题目

阅读理解 Tourists visiting the Canary Islands can often hear locals communicating over long distances by whistling (吹口哨)—not a tune, but the Spanish language. The locals are communicating in Silbo, a much more widespread use of whistled languages. In at least 80 cultures worldwide, people have developed whistled versions of their local languages. Whistled languages are almost always developed by traditional cultures that live in mountainous regions or in dense forests. That's because whistled speech carries much farther than ordinary speech or shouting, says Julien Meyer, a linguist who explores the topic of whistled languages. Skilled whistlers can reach 120 decibels (分贝)—louder than a car speaker. That lets people communicate when they cannot get close enough to shout. Whistled languages work because many of the key elements of speech can be imitated(模仿) in a whistle. We distinguish one speech sound from another by minor differences in their sound frequency patterns. However, whistled languages are disappearing rapidly all over the world. Modernization is largely to blame, says Meyer, who points to roads as the biggest factor. "That's why you still find whistled speech only in places that are very, very remote," he says. Fortunately, there is still a ray of hope. UNESCO has listed two whistled languages—Silbo in the Canary Islands, and a whistled Turkish—as elements of the world's intangible cultural heritage. Such attention can lead to conservation efforts. In the Canary Islands, for example, Silbo is now taught in schools. "If people hadn't made that effort, Silbo would probably have disappeared," says Meyer. There, at least, the future of the whistled language looks bright. （1） What can be learned about Silbo? A . It is an endangered tune. B . It is used to entertain tourists. C . It is used in more than 80 cultures. D . It is a whistled version of Spanish. （2） What are whistled languages mainly used to do? A . Pass on secret information. B . Get messages across over long distances. C . Imitate the sound patterns of other languages. D . Show minor differences between speech sounds. （3） Why are whistled languages disappearing according to Meyer? A . Contact with modernity. B . Lack of skilled teachers.   C . Difficulty in learning them. D . Popularity of official languages. （4） What is the author's attitude towards the future of Silbo? A . Uncertain. B . Optimistic.          C . Dissatisfied. D . Uncaring. 答案： D B A B

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