1、二十五选修8 Unit 2The universal language(限时35分钟). 阅读理解A(2021昆明模拟) For centuries, people have tried to invent a perfect universal written language and Chinese has actually been considered before. Francis Bacon used to assume that a language like Chinese and its writing system would have qualified. Chinese
2、 doesnt use an alphabet based on sounds, but symbols indicating meaning. Chinese character has its special relationship between the sign and what it symbolizes. Each character represents a word or a concept and you pile them up together like Lego bricks, childrens plastic building toys, to build mor
3、e words. Some of them also look like what they represent. For example, a mountain may look just like a mountain with a peak in the middle. And fire resembles some blazing (燃烧的) logs. When you put them together and you get volcano. Isnt that amazing?While some of them look like what they represent, m
4、ost of them really dont. In fact, some of them are incredibly complicated. For instance, “Biang” is the name of a kind of noodle, which has 57 strokes (笔画). It is very hard for people to pronounce or recognize this character, let alone writing it out correctly. Chinese is so complicated that since t
5、he 1950s, a simplified system of characters has been used in mainland China. But there is a problem. Chinese characters often represent whole works, and there are a lot of them. In the Chinese dictionary there are around sixty four thousand characters. So Chinese characters might not become a univer
6、sal writing system soon. The trouble is not just inventing one, but getting people to use it. It wouldnt be easy for the whole world to agree on the same set of meanings. After all, language needs a cultural context. You cannot really just use a universal language as you like. 【文章大意】本文属于议论文。讨论中文是否适合
7、成为世界通用语的问题。1. What can we learn from Francis Bacon?A. He believed that Chinese writing system was perfect. B. He managed to invent a universal written language. C. He recommended Chinese to use alphabets based on sounds. D. He thought written Chinese language could be used globally. 【解析】选D。推理判断题。根据第
8、一段Francis Bacon used to assume that a language like Chinese and its writing system would have qualified. 可推测出Francis Bacon过去假定中文可以符合作全世界通用语的标准。故选D。2. How does the author explain the characteristic of Chinese character?A. By analyzing structures of toys. B. By comparing concepts. C. By giving example
9、s. D. By collecting data. 【解析】选C。推理判断题。根据第二段For example, a mountain may look just like a mountain with a peak in the middle. And fire resembles some blazing logs. When you put them together and you get volcano. 可知, 作者用山和火举例子来介绍中国汉字的特点。故选C。3. Why do Chinese people use a simplified system of Chinese c
10、haracters?A. It is hard to pronounce Chinese characters. B. It is difficult to recognize or write Chinese characters. C. It is fashionable to use simplified Chinese characters. D. It is complicated to look up Chinese characters in the dictionaries. 【解析】选B。细节理解题。根据第三段It is very hard for people to pro
11、nounce or recognize this character, let alone writing it out correctly. ”可知, 由于中国汉字难识别和难写的原因, 中国人开始使用简化版的汉字系统。故选B。4. What is the passage mainly about?A. How to write simplified Chinese characters. B. Why people need a universal written language. C. Chinese is a perfect universal written language. D.
12、 Whether Chinese is suitable to be a world language. 【解析】选D。主旨大意题。通读全文可知, 文章讨论中文是否适合作世界通用语的问题。故选D。【知识拓展】佳词积累1. based on以为基础 2. pile up堆积, 堆放 3. look like看起来像 4. let alone更不用说 5. agree on 同意;达成共识;达成一致B(2021济南模拟)Vijay Gupta is known to classical music lovers across the United States. He serves as firs
13、t violinist for the Los Angeles Philharmonic. In that job, he often plays to large crowds, including many very rich people. When he is not performing, he organizes concerts for homeless people. “They have reminded me why I became a musician, ” he said. Last week, Gupta was recognized for being a fou
14、nder and the artistic director of Street Symphony. The group has performed at homeless shelters, jails and halfway houses for about eight years. Gupta is among the 25 winners of the 2018 MacArthur Fellowship, commonly known as the “genius grant” . Each winner will receive $625, 000 over five years t
15、o use as they wish. The money is coming from a private group, the John D. and Katherine T. MacArthur Foundation. It awards grants (补助金)to people whose work it considers exceptional and that “inspires hope in us all”. Gupta said he got the idea for Street Symphony while teaching Nathaniel Ayers, a tr
16、ained musician whose mental illness led to homelessness. The 31-year-old grant winner said he does not know yet how he will spend the money. He has been a performer since age seven and the award will give him “space to breathe, plan and look ahead”. Another winner is Rebecca Sandefur, an associate p
17、rofessor of sociology and law in the University of Illinois. The Associated Press says her research actively supports new ways to involve poor communities in the U. S. justice system. 47-year-old Sandefur created the first national mapping of civil legal aid providers. It shows which states had the
18、financial resources to provide such aid and which did not. She also found that the cost of legal services is only one of the things preventing poor people from getting lawyers. Among the others are fears about unfairness in the legal system. Sandefur noted that a lot of attention has been paid to pr
19、oblems with the criminal justice system, but more attention must be paid to the civil side of the law, which also affects millions of people. 【文章大意】本文主要讲述了美国两位麦克阿瑟奖学金的获奖者Gupta和Sandefur分别通过为流浪者演奏音乐和为穷人争取法律援助而激励穷人的故事。5. Why did Gupta win the award?A. For his achievements in classical music. B. For per
20、forming for large crowds. C. For organizing a group playing for the homeless. D. For the friendship with Nathaniel Ayers. 【解析】选C。细节理解题。根据第二段The group has performed at homeless shelters, jails and halfway houses for about eight years. 可知, Gupta获得该奖是因为他组织的街道交响乐团为流浪者演奏音乐。6. What do we know about MacArt
21、hur Fellowship?A. It is founded by the government. B. It offers $625, 000 to 25 winners in 2018. C. It allows the winners to use the money freely. D. It awards people who make great contributions to society. 【解析】选C。细节理解题。根据第二段Each winner will receive $625, 000 over five years to use as they wish. 可知
22、, 获奖者将在五年内获得625, 000美元的奖金, 供其随意使用。7. What was the extraordinary thing that Sandefur did?A. She made it easier to get legal help for the poor. B. She made the legal system fairer. C. She paid more attention to the criminal justice system. D. She offered legal aids to the poor freely. 【解析】选A。细节理解题。根据倒
23、数第二段The Associated Press says her research actively supports new ways to involve poor communities in the U. S. justice system. 可知, 美联社称, Sandefur的研究为贫困地区参与美国司法系统提供了新途径, 由此可知, Sandefur使穷人更容易获得法律援助。故选A。8. Which can be the best title for the passage?A. Grants winners, inspiring the poorB. The city home
24、less, in need of helpC. Vijay Gupta, an extraordinary violinistD. MacArthur Foundation, awarding exceptional work【解析】选A。主旨大意题。通读全文可知, 本文主要讲述了美国两位麦克阿瑟奖学金的获奖者Gupta和Sandefur分别通过为流浪者演奏音乐和为穷人争取法律援助而激励穷人的故事。【知识拓展】背景链接MacArthur Fellowship麦克阿瑟奖(MacArthur Fellows Program or MacArthur Fellowship, 俗称“天才奖”)被视为美
25、国跨领域最高奖项之一。该奖创立于1981年, 为纪念银行生命灾难公司的创始人约翰D麦克阿瑟而命名, 由麦克阿瑟基金会(John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation)设立, 基金会总部设在芝加哥, 奖金颁发给在各个领域内具有非凡创造性的杰出人士, 获奖者一般被看作本专业内领军人物。奖金额50万美元, 且没有附加条件, 获奖者可自由支配。麦克阿瑟天才奖旨在表彰在社会发展中发挥重要作用的创造性人才, 每年评选各领域20名至25名杰出人士, 并在5年中给每人提供总额50万美元的奖金, 让他们能更自由地继续探索。. 阅读填句(2021成都模拟)MuzakTh
26、e next time you go into a bank, a store, or a supermarket, stop and listen. What do you hear? 1 Its similar to the music you listen to, but its not exactly the same. Thats because this music was especially designed to relax you, or to give you extra energy. Sometimes you dont even realize the music
27、is playing, but you react to the music anyway. Quiet background music used to be called “elevator (电梯) music” because we often heard it in elevators. But lately we hear it in more and more places, and it has a new name “Muzak”. About one-third of the people in America listen to “Muzak” every day. Th
28、e music plays for 15 minutes at a time, with short pauses in between. It is always more lively between ten and eleven in the morning, and between three and four in the afternoon, when people are more tired. 2. If you listen to Muzak carefully, you will probably recognize the names of many of the son
29、gs. Some musicians or songwriters dont want their songs to be used as Muzak, but others are happy when their songs are chosen. Why? 3. Music is often played in public places because it is designed to make people feel less lonely when they are in an airport or a hotel. It has been proven that Muzak d
30、oes what it is designed to do. Tired office workers suddenly have more energy when they hear the pleasant sound of Muzak in the background. 4. Supermarket shoppers buy 38 percent more groceries. 5. They say its boring to hear the same songs all the time. But other people enjoy hearing Muzak in publi
31、c places. They say it helps them relax and feel calm. One way or another, Muzak affects everyone. Some farmers even say their cows give more milk when they hear Muzak!A. Some people dont like Muzak. B. The music gives them extra energy. C. Music is playing in the background. D. Factory workers produ
32、ce 13 percent more. E. Muzak tends to help people understand music better. F. They get as much as $4 million a year if their songs are used. G. Muzak is played in most of the big supermarkets in the world. 【文章大意】本文主要介绍了缪扎克音乐受到越来越多美国人的欢迎, 但有些人认为缪扎克音乐很无聊, 但不管怎样缪扎克音乐影响着每个人。1. 【解析】选C。根据下文Its similar to
33、the music you listen to, but its not exactly the same. 可知, 此处听到的是音乐。故选C。2. 【解析】选B。根据上文It is always more lively between ten and eleven in the morning, and between three and four in the afternoon, when people are more tired. 可知, 人们比较累的时候, 这种音乐可以给人们额外的力量, 就可以起作用了。故选B。3. 【解析】选F。根据上文Why可知, 此处应是对上句的回答。F选项
34、“如果他们的歌被使用, 他们每年可以得到400万美元”切题。故选F。4. 【解析】选D。根据下文Supermarket shoppers buy 38 percent more groceries. 可知, 此处与下文为并列关系, 说明这种音乐的益处。故选D。5. 【解析】选A。根据下文 They say its boring to hear the same songs all the time. 可知, 有些人不喜欢缪扎克音乐。故选A。. 书面表达(2021合肥模拟)假如你是李华, 你的美国朋友Jenny来信说她想在暑假期间来中国学习汉语并对中国戏剧也感兴趣。请你用英语给她回信, 提供一些
35、建议。内容包括:1. 参加汉语学习班等;2. 观看京剧专场演出;3. 你对她中国之行的愿望。注意:1. 词数100左右;2. 可以适当增加细节, 以使行文连贯。_【参考范文】Dear Jenny, Hearing that you are coming to China for learning Chinese language this summer vacation and you are interested in Beijing opera, Id like to offer some suggestions to you. Firstly, youd better apply for
36、 a Chinese language training class where you will learn Mandarin quickly and effectively. Secondly, you can watch the special performance of Beijing opera. Widely accepted in China, Beijing opera plays an important role in Chinese traditional culture. Thus you will have a better understanding of Chinese language by doing so. I wish you a happy stay in China and leave a wonderful impression forever. Yours, Li Hua
