NextHotLanguagetoStudy:ChineseThefourth-gradersatChicago’sMcCormickPrimarySchoolareunawareofthedifficultyinlearningChinese.FormostwhospeakSpanishathomeit’sbecomingtheirthirdlanguage.They’vebeenlea

　　NextHotLanguagetoStudy:Chinese

　　Thefourth-gradersatChicago’sMcCormickPrimarySchoolareunawareofthedifficultyinlearningChinese.FormostwhospeakSpanishathomeit’sbecomingtheirthirdlanguage.They’vebeenlearningandusingChinesewordssincekindergartenandit’snowsecondnaturetogiveahearty“nihao”whenstrangersentertheclassroom.

　　TheclassroomsceneatMcCormickisunusualbutitmaysoonbeacommonfixture(固定物)inAmericanschoolswhereChineseisrapidlybecomingthehotnewlanguage.Governmentofficialshavelongwantedmorefocusonsecurity—usefullanguageslikeChineseandpressurefromthem—aswellasfrombusinessleaderspoliticiansandparents—hasdrivenaquickgrowthinthenumberofprograms.

　　ChicagoitselfishometothelargestefforttoincludeChineseinUSpublicschools.Theprogramherehasgrowntoinclude3000studentsin20schoolswithmoreschoolsonawaitinglist.ProgramshavealsospreadtoplaceslikeHoustonLosAngelesNewYorkCityandNorthCarolina.It’struethatthenumberofstudentslearningChineseistinycomparedwithhowmanystudySpanishorFrench.

　　Advocates(提倡者，拥护者)seeknowledgeoftheChineselanguageandcultureasahelpinaglobaleconomywhereChinaisgrowinginimportance.“Thisisaninterestingwaytobegintoengagewiththeworld’snextsuperpower”saysMichaelLevinedirectorofeducationattheAsiaSocietywhichhasstartedfivenewpublichighschoolsthatofferChinese.“Globalization（全球化)hasalreadychangedthearrangementsintermsofhowchildrentodayaregoingtoneedtothinkabouttheircareers…Thequestioniswhennotwhethertheschoolsaregoingtoadjust.”

　　InChicagothetrendextendsbeyondschoolswithhighnumbersofAsianstudents.“Thefactthatmystudentsare98%lowincomeand99%Latino(拉丁美洲人)andtheyaresucceedinginthistellsmeeveryoneshouldhaveatryatlearninglanguages”saysVirginiaRiveraprincipalatMcCormick.“Wewanttogiveouryoungpeopleopportunitiestoadvance…andChineseisagreatopportunitytosurviveintoday’seconomy”saysRichardM.DaleyMayorofChicago.

　　Thefirstparagraphismainlywrittento_______.

　　A.showtheimportanceofChineselearning

　　B.introducethetopictobefollowed