2024年4月1日发(作者：)

议论文篇（2018年全国IC）

Languages have been coming and going for thousands of years, but in recent times there has

been less coming and a lot more going. When the world was still populated by hunter-gatherers,

small, tightly knit (

联系

) groups developed their own patterns of speech independent of each other.

Some language experts believe that 10,000 years ago, when the world had just five to ten million

people, they spoke perhaps 12,000 languages between them.

Soon afterwards, many of those people started settling down to become farmers, and their

languages too became more settled and fewer in number. In recent centuries, trade, industrialization,

the development of the nation-state and the spread of universal compulsory education, especially

globalisation and better communications in the past few decades, all have caused many languages to

disappear, and dominant languages such as English, Spanish and Chinese are increasingly taking

over.

At present, the world has about 6,800 languages. The distribution of these languages is hugely

uneven. The general rule is that mild zones have relatively few languages. Often spoken by many

people, while hot, wet zones have lots, often spoken by small numbers. Europe has only around 200

Languages: the Americas about 1,000. Africa 2,400; and Asia and the Pacific perhaps 3,200, of

which Papua New Guinea alone accounts for well over 800. The median number (

中位数

)of

speakers is a mere 6,000, which means that half the worlds languages are spoken by fewer people

than

Already well over 400 of the total of, 6,800 languages are close to extinction(

消亡

), with only

a few elderly speakers left. Pick, at random, Busuu in Cameroon (eight remaining

speakers),Chiapaneco in Mexico(150). Lipan Apache in the United States(two or three)or Wadjigu

in Australia (one, with a question-mark): none of these seems to have much chance of survival.

28.

What can we infer about languages in hunter-gatherer times?

A.

They developed very fast.

B.

They were large in number.

C.

They had similar patters.

D.

They were closely connected

29.

Which of the following best explains "dominant " underlined in paragraph 2？

A.

Complex.

B.

Advanced.

C.

Powerful.

D.

Modern.

30.

How many languages are spoken by less than 6, 000 people at present?

A.

About 6,800.

B.

About 3,400.

C.

About 2,400.

D.

About 1,200.

31.

What is the main idea of the text?

A.

New languages will be created.

B.

Peoples lifestyles are reflected in languages

C.

Human development results in fewer languages.

D.

Geography determines language evolution.

【答案】

28. B 29. C 30. B 31. C

议论文篇（2018年全国IID）

We’ve all been there: in a lift, in line at the bank or on an airplane, surrounded by people who

are, like us, deeply focused on their smartphones or, worse, struggling with the uncomfortable

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silence.

What’s the problem? It’s possible that we all have compromised conversational intelligence.

It’s more likely that none of us start a conversation because it’s awkward and challenging, or we

think it’s annoying and unnecessary. But the next time you find yourself among strangers, consider

that small talk is worth the trouble. Experts say it’s an invaluable social practice that results in big

benefits.

Dismissing small talk as unimportant is easy, but we can’t forget that deep relationships

wouldn’t

even exist if it weren’t for casual conversation. Small talk is the grease(

润滑剂

) for social

communication, says Bernardo Carducci, director of the Shyness Research Institute at Indiana

University Southeast.

＂

Almost every great love story and each big business deal begins with small

talk,

＂

he explains.

＂

The key to successful small talk is learning how to connect with others, not

just communicate with them.

＂

In a 2014 study, Elizabeth Dunn, associate professor of psychology at UBC, invited people on

their way into a coffee shop. One group was asked to seek out an interaction(

互动

) with its waiter;

the other, to speak only when necessary. The results showed that those who chatted with their server

reported significantly higher positive feelings and a better coffee shop experience.

＂

It’s not that

talking to the waiter is better than talking to your husband,

＂

says Dunn.

＂

But interactions with

peripheral(

边缘的

) members of our social network matter for our well-being also.

＂

Dunn believes that people who reach out to strangers feel a significantly greater sense of

belonging, a bond with others. Carducci believes developing such a sense of belonging starts with

small talk.

＂

Small talk is the basis of good manners,

＂

he says.

32.

What phenomenon is described in the first paragraph?

A.

Addiction to smartphones.

B.

Inappropriate behaviours in public places.

C.

Absence of communication between strangers.

D.

Impatience with slow service.

33.

What is important for successful small talk according to Carducci?

A.

Showing good manners.

B.

Relating to other people.

C.

Focusing on a topic.

D.

Making business deals.

34.

What does the coffee-shop study suggest about small talk?

A.

It improves family relationships.

B.

It raises people’s confidence.

C.

It matters as much as a formal talk.

D.

It makes people feel good.

35.

What is the best title for the text?

A.

Conversation Counts

B.

Ways of Making Small Talk

C.

Benefits of Small Talk

D.

Uncomfortable Silence

【答案】

32. C 33. B 34. D 35. C

【解析】这是一篇议论文。在当今社会，人们在公共场合或沉迷于智能手机，或与不舒服的

沉默抗争，陌生人之间缺乏沟通。但人与人之间是需要适当的交谈闲聊的，闲聊是人际关系

社会交往必不可少的部分，而且也有很多好处。

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