閱讀理解 專項練習與答案精講 二

（二）Declining Interest in Developing Foreign Language Skills

Australia's foreign language skills are declining, Voice of America has reported. New figures show that only 13 percent of high school graduates can speak a foreign language. But four decades ago, 40 percent had foreign language skills.

Professor Elise Tipton, from the University of Sydney, says increasingly students do not feel the need to learn another language to boost their career. She believes that Australia's economic boom, which is driven by red-hot demand for its minerals, is helping mask serious deficiencies in its language skills.

Australia does business very successfully in English with most of its trading partners. But as the world's economic power shifts to emerging regions such as Asia, its language gap could soon be exposed. According to the new figures, less than 6.5 percent of high school graduates are proficient in an Asian language. Academics worry that this means Australia will increasingly be isolated from its economically important Asian neighbors. Dilip Dutta, from the economics and business faculty at Sydney University, says language skills can enhance trading opportunities. If Australians want to trade with Asian countries, it is very important for them to learn the language that will help them to get closer to the culture.

But students have different opinions about Asian language learning. Pippa McCowage, a 22-year-old Australian student, says many young Australians have a half-hearted approach to foreign languages, and the language curriculum is often weak. "While we're encouraged in high school to learn another language, it's not really apparent to me as a realistic expectation that you will have to speak it," said McCowage. "For example, I learned Japanese in high school, when I went on an exchange in Year 10, I found that the Japanese students of my age had a much greater proficiency in English than I did in Japanese. So in that sense, it almost discourages you."

At present, about 70 percent of Australia's major exports go to Asia and the Australian government has been keen on developing closer economic and diplomatic ties with Asia. Academics say that, as Asia becomes one of the world's economic powerhouses, Australia needs to improve its language skills if it is to take full advantage of the business opportunities on its doorstep.

1. What percentage of high school graduates were proficient in foreign language forty years ago?

A. 70 percent.

B. 13 percent.

C. 6.5 percent.

D. 40 percent.

2. What can be inferred from Paragraph 2?

A. Australia is essentially a self-sufficient country.

B. Australia has rich deposits of minerals.

C. Australia has no intention to trade with Asian countries.

D. Australian students are not required to learn a foreign language.

3. What does Dilip Dutta think language skills can do?

A. Improve your relation with your partner.

B. Help settle international conflicts.

C. Increase trading opportunities.

D. Remove barriers in negotiations.

4. Why has the Australian government been keenly interested in strengthening ties with Asia?

A. Because Asia is where Australia's major exports go.

B. Because Asia is where Australia is located.

C. Because Asia is where Australians go and spend their holidays.

D. Because Asia is where Australia can play a big role in international affairs.

5. The word "faculty" in Paragraph 3 can be replaced by________.

A. college

B. building

C. department

D. university

［高頻考點］

考點1：涉及對數(shù)字細節(jié)的考查；

考點2：細節(jié)信息的查找；

考點3：推理題；

考點4：涉及原因的細節(jié)考查題；

考點5：猜詞題。

［主旨大意］

澳大利亞整體的外語技能在滑坡。

悉尼大學的Elise Tipton教授認為由瘋狂的礦物需求驅(qū)動的澳大利亞經(jīng)濟的繁榮進一步掩蓋了該國語言技能方面存在的嚴重缺陷。

隨著世界經(jīng)濟實力轉(zhuǎn)向亞洲等地區(qū)，澳大利亞的語言差距迅速暴露。語言技能能夠增加貿(mào)易機會，故澳大利亞如果想同亞洲國家進行貿(mào)易，就必須學習它們的語言，從而在文化上更加融合。

學生持不同觀點。22歲的澳洲學生Pippa McCowage認為許多澳大利亞的年輕人不熱衷于學習外國語言，而語言課程通常也不實用。

目前澳大利亞出口的產(chǎn)品70％都流向亞洲，故需要提升其語言技能。

［長難句結(jié)構(gòu)解析］

1. She believes that Australia's economic boom, which is driven by red-hot demand for its minerals, is helping mask serious deficiencies in its language skills.

（1）主謂賓結(jié)構(gòu)，主語為she，指悉尼大學的Elise Tipton教授，后接believe引導的賓語從句。

（2）賓語從句中，主語為非限制性定語從句修飾的“Australia's economic boom”。

（3）“red-hot”，表示熾熱的，非常激動的，最新的。

（4）參考譯文：她相信，由瘋狂的礦物需求驅(qū)動的澳大利亞經(jīng)濟的繁榮進一步掩蓋了該國語言技能方面存在的嚴重缺陷。

2. Academics say that, as Asia becomes one of the world's economic powerhouses, Australia needs to improve its language skills if it is to take full advantage of the business opportunities on its doorstep.

（1）主謂賓結(jié)構(gòu)，主語為Academics，后接賓語從句。

（2）as Asia becomes one of the world's economic powerhouses...中，as引導時間狀語從句。

（3）畫線部分中，動詞不定式作表語，表示實現(xiàn)計劃好、打算好要去做的事。

（4）take full advantage of：充分利用。

（5）參考譯文：學術(shù)界表示，隨著亞洲成為世界經(jīng)濟力量之一，如果澳大利亞想要充分利用在其家門口的商業(yè)機遇，就必須提升其語言技能。

［答案解析］

1．D。［解析］涉及數(shù)字的細節(jié)考查題。題干考查的是40年前高中畢業(yè)生精通外語的百分比。文章的第一段指出，根據(jù)美國之音的報道，澳大利亞的外語技能在滑坡。新的數(shù)字表明，只有13％的高中畢業(yè)生能說一種外語，而40年前是40％。故答案為D。

2．B。［解析］推理題。題干考查的是從第二段中可以推斷出什么。第二段中悉尼大學的Elise Tipton教授認為由瘋狂的礦物需求驅(qū)動的澳大利亞經(jīng)濟的繁榮進一步掩蓋了該國語言技能方面存在的嚴重缺陷。這就可以推斷出澳大利亞礦藏豐富。選項A：澳大利亞是一個自給自足的國家，文中未體現(xiàn)；選項C：澳大利亞不打算同亞洲國家進行貿(mào)易，不符合事實；選項D：澳大利亞學生不要求學習外語，未在文中體現(xiàn)。

3．C。［解析］觀點題。題干考查的是Dilip Dutta認為外語技巧能夠做什么。根據(jù)關(guān)鍵詞回到原文第三段定位：Dilip Dutta, from the economics and business faculty at Sydney University, says language skills can enhance trading opportunities. 他認為語言技巧能夠增加貿(mào)易機會，C項與此符合，故答案為C。

4．A。［解析］細節(jié)考查題。題干考查的是澳大利亞政府熱衷于增強與亞洲關(guān)系的原因。返回原文最后一段定位，第一句話：At present, about 70 percent of Australia's major exports go to Asia and the Australian government has been keen on developing closer economic and diplomatic ties with Asia. 由此可見，正確答案為A。

5．C。［解析］猜詞題。題干考查的是第三段中的faculty可由哪個詞代替。根據(jù)上下文可知，faculty此處的意思：（大學的）系，4個選項中只有C有此意，故答案為C。