A. The way we speak matters.

B. Verbal violence should be stopped.

C. Unkind words hurt the brain.

D. Words are worse than sticks and stones.

　　　　　　　　B

　　The US teenager Thomas Cheatham had planned to study Latin during his time at Hebron High School in Texas. But when he learned that the school district was going to offer a Mandarin class, he quickly changed his mind.

　　"I thought Mandarin would be more beneficial than Latin," said Cheatham, who is now in his second year of studying the language. He speaks Mandarin to order food at Chinese restaurants and can read social media posts from his Chinese-speaking friends.

　　While it's a difficult language to master, the high school junior, who plans to study computer engineering, thinks it will be important for his career. "Chinese is a good language to know, especially with China becoming a growing power," he said.

　　Many experts agree that proficiency in a language spoken by a billion people worldwide will give American students an edge in the global economy. "People are looking at China as our next economic competitor, and interest in Mandarin is growing," said Marty Abbott, executive director of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. "We're seeing it in all parts of the country. "

　　Abbott estimates that as many as 100, 000 students are now studying Mandarin throughout the US, in public and private schools. She said the US government has designated (指定) Mandarin as a "critical needs" language and provides professional development programs for teachers. "Our government wants to increase our language competency for national security and economic competitiveness," Abbott said.

　　At the same time, the Chinese government is spreading knowledge of the Chinese language and culture through Confucius Institutes established in many US states. For example, the Confucius Institute at the University of Texas in Dallas has been the home of a Confucius Institute for 10 years. It sponsors Confucius Classrooms at 21 local public and private schools, where tens of thousands of students are learning Mandarin.

5. Thomas Cheatham decided to study Mandarin instead of Latin because he thought ________.

A. Mandarin was easier to learn than Latin

B. Mandarin might help him learn more about Chinese food

C. Mandarin could enable him to make more friends online

D. Mandarin could be advantageous in his future career

6. The underlined word "proficiency" in Paragraph 4 probably means ________.

A. strong interest　　　　 B. great skill

C. lack of practice D. a level of difficulty

7. Which of the following statements might Marty Abbott agree with?

A. Mandarin should be taught in classrooms throughout the US.

B. The US government's policy has helped popularize Mandarin in the US.

C. Many Americans learn Mandarin because they worry about their national security.

D. Those competent at Chinese will be the most competitive in the US in the future.

8. What is the main idea of the article?

A. The rising popularity of Mandarin among American students.

B. The influence of China's growing power on American education.

C. The benefits of learning Mandarin for American students.

D. How Confucius Institutes in the US help promote Mandarin.

Ⅱ. 完形填空

　　Jenna had graduated from her middle school and was lucky enough to be admitted to Westwood College. She was ready for new 　1　 at the college and filled with confidence. 　2　, she didn't expect it that college life was quite　3　. In the first week, Jenna went to tryouts for cheerleaders. She was competing against very talented