Module4LanguagesoftheWorldEndangeredlanguagesWhatisanendangeredlanguage?Endangeredlanguagesarelanguagesthatareonthebrinkofextinction,muchlikeendangeredspeciesofplantsoranimals.Languagesareconsideredtobenearlyextinctwhenonlyafewelderlyspeakersarestillliving.Theworldfacesenormouschallengesinmaintaininglanguagediversity(多样性).Ofthemorethan6,800languages,halfmaybeindangerofdisappearinginthenextseveraldecades.Andatleast10%oftheworld'slivinglanguagesarenowspokenbyfewerthan100people.Whydolanguagesdie?Someoftheforcesthatcontributetolanguagelossaretheimpactofurbanization(都市化),Westernization,globalcommunication,discrimination,war,disease,hungerandpopulationmovements.Theseforcesdiminishtheselfsufficiency(自负)andselfconfidenceofsmallandtraditionalcommunities.Asaresult,parentsdonotpasstheirlanguagetotheirchildrenbecausetheyfeelthatspeakingthemajoritylanguagebetterequipstheirchildrenforsuccessinthemajorityculturethanspeakingtheirownlanguage.Whytrytopreserveendangeredlanguages?Wouldn'ttheworldbesimpleriftherewerefewerlanguages?Whycareiflanguagesdieout?Thetruthisthatapeople'sidentityandculturearecloselytiedtotheirlanguage.Eachlanguageisunique.Nooneknowswhatrichesmaybehiddenwithinanendangeredlanguage.Wemayneverlearnaboutthecultureswhoselanguageshavedisappeared.Weallsharetheresponsibilityofensuringthatnolanguagewilldisappearandthatasmanylanguagesaspossiblewillbemaintainedandhandedtofuturegenerations.1.Theworldnowhas________languages,________ofwhichareindanger,andatleast________ofthemonlyhavelessthan________nativespeakers.2.Urbanization,Westernization,globalcommunication,________,war,________,________andpopulationmovementsleadtothedisappearingoflanguages.3.Wecanlearnabouta________and________throughitslanguage.【答案】1.morethan6,800;half;10%;1002.discrimination;disease;hunger3.people'sidentity;cultureSectionⅠReading(Introduction&ReadingandVocabulary)新生词汇初识Ⅰ.词义搭配1.overtakeA.makelarger2.expandB.whatseemslikelytohappen;futureprospects3.trendC.comeorcatchupwith4.outlookD.generaltendencyordirection【答案】1.C2.A3.D4.BⅡ.用下列短语的适当形式填空bebasedon;moreorless;apartfrom;underthecontrolof;inadditionto1.____________somespellingmistakes,thecompositionisfairlygood.2.____________thekilledandwounded,manyweremissing.3.Ittook____________awholedaytopainttheceiling.4.Doyoureallythinkenjoymentshould__________others'pain?5.Allschoolsare____________theMinistryofEducation.【答案】1.Apartfrom2.Inadditionto3.moreorless4.bebasedon5.underthecontrolof教材语篇细研Ⅰ.阅读P44-45课文内容,判断正(T)误(F)1.Englishisspokenwiththebiggestpopulationintheworld.()2.TheUKhasthelargestnumberofnativeEnglishspeakers.()3.750millionisthetotalnumberofpeoplewhospeakEnglishasafirstorsecondlanguage.()4.PortuguesewasonlyspokeninPortugalwhenitwasunderthecontrolofSpain.()5.IndonesianisthesamewithMalay.()【答案】1.F2.F3.T4.T5.FⅡ.阅读P44-45课文内容,完成下面表格Putonghua—morethanonebillionChinese1.________,orputonghua,togiveitsrealname,isspokenbythevast2.________ofthepopulationofChina.English—750millionItis3.________thatmorethan375millionpeoplespeakEnglishasafirstlanguage,withpossiblyanother375millionspeakingitasasecondlanguage.Hindustani—nearly500millionItis4.________thatthepopulationofIndiacouldoneday5.________thepopulationofChina.Russian—277millionTherearealsotwomillionRussianspeakersintheUSA,6.________600,000inNewYork.Arabic—256million7.________,becauseArabicisthelanguageoftheKoran,millionsofMuslimsinothercountriesspeakitaswell.Bengali—215millionFor8.________,about100,000BengalispeakersliveandworkintheMiddleEast.Portuguese—194millionWhenPortugalgainedindependence,theuseofPortuguese9.________allovertheworld.French—129millionOftencalledthemostromanticlanguageintheworld,Frenchusedtobethelanguageof10.________.【答案】1.Mandarin2.majority3.estimated4.predicted5.overtake6.including7.Furthermore8.instance9.expanded10.diplomatsⅢ.阅读P44课文内容,完成课文缩写Thelanguagewiththemost1.________speakersisspokeninthecountrywiththebiggestpopulation.ChineseMandarin,orputonghua,togiveititsrealname,isspokenbythevast2.________ofthepopulationofChina.Althoughthe3.________ofChinahavetheirownlanguages,Chineseputonghuaisthe4.________commonlanguage.5.________CalleditMandarin,asitwasthelanguageusedbythe6.__________mandarins,orofficials.Chineseputonghuaisoneofthesix7.________languagesoftheUnitedNations.【答案】1.native2.majority3.ethnicminorities4.national5.Westerners6.imperial7.official