[originaltext] (12)The US has already lost more than a third of the native

游客2023-08-12  14

问题  
(12)The US has already lost more than a third of the native languages that existed before European colonization, and the remaining 192 are classed by UNESCO as ranging between "unsafe" and "extinct".
     (13)" We need more funding and more effort to return these languages to everyday use," says Fred Nahwoosky of the National Museum of the American Indian. " We are making progress but money needs to be spent on revitalising languages, not just documenting them. "
    Some 40 languages, mainly in California and Oklahoma where thousands of Indians were forced to relocate in the 19th century, have fewer than 10 native speakers.
    " Part of the issue is that tribal groups themselves don’t always believe their languages are endangered until they’re down to the last handful of speakers. But progress is being made through immersion schools, because if you teach children when they’re young it will stay with them as adults and that’s the future," says Mr. Nahwoosky, a Comanche Indian. Such schools have become a model in Hawaii. But the islanders’ local language is still classed by UNESCO as critically endangered because only 1,000 people speak it.
     (14)The decline in American Indian languages has historical roots. In the mid-19th century, the US government adopted a policy of Americanising Indian children by removing them from their homes and culture. Within a few generations most had forgotten their native tongues.
     (15)Another challenge to language survival is television. It has brought English into homes and pushed out traditional story-telling and family time together, accelerating the extinction of native languages.
Questions 12 to 15 are based on the passage you have just heard.
12. What do we learn from the report?
13. For what purpose does Fred Nahwoosky appeal for more funding?
14. What is the historical cause of the decline in American Indian languages?
15. What does the speaker say about television?

选项 A、The US government’s policy of Americanising Indian children.
B、The failure of American Indian languages to gain an official status.
C、Thy US government’s unwillingness to spend money educating Indians.
D、The long-time isolation of American Indians from the outside world.

答案 A

解析 短文中明确指出,美国印第安语的消亡有其历史渊源,即19世纪中期,美国政府对印第安孩童推行了“美国化”政策,使他们远离自己的家乡和文化。因此答案为A)。
转载请注明原文地址:https://tihaiku.com/zcyy/2920558.html
最新回复(0)