3．Long live language．That's the message Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson and city councilor Amarjeet Sohi voiced when they declared Feb.21to be International Mother Language Day （IMLD）in Edmonton，the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta．
The pair were on hand for the International and Heriage Languages Association's （IHLA）12th annual Mother Language Day celebrations in an effort to save endangered languages．
"Keeping languages alive is important for me richness of our culture and the diversity that strengthens Edmonton，"said Iveson．
There are nearly 7，000unique languages spoken worldwide，but according to data from the United Nations Educational，Scientific and Cultural Organization （UNESCO） half of those languages are at risk of going extinct in just a few generations．
For example，there are currently over 3，000languages spoken throughout Africa．This sounds impressive until you realize that there were over 10，000languages spoken on the continent before colonization during the 19th century．
"People who lose their language experience suffering，"said Olenka Bilash，professor of second language education at the University of Alberta．Bilash likened the loss of language to the loss of cultural identity．
"As a multicultural society，it is very important to continue to preserve and pass on to future generations the language，culture，traditions and customs that we bring to Canada，"said IHLA president Olga Prokhorova．
While the City of Edmonton's citizen and new arrival centre in city hall provides services in 150languages，Bilash said research shows that"most people are still uncomfortable speaking their own language in public spaces．"
Bliash hopes the official announcement of International Mother Language Day in Edmonton--which echoes International Mother Language Day declared by UNESCO in 1999--will be a step toward encouraging more language diversity in order to preserve the cultures tied to them．
"Our words define us； our expressions and vocabulary define who we are as people，"said Marueen Kubinec，Alberta's minister of culture and tourism．"Our words are living examples，perhaps the best that there are，of human creativity．"
28．The example of the languages in Africa is given to showB．
A．there're many languages in Arica．
B．a great number of languages became extinct．
C．Africa believes in encouraging cultural diversity．
D．Africans are trying to save endangered languages．
29．Both Bilash and Prokhorova stress the importance ofC．
A．mastering more than one foreign language．
B．public policy on Canadian traditions and customs．
C．protecting languages and cultures from extinction．
D．the official announcement of IMLD by UNESCO．
30．What does the underlined word"echoes"in the text mean？D
A．Suggests． B．Creates．
C．Celebrates． D．Imitates．
31．What can we learn from Kubinec's words？A
A．Your language is your identity．
B．Native language is disappearing．
C．Alberta is rich in language diversity．
D．Language can be saved by creativity．
分析 本文是一篇社会文化类阅读，属于新闻报道．长期存在的语言．埃德蒙顿市市长唐•艾文森（Don Iveson）和市议员阿马尔杰特•索伊（Amarjeet Sohi）在加拿大艾伯塔省首府埃德蒙顿宣布2月21日成为国际母语日．
解答 28．B．推理判断题．非洲现在有3000多种语言，而在19世纪殖民地化之前存在一万多种语言，即很多语言己经消失了．本段内容承接上一段内容but according to data from the United Nations Educational，Scientific and Cultural Organization （UNESCO） half of those languages are at risk of going extinct in just a few generations．来说明很多语言瀕临灭绝．故选B．
29．C．细节理解题．由第六、七、九段可知，Bilash 和Prokhorova都强调了保护语言和文化的重要性．故选C．
30．D．词义猜测题．根据Bliash hopes the official announcement of International Mother Language Day in Edmonton--which echoes International Mother Language Day declared by UNESCO in 1999可知，联合国教科文组织于1999年成立国际母语日，如今加拿大埃德蒙顿市宣布每年2月21日为该市国际母语日，此举是效仿联合国教科文组织的做法．故该词意为效仿．故选D．
31．A．推理判断题．由最后一段"Our words define us； our expressions and vocabulary define who we are as people，"said Marueen Kubinec，Alberta's minister of culture and tourism．"Our words are living examples，perhaps the best that there are，of human creativity．"可知，这些话包含的一个意思是：一个人的语言就是一个人的身份．故选A．
点评 本文是一篇社会文化类阅读，题目涉及多道细节理解题，推理判断题，词义猜测题．做题时学生应仔细阅读原文，把握文章主要内容，联系文章上下文内容并结合所给选项含义，从中选出正确答案，一定要做到有理有据，切忌胡乱猜测．
