Question

[Dương Minh]

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

In our connected globalized world, the languages which dominate communications and business, Mandarin, Hindi, English, Spanish and Russian amongst others, are placing small languages spoken in remote places under increasing pressure. Fewer and fewer people speak languages such as Liki, Taushiro and Dumi as their children shift away from the language of their ancestors towards languages which promise education, success and the chance of a better life. While to many parents, this may appear a reasonable choice, giving their offspring the opportunity to achieve the sort of prosperity they see on television, the children themselves often lose touch with their roots. However, in many places the more reasonable option of bilingualism, where children learn to speak both a local and a national language, is being promoted. This gives hope that many endangered languages will survive, allowing people to combine their links to local tradition with access to wider world culture.

While individuals are free to choose if they wish to speak a minority language, national governments should be under no obligation to provide education in an economically unproductive language, especially in times of budget constraints. It is generally accepted that national languages unite and help to create wealth while minority regional languages divide. Furthermore, governments have a duty to ensure that young people can fulfil their full potential, meaning that state education must provide them with the ability to speak and work in their national language and so equip them to participate responsibly in national affairs. People whose language competence does not extend beyond the use of a regional tongue have limited prospects. This means that while many people may feel a sentimental attachment to their local language, their government’s position should be one of benign neglect, allowing people to speak the language, but not acting to prevent its eventual disappearance.

Many PhD students studying minority languages lack the resources to develop their language skills, with the result that they have to rely on interpreters and translators to communicate with speakers of the language they are studying. This has a detrimental effect on the quality of their research. At the same time, they have to struggle against the frequently expressed opinion that minority languages serve no useful purpose and should be allowed to die a natural death. Such a view fails to take into account the fact that a unique body of knowledge and culture, built up over thousands of years, is contained in a language and that language extinction and species extinction are different facets of the same process. They are part of an impending global catastrophe which is beginning to look unavoidable.

(Adapted from Complete Advanced by Guy Brook – Hart and Simon Haines)

According to the first paragraph, why do many parents consider the change towards national languages a reasonable choice?

A.Because not many people nowadays are familiar with the language of their ancestors.

B.Because children now can learn to speak both a local and a national language.

C.Because their children may have a chance to achieve education, success and better living condition.

D.Because their children may help to combine their links to local tradition with access to wider world culture.

Answer 1

[Nguyen Hoang Hai]

Đáp án C

Theo đoạn văn thứ nhất, tại sao nhiều bố mẹ lại coi sự chuyển đổi sang sử dụng ngôn ngữ quốc gia là một lựa chọn hợp lý?

A.Bởi vì không nhiều người ngày nay còn quen thuộc với ngôn ngữ của tổ tiên họ.

B.Bởi vì trẻ em ngày nay có thể học nói cả ngôn ngữ địa phương lẫn ngôn ngữ quốc gia.

C.Bởi vì con cái họ sẽ có cơ hội được học tập, đạt được thành công và có điều kiện sống tốt hơn.

D.Bởi vì con cái họ có thể giúp kết nối văn hóa địa phương với văn hóa thế giới rộng lớn hơn.

Căn cứ thông tin đoạn 1:

Fewer and fewer people speak languages such as Liki, Taushiro and Dumi as their children shift away from the language of their ancestors towards languages which promise education, success and the chance of a better life. While to many parents, this may appear a reasonable choice, giving their offspring the opportunity to achieve the sort of prosperity they see on television, the children themselves often lose touch with their roots.

(Ngày càng ít người nói các ngôn ngữ như Liki, Taushiro và Dumi vì con cái họ đã chuyển từ ngôn ngữ của tổ tiên sang sử dụng ngôn ngữ quốc gia, cái mà hứa hẹn cung cấp cho họ giáo dục, thành công và cơ hội có một cuộc sống tốt hơn. Trong khi với nhiều cha mẹ, điều này có thể là một lựa chọn hợp lý, giúp con cái họ có cơ hội đạt được các thành tựu mà họ thấy trên truyền hình, thì những đứa trẻ lại tự đánh mất cội nguồn).