高三英语阅读理解(社会文化)常见题型及答题技巧及练习题(含答案)含解析

高三英语阅读理解(社会文化)常见题型及答题技巧及练习题(含答案)含解析
一、高中英语阅读理解社会文化类
1．阅读理解
Theaters of the Past
The Greek Theater
Theaters developed in many parts of Greece. Ancient Greek theaters were built in natural open air sites on conveniently shaped hills. This allowed a great mass of people to enjoy a show at a time. Due to this, actors placed emphasis on exaggerated (夸张的) action and speech. And, colorful symbolic masks and costumes were used.
The Medieval Theater
The Medieval theater started in churches. That's why medieval plays were about Bible stories. At first, it became a custom for priests (牧师) to act out brief scenes during Christmas and Easter. These acts attracted large crowds. Finally the church refused to allow priests to participate in any such events again, so ordinary people began these performances outside. Performances were set in the town square, with several stage settings around it.
The Elizabethan Theater
The England's theater developed rapidly in the years following the defeat of the Spanish Navy. The dominant feature of Elizabethan theater was the stage. It has three parts: The fore stage for outside scenes; the inner stage for scenes inside a building; an upper stage or balcony for various purposes. The reason for this design is that there were no scene changes, or breaks during the play. Very little scenery was used, so the actors had to create a scene through their voices and dialogues. This led to a more poetic script, and poets became the main source of script writing.
The Restoration Theater
Some of the plays told sad stories, but the majority of the plays were really funny. Many specialized machines were used to create the scene. The stage was a very clever idea , in that on the sides of the stage large back shutters (百叶窗) were painted with the scene.
（1）Why were ancient Greek theaters built on hills?
A.To hold a large audience.
B.To build a big and strong stage.
C.To have a better sound effect.
D.To emphasize exaggerated performances.
（2）In which theater could actors' voices and speech help create scenes?
A.The Greek Theater.
B.The Medieval Theater.
C.The Elizabethan Theater.
D.The Restoration Theater.
（3）What is special about the Restoration Theater?
A.Colorful masks were used.
B.The stage was smartly designed.
C.Most of its plays were sorrowful.
D.Ordinary people were the performers.
【答案】（1）A
（2）C
（3）B
【解析】【分析】本文是一篇说明文，介绍了四个古代的剧院。

（1）考查细节理解。

根据The Greek Theater部分中的“Ancient Greek theaters were built in natural open air sites on conveniently shaped hills. This allowed a great mass of people to enjoy a show at a time.”古希腊的剧院建在自然开阔的地方，建在形状方便的山上。

这使得一大群人可以一次欣赏一场演出，可知，希腊剧院建在山上是为了让更多的观众可以一起欣赏演出。

故选A。

（2）考查细节理解。

根据The Elizabethan Theater部分中的“Very little scenery was used, so the actors had to c reate a scene through their voices and dialogues.”布景用得很少，所以演员们不得不通过他们的声音和对话来创造一个场景，可知，在The Elizabethan Theater, 演员的声音和言语能帮助创造场景。

故选C。

（3）考查推理判断。

根据The Restoration Theater部分中的“The stage was a very clever idea , in that on the sides of the stage large back shutters (百叶窗) were painted with the scene.”舞台是一个非常聪明的想法，因为舞台两侧的大背板上都画着场景)可知，在The Restoration Theater舞台设计非常巧妙。

故选B。

【点评】本题考点涉及细节理解和推理判断两个题型的考查，是一篇文化类阅读，考生需要准确掌握细节信息，并根据上下文进行逻辑推理，从而选出正确答案。

2．阅读理解Welcome to the 2017 UK Festival Awards
The UK Festival Awards & Conference is an opportunity to recognize the hard work, vision and creativity of the nation's beloved festival industry.
Throughout the day of the event, the Conference invites numerous industry insiders(行家) to discuss the issues most relative to the sector, reviewing its immediate past and portending to the future. The evening's Awards present a wide range of honors across categories that are decided via a combination of public voting and professional judgments. Since launching in 2004 it has evolved into a major event at The Roundhouse in London, giving the industry a chance to collectively celebrate and fondly reflect upon the achievements of the past year.
With a gourmet dinner, gala awards ceremony and after-show party, it attracts over 1,000 of the most influential people in the business.
Along with its sister events, the UK Festival Conference and the European Festival Awards, The UK Festival Awards & Conference is owned and produced by Festival Awards Ltd, an independent company founded in the UK.
Awards include Best Major, Medium-Sized and Small Festival, Best Family Festival, Best Overseas Festival, Best Use of New Technology, and of course – Best Toilets.
As the festival season is approaching, we thought it'd be a good time to release our free UK Festival Market Report for 2015 / 2016. We gathered the data in our annual census(人口普查) undertaken in the preparation stage for last year's UK Festival Awards. The latest UK Festival
Market Report can be downloaded below.
Included in the Report is a bunch of related information about festivalgoers: where they're from, how they like to purchase music, what they eat, their attitudes towards ticket prices, how receptive they are to different forms of advertising, why they go to festivals in the first place, where they sleep, and much more.
We hope you find the information useful.
（1）Which phrase is the closest in meaning to the underlined word “portending” in paragraph 2?
A. getting down
B. adding up
C. giving way
D. looking forward
（2）What can be inferred from the passage?
A. An annual census is conducted and released in the Festival
B. The Festival Awards Ltd, is responsible for not less than three events.
C. The gala awards ceremony attracts only 1.000 influential businessmen.
D. Public voting plays a leading role in deciding a variety of festival honors.
（3）Where most probably will you see this passage?
A. In a magazine.
B. In a newspaper.
C. On a website.
D. In a TV program.
【答案】（1）D
（2）B
（3）C
【解析】【分析】本文是一篇应用文，介绍了the 2017 UK Festival Awards。

（1）考查词义猜测。

根据第二段中的“Throughout the day of the event, the Conference invites numerous industry insiders(行家) to discuss the issues most relative to the sector, reviewing its immediate past and portending to the future.” 在活动的当天，会议邀请了许多业
内人士来讨论与该行业相关的最重要的问题，回顾其过去的过去，并展望未来。

根据reviewing its immediate past 和to the future.可知划线词的意思是“展望未来”，故选D。

（2）考查推理判断。

根据第四段“Along with its sister events, the UK Festival Conference and
the European Festival Awards, The UK Festival Awards & Conference is owned and produced by Festival Awards Ltd, an independent company founded in the UK.”和第五段中的“Awards include
Best Major, Medium-Sized and Small Festival, Best Family Festival, Best Overseas Festival, Best
Use of New Technology, and of course – Best Toile ts.”可知，The Festival Awards Ltd负责不少于
三项活动。

故选B。

（3）考查推理判断。

根据倒数第三段中的“The latest UK Festival Market Report can be downloaded below.”可知，这篇文章最有可能来自一个网址。

故选C。

【点评】本题考点涉及词义猜测和推理判断两个题型的考查，是一篇文化类阅读，要求考
生根据上下文的逻辑关系，进行推理，归纳，从而选出正确答案。

3．阅读理解
In Korea, it is rude to wear shoes inside someone's house because it is considered dirty. In Saudi Arabia, you should not bring food to someone's house because taking food or drink suggests that you think the host cannot afford the meal. More and more people around the
world are travelling abroad to study, to go on vacation, or to work, and while it can be a great way to learn about other cultures, there may be times when travelers accidentally annoy their host.
The same gesture can have very different meanings in different countries. The gesture meaning OK in the United States means something completely different in Brazil as Ella Yao discovered. Ella had travelled to Brazil to study and was living with a host family. During dinner, her host asked Ella if she was enjoying the meal. Because her mouth was full of food, Ella made a sign with her hand that to her meant OK. Although Ella meant the food was good, this symbol in Brazilian culture is extremely rude and her host was deeply annoyed.
While travelling in Thailand, Elizabeth Brown learned that there are differences in food in the United States and Thailand. She stopped at a small, family-owned restaurant in Chiang Mai and ordered spring rolls. She was really enjoying eating them until she got the last one and noticed that there was an insect inside. She complained to the server. Later, she discovered that although insects are disgusting to most Americans, they are considered a delicacy(佳肴) in some countries. All these mistakes can be avoided with some research on cultural differences before you go abroad. However, if you do accidentally annoy someone, quickly apologize, and learn from your mistake.
（1）For what reason did Ella make her host angry?
A. She spoke with her mouth full.
B. Her host misunderstood her gesture.
C. She didn't like the meal her host prepared.
D. Her host didn't like using body language.
（2）What happened to Elizabeth Brown in a Thai restaurant?
A. She ate an insect.
B. She was badly treated.
C. She argued with the server.
D. She learned insects are welcome there.
（3）What may be the best title for the text?
A. What matters
B. When in Rome
C. How to be polite
D. Why make mistakes
【答案】（1）B
（2）D
（3）B
【解析】【分析】这是一篇关于风俗文化的文章。

文章介绍了在韩国穿着鞋子在家里是不礼貌的和OK这个手势在美国和巴西的不同以及泰国的饮食文化，告诉我们为了避免误会一定要学会你所想去国家的文化即入乡随俗，如果我们不小心触碰到了他们的文化要立刻道歉并改正。

（1）细节理解题。

根据第二段中Because her mouth was full of food, Ella made a sign with her hand that to her meant OK. Although Ella meant the food was good, this symbol in Brazilian culture is extremely rude and her host was deeply annoyed.可知，她因为嘴里有东西故用手势表示OK，但这个手势在主人所在国家是非常粗鲁的意思，所以主人生气是因为误会了她，故选B。

（2）细节理解题。

根据第三段Later, she discovered that although insects are disgusting to most Americans, they are considered a delicacy(佳肴) in some countries.可知，昆虫在一些国家也是佳肴，故选D。

注意A项错误，文章是说She was really enjoying eating them until she got the last one and noticed that there was an insect inside.她发现有只昆虫在春卷里，并没有提到她吃了昆虫。

（3）主旨大意题。

本文讲了不同国家有不同的风俗，并告诉我们要入乡随俗，故B项“When in Rome,Do as the Romans Do”即入乡随俗，适合作文章题目。

4．阅读理解
Visitors must present all carried items for inspection upon entry. After inspection, all bags, backpacks, umbrella, parcels and other items as determined by security officers must be left at the checkrooms, free of charge, close to each entrance. All oversized bags, backpacks and luggage must be left at the checkrooms near the 4th Street entrance of either the East or West Building. These items will have to be x-rayed before being accepted. Items of value, such as laptop computers, cameras and fur coats, may not be left in the checkrooms but may be carried into the gallery. We regret that the museum doesn't have enough space for visitors items larger than 17*26 inches in the gallery.
Additional security procedures and checks may be taken according to the decision of the gallery. *For the safety of the artworks and other visitors, nothing may be carried on a visitor's back. Soft front-baby carriers are allowed, but children may not be carried on shoulders or in a child carrier worn on the back. Wheelchairs are available free of charge near each checkroom.
*Smoking is prohibited. Food and drink are not permitted outside the food service areas. Unopened bottled water may be carried only in a visitor's bag. Cell phones may not be used in the gallery.
*Animals, other than service animals, are not permitted.
*Skateboarding is prohibited.
*Picture-taking(including video) for personal use is permitted except in the special exhibits.
*Please don't touch the works of art.
（1）According to the text, which item can be carried into the gallery?
A. umbrella
B. package
C. Ipad
D. suitcase
（2）When in the gallery, what can visitors do?
A. They can carry opened bottled water in their bags.
B. They can drink inside the food service areas.
C. They can take pictures for personal use anywhere.
D. They must pay if they use wheelchairs for the children.
（3）What is the text mainly about?
A. The polices of the gallery
B. The artworks of the gallery
C. The location of the gallery
D. The history of the gallery
【答案】（1）C
（2）B
（3）A
【解析】【分析】本文是一篇应用文，介绍了参观博物馆的一些规定。

比如，游客携带的物品需要在入口处接受检查；过大的物品不允许带入博物馆；此外，除了服务犬外其他动物不允许进入等等。

(1)考查细节理解。

根据第一段中的“After inspection, all bags, backpacks, umbrella, parcels and other items as determined by security officers must be left at the checkrooms, free of charge, close to each entrance.“可知，伞、背包和手提包等都不可以带进国家美术馆。

故选C。

(2)考查推理判断。

根据带星号要点的第二点“Food and drink are not permitted outside the food service areas.“可知，不允许饮食服务区以外的食品和饮料，可推知可以饮用饮食服务区内供应的饮料，故选B。

(3)考查主旨大意。

纵观全文可知，本文介绍了艺术展上，参观者需要注意的事项，故选A。

【点评】本题考点涉及细节理解，推理判断和主旨大意三个题型的考查，是一篇介绍类阅读，考生需要准确捕捉细节信息，并根据上下文进行分析，推理，概括和归纳，从而选出正确答案。

5．阅读理解
Guess what former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and United States president Donald Trump's granddaughter, Arabella Kushner, have in common? They both study Chinese as a second language.
Although Chinese is known as one of the hardest languages to learn, a lot of people from different backgrounds are studying it with hopes of big benefits.
Nov 2 saw more than 120 people, coming from 105 countries, compete in the finals of the 12th "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for foreign secondary school students. Held in Zhengzhou, Henan province, the finals was mainly made up of speech contests and talent shows. The contestants also visited the Shaolin Temple, Longmen Grottoes and other historical sites in Henan.
While reasons for learning Chinese were different, a common one was interest in the country's rich culture and rapid development.
Raissa, 17, from the Union of the Comoros, developed a strong emotional connection with China after her grandmother was cured by doctors of the Chinese medical team in Africa three years ago. This led her to learn Chinese at a local Confucius Institute.
Fascinated by Chinese culture, the competitor has taken part in activities on traditional Chinese medicine and folk arts during her first trip to China. "My dream is to study medicine in China so that I could cure patients like the Chinese doctors did," she said.
For Fekete Marcell Zoltan, 17, from the Hungarian-Chinese Bilingual School, studying Chinese may secure him a future job as a Hungarian diplomat(外交官) to China. "After graduation from high school, I would like to further my studies in China," he said.
Robert Davis, director of the Chinese-language program in Chicago's public school system, may give you a hint. "Chinese isn't the new French. It's the new English, which is widely used all over
the world." he told CGTN.
（1）Why are Mark Zuckerberg and Arabella Kushner mentioned in paragraph one?
A.To show Chinese is popular.
B.To introduce them to the readers.
C.To tell the readers they love China.
D.To stress the importance of learning Chinese.
（2）The underlined word Fascinated in paragraph 6 can be replaced by ______.
A.Attracted
B.Employed
C.Inspected
D.Appreciated
（3）What is the common reason for the competitors to learn Chinese?
A.It's easy to learn.
B.They want to become a doctor.
C.They hope for a good job after graduation.
D.They have interest in Chinese culture and rapid development.
（4）What is Robert Davis' attitude to learning Chinese?
A.Doubtful.
B.Supportive.
C.Indifferent.
D.Upset.
【答案】（1）A
（2）A
（3）D
（4）B
【解析】【分析】本文是一篇说明文，介绍了汉语变得越来越受欢迎这一现象。

（1）考查推理判断。

根据第一段中的“They both study Chinese as a second language.”以及上文可知，前澳大利亚的首相Kevin Rudd, 脸谱 CEO Mark Zuckerberg and 川普的孙女 Arabella Kushner,是为了突出他们都在学汉语，从而表明汉语很流行，所以选A。

（2）考查词义猜测。

根据第六段中的“Fascinated by Chinese culture, the competitor has taken part in activities on traditional Chinese medicine and folk arts during her first trip to China.”可知是由于被中国文化吸引，参赛者参加各种有关中医以及民间艺术的活动，所以fascinated表示吸引，故选A。

（3）考查细节理解。

根据第四段“While reasons for learning Chinese were different, a common one was interest in the country's rich culture and rapid development.” 可知这些参赛者们学习汉语的共同原因是他们对中国文化和发展感兴趣，所以选D。

（4）考查推理判断。

根据最后一段中的“Chinese isn't the new French. It's the new English, which is widely used all over the world.” 可知他认为汉语将会像英语一样在全世界广泛应用，所以他对学习汉语的态度是支持的，所以选B。

【点评】本题考点涉及细节理解，词义猜测和推理判断三个题型的考查，是一篇文化类阅
读，考生需要准确掌握细节信息，并根据上下文的逻辑关系，进行分析，推理，从而选出正确答案。

6．阅读理解
More and more people in America are celebrating the Indian holiday Diwali. Diwali is Hindi for "row of lights". It is the most important holiday in India.
Many people around the world are beginning to celebrate it as well. The United States is one of the places where the festival is becoming more common. Diwali celebrations can now be found at American landmarks like Disneyland in California and New York City's Times Square. They are also held in many parks and museums.
Neeta Bhasin created the Times Square event. She said Indian immigrants have found great success in America. But, she said, many Americans still do not know much about India. So, she decided to act." I felt it's about time that we should take India to mainstream America and show India's rich culture, heritage, arts and variety to the world," she said, "and I couldn't find a better place than Times Square."
Bhasin came to the United States from India 40 years ago. She is president of ASB Communications, the marketing firm behind Diwali at Times Square. Tens of thousands of people attend the event, now in its fourth year.
In India, Diwali is a five-day harvest festival held just before the Hindu New Year. The exact dates change from year to year but Diwali is always in the fall. Celebrations include lighting oil lamps or candles called "diyas".
A Diwali celebration will light up Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim this year. Visitors can watch performances of traditional Indian dances and take part in a Bollywood dance party. The event is part of a Festival of Holidays program at the theme park to show cultural traditions from around the world. The program takes place on November 10th through January 7th.
San Antonio, Texas, also holds a Diwali celebration. And it is one of the nation's largest celebrations, with more than 15,000 people in attendance each year. Visitors can enjoy Indian dance，food and fireworks. Organizers also plan to float hundreds of lighted candles in the San Antonio River, along the city's famous River Walk.
（1）Which is the main symbol in the Indian holiday Diwali?
A. Dances.
B. Lamps.
C. Food.
D. Clothes.
（2）Why did Neeta Bhasin set up the Times Square event?
A. To make the American culture richer.
B. To create a new business for the firm.
C. To make Indian culture better known in the US.
D. To show the achievements of Indian immigrants.
（3）What do we know about Diwali?
A. It is held in autumn in India.
B. It lasts five days in America.
C. It has been held for 40 years in America.
D. It happens from November 10th to January 7th in India.
（4）What is the main idea of the text?
A. Diwali is mainly celebrated in Disney Parks.
B. Many American cities compete to hold Diwali.
C. Indian Holiday Diwali lights up America, too.
D. Diwali has become the most important holiday in India.
【答案】（1）B
（2）C
（3）A
（4）C
【解析】【分析】本文是一篇说明文，Diwali在印度语中意为"排灯节"。

它是印度最重要的节日。

越来越多的美国人庆祝印度的Diwali。

（1）考查细节理解。

根据第五段中的“Celebrations include lighting oil lamps or candles called ‘diyas’.”可知，the Indian holiday Diwali的主要标志是Lamps。

故选B。

（2）考查推理判断。

根据第三段中的“Neeta Bhasin created the Times Square event. She said Indian immigrants have found great success in America. But, she said, many Americans still do not know much about India.”可知，Neeta Bhasin成立了the Times Square的活动是为了让印度文化在美国更广为人知。

故选C。

（3）考查细节理解。

根据第五段中的“In India, Diwali is a five-day harvest festival held just before the Hindu New Year. The exact dates change from year to year but Diwali is always in the fall.”可知，Diwali在印度的秋天举行。

故选A。

（4）考查主旨大意。

根据第一段中的“More and more people in America are celebrating the Indian holiday Diwali. Diwali is Hindi for ‘row of lights’. It is the most important holiday in India.”可知，Indian Holiday Diwali也照亮了美国。

它在美国越来越受欢迎。

故选C。

【点评】本题考点涉及细节理解，推理判断和主旨大意三个题型的考查，是一篇文化类阅读，考生需要准确掌握细节信息，并根据上下文进行逻辑推理，概括归纳，从而选出正确答案。

7．Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.
Why do so many Americans distrust what they read in their newspapers? The American Society of Newspaper Editors is trying to answer this painful question. The organization is deep into a long self-analysis known as the journalism credibility project.
Sad to say, this project has turned out to be mostly low-level findings about factual errors and spelling and grammar mistakes, combined with lots of head-scratching puzzlement about what in the world those readers really want.
But the sources of distrust go way deeper. Most journalists learn to see the world through a set of standard patterns into which they report each day's events. In other words, there is a traditional story line in the newsroom culture that provides a backbone and a ready-made narrative structure for otherwise confusing news.
There exists a social and cultural disconnect between journalists and their readers, which helps
explain why the "standard patterns" of the newsroom seem foreign to many readers. In a recent survey, questionnaires were sent to reporters in five middle-size cities around the country, plus one large metropolitan area. Then residents in these communities were phoned at random and asked the same questions.
Replies show that compared with other Americans, journalists are more likely to live in upscale neighborhoods, have maids, own Mercedeses, and trade stocks, and they're less likely to go to church, do volunteer work, or put down roots in a community.
Reporters tend to be part of a broadly defined social and cultural elite (精英), so their work tends to reflect the traditional values of this elite. The alarming distrust of the news media isn't rooted in inaccuracy or poor reportorial skills but in the daily conflict of world views between reporters and their readers.
This is an explosive situation for any industry, particularly a declining one. Here is a troubled business that keeps hiring employees whose attitudes vastly annoy the customers. Then it sponsors lots of symposiums(讨论会) and a credibility project devoted to wondering why customers are annoyed and fleeing in large numbers. But it never seems to get around to noticing the cultural and class prejudices that so many former buyers are complaining about. If it did, it would open up its diversity program, now focused narrowly on race and gender, and look for reporters who differ broadly by outlook, values, education, and class.
（1）What is the passage mainly about?
A. Needs of the readers all over the world.
B. Causes of the public disappointment about newspapers.
C. Origins of the declining newspaper industry.
D. Aims of a journalism credibility project.
（2）The results of the journalism credibility project turned out to be ______.
A. quite trustworthy
B. somewhat conflicting
C. very informative
D. rather shallow （3）The basic problem of journalists as pointed out by the writer lies in their ______. A. working attitude B. traditional lifestyle
C. world outlook
D. educational background
（4）Despite its efforts, the newspaper industry still cannot satisfy the readers owing to its ______.
A. failure to realize its real problem
B. tendency to hire annoying reporters
C. likeliness to do inaccurate reporting
D. prejudice in matters of race and gender
【答案】（1）B
（2）D
（3）C
（4）A
【解析】【分析】本文是一篇议论文，为了解释为什么大众不信任报纸信息，专门做了一个叫新闻可信度项目，结果却是相当得肤浅，大众对报刊的不信任不在于单词拼写错误，语法不对，而是新闻记者和普通读者之间世界观的冲突。

（1）考查主旨大意。

本文主要讲述，为了解释为什么大众不信任报纸信息，专门做了一个叫新闻可信度项目，结果却是相当得肤浅，大众对报刊的不信任不在于单词拼写错误，
语法不对，而是新闻记者和普通读者之间世界观的冲突，因此本文解释了大众不信任报纸的原因，故选B。

（2）考查推理判断。

根据第二段中的“Sad to say, this project has turned out to be mostly low-level findings about factual errors and spelling and grammar mistakes,”可知，很悲伤的是，这个项目结果却是很多肤浅的发现，比如事实性的错误，单词拼写和语法错误等，因此可知，作者对这个项目的结果很失望，觉得发现很肤浅，故选D。

（3）考查细节理解。

根据倒数第二段中的“The alarming distrust of the news media isn't rooted in inaccuracy or poor reportorial skills but in the daily conflict of world views between reporters and their readers.”可知，对新闻媒体不信任不在于信息的不准确和匮乏，而是记者和读者之间世界观的冲突，故选C。

（4）考查推理判断。

根据最后一段中的“But i t never seems to get around to noticing the cultural and class prejudices that so many former buyers are complaining about.”可知，新闻媒体似乎没有抽出时间去关注文化和阶级的偏见，而这些问题是之前很多读者就一直在抱怨的，故可知，报刊行业依然没有让人满意在于没有认真去关注问题，故选A。

【点评】本题考点涉及细节理解，推理判断和主旨大意三个题型的考查，是一篇社会文化类阅读，考生需要准确掌握细节信息，同时根据上下文进行分析推理，概括归纳，从而选出正确答案。

8．阅读理解
Thomas Cheatham had planned to study Latin during his time at Hebron High School in Texas. But when he learned that the school district was going to offer a Mandarin(普通话) class, he quickly changed his mind.
"I thought Mandarin would be more beneficial than Latin," said Cheatham, who is now in his second year of studying the language.
He speaks Mandarin to order food at Chinese restaurants and can read social media posts from his Chinese-speaking friends. While it's a difficult language to master, the high school junior, who plans to study computer engineering, thinks it will be important for his career. "Chinese is a good language to know, especially with China becoming a growing power," he said.
Many experts agree that proficiency(熟练) in a language spoken by a billion people worldwide will give American students an edge in the global economy.
"People are looking at China as our next economic competitor, and interest in Mandarin is growing fast," said Marty Abbott, director of the American Council(议会) on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. "We're seeing it in all parts of the country."
Abbott predicts that as many as 100,000 students are now studying Mandarin in public and private schools throughout the US. She said the US government has designated (指定) Mandarin as an "important needs" language and provides professional development programs for teachers. "Our government wants to increase our language ability for national security and economic competitiveness," Abbott added.
At the same time, the Chinese government is spreading knowledge of the Chinese language and culture through Confucius Institutes set up in many US states. For example, the Confucius
Institute at the University of Texas in Dallas has been the home of a Confucius Institute for 10 years. It sponsors Confucius Classrooms at 21 local public and private schools, where tens of thousands of students are learning Mandarin.
（1）Why did Thomas Cheatham decide to study Mandarin instead of Latin?
A. Mandarin was easier to learn than Latin.
B. Mandarin could be helpful to his future career.
C. Mandarin might help him learn more about China.
D. Mandarin could enable him to study computer engineering.
（2）The underlined word "edge" in Paragraph 4 probably means "________".
A. a slight advantage
B. the outside limit
C. a sharp tone of voice
D. an exciting quality
（3）Which of the following statements might Marty Abbott agree with?
A. Mandarin should be taught in classrooms throughout the US.
B. Those skilled at Chinese will be the most competitive in the future.
C. The US government's policy has helped popularize Mandarin in the US.
D. Americans learn Mandarin because they worry about their national security.
（4）What does the author mainly talk about in this passage?
A. The rising popularity of Mandarin among American students.
B. The great benefits of learning Mandarin for American students.
C. The influence of China's growing power on American education.
D. The effect of Confucius Institutes in promoting Mandarin in the US.
【答案】（1）B
（2）A
（3）C
（4）A
【解析】【分析】本文是一篇说明文，以一个美国学生的经历为例来讲述随着中国经济的发展，普通话在美国校园很流行，这是中国在世界舞台上地位上升的一个反映。

许多美国学生认为学习中文能够在今后职业发展的道路上有所帮助，美国政府对中文的重视也促使更多的学生学习中文。

（1）考查细节理解。

根据第四段中的“While it's a difficult language to master, the high school junior, who plans to study computer engineering, thinks it will be important for his career.”可知，Thomas希望中文能够在他今后职业发展的道路上对他有所帮助。

故选B。

（2）考查词义猜测。

根据本句句意可知，汉语是一门全世界10亿人说的语言，专家认为掌握了它的人会在全球经济中有优势，故选A。

（3）考查细节理解。

根据倒数第二段中的“She said the US government has designated (指定) Mandarin as an important needs language and provides professional development programs for teachers. ”可知，美国政府的政策促进了普通话在美国的普及，故选C。

（4）考查主旨大意。

纵观全文，主要介绍了美国学生学习中文热情升温的现象，分析了出现该现象的背景和原因，故选A。

【点评】本题考点涉及细节理解，词义猜测和主旨大意三个题型的考查，是一篇社会文化。