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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 and preservation.
    It remains to be seen whether the world can maintain its linguistic 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 global corporations. All of these forces appear to signify 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 speakers could use their own language in smaller spheres—at home, among friends, in community settings—and a global language at work, in dealings 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 forces of globalization.
    Ironically, the trend of technological innovation 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.
    For many endangered languages, the line between revival and death is extremely thin. Language is remarkably resilient, however. It is not just a tool for communicating, but also a powerful way of separating different groups, or of demonstrating group identity. Many indigenous communities have shown that it is possible to live in the modern world while reclaiming their unique identities through language.
According to the author, bilingualism can help________.
选项 A、small languages become acceptable in work places
B、homogenize the world’s languages and cultures
C、global languages reach home and community settings
D、speakers maintain their linguistic and cultural identity
答案D
解析 本题的题干关键词是bilingualism，答案线索可以定位到第四段。根据第四段第一句话，大多数语言是否能够留存下来，要取决于文化族群有多希望通过母语维持自身特性(keep their identity alive)，选项D中的maintain identity与原文中的keep identity alive属于同义替换，是正确答案。选项A的干扰源来自第四段第三句话，在工作中(at work)、与政府打交道(in dealings with government)或者在商务领域中(in commercial spheres)使用全球通用语言(a global language)。有双语能力的人在工作时并没有使用小语种，而是使用全球通用语言，因此本选项属于正反混淆。选项B也属于正反混淆，因为在第四段第四句话中提到，通过双语能力，很多小语种就可以在全球通用语言的环境下维持其文化和语言的完整性(cultural and linguistic integrity)，而不至于(rather than)屈服于(yield to)全球化的同化力量(homogenizing forces of globalization)。因此，双语能力在于保护小语种的完整性，以防其被同化。选项C来自第三句话，掌握双语的人能够在较小范围内(in smaller spheres)使用他们自己的语言：在家里(at home)、和朋友一起(among friends)、在自己的族群环境里(In community settings)，因此，在家庭和族群中双语人士使用的是小语种而非全球通用语言，本选项与原文正反混淆。第三段：作者提出问题：大多数小语种注定要灭亡吗?第四段：重视双语能力有助于拯救小语种。
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