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  3. Prior to the 20th century, many languages with small numbers of speakers survived for centuries. The increasingly interconnected

Prior to the 20th century, many languages with small numbers of speakers survived for centuries. The increasingly interconnected

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问题     Prior to the 20th century, many languages with small numbers of speakers survived for centuries. The increasingly interconnected modern world makes it much more difficult for small language communities to live in relative isolation, a key factor in language maintenance.
    It remains to be seen whether the world can maintain its linguistic (语言的) and cultural diversity in the centuries ahead. Many powerful forces appear to work against it; Population growth, which pushes migrant populations into the world’s last isolated locations; mass tourism; global telecommunications and mass media; and the spread of gigantic (巨大的) global corporations. All of these forces appear to indicate a future in which the language of advertising, popular culture, and consumer products become similar Already English and a few other major tongues have emerged as global languages of commerce and communication. For many of the world’s peoples, learning one of these languages is viewed as the key to education, economic opportunity, and a better way of life.
    Only about 3,000 languages now in use are expected to survive the coming century. Are most of the rest doomed in the century after that? Whether most of these languages survive will probably depend on how strongly cultural groups wish to keep their identity alive through a native language. To do so will require an emphasis on bilingualism (mastery of two languages). Bilingual (双语的) speakers could use their own language in smaller spheres - at home, among friends, in community settings -and a global language at work, in dealing with government, and in commercial spheres. In this way, many small languages could sustain their cultural and linguistic integrity alongside global languages, rather than yield to the homogenizing (同化的) forces of globalization.
    Ironically (讽刺的), the trend of technological innovation (创新) that has threatened minority languages could also help save them. For example, some experts predict that computer software translation tools will one day permit minority language speakers to browse the Internet using their native tongues. Linguists are currently using computer-aided learning tools to teach a variety of threatened languages.
Which is the closest meaning of the word" sustain" in the third paragraph?
选项 A、Survive.
B、Maintain.
C、Thrive.
D、Exclude.
答案B
解析 词语理解题。根据第三段最后一句“In this way，many small languages could sustain…”可知，通过这种方式，许多小语种可以与全球语言一起保持其文化和语言的完整性，而不是屈服于全球化的同化力量。由此可推知，sustain意为“维持(生命、生存)，使保持”，与选项B (维持，保持)意思最为接近。survive：生存，存活；thrive：繁荣，旺盛；exclude：不包括。故选B。
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