Question

How quickly can you count from one to ten? Do you use ten different words to do it? Can you do it in English, or do you have to use your first languages? Do you count on your fingers? Many people think that numbers and math are the same all over the world. But scientists have discovered that it is not true.
People in different parts of the world use different ways to count on their fingers. In the United States, people think begin counting with their first fingers, which they extend or stick out. They then extend the rest of their fingers and finally the thumb(拇指）to count to five. Then they repeat this with the other hand to get to ten. In China, people count by using different finger positions. In this way, a Chinese person can easily count to ten on only one hand.
Besides ways of finger counting, scientists have found that cultures and languages are also different when it comes to numbers. Some languages have only a few words for numbers, and others have no words for numbers. A group of scientists studied aboriginal(土著的）people in Australia. These people don’t have hand movements to stand for numbers. They don’t even have word for numbers. However, they are still able to understand different ideas about numbers.
In a similar study, researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology discovered that people of the Piraha tribe(部落） in northwestern Brazil don’t have words for numbers such as “one” or “three.”. They are not able to say “five trees” or “ten trees” but can say “some trees,” “more trees,” or “many trees.” Professor Edward Gibson said that mist people believe that everyone knows how to count, “but here is a group that does not count. They could learn, but it’s not useful in their culture, so they’ve never picked it up.”
Although all humans are able to understand quantities(數量）,not all languages have numbers and not all people use counting. Number words in a certain language are a result of people needing numbers in their daily lives. Now we know that people have different ideas about numbers and math, too.
小題1:The writer begins with the four questions in order to______.

A．make a survey	B．interest readers
C．tell a story	D．solve math problems

小題2:What do we learn from the difference in finger counting between the U.S. and China?

A．People from China count much faster than people from the U.S.

B．People from China need two hands to count from one to ten.

C．People of different cultures may use different ways of finger counting

D．People of different cultures use the same way of finger counting.

小題3:Which of following is true about aboriginal Australians?

A．They have only a few words for numbers

B．They have hand movements to stand for numbers

C．They can only count to five on their fingers

D．They can understand different ideas about numbers

小題4:The study of the Piraha tribe shows that____

A．people all over the world know how to count

B．People of the tribe have words for number

C．Some groups of people are not smart enough to count

D．Counting is not useful in the culture of the tribe

小題5:What is the main idea of the passage?

A．people from different cultures have different ideas about numbers and math

B．Chinese people can count more easily on their fingers than Americans

C．In some aboriginal culture,people don’t even know how to count

D．Some languages don’t have number words because people don’t need numbers.

Answer 1

小題1:B
小題2:C
小題3:D
小題4:D
小題5:A

試題分析：這篇短文中作者給我們介紹的是關于數字和數學，不同的文化有不同的觀點。不同文化的國家里，人們數數的方式是不同的，有些國家里根本沒有表示數字的單詞，他們不用數字來數數，但是他們同樣理解關于數字的想法，故數字和數學并不是一回事。
小題1:推理判斷題。作者在這篇短文的開頭連續問了四個問題，How quickly can you count from one to ten? Do you use ten different words to do it? Can you do it in English, or do you have to use your first languages? Do you count on your fingers?你從一數到十有多快？你用十個不同的詞來數嗎？你能用英語數嗎，還是用你的母語？你用手指數嗎？用這些問題開頭的目的是一下子吸引讀者的注意力，讓讀者對接下來作者要說的事情產生興趣。故選B。
小題2:細節理解題。短文的第二段中作者分別舉了美國和中國人用手指數數的例子，美國人是先伸出第一個手指，然后再伸出其他的手指，最后是拇指，這樣數到五，再用同樣的方法伸出另一只手，數到十；而中國人用不同的手指的位置數數。通過這樣的對比，作者想告訴我們不同文化的國家，使用不同的手指數數的方式，故選C。
小題3:推理判斷題。根據短文第三段中However, they are still able to understand different ideas about numbers可知選項是正確的；根據They don’t even have word for numbers.可知A是不對的；根據These people don’t have hand movements to stand for numbers可知B是不對的；根據第三段的內容可知，澳大利亞的土著居民沒有表示數字的單詞，也沒有動作來代表數字，但是他們仍然能理解關于數字的不同的想法。故選D。
小題4:細節理解題。根據短文第四段的內容可知，這一段中作者給我們舉了一個部落的例子，這個部落里沒有關于數字的單詞，他們也不用數字來數數。They could learn, but it’s not useful in their culture, so they’ve never picked it up他們可以學數數，但是在他們的文化里，那是沒用的，所以他們也不學。由此可知選D。
小題5:主旨大意題。這篇短文中作者給我們介紹的是關于數字和數學，不同的文化有不同的觀點。不同文化的國家里，人們數數的方式是不同的，有些國家里根本沒有表示數字的單詞，他們不用數字來數數，但是他們同樣理解關于數字的想法，故數字和數學并不是一回事。故選A。