题目内容
The general idea of this passage is ______.
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Section B
Directions: This section is to test your ability to understand short dialogues. There are 5 recorded dialogues in it. After each dialogue, there is a recorded question. The dialogues and questions will be spoken two times. When you hear a question, you should decide on the correct answer from the 4 choices marked A, B, C and D.
听力原文：W: Is it still raining？
M: Yes, and the wind is still blowing.
Q: what is the weather like now？
(6)
Actually, though, America, the "land of immigrants", has always had people of many different nationalities and languages. The 1990 census indicates that almost 14% of Americans speak a non- English language at home. Yet only 3% reported that they spoke English "not well" or "not at all". That means that slightly more than one out of 10 Americans could be considered bilingual. Besides that, many high school and college students--and even some elementary school students--are required to take a foreign language as a part of their curriculum. In addition to old standbys like Spanish, German and French, more and more students are opting Eastern European and Asian languages. Of course, not all students keep up their foreign language abilities. As the old saying goes, "If you don't use it, you lose it. " But still, a growing number of Americans are coming to appreciate the benefits of being multilingual.
Ethnic enclaves, found particularly in major metropolitan centers, have preserved the language and culture of American immigrants. Some local residents can function quite well in their native language, without having to bother learning English. Regions such as southern Florida and the Southwest have numerous Spanish-speaking neighborhoods. In fact, Spanish speakers--numbering over 17 million--compose the largest non-English linguistic group in America. But Chinese, Vietnamese, Italian, Polish and many other ethnic groups add to the linguistic flavor of America. Foreign languages are so commonly used in some ethnic neighborhoods that visitors might think they are in another country!
Although some Americans welcome this linguistic and cultural diversity, others have begun to fear that the English language is being threatened. Since the 1980s, the "English Only" movement has sought to promote legislation which would establish English as the "official language" and restrict the use of non-English language. However, some groups, including TESOL, the organization for Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Language, object to such "language restrictionism". Their view, known as "English Plus", suggests that Americans should have respect for people's native language and culture, while promoting the teaching of English to help them fit into the mainstream of society. But so far, 19 states have passed English Only legislation, and the topic is the focus of an ongoing debate.
Whether or not English is the official language of the United States, it remains the "language of wider communication". Nearly everyone recognizes the need to develop proficiency in English in order to do well in America. To help those who want to brush up on their English skills, English as a Second Language (ESL) classes abound. Cities with large numbers of recent immigrants often set up bilingual education programs to teach students content subjects in their native language while they improve their English. Language educators often have strong and divergent views as to which approach helps learners achieve better results: a bilingual approach, an ESL approach--or even a pure immersion ("sink or swim") approach. However, alI these teachers share a common commitment: to help students function well in English.
Americans recognize that English is the international language, and people with good English skills can get by in many international settings. On the other hand, in a world growing increasingly smaller, second language skills can be a great favor. They can build cross-cultural bridges and give people an edge in a variety of career fields. Indeed, lack of foreign language proficiency can limit one's chances for advancement and keep one in a cultural dead-end street. As many people in America are discovering, being monolingual is no laughing matter.
The word "bilingual" (Line 4, Para. 1) means ______.
What kind of metals and minerals can we find in the Antarctic？ ______
The Guidford Four, freed last week after spending 15 years in prison for crimes they did not commit, would almost certainly have been executed for the pub bombing they were convicted of. They had the death penalty been in force at the time of their trial. They may now be a decent interval before the pro-hanging lobby, which has the support of the Prime Minister, makes another attempt to reintroduce the noose.
Reflections along these lines were about the only kind of consolation to be derived from this gross miscarriage of justice which is now to be the subject of a judicial inquiry. In the meantime, defense lawyers are demanding compensation and have in mind about half a million pounds for each of their clients.
The first three to be released--Mr. Gerald Conlon, Mr. Paddy Armstrong and Ms. Carole Richardson--left prison with the 34 pounds which is given to all departing inmates. The fourth, Mr. Paul Hill, was not released immediately but taken to Belfast, where he lodged an appeal against his conviction for the murder of a former British soldier. Since this conviction, too, was based on the now discredited statements allegedly made to the Survey police, he was immediately let out on bail. But he left empty-handed.
The immediate reaction to the scandal was renewed demand for the re-examination of the case against the Birmingham Six, who are serving life sentences for pub bombings in that city. Thus far the Home Secretary, Mr. Douglas Hurd, is insisting that the two cases are not comparable; that what is now known about the Guilford investigation has no relevance to what happened in Birmingham.
Mr. Hurd is right to the extent that there was a small--though flimsy and hotly-contested-- amount of crime evidence in the Birmingham case. The disturbing similarity is that the Birmingham Six, like the Guilford Four, claim that police officers lied and fabricated evidence to secure a conviction.
Making scapegoats of a few rogue police officers will not be sufficient to eliminate the Guilford miscarriage of justice. There are already demands that the law should be changed; first to make it impossible to convict on "confessions" alone; and secondly to require that statements from accused persons should only be taken in the presence of an independent third party to ensure they are not made under punishment.
It was also being noted this week that the Guilford Four owe their release more to the persistence of investigative reporters than to the diligence of either the judiciary or the police. Yet investigative reports--particularly on television--have recently been a particular target for the condemnation of Mrs. Thatcher and some of her ministers who seem to think that TV should be muzzled in the public interest and left to get on with soap operas and quiz shows.
The word "noose" (Line 7, Para. 1) has the closest meaning to ______.
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