题目

阅读理解 Does it matter if a language dies out? The traditional answer is yes, because every language is a repository (智囊) of ideas and culture and represents a unique way of looking at the world. The planet only has about 7,000 languages; the extinction of even one decreases the sum total of human knowledge. But in some cases, extinction can be seen in a more positive light. Take Al-Sayyid Bedouin Sign Language (ABSL) for example, restricted to about 1,000 users in a small Israeli village with a high level of born deafness, the language seems to be bound to die by the spread of Israeli sign language. The natural reaction to the loss of ABSL is regret. It is a fascinating language that has kept linguists busy since it came to their attention around 15 years ago. But for the deaf villagers, Israeli sign language is an upgrade: it allows them to speak to tens of thousands of people rather than a few hundred, and enables them to work and marry outside the village. It is hard to see that as anything other than progress. Similarly, other endangered languages die out because people abandon them in favor of ones that serve their needs better. Technology also softens the blow, as endangered languages can now be captured in detail — which also means they could eventually be brought back from the dead, much as the Hebrew language was in the 19th century. It is now the first language of 9 million people. Linguists naturally condemn the loss of language much as conservationists (环保主义者) once mourned the loss of every single species. But they are moving towards acceptance that not all species can be saved, that invasive species are not always bad and that human-engineered ecosystems are not necessarily inferior to natural ones. Perhaps our attitudes to language extinction are due for a similar change. （1） What can we infer about ABSL? A . Another language replaced it. B . It is an endangered language. C . Deaf villagers prefer to use it. D . It has been studied for over 15 years. （2） What does the underlined word "upgrade" in Paragraph 3 mean? A . Recovery. B . Opportunity. C . Improvement. D . Update. （3） How does technology affect languages? A . Technology can remove people's regret. B . Languages may be rescued from the extinction. C . Technology increases the number of endangered languages. D . Endangered languages might be abandoned because of technology. （4） What's the main idea of the text? A . More and more languages are dying out. B . Technology creates some new languages. C . People feel ashamed of language extinction. D . Language extinction is not necessarily a bad thing. 答案： B C B D

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