Can software bring dead tongues back to life? Probably yes.

A computer algorithm（計算程序）works almost as well as a trained linguist（語言學家） in reconstructing how dead "protolanguages" would have sounded, says a new study.

"Our computer system is doing a basic job right now," says Alex Bouchard-C?té, an assistant professor in the department of statistics at the University of British Columbia and lead author of the paper describing the algorithm. But the program does a good enough job that it may be able to give linguists a head start, the statistician added.

For centuries, scholars have reconstructed languages by hand: looking at the same word in two or more languages and making educated guesses about what that word's "ancestor" may have sounded like. For example, the Spanish word for man （"hombre"） and the French word for man （"homme"） developed from the Latin word "homo." The way linguists compare words from descendant（后代）languages to reconstruct the parent language is called, appropriately, the comparative method.

The early 19th-century linguist Franz Bopp was the first to compare Greek, Latin and Sanskrit using this method. Jacob Grimm, one of the Brothers Grimm of fairy tale fame, used the comparative method to show how Germanic languages developed from a common ancestor.

The difference between that and Bouchard-C?té's program, the statistician says, "is we do it on a larger scale." As a proof of concept, Bouchard-C?té fed words from 637 Austronesian languages （spoken in Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia and more） into the new algorithm, and the system came up with a list of what the ancestor words of all those languages would have sounded like. In more than 85 percent of cases, the automated reconstruction came within one character of the ancestor word commonly accepted as true by linguists.

The algorithm won't replace trained human linguists, but could speed up language analysis.

Using a computer to do large-scale reconstruction offers another advantage. Bouchard-C?té says, “With big data sets, you can really start finding regularities … You might find that certain sounds are more likely to change than others."

So Bouchard-C?té's team tested the "functional load hypothesis（假設(shè)）," which says that sounds that are more important for two clearly different words are less likely to change over time. A formal test of this hypothesis in 1967 looked at four languages; Bouchard-C?té's algorithm looked at 637.

"The revealed pattern would not be obvious if we had not been able to reconstruct large numbers of protolanguages," Bouchard-C?té and his coauthors write in the new study.

In addition to simply helping linguists understand how people spoke in the past, studying ancient languages can perhaps answer historical questions. For example, Bouchard-C?té says, "Say people are interested in finding out when Europe was settled. If you can figure out if the language of the settling population had a word for wheel, then you can get some idea of the order in which things occurred, because you would have some records that show you when the wheel was invented.”

1.The underline word “protolanguages” in the first paragraph probably refers to __________.

A. the languages that couldn’t be reconstructed by hand

B. parent languages that existed in the past

C. languages developed from a common ancestor

D. languages used to explain things that occurred in the past

2.We can learn from the fourth and fifth paragraphs that the reconstruction of “protolanguage” by scholars __________.

A. is commonly accepted as false

B. dates back to the 19th century

C. focuses on European languages

D. is conducted using the comparative method

3.According to Bouchard-C?té, reconstructing the dead "protolanguages" might _______.

A. arouse people’s interest in when Europe was settled

B. allow us to find answers to some historical questions

C. enable us to picture the way linguists communicated

D. help figure out how the wheel was invented

4.The author probably wants to prove the computer algorithm program led by Bouchard-C?té ___________.

A. will bring every dead language back to life

B. can take the place of linguists in language analysis

C. is of great help to promote language analysis with big data sets

D. can merely reconstruct Asian-Pacific “protolanguages”

LONDON, Feb. 18，2014 （Xinhua News agency） —Britain will send experts to East China's Shanghai to learn from the city's experience in maths teaching in an attempt to raise the teaching standards.

British Education Minister Elizabeth Truss is to lead a delegation of experts on a fact-finding mission to Shanghai's schools next week to see how children there have become the best in the world at maths, to get a first-hand look at maths classes and teaching methods there, and particularly to investigate why the performance of almost all children in Shanghai is high, regardless of gender or income.

Britain was last year placed 50th out of 148 countries and regions in the World Economic Forum's competitiveness ranking in quality of maths and science education. Two years ago, Shanghai topped the 2012 international PISA tables for maths, while England was ranked in 26th place. The top five were all in Southeast Asia, with 15-year-olds in Shanghai judged to be three years ahead of their peers in maths.

The education department said: "England's performance in maths has lagged behind while other countries have improved and overtaken us, including Poland and Germany." Actually, it is the latest step in the government's drive to raise standards in maths, looking at what has made schools in the far East the most successful in the world in teaching the subject.

"Shanghai is the top-performing part of the world for maths—their children are streets ahead. Shanghai and Singapore have teaching practices and a positive mind that make the difference. They have a belief that diligence makes up for lack of ability," Truss said. "Our new curriculum has borrowed from theirs because we know it works—early learning of key arithmetic, and a focus on times tables and long division（長除法）, for instance."

She was determined to change the situation as performance in maths is weakening the country's skills base and threatening the productivity and growth. The government is emphasizing maths because of the importance of good grades in the subject to young people competing for good jobs in a global labor market and to the economy more generally.

An education and skills survey released by the Confederation of British Industry last year showed that 30 percent of employers reported dissatisfaction with the standard of school and college leavers' numeracy. More than two-thirds of employers said they wanted both maths and science promoted more in schools.

1.Why does the British government send a delegation of experts to Shanghai?

A. To see how children from rich families have become the best at maths.

B. To investigate why the performance of almost all children in China is high.

C. To get a first-hand look at science classes and teaching methods there.

D. To raise the teaching standards in maths in Britain.

2.Which of the following statements is true according to the two international competition results?

A. British students performed better in 2013 than in 2012.

B. British students did better than the students from Poland in 2013.

C. The students from Singapore did better than the students from Germany.

D. The students from Germany did better than the students from Poland.

3.What has made schools in Shanghai the most successful in teaching maths in the eye of Truss?

A. Curriculum and teaching methods.

B. Teaching practices and a positive mind.

C. Early learning of key arithmetic and times tables.

D. A focus on times tables and long division.

4.How will students’ poor performance in maths affect the country eventually?

A. By threatening the country's competitiveness of economy.

B. By weakening the country's political system.

C. By losing international competitions in education.

D. By failing to find jobs in a global labor market.

5.What can we infer from the news?

A. The students in Britain don’t work hard at Maths.

B. The students in shanghai are the smartest in the world.

C. The education of science in Britain is no better than that of maths.

D. Most British citizens are dissatisfied with teachers’ work.

“Father, do you see Mother in your dreams?” the young girl asks. “You know sometimes I do.”

“Mother comes to see me a lot, you know. We sit and talk.” The father smiles. “How is your homework coming along?”

“Why do I have to study so hard?”

“It is what your mother would have wanted!”

She regrets speaking her mind. “I’m sorry, Father, I shouldn’t have said that.” She looks up and sees his eyes well up with tears.

“It’s okay, love,” he gets up and pours himself a drink. “I’ll just sit outside for a while. You finish up your work, okay?”

“I’m sorry, Father; Mother did love you very much. She told me all the time.”

“Homework, first, eh? Then we can chat about your mother.”

He heads off outside and sits in his usual chair, looking around the courtyard. The whole area relaxes the mind and somehow soothes the soul.

“All finished, Father. May I get a drink and sit with you? I have some questions.”

She comes with two drinks one for him and one for herself. He looks surprised. She never really liked him having a drink. Although he had cut back a lot from before he brought her here, it still seemed strange.

“Mother told me all about you. That is before she passed away. We would laugh together at your love stories.”

He listens without uttering a single sound.

“Why didn’t you come and take her away with you? She really wanted that. Did you know that?”

Her father looks at his daughter lovingly. “Circumstances were difficult back then. It was just the way things were. When it came time to…” He sighs. “To visit her it was too late.”

The girl smiles. “I hope I will have the same kind of love you and mother had.”

“Without all the heartache,” her father adds.

“She always knew you loved her. She told me every day,” the child mentions cheerfully. “I saw her crying sometimes when she read your letters.”

“Did she make you promise to look after me?” She inquires.

“She asked me to take care of you.”

“You promised her, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I did.”

“It is nice out here, isn't it? Mother would have been very happy here.”

She talks with some authority. Her father remains silent. A smile comes to his weary brow. He nods his head.

“Mother wanted me to give you something. I think now the time is right.” She runs to her room. Upon returning she hands her father a book. “It’s mother’s diary! She wanted me to give it to you.”

He takes the book and holds it in his trembling hands, “Thank you.”

“Mother said you would understand things better.”

“Wise woman, your mother.”

He places the book on the table as he gets up. The girl gets up and wraps herself around her father.

“I love you.” she looks up at his face.

He picks her up and hugs her. “I love you, too.” His voice trembles.

“It’s okay, Father. We have each other now and mother is in both of us.”

He kisses her head.

“Time you went to bed,” her father softly says.

He puts her down and she scampers off to get washed and ready for bed.

Clearing up everything he checks on his daughter. She is in bed waiting for her good night kiss. He tucks her in and bids her goodnight.

Just as he is to leave she tells him. “Mother told me she adopted me when I was a baby.”

He stands at her bedroom door. Words fail him. Yes, he knew she was adopted.

“I am really lucky for being loved by my parents, even if I am not really theirs.”

“You trying to bring on the water works?” he tells her.

She giggles, “Goodnight, Father. I love you.”

“Love you, too.”

His face lights up as he wipes his dampened eyes.

The door closes and the child falls asleep dreaming of her mother.

Sitting outside he picks up the diary and opens it and reads the first line: “I love you, my dearest, if only things could have been different…”

1.Why isn’t the mother with her family?

A. She has already died.B. She is ill in hospital.

C. The couple is divorced.D. She lives in another city.

2.What can we know about the couple’s relationship?

A. They understood each other very well.

B. They quarreled a lot and are separated.

C. They used to have misunderstandings.

D. They were quite sure of each other’s love.

3.What can we learn from the story?

A. The girl was adopted because the couple couldn’t give birth.

B. Father looks after the girl just because the girl is alone.

C. The girl feels unfortunate that she was adopted.

D. Father was not very close to the girl before she moved in with him.

4.Why didn’t father bring mother home when she was ill?

A. Because he was too busy with his work

B. Because he didn’t know he was wanted

C. Because he was too poor to afford the medical fees

D. Because he didn’t know she was in hospital

5.What does the sentence “You trying to bring on the water works?” mean?

A. You want another cup of water?

B. Are you kidding me?

C. Are you trying to make me cry?

D. Are you thinking about the water factory?

6.Which word best describes father’s feeling at the end of the story?

A. RegretfulB. SatisfiedC. ConfusedD. Doubtful

第二節(jié)：下面文章中有5處需要添加小標題。請從以下選項（A、B、C、D、E和F）中選出符合各段意思的小標題。選項中有一項是多余選項。

When it comes to Thanksgiving, turkey may be the first thing that comes to mind. It’s the right picture, but it’s not complete. Celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November every year, Nov. 28 this year, Thanksgiving Day is about expressing your gratitude to the important people and all the good things in your life. Americans celebrate Thanksgiving with much fervor and maintain many traditional customs. Here we introduce a few of the rituals Americans typically follow on this day.

1._________________

Thanksgiving Day has been associated with communal prayers in church and in homes for centuries. Attending church services in the morning is the first step of many celebrators on Thanksgiving Day. The churches provide worship services and organize special events for the occasion. Before Thanksgiving meals, some families gather together and thank God for his kindness and the gifts he has bestowed upon them in the form of friends and family. Some people also do voluntary community work on this day, as a way of contribution.

2._________________

Like China’s Spring Festival, preparing a big meal and bringing the family together at home is a long-standing tradition of Thanksgiving. Distances don’t really matter as relatives return home to be with their family, no matter how far away.

Undoubtedly, turkey is the main course of Thanksgiving dinner. Though there is no evidence to prove that turkey was eaten during the first Thanksgiving dinner, most agree that the dinner would be incomplete without it. Other dishes typically found on dinner tables in almost every house are pumpkin pies, corn, fall vegetables, olives, cranberry sauce, stuffing and mashed potatoes. At the meal, many families observe the ritual of taking turns to express what each member is thankful for.

3._________________

While feasts make Thanksgiving a festival for individual families, parades make it a carnival for the whole nation. Various parades are held in many cities to honor Thanksgiving. One of the largest is New York’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which is currently called Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Started in 1924, more than 2 million people attend the parade every year.

Important features of the parade are themed floats, scenes from Broadway plays, large balloons of cartoon characters and TV personalities, and high school marching bands. The parade traditionally ends with a Santa Claus float, which marks the unofficial beginning of the Christmas season.

4. __________________

After-dinner rituals are just as important as the meal itself, and no after-dinner ritual is more important than the football game. The US’ National Football League has played a special game on Thanksgiving every year since its creation in 1920 （with the exception of 1939-1944 due to World War II）. It’s referred to as the Thanksgiving Classic, and thousands of fans watch it with popcorn and chips in hand, either in stadiums or on television.

In 1863, a reporter jokingly said, “Thanksgiving is a holiday granted by the Nation to see a game of football.” It’s absolutely true.

5._________________

While Chinese citizens enjoy an online shopping spree on Nov 11, Americans flock to physical stores just after Thanksgiving. The Friday after Thanksgiving Day is famously known as “Black Friday” because of the standard accounting practice of writing profits in black.

Many employers give their employees the day off as part of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, so retailers seize the opportunity to offer discounts and put items on sale. Hundreds of thousands of people take advantage of the opportunity to hunt for bargains. The sight of people waiting in long lines for shops to open on the morning after Thanksgiving Day is quite normal.

下面短文中有10處語言錯誤。請在有錯誤的地方增加、刪除或修改某個單詞。

增加：在缺詞處加一個漏字符號（/\），并在其下面寫出該加的詞。

刪除：把多余的詞用斜線（\）劃掉。

修改：在錯的詞下劃一橫線，并在該詞下面寫出修改后的詞。

注意：1. 每處錯誤及其修改均僅限一詞；

2. 只允許修改10處，多者（從第11處起）不計分。

It is likely for anyone to be misunderstood for some reason. I am no exception. One day after school, I got on my bike and start heading home. I was just about to get out of the traffic jam outside our school while a woman stopped me, claim that my bike had scratched his car. I felt confused because that I clearly remembered that I was trying to avoid touching her car just now. Therefore, she insisted on blaming me and gradually rose her voice. Surrounded by the crowd, I got anxious and desperate wanted this to be over. So I made a compromise.

Never before in my life had I dealt with such thing, and I was apparently taken advantage of. Now I am aware that I should never give out as long as I am on the right side.

在智能手機日益普及的當下，我們已經(jīng)跨入了移動時代。智能手機五花八門的功能影響著我們的生活、社交、學習、工作、消費、休閑等各個方面。請你就某一個方面談?wù)勚悄苁謾C帶給你的影響以及你對這種影響的看法。

要求：根據(jù)以上內(nèi)容寫一篇120詞左右的短文。

提示：智能手機：smartphone微信：Wechat

—Hey, Tina. Can I ask you a question?

—Sure. ____

A. Why not? B. What's up? C. So what? D. What for?

Generally speaking, the family, not the school, plays the role in educating children for life.

A. potential B. primary C. personal D. professional

Miss White, smile is broad and warm, has a kind of beauty no matter what she wears.

A. whom B. who C. that D. whose

After a long day of hard work, my only is to get back home and have a good sleep.

A. concern B. ambition C. reward D. burden