英語六級閱讀強化訓練題原文

　　Ethnic enclaves(少數民族聚居地), found particularly in major metropolitan centers, havepreserved the language and culture of American immigrants. Some local residents canfunction quite well in their native language, without having to bother learning English.Rogions such as southern Florida and the Southwest have numerous Spanish-speakingneighborhoods. In fact, Spanish speakers-numbering over 17 million-compose the largest non-English linguistic group in America. But Chinese, Vietnamese, Italian,Polish and many otherethnic group add to the linguistic flavor of America. Foreign languages are so commonly usedin some ethnic neighborhoods that visitors might think they are in another country!

　　Although some Americans welcome this linguistic and cultural diversity, other have begunto fear that the English language is being threatened. Since the 1980s, the “English Only ”movement has sought to promote legislation which would establish English as the “officiallanguage” and restrict the use of non-English language. However, some groups, includingTESOL, the organization for Teachers of English to Speakers of Other language, object to such“language restrictionism”. Their view, known as “English Plus”, suggests that Americans shouldhave respect for people’s native help them fit into the mainstream of society. But so far, 19states have passed English Only legislation, and the topic is the focus of an ongoing debate.

　　Whether or not Engliash is the official language of the United States, it remains the“language of wider communication”. Nearly everyone recognizes the need to developproficiency in English in order to do well in America. To help those who want to brush up ontheir English skills, English as a Second Language (ESL) classes around. Cities with largenumbers of recent immigrants often set up bilingual education programs to teach studentscontent subjects in their native language while they improve their English. Language educatorsoften have strong and divergent views as to which approach helps learners achieve betterresults: a bilingual approach, an ESL approach-or even a pure immersion(“sink or swim”)approach. However, all these teachers share a common commitment: to help studentsfunction well in English.

　　American recognize that English is the international language, and people with goodEnglish skills can get by in many international settings. On the other hand, in a world growingincreasingly smaller, second language skills can be a great favor. They can build cross-culturalbridges and give people an edge in a variety of career field. Indeed, lack of foreign languageproficiency can limit one’s chances for advancement and keep one in a cultural dead-endstreet. As many people in America are discovering, being monolingual is no laughing matter.

　　英語六級閱讀強化訓練題

　　1. The word “bilingual” (Line 7,para,1) means_________.

　　A. being able to speak two languages

　　B. being able to speak three languages

　　C. being able to speak four languages

　　D. being able to speak five languages

　　2. Foreign languages are commonly used in some ethnic neighborhoods because__________.

　　A. ethnic groups have preserved their native languages

　　B. ethnic groups are not allowed to speak English

　　C. ethnic groups encourage their natives to learn foreign languages

　　D. ethnic groups allow their natives to go to another country

　　3. _________compose the largest linguistic group in America.

　　A. Immigrants from China

　　B. Immigrants from Spain

　　C. Immigrants from Italy

　　D.Immigrants from Vietnam

　　4. Which of the following is TRUE about “English Only” movement?

　　A. Its purpose was to establish a legislation of restricting the use of English.

　　B. TESOL was in favor of “English Only ” by objecting to “English plus”.

　　C. It was launched because English was being threatened.

　　D. A large majority of states supported the movement.

　　5. The general idea of this passage is_________.

　　A. the importance of being bilingual

　　B. the need to speak the native languages

　　C. English-a language widely spoken around the world

　　D. the English Only movement

　　英語六級閱讀強化訓練題答案

　　1. A 猜測詞義題。根據第一段第四句“That means that slightly more than…”得出此結論。

　　2. A 推論題。根據第二段第二句“Some local residents can…”得出此結論。

　　3. B 推論題。根據第二段第四句“In fact, Spanish speakers…”得出此結論。

　　4. C 推論題。根據第三段可得出此結論。

　　5. A 判斷題。根據最后一段最后一句“As many people in America…”得出此結論。