Throughout history, people have been interested in knowing how language first began, but no one knows exactly where or how this happened. However, we do know a lot about languages, the languages of today and also the languages of earlier times. There are probably about three thousand languages in the world today. Chinese is the language with the most speakers. English, Russian and Spanish are also spoken by millions of people. On the other hand, some languages in the world have less than one hundred speakers.
There are several important families of languages in the world. For example, most of the languages of Europe are in one large family called Indo-European. The original (最初的) language of this family was spoken about 4,500 years ago. Many of the present languages of Europe and India are modern forms of the language of 4,500 yeas ago.
Languages are always changing. The English of today is very different from the English of 500 years ago. Some even die out completely. About 1, 000 years ago English was a little-known relative of German spoken on one of the borders of Europe.
If a language has a large number of speakers or if it is very old, there may be differences in the way it is spoken in different areas. That is, the language may have several dialects. Chinese is a good example of dialect differences. Chinese has been spoken for thousands of years by millions of speakers. Their differences between the dialects of Chinese are so great that speakers of Chinese from some parts of China cannot understand speakers from other parts.
The first paragraph mainly tells us that ______.
A.most people in the world speak Chinese
B.there are thousands of languages in the world today
C.man has much knowledge about languages
D.some people know several languages
时间:2023-10-08 13:32:46
-
The northern peoples were mostly engaged in farming in history.
-
In history, the southern peoples were mostly engaged in animal husbandry.
-
Orwell was popular throughout his schooldays.
-
The American foreign policy throughout World War II was neutrality.
-
In history, the northern peoples were mostly engaged in farming.
-
“falcon”、\falconer\ and \gyre\ are the images used by _____ in his poems to expresss the idea that when history is coming near to the end of gyre, people gradually lose their faith in God.
-
选择最佳译文: Watching television, of course, is an evening ritual for people throughout the world.
-
Hitler sought to annihilateresistance movements throughout Europe.
A.exterminate
B.exceed
C.exclude
D.expel
-
Hitler sought to annihilate resistance movements throughout Europe.
A.exterminate
B.exceed
C.exclude
D.expel
-
In bulk erosion, degradation occurs throughout the whole material equally.
-
听力原文:Not until somewhat recently (that is, in terms of human history) did people find
听力原文: Not until somewhat recently (that is, in terms of human history) did people find a need for knowing the time of day. As best we know, 5000 to 6000 years ago great civilizations in the Middle East and North Africa initiated clock-making. With their bureaucracies and formal religions, these cultures found a need to organize their time more efficiently.
The Egyptians were the next to formally divide their day into parts something like our hours. Obelisks (slender, tapering, four-sided monuments) were built as early as 3500 B. C. Their moving shadows formed a kind of sundial, enabling citizens to partition the day into two parts by indicating noon. They also showed the year's longest and shortest days when the shadow at noon was the shortest or longest of the year. Later, markers added around the base of the monument would indicate further time subdivisions.
Another Egyptian shadow clock or sundial, possibly the first portable timepiece, came into use around 1500 B.C. to measure the passage of "hours". This device divided a sunlit day into 10 parts plus two "twilight hours" in the morning and evening. When the long stem with 5 variably spaced marks was oriented east and west in the morning, an elevated crossbar on the east end cast a moving shadow over the marks. At noon, the device was turned in the opposite direction to measure the afternoon "hours".
In the quest for more year-round accuracy, sundials evolved from flat horizontal or vertical plates to more elaborate forms. One version was the hemispherical dial, a bowl shaped depression cut into a block of stone, carrying a central vertical gnomon (pointer) and scribed with sets of hour lines for different seasons. The hemicycle, said to have been invented about 300 B. C. , removed the useless half of the hemisphere to give an appearance of a half bowl cut into the edge of a squared block.
(33)
A.4000 - 5000.
B.50 - 60,000.
C.500 - 600.
D.5000 - 6000.
-
We live in a time__________, more than ever before in history, people are moving about.
A. what B. when
C. which D. where
-
In real life, American people are also inspired by those stories of famous entrepreneurs throughout history. Which of the heroes is not a representative of American entrepreneurship?
A.Thomas Edison
B.Benjamin Franklin
C.George Washington
D.Steve Jobs
-
Many plant cells remain totipotent throughout development.
-
"Sloganeering" did not originate in the 1960s. The term has a rich history. It originated from the Gaelic word slaughgharim, which signified a "host-shout," "war cry," or "gathering word or phrase of one of the old Highland clans; hence the shout or battle cry of soldiers in the field." English-speaking people began using the term by 1704. The term at the time meant "the distinctive note, phrase, or cry of any person or body of persons." Slogans were common throughout the European continent during the middle ages, and they were utilized primarily as "passwords to insure proper recognition of individuals at night or in the confusion of battle." The American revolutionary rhetoric would not have been the same without "the Boston Massacre," "the Boston Tea Party," "the shot heard around the world," and shouts of "no taxation without representation."...
Slogans operate in society as "social symbols" and, as such, their intended or perceived meaning may be difficult to grasp and their impact or stimulation may differ between and among individuals and groups...
Because slogans may operate as "significant symbols" or as key words that have a standard meaning in a group, they serve both expressive and persuasive functions. Harold Lasswell recognized that the influencing of collective attitudes is possible by the manipulation of significant symbols such as slogans. He believed that a verbal symbol might evoke a desired reaction or organize collective attitudes around a symbol, Murray Edelman writes that "to the political scientist patterning or consistency in the context in which specific groups of individuals use symbols is crucial, for only through such patterning do common political meaning and claims arise." Thus, the slogans a group uses to evoke specific responses may provide us with an index for the group's norm, values, and conceptual rationale for its claims.
Slogans are so pervasive in today's society that it is easy to underestimate their persuasive power. They have grown in significance because of the medium of television and the advertising industry. Television, in addition to being the major advertising medium, has altered the nature of human interaction. Political images are less personal and shorter. They function as summaries and conclusions rather than bases for public interaction and debate. The style. of presentation in television is more emotional, but the content is less complex or ideological. In short, slogans work well on television.
The advertising industry has made a science of sloganeering. Today, communication itself is a problem because we live in an "overcommunicated" society. Advertisers have discovered that it is easier to link product attributes to existing beliefs, ideas, goals, and desires of the consumer rather than to change them. Thus, to say that a cookie tastes "homemade" or is as good as "Mom used to make" does not tell us if the cookie is good or bad, hard or soft, but simply evokes the fond memories of Mother's baking. Advertisers, then, are more successful if they present a product in a way that capitalizes on established beliefs or expectations of the consumer. Slogans do this well by crystallizing in a few words the key idea or theme one wants to associate with an issue, group, product, or event. "Sloganeering" has become institutionalized as a virtual art form; and an advertising agency may spend months testing and creating the right slogan for a product or a person.
Slogans have a number of attributes that enhance their persuasive potential for social movements. They are unique and readily identifiable with a specific social movement or social movement organization. "Gray Power," for instance, readily identifies the movement for elderly Americans, and "Huelga" (strike in Spanish) identifies the movement to aid Mexican American field workers in the west and southwest.
"Sloganeering" stems f
A.in the United States
B.in the Ireland
C.on the European continent
D.frequently in revolutionary rhetoric
此题为多项选择题。
-
A study of art history might be a good way to learn more about a culture than is possible to learn in general history classes, Most【B1】history courses primarily concentrate on polities, economies, and war. But art history【B2】on much more than this【B3】art reflects not only the political【B4】of a people, but also religious beliefs, emotions, and psychology. In addition,【B5】about the daily activities of our【B6】or of people very different from our own can be provided by art, In short, art【B7】the essential qualities of a time and a place, and a study of it【B8】offers us a deeper understanding【B9】can be found in most history, books.
In history books,【B10】information about the political life of a country is【B11】; that is, facts about polities axe given,【B12】opinions are not expressed. Art, on the other hand, is【B13】, it reflects emotions and opinions. The great Spanish painter Francisco Goya was perhaps the first【B14】"political" artist. In his well-known painting The Third of May, 1080, he【B15】the Spanish government for its【B16】of power over people.
In the same way, art can【B17】a culture's religious beliefs. For hundreds of years in Europe, religious alt was almost the only【B18】of art that existed. Churches and other religious buildings were filled with paintings that【B19】people and stories from the Bible. By【B20】, one of the main characteristics of art in the Middle East was(and still is) its absence of human and animal images.
【B1】
A.usual
B.typical
C.average
D.popular
-
Throughout human history there have been many stringent taboos concerning watching other people eat or eating in the presence of others. There have been attempts to explain these taboos in terms of inappropriate social relationships either between those who axe involved and those who are not simultaneously involved in the satisfaction of a bodily need, or between those already satiated and those who appear to be shamelessly gorging. Undoubtedly such elements exist in the taboos, but there is an additional element with a much more fundamental importance. In prehistoric times, when food was so precious and the on-lookers so hungry, not to offer half of the little food one had was unthinkable, since every glance was a plea for life. Further, during those times, people existed in nuclear or extended family groups, and the sharing of food was quite literally supporting one' s family or, by extension, preserving one' s self.
If the argument in the passage is valid, taboos against eating in-the presence of others who are NOT also eating would be LEAST likely in a society that ______.
A.always had a plentiful supply of food
B.emphasized the need to share worldly goods
C.emphasized the value of privacy
D.discouraged overindulgence
-
A study of art history might be a good way to learn more about a culture than that is possible to learn in general history classes. Most (1)_____ history courses concentrate on politics, economics, and war. (2)_____, art history (3)_____ on much more than this because art reflects not only the political values of a people, but also religious (4)_____, emotions, and psychology. (5)_____, information about the daily activities of our own can be provided by art. In short, art expresses the (6)_____ qualities of a time and a place, and a study of it clearly offers us a deeper understanding than what can be found in most history books.
In history books, objective information about the political life of a country is (7)_____; that is, facts about political are given, but (8)_____ are not expressed. Art, on the other hand, is (9)_____: it reflects emotions and impressions. The great Spanish painter Francisco Goya severely criticized the Spanish government for its (10)_____ of power over people. Over a hundred years later, symbolic (11)_____ were used in Pablo Picasso's Guemica to express the (12)_____ of War. (13)_____, on another continent, the powerful paintings of Diego Rivera depicted these Mexican artists' concealed (14)_____ and sadness about social problems.
In the same way, art can (15)_____ a culture's religious beliefs. For hundreds of years in Europe, religious art was (16)_____ the only type of art that existed. Churches and other religious buildings were filled with paintings that depicted people and stories from the Bible. (17)_____ most people couldn't read, they could still understand biblical stories in the pictures on church walls. (18)_____, one of the main characteristics of art in the Middle East was (and still is) its (19)_____ of human and animal images. This reflects the Islamic belief that statues are (20)_____.
A.interesting
B.plausible
C.superior
D.typical
-
Rodney Mace, 35, is married with two young children, and is a part-time teacher of architectural history. "I am constantly surprised by other people's surprise, when they come to the house and see me cleaning a floor or hanging out the washing. Their eyes open wide at the sight of it! Much of the comment comes from men, but I am even more surprised at the number of women who comment too."
His wife Jane, an Oxford graduate in modern languages, has a demanding full-time job. She is director of the Cambridge House literacy scheme for adults in South London. Her working week involves several evenings and Saturdays, and at these times her husband is in sole charge of home and family. Apart from this, they share household jobs and employ a child-minder for the afternoons. This enables him to teach two days a week and to do what he considers is his principal work: writing. He has written several books and spends much of his time in the British Museum Reading Room, cycling there from his home in Brixton.
People ask the Maces if they think that their children miss them. One can argue that satisfied parents generally have satisfied children, but in any case the Maces are careful to reserve time and energy to play with their children. "And they have now developed relationships with other adults and children."
Previously, Rodney Mace worked full - time and Jane only part-time. Then 18 months ago, the director of the literacy scheme left. "It seemed to me that Jane was very' well suited to do this job. She was very doubtful about it. But I urged her to apply. She did, and she got it." Jane Mace confirms that she needed this encouragement, as so many women initially do.
Did his male ego suffer from the changeover? Nothing like that occurred. But he still seems amazed at the way it changed his thinking. "I felt that we were finally going to be partners. I felt enormous relief. I wasn't avoiding responsibility, but changing it. Our relationship is so much better now. It has been a change for the good for both of us——I think for all of us, in every aspect of our lives. I cannot overemphasize that in every aspect. I think it is fundamental that the woman works. The idea of equal partnership is an illusion if one partner doesn’t work."
The article is about a couple whose married life is happier because _______.
A.they have a truly equal partnership
B.the husband enjoys staying at home
C.they earn more money
D.the wife has a full-time job
-
The rate of population growth is fastest in underdeveloped countries. In these countries a high birthrate is accompanied by a lowered death rate thanks to improved standards of public health. Ideally it should be possible to counter balance the effect of a reduced death rate by all increased use of family planning. In practice, however, population control is a complex matter. Throughout history people have determined the size of their families according to the cultural values of their societies.
Population control has long been a subject of discussion among researchers. Some have argued that the supply of good land is limited. In order to feed a large population, bad land must be cultivated and the good land overworked. As a result, each person produces less in a given amount of time and this means a lower average income than could be obtained with a smaller population. Other researchers have argued that a large population gives more scope for the development of facilities such as sports, roads and railways, which are not likely to be built unless there is a big demand to justify them. Similarly, it can be argued that the public costs of society will not be so heavy to each individual if they are shared among the members of a large population.
One of the difficulties in implementing birth control lies in the fact that the official attitudes to population growth vary from country to country. In underdeveloped countries where a large population is pressing hard upon the limits of food, space and natural resources, it will be the first concern of government to place a limit on the birthrate. In a well-developed society the problem may be more complex. A declining birthrate may lead to unemployment because it results in a shrinking market. Cities with a declining population may have to face the prospect of a shrinking tax base and a fall in land values. If there are fewer children going to school, teachers may be thrown out of work. When the pressure of population on housing declines, prices also decline and the building industry is weakened. Faced with considerations such as these, the government of a developed country may well prefer to see a slowly increasing population, rather than one which is stable or in decline.
The writer suggests that policy makers should consider cultural values ______.
A.in carrying out family planning
B.in producing birth control drugs
C.in improving public health standards
D.in introducing birth control techniques
-
The min purpose of the lst prgrph is to tell the reders thtin the erly dys mostThe min purpose of the lst prgrph is to tell the reders thtin the erly dys mostmericn writers were from Gret Britin. B.people with rich life experiences becme writers. C.there were mny writers in the erly dys ofmericn history. D.erly-dy experience provided the foundtion formericn literture.
A.in the early days most American writers were from Great Britain.
B.people with rich life experiences became writers.
C.there were many writers in the early days of American history.
D.early-day experience provided the foundation for American literatur
E.
-
People with abuse history are______.
A.unwilling to take steps to protect themselves
B.likely to have an unhealthy relationship with others
C.willing to maintain a normal relationship with others
D.likely to build an intimate relationship with others gradually
-
Man has always wanted to fly.Some of the greatest men in history have thought about the problem.One of these,for example,was the great Italian artist, Leonardo da Vinci(达·芬奇).In the sixteenth century he made designs for machines that would fly.But they were never built.Throughout history, other less famous men have wanted to fly.An example was a man in England 800 years ago.He made a pair of wings from chicken feathers.Then he fixed them to his body and jumped into the air from a tall building.He did not fly very far.Instead,he fell to the ground and broke every bone in his body.
The first real steps took place in France, in 1783.Two brothers, the Montgolfiers, made a very large “hot air balloon”.They knew that hot air rises.Why not fill a balloon with it?The balloon was made of cloth and paper.In September of that year,the King and Queen of France came to see the balloon.They watched it carry the very first air passengers into the sky.The passengers were a sheep and a chicken.We do not know how they felt about the trip.But we do know that the trip lasted eight minutes and that the animals landed safely.Two months later,two men did the same thing.They rose above Paris in a balloon of the same kind.Their trip lasted twenty-five minutes and they travelled about eight kilometers.
26.Leonardo da Vinci ______ .
A.said that man would fly in the sky one day
B.built a kind of machine which never flew
C.drew many beautiful pictures of birds
D.made designs for flying machine
27.Eight hundred years ago an Englishman ______ .
A.made a kind of flying machine
B.tried to fly with wings made of chicken feather
C.wanted to build a kind of balloon
D.tried to fly on a large bird
28.In fact,the Englishman who tried to fly ______ .
A.lost his life
B.flew only 8minutes
C.got badly wounded
D.succeeded in flying
29.The very first air passengers in the balloon were ______.
A.two animals
B.two Frenchmen
C.the King and the Queen
D.the Montgolfiers
30.When did two Frenchmen rise above Paris?______
A.In December 1783.
B.In September 1783.
C.In November 1783.
D.In the seventeenth century.
-
The history of ice cream is amystery. No one knows exactly how and when people began to eat it. There is onestory that the Roman emperor Nero (A.D. 37—68) sent slaves to the mountains tobring back snow. The snow was served to him sweetened with honey and fruit pulp.Marco Polo (1254—1324) tasted flavored ices, too, during his famous travels inthe Far East. He brought the recipes back toItaly.
Recipesfor ices spread fromItalyto the rest of Europe in the 1500’s. The chefs of kings constantly experimentedwith new combinations to please their masters, and at some point cream andbutter were added to the recipes for ice. The new dish was called cream ice.Cream ice, molded into amusing shapes, began to be served on the tables ofkings across Europe. Louis XIV (1638—1715)surprised his court with a dessert of eggs in cups of silver and gilt. Theeggs, of course, were really cream ice.
Graduallycream ice took the name it has today. One of the earliest advertisements forice cream was put in a New Yorkpaper in 1786. The ad announced that “Ladies and gentlemen may be supplied withice- cream every day at the City Tavern by their humble servant, Joseph Crowe.”But ice cream was still not an everyday event. It was usually presented infancy shapes at the end of dinner parties. Policy Madison (1768—1849) was famous for herimaginative dinners, and she was the first to serve ice cream at the WhiteHouse. When her guests came into the dining room, they found a table coveredwith delicious dishes, and in the center of the table, a huge mound of pink icecream on a silver platter.
Icecream was such a delicacy because it was so hard to make. At first it wasbeaten and then shaken by hand in a pan of salt and ice until it became firm. Afreezer that was cranked by hand was developed around 1846. Making ice creamwas still a chore, but cranking the freezer was much easier and faster thanshaking the mixture in a pan.
“Icecream socials” became a popular way to entertain friends. Everyone helped turnthe crank of the freezer, and homemade peach or strawberry ice cream was thereward. The development of the continuous freezer in the 1920’smade the manufacture of ice cream very quick and economical. It soon was easierto buy packaged ice cream than to make it at home. Eskimo pies and popsiclesbegan to be sold at the same time.
Possiblyice cream cones began with the World’s Fair in 1893. Vendors there sold FriedIce Cream. The ice cream was covered with a fritter batter and then quicklydipped in very hot lard or olive oil. Putting the ice cream in an alreadyprepared cone was the next step. Today there are many novelty products, fromfrozen drumsticks to ice cream pies.
16.According to the passage, which of thefollowing served ice cream disguised as eggs?
A. Policy Madison
B. Joseph Crowe
C. Louis XIV
D. Marco Polo
17.Newspaper advertisements for ice cream first appeared in_________.
A.1846
B.1893
C.1768
D.1786
18.The text would most probably be found in_________.
A. a history book
B. anadvertisement
C. a cookingbook
D. an encyclopedia
19. The main purpose of the writer is to_________.
A. explain how ice cream was invented
B. tell us the history of ice cream
C. describe why ice cream is so popular
D. persuade us the difficulties involved inmaking ice cream
20.Ice cream was so delicious, the reason is that_________.
A. it was difficult tomake
B. it was easy to make
C. it was beaten andthen shaken
D. it was complicated tomake