社会的发展而逐渐减少这一现象。

1．What can we infer about languages in hunter－gatherer times?

A．They developed very fast.

B．They were large in number.

C．They had similar patterns.

D．They were closely connected.

【答案】　B　推理判断题。

根据第一段中的"Some language experts believe that 10,000 years ago，when the world had just five to ten million people，they spoke perhaps 12,000 languages between them."可知，一些语言专家认为，一万年前，当世界上只有500万到1 000万人时，他们之间可能说12 000种语言。由此可推断，采猎文明时期的语言种类很多。

A项曲解文意，文中提到采猎文明时期语言很多，但这不代表语言发展快。C、D两项颠倒是非，根据第一段中small，tightly knit groups developed their own patterns of speech independent of each other可知，这些语言是相互独立的，不具有相似模式，语言间也没有密切联系。

2．Which of the following best explains "dominant" underlined in paragraph 2?

A．Complex.　 B．Advanced.

C．Powerful. D．Modern.

【答案】　C　词义猜测题。

根据第二段中的"...all have caused many languages to disappear，and dominant languages such as English，Spanish and Chinese are increasingly taking over."可知，人类社会发展的很多因素导致许多语言消失，而逐渐被如英语、西班牙语、汉语等语言取代，这就暗示出这些语言是"占优势的"，故选C项powerful(强大的