拯救瀕危語言

語言學家認為，目前大約有6,500種語言用于日常交流。在過去的100年里，有超過400種語言消失了，平均以每3個月1種的速度消失，目前預計大約有50%的語言將在下個世紀消失。

主題語境：人與社會 篇幅：330詞 建議用時：7分鐘

1Linguists(語言學家)suggest that around 6,500 languages are currently used for daily communication needs. Over 400 languages have disappeared over the last 100 years and nearly 50%of the languages remaining today are expected to disappear over the next century.

2According to the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger,577 languages are currently listed as critically endangered. An additional 537 languages are considered severely endangered, which means they're only used by the oldest living generation. Of these 577 critically endangered languages, several have only 1 speaker left alive and many may have already gone extinct(滅絕的).

3Academic (學術的) departments and non?profit organizations around the world are trying their best to save endangered languages. Researchers are currently recording and documenting some of the most endangered languages in order to ensure a record remains af?ter the last speaker is long gone. One example of this is the North American native lan?guage Miami,which became extinct in the 1960's.Today,it is offered as a course at Miami University in the US state of Ohio.

4Another way of saving endangered languages is introducing language revitalization(復興) classes to children. By encouraging children to study and become fluent in a lan?guage, linguists hope it will survive through them and be passed down to future genera?tions.The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in the US just begun such a program.One in?terested group began volunteering to teach school children the Cherokee language when they realized not many people were left who could understand the indigenous tongue.

5Technology also plays a role in saving endangered languages.Digital classrooms,pod?casts(播客),audio recordings,phone applications,and computer programs are all available(可獲得的) in a number of endangered languages. At the same time, however, technology also works to suppress language diversity by being available in only a few of the most widely spoken languages.For example,most of online information is only published in English.

Reading Check

1.What can be inferred from the first two paragraphs?

A.Most of the languages are only used by the oldest living generation.

B.About 400 languages are used for daily communication now.

C.There are 6,500 languages in total around the world.

D.More and more languages are at the risk of disappearing.

2.How do some researchers save endangered languages?

A.By setting up language schools.

B.By recording endangered languages.

C.By teaching languages in digital classrooms.

D.By visiting endangered languages'speakers.

3.How many paragraphs focus on ways of language protection?

A.Two. B.Three. C.Four. D.Five.

4.What does the underlined word“suppress”in the last paragraph mean?

A.Prevent. B.Force. C.Improve. D.Document.

Language Study

Useful expressions

linguist 語言學家

daily communication needs日常溝通需要

go extinct 滅絕

introduce language revitalization classes to children 給兒童開設語言復興課程

become fluent in 在……方面變得流利

the indigenous tongue 土著語言

digital classrooms 數字教室

spoken languages 口語

主題應用·語庫構建

Ⅰ.主題詞匯

native 本地的

attitude 態度

refer 提到；參考；查閱

system 體系；制度；系統

civilization 文明；文明世界

base 基礎；來源

symbol 符號；象征

carve 雕刻

dynasty 王朝；朝代

major 主要的；主修課程

means 方式；方法；途徑

classic 傳統的；典型的

character 文字；符號；角色；品質；特點

calligraphy 書法；書法藝術

appreciate 欣賞；感激

specific 特定的；明確的；具體的

equal 相同的

demand 要求；需求

description 描寫(文字)；形容

phrase 短語

idiom 習語；成語

pronunciation 發音

grammar 語法

sentence 句子

vocabulary 詞匯

communication 交流

accuracy 準確；精確

standard 標準(的)

fault 缺點；毛病；過錯

perfect 完美的；極好的

abundant 大量的；豐富的

wonderful 精彩的；令人驚嘆的

splendid 壯麗的；極佳的

master 精通；掌握

acquire 獲得；得到

overcome 克服；解決

enlarge 擴大；放大

practice 練習

pronounce 發音

spell 拼寫

recite 背誦

translate 翻譯

Ⅱ.主題短語

be known for 因……而出名

at the beginning 起初

in one direction 朝一個方向

of great importance 很重要

play a role in 在……中起作用

an increasing number of 越來越多的

refer to 涉及；查閱

ups and downs 浮沉；興衰；榮辱

date back(to)追溯到

point of view 觀點；看法

relate to 與……相關；涉及；談到

used to 過去常常；曾經

have a lot of trouble with 在……上遇到很多困難

compare A with B 把A與B比較

be familiar with 熟悉……

refer to a dictionary 查字典

make good use of 充分利用

writing system 書寫體系

make progress 取得進步

communicate with 與……交流

be connected with 與……有聯系

a beautiful art form 一種美麗的藝術形式

focus one's attention on/concentrate on 集中(注意力、精力)于

enlarge/expand vocabulary 擴大詞匯量

form/develop/fall into/get into the habit of

reading 養成閱讀習慣

have a good knowledge of English 精通英語

improve writing skills 提升寫作技巧

Ⅲ.主題美句

1. Having lived in China for many years and having learned English since I was a child,I have a good command of Chi?nese and English,which is beneficial to in?troducing Chinese paintings. 我在中國生活了很多年，并且從小就學習英語，所以我精通漢語和英語，這對（我）介紹中國畫是有利的。

2. You could turn to your teacher whenever you have difficulties in learning English. 無論何時你遇到學英語方面的困難，你都可以向你的老師尋求幫助。

3.Make use of every opportunity to practice Chinese, because the more you use Chinese,the better you will learn it.利用一切機會練習漢語，因為你漢語用得越多，你就學得越好。

4. Learning any language takes a lot of effort, but don't give up. 學習任何語言都需要花費很多努力，但不要放棄。

5.Only by practicing more can you make great progress in your English study.只有多加練習，你的英語學習才會取得很大的進步。

6. As is known to all, vocabulary is of great importance. 眾所周知，詞匯是非常重要的。

7.What's more, try to communicate with your classmates in English out of class. Only in this way can you improve your listening and spoken English quickly.

更重要的是，試著在課外用英語和你的同學交流。只有這樣你才能快速提升你的英語聽力和口語。

8. The textbooks and dictionaries can be used as reference books while the maga?zines serve as reading materials.課本和辭書可以用作參考書籍，而雜志可以當作閱讀材料。

9. There are more and more foreign?ers learning Chinese, because China is playing an increasingly important part in the world. 有越來越多的外國人在學漢語，因為中國在世界上起著越來越重要的作用。

10. I take part in the English corner and other after?class English activities and they benefit me a lot. 我參加英語角和其他課外英語活動，它們使我受益匪淺。

Ⅳ.主題寫作

假定你是李華，你的新西蘭好友Paul 目前在中國學習漢語。近日，他發來郵件向你詢問提升漢語聽力的建議。請你用英語給他回一封郵件，內容包括：

1.表示理解；

2.給出建議；

3.表達祝愿。

注意:

1.詞數80左右；

2.可以適當增加細節，以使行文連貫。

Dear Paul,

__________________________________________

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__________________________________________

__________________________________________

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Yours,

Li Hua

Ⅴ.主題測評

見P62～P73 自測園地“世界各地的語言”內容。