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Thomas Cheatham had planned to study Latin during his time at Hebron High School in Texas. But when he learned that the school district was going to offer a Mandarin class, he quickly changed his mind.
‘‘I thought Mandarin would be more beneficial than Latin,’’ said Cheatham, who is now in his second year of studying the language.
He speaks Mandarin to order food at Chinese restaurants and can read social media posts from his Chinese-speaking friends. While it’s a difficult language to master, the high school junior, who plans to study computer engineering, thinks it will be important for his career. ‘‘Chinese is a good language to know, especially with China becoming a growing power,’’ he said.
Many experts agree that proficiency (熟练) in a language spoken by a billion people worldwide will give American students an edge in the global economy.
‘‘People are looking at China as our next economic competitor, and interest in Mandarin is growing fast,’’ said Marty Abbott, director of the American Council (议会) on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. ‘‘We’re seeing it in all parts of the country.’’
Abbott predicts that as many as 100,000 students are now studying Mandarin in public and private schools throughout the US. She said the US government has designated (指定) Mandarin as an ‘‘important needs’’ language and provides professional development programs for teachers. ‘‘Our government wants to increase our language ability for national security and economic competitiveness,’’ Abbott added.
At the same time, the Chinese government is spreading knowledge of the Chinese language and culture through Confucius Institutes set up in many US states. For example, the Confucius Institute at the University of Texas in Dallas has been the home of a Confucius Institute for 10 years. It sponsors Confucius Classrooms at 21 local public and private schools, where tens of thousands of students are learning Mandarin.
9. Why did Thomas Cheatham decide to study Mandarin instead of Latin？
A. Mandarin was easier to learn than Latin.
B. Mandarin could be helpful to his future career.
C. Mandarin might help him learn more about China.
D. Mandarin could enable him to study computer engineering.
10. What does the underlined word ‘‘edge” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?
A. a slight advantage B. the outside limit
C. a sharp tone of voice D. a short-term guarantee
11. Which of the following statements might Marty Abbott agree with？
A. Mandarin should be taught in classrooms throughout the US.
B. Those skilled at Chinese will be the most competitive in the future.
C. The US government’s policy has helped popularize Mandarin in the US.
D. Americans learn Mandarin because they worry about their national security.
12. What is this passage mainly about？
A. The rising popularity of Mandarin among American students.
B. The great benefits of learning Mandarin for American students.
C. The influence of China’s growing power on American education.
D. The effect of Confucius Institutes in promoting Mandarin in the US.
