(2018·高考全国卷Ⅰ·C)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，industrialisation，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 world's languages are spoken by fewer people than that.
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.
【解题导语】 本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍了世界上语言的种类随着人类社会的发展而逐渐减少这一现象。
1．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 patterns.
D．They were closely connected.
【答案】 B 推理判断题。
根据第一段中的“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.”可知，一些语言专家认为，一万年前，当世界上只有500万到1 000万人时，他们之间可能说12 000种语言。由此可推断，采猎文明时期的语言种类很多。
A项曲解文意，文中提到采猎文明时期语言很多，但这不代表语言发展快。C、D两项颠倒是非，根据第一段中small，tightly knit groups developed their own patterns of speech independent of each other可知，这些语言是相互独立的，不具有相似模式，语言间也没有密切联系。
2．Which of the following best explains “dominant” underlined in paragraph 2?
A．Complex. B．Advanced.
C．Powerful. D．Modern.
【答案】 C 词义猜测题。
根据第二段中的“...all have caused many languages to disappear，and dominant languages such as English，Spanish and Chinese are increasingly taking over.”可知，人类社会发展的很多因素导致许多语言消失，而逐渐被如英语、西班牙语、汉语等语言取代，这就暗示出这些语言是“占优势的”，故选C项powerful(强大的，有影响力的)。
complex复杂的；advanced先进的；modern现代的。
3．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.
【答案】 B 数字计算题。
根据第三段中的“At present，the world has about 6,800 languages.”可知，目前世界上有大约6 800种语言；再根据“The median number of speakers is a mere 6,000，which means that half the world's languages are spoken by fewer people than that.”可知，目前世界上一半的语言的使用人数少于6 000，也就是说有大约3 400种语言的使用人数少于6 000。
4．What is the main idea of the text?
A．New languages will be created.
B．People's lifestyles are reflected in languages.
C．Human development results in fewer languages.
D．Geography determines language evolution.
【答案】 C 主旨大意题。
文章介绍了语言的种类随着人类社会的发展而逐渐减少这一现象，故C项概括全面。
A项颠倒是非，文章介绍的是语言的减少而不是新语言的创造。B、D两项无中生有，文中没有提到人们的生活方式会反映到语言上，也没有提到地理决定语言的发展。
