Question

When people ask how many languages I speak,I reply I have forgotten six.That's the problem with languages: if you don't use them you lose them.But a little practice soon brings them back and you can once again enjoy the magic of talking to others in their own language and on their own terms.

I was a disaster at languages at school.I obtained 5 out of 200 in zero level French-an all time record.I was badly taught and I could never see the point.But as a young Royal Navy soldier to Singapore in the early 1960s,I heard that in Malay there was one word for "let's take off our clothes and tell dirty stories".Suddenly I saw the point.I never found the word,but in the process I learnt my first language.In the mid-60s,I was sent to the deep jungle among the local people.In their long-houses there were dried human heads hanging from the frames of the houses.I decided I would feel more comfortable if I knew their language too.

Not long after that,I spent two years learning official Chinese language in Hong Kong.One day,at a party with fellow students and teachers I tried to make a small talk with my female Chinese teacher."Have you ever flown in planes?" However,with my terrible Chinese tones,I made a mistake by asking "Have you by any chance sat upon a flying cock?" So you can imagine how I really felt inside my mind at that moment!You know what it means by speaking in such an uncomfortable tune to a female teacher!

Then I changed my languages and chatted with her in German,French and Russian in brief.God Heavens!My female Chinese teacher finally reacted and turned her red face to normal!Indeed this is the only time in my adult life when I haven't been learning a language.Languages have changed my life-and enriched it.And I think they can change yours too.

1.In the writer's eyes,the loss of using a language can be obtained       .

A. by practicing it more often

B. from a zero level record

C. by learning the points

D. from a Chinese teacher

2.The writer was not very good at languages at school because       .

A. he hated speaking Chinese with female people

B. he didn't learn languages very effectively

C. his French tests were always a zero record

D. his Chinese teachers taught him in a bad way

3.The mistake with the female teacher at the party       .

A. would make the writer more confident of his Chinese level

B. would certainly bring the writer a severe punishment

C. brought the writer into a very embarrassing situation

D. would make her think highly of his Chinese level

4.The writer turned to other languages to talk to his teacher in order to       .

A. warn people not to make any mistakes in official language

B. advise people to try using more languages to talk with others

C. suggest a diversity of changes of languages in people's life

D. relieve the tense atmosphere to make her relaxed

Answer

1.A

2.B

3.C

4.D

【解析】本文是一篇记叙文。作者讲述了自己从一个艰难的语言学习者成为一个熟练多国语言的人的经历。通过自己经历作者得出：语言可以改变并丰富了生活。

1.细节理解题。根据第一段最后一句“But a little practice soon brings them back and you can once again enjoy the magic of talking to others in their own language and on their own terms.”可知，作者认为失去的语言可以通过更经常的练习获得。故选A项正确。

2.推理判断题。根据第二段第二句“I was badly taught and I could never see the point.”可知，作者在学校里不擅长语言是因为没有得到良好的教育，没有明白语言学习的关键，也就是没有进行有效的语言学习。故选B。

3.推理判断题。根据倒数第二段最后两句“So you can imagine how I really felt inside my mind at that moment!You know what it means by speaking in such an uncomfortable tune to a female teacher!”可推断，作者在与中国女教师交流时说错了话，犯了错误，让作者感到很尴尬。故选C项正确。

4.推理判断题。根据最后一段前半部分“Then I changed my languages and chatted with her in German,French and Russian in brief. God Heavens!My female Chinese teacher finally reacted and turned her red face to normal!”可知，作者使用其他语言与中国女教交谈，女教师的脸色才慢慢恢复正常。因此推断作者使用别的语言是为了缓解紧张气氛让女教师放松。故选D项正确。