题型：阅读选择 题类：模拟题 难易度：普通
湖北省荆门市2021年初中英语学业水平适应性考试英语试卷
Chinese A-level has overtaken German for the first time, as it becomes the UK's third most popular language.
This year 3,334 students took Chinese, A-level, compared to 3,058 taking German. While entries (参加者) for Chinese have increased by 8.6 percent since last year, German entries have declined by 16.5 percent.
Derek Richardson, the senior responsible officer at Pearson, said Chinese has changed the situation of the drop in popularity of modern languages.
"In languages we are seeing a drop in entries for the main modern languages: French, German and Spanish," he said. "But what we are also seeing is an increase in entries across some of the other languages that people study. What this means is that Chinese is now more popular than German. So maybe young people are beginning to think about what languages will be useful to them in the future."
In the 1060s,70s and even the 80s,Germany was the economic powerhouse(经济强国) of Europe. Pupils were strongly encouraged to study German because of the importance of the German economy. Now China has become well known in the last 25 years as the fastest growing economy in the world.
French remains the most popular modern language A-level followed by Spanish, but both have seen a drop in entries compared to last year by eight and four percent. Russian has also increased in popularity since last year by 3.4 percent, from 1,122 to 1,160.
Why Should You Learn a Second Language？
In today's highly﹣connected world, there are many reasons for learning a second language. Here are a few of them.
You can talk with more people.
{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Talking in someone's language does two things. It shows respect（尊重） and it allows you to connect on a deeper level. You might be surprised at how open people are when you speak their language.
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Learning a language isn't just about learning words and grammar. It's also about learning about the history and culture of a country. Learning new languages can open up your eyes and bring you closer to people of different countries.
Traveling is easier and more fun.
Traveling is much easier if you speak the language of the place you visit. It will help you learn more about the place. The people there know their city better than any visitors. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}
It makes you smarter.
Learning a second language improves your brain. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} The more you use your brain to learn, the more active your brain will become.
A. You can better understand the world. B. This is because learning languages helps your brain exercise. C. They can tell you about the best coffee or the most beautiful beaches. D. Learning another language allows you to talk with people who speak that language. E. Learning a second language is difficult for many learners. |
Why does the writer write this passage？（answer with no more than 15 words）{#blank#}5{#/blank#}
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