OntheSpanishislandofLaGomera,kidsareallowedtowhistle(吹口哨)inclass.Infact,whistlingisrequired.ThestudentsarelearninganancientlanguagecalledSilboGomerothatuseswhistlesinsteadofspokenwords.It'susedonly
OntheSpanishislandofLaGomera,kidsareallowedtowhistle(吹口哨)inclass.Infact,whistlingisrequired.ThestudentsarelearninganancientlanguagecalledSilboGomerothatuseswhistlesinsteadofspokenwords.It'susedonlyonLaGomera,whichisoneoftheCanaryIslands.
ThepeopleofLaGonmerahaveusedSilboGomeroforcenturies.Foralongtime,itwasthebestwaytocommunicateacrosstheisland'srockyhillsandvalleys.Anislander'swhistlescanbeheardfromabout2milesaway.
Butinthelate20thcentury,SilboGomerowasindangerofdyingout.Manyofthespeakershadmovedfromtheisland,andSpanishhadbecomethemainlanguage.Cellphoneshadmadeiteasierforislanderstocommunicateoverlongdistances.Avaluablepieceoftheisland'sculturewasindangerofbeinglostforever.
In1999,tokeepthelanguagealive,thelocalgovernmentmadeitamandatorysubject(必修学科)inschools.Nownearlyalloftheisland's22,000inhabitantsuseSilboGomeroaswellasSpanish.
ThoughSilboGomerohasbeenbroughtbackintouse,manyotherlittle-knownlanguagesaroundtheworldfaceadifferentsituation.
Therearemorethan7,100languagesintheworld.Abouthalfofthemareindangerofdisappearingwithinthenextcentury.Alanguagedisappearswhenthelastpersontospeakitdies.Manylanguagesdisappearbecausemostchildrenlearnonlythemostimportantone.ThisistrueevenintheU.S,whereNativeAmericanlanguagesaredyingbecausemostkidsaretaughtonlyEnglish.
Manydyinglanguageshaveneverbeenwrittendown.Someresearchersaretravellingtheglobetorecordpeoplespeakingtheselanguagesinthehopeofsavingthemfromgoingsilent.
25.OnLaGomera,studentsareallowedtowhistleinclass___.
A.whentheyareindanger
B.iftheywanttohavesomefun
C.becausetheyarelearningalanguage
D.sincetheyhavedifficultyinspeaking
26.HowdidpeopleonLaGomeramainlycommunicateoverlongdistancesinthelate20thcentury?___
A.Theyusedcellphones.
B.TheyusedSilboGomero.
C.Theyusedbodylanguage.
D.Theyshoutedateachother.
27.LaGomerasuccessfullypreventedSilboGomerofromdyingoutmainlyby__