Question

You probably hear it all the time — people telling you to “learn English”. But does this mean children in English-speaking countries don’t need to bother learning a new language? Not at all. In fact, an even larger number of young people will soon be taught foreign languages, thanks to the mental advantages of bilingualism.

  Psychologists once thought that growing up bilingual might lead to verbal delays－a late or absent development of talking. But US magazine Scientific American has revealed that this is not true, and reported that children who speak more than one language “show greater mental flexibility, a superior grasp of abstract concepts and a better working memory.” As the New York Times put it, “being bilingual, it turns out, makes you smarter.”

  In Europe, learning foreign languages is increasingly popular. A European report shows that from 2005-2010, the percentage of European students learning a foreign language rose from 67.5 percent to 79.2 percent. Most European kids start learning another language at age 6. In Belgium, it starts at 3. New reforms being introduced in the UK will mean all children could be taught a foreign language, such as Mandarin or Greek, from the age of 7. The most popular foreign language for European kids was English, followed by German and French.

  In comparison, Americans don’t give a fig for learning foreign languages. Compared to 50 percent of European adults who are bilingual, only 9 percent of adults in the US are fluent in more than one language, according to a 2011 report. American students are often not exposed to a second language until high school.

  However, recent statistics show demand is growing in the US for people to become more bilingual. According to a USA Today chart released in July, 21 percent of US children speak another language at home. A number of institutions in the country are also pushing foreign languages in schools. Three school districts in Delaware will launch Chinese and Spanish programs next year. More people are learning Chinese, French and Spanish.

1.Psychologist used to believe that children who grow up bilingual ________.

A. are more flexible mentally

B. are slow in the development of talking

C. have a poorer working memory

D. are smarter in understanding abstract concept

2.It can be inferred from the passage that ________.

A. Americans are more interested in learning another language than Europeans

B. British kids began to learn foreign languages at the earliest age

C. 21% of US children study a foreign language in the school

D. not all schools in America are teaching foreign languages

3.What does the underlined phrase”give a fig for” in Paragraph 4 mean?

A. Attach importance to

B. Have talent for

C. Invest money in

D. Have demand for

4.Which are the most popular foreign languages in the US?

A. Mandarin and Greek

B. English, German and French

C. Chinese, French and Spanish

D. Chinese, German and Greek

5.What is the main idea of this passage?

A. Chinese is becoming more popular in western countries.

B. The benefits and advantages of growing up bilingual.

C. Western worlds are paying more attention to learning foreign languages.

D. The differences between bilingual education in Europe and USA.

Answer

1.B

2.D

3.A

4.C

5.C

【解析】

试题分析：研究表明，双语教育有利于锻炼儿童的心智，能更好的掌握抽象概念，增强记忆力。外语学习在西方国家越来越受到重视，美国和很多欧洲国家都在开设外语课程。

1.Psychologists once thought that growing up bilingual might lead to verbal delays－a late or absent development of talking.”可知，心理学家以前认为，在双语环境中长大，会影响孩子语言能力的发展。故选B。

2.American students are often not exposed to a second language until high school.”可知，美国的学生到高中才会接触到外语，由此可见，不是所有的美国学校都教外语，D。

3.Compared to 50 percent of European adults who are bilingual, only 9 percent of adults in the US are fluent in more than one language”可知，相比较而言，美国不像欧洲那样重视学习外语，attach importance to重视......。故选A。

4.More people are learning Chinese, French and Spanish.”可知，在美国，比较受欢迎的外语是汉语、法语和西班牙语，故选C。

5.In Europe, learning foreign languages is increasingly popular.”和第五段“However, recent statistics show demand is growing in the US for people to become more bilingual.”可知，西方国家越来越重视学习外语，文中只提到汉语在美国受欢迎，排除A；B项未提及；文中没有讲欧洲和美国的双语教育的不同之处，排除D，故选C。

考点：教育类短文阅读