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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 3000 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 (同化的) 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 (有活力的), 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 (原生的，土著的) 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 本题为细节题，答案是D：(帮助)讲双语者保持他们的语言和文化的特性。参见文章第4段第3、4两句，其大意是：双语使用者可以在比较小的范围，比如在家中、朋友中、在社区里使用他们自己的语言，在工作中、在和政府打交道时、在商业范围内使用全球性语言。这样，许多小语种语言可以和全球性语言一道，维持它们的文化和语言完整性，而不是屈从于全球化的同化力量。由此可见，双语现象有助于讲双语者保持他们语言和文化的特性，故正确答案为D。
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