gloomy．The author’s attitude towards the future is __________．
| A．pessimistic | B．optimistic |
| C．objective | D．uncertain |
