拯救瀕危語(yǔ)言

李鳳梅

語(yǔ)言學(xué)家認(rèn)為，目前大約有6，500種語(yǔ)言用于日常交流。在過(guò)去的100年里，有超過(guò)400種語(yǔ)言消失了，平均以每3個(gè)月1種的速度消失，目前預(yù)計(jì)大約有50%的語(yǔ)言將在下個(gè)世紀(jì)消失。

1 Linguists （語(yǔ)言學(xué)家） suggest that around 6，500 languages are currently used for daily communication needs. Over 400 languages have disappeared over the last 100 years and nearly 50% of the languages remaining today are expected to disappear over the next century.

2 According to the UNESCO Atlas of the Worlds Languages in Danger， 577 languages are currently listed as critically endangered. An additional 537 languages are considered severely endangered， which means theyre only used by the oldest living generation. Of these 577 critically endangered languages， several have only 1 speaker left alive and many may have already gone extinct （滅絕的）.

3 Academic （學(xué)術(shù)的） departments and non?profit organizations around the world are trying their best to save endangered languages. Researchers are currently recording and documenting some of the most endangered languages in order to ensure a record remains after the last speaker is long gone. One example of this is the North American native language Miami， which became extinct in the 1960s. Today， it is offered as a course at Miami University in the US state of Ohio.

4 Another way of saving endangered languages is introducing language revitalization （復(fù)興） classes to children. By encouraging children to study and become fluent in a language， linguists hope it will survive through them and be passed down to future generations. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in the US just begun such a program. One interested group began volunteering to teach school children the Cherokee language when they realized not many people were left who could understand the indigenous tongue.

5 Technology also plays a role in saving endangered languages. Digital classrooms， podcasts （播客）， audio recordings， phone applications， and computer programs are all available （可獲得的） in a number of endangered languages. At the same time， however， technology also works to suppress language diversity by being available in only a few of the most widely spoken languages. For example， most of online information is only published in English.

1. What can be inferred from the first two paragraphs？

A. Most of the languages are only used by the oldest living generation.

B. About 400 languages are used for daily communication now.

C. There are 6，500 languages in total around the world.

D. More and more languages are at the risk of disappearing.

2. How do some researchers save endangered languages？

A. By setting up language schools.

B. By recording endangered languages.

C. By teaching languages in digital classrooms.

D. By visiting endangered languages speakers.

3. How many paragraphs focus on ways of language protection？

A. Two. ? ? ? B. Three. C. Four.D. Five.

4. What does the underlined word “suppress” in the last paragraph mean？

A. Prevent.B. Force. C. Improve.D. Document.

Useful expressions

linguist 語(yǔ)言學(xué)家

daily communication needs日常溝通需要

go extinct 滅絕

introduce language revitalization classes to children 給兒童開(kāi)設(shè)語(yǔ)言復(fù)興課程

become fluent in 在……方面變得流利

the indigenous tongue 土著語(yǔ)言

digital classrooms 數(shù)字教室

spoken languages 口語(yǔ)