F2F Class Notes (Nemo)[R]
Reading
Over the past centuries, English has become the dominant world language, mostly because of the British Empire and the rise of the United States as a global political and economic superpower. Many linguists say that Mandarin Chinese will become the new number one language, because it is the mother tongue of over 1 billion people. China is on the verge of becoming a new economic superpower and many international corporations already advise their workers to learn Mandarin.
In the past, some attempts have been made to create a global language for everyone. A Polish scientist, Ludwik Zamenhof, invented Esperanto at the beginning of the 20th century. His goal was to form a neutral language with easy words and grammar that is not so difficult to learn. Linguists claim that up to a million people use and speak Esperanto today.
Languages that are not actively spoken any more die out over a period. Linguists claim that 90% of the world’s 7000 languages will become extinct within the next 50 years. Other languages, like Latin or ancient Greek, died out centuries ago, but are still needed in fields like medicine, biology, history or archaeology.
Vocabulary
dominant (adj): 1-more important, strong, or noticeable than anything else of the same type:
E.g.: a dominant military power
E.g.: Unemployment will be a dominant issue at the next election.
2-liking to take control in a group and having natural authority:
E.g.: You can have a dominant personality without being a bully.
linguist (n): 1-语言学家
someone who studies foreign languages or can speak them very well, or someone who teaches or studies linguistics
on the verge of something-If you are on the verge of something or come to the verge of something, you are very close to experiencing it:
E.g.: on the verge of collapse/success/tears/death/disaster/war
E.g.: He was on the verge of saying something but stopped and shook his head.
Esperanto-世界语
extinct (adj): 1-not now existing:
E.g.: There is concern that the giant panda will soon become extinct.
E.g.: Many tribes became extinct when they came into contact with Western illnesses.
E.g.: A lot of trades have become extinct because of the development of technology.
dehumidifier
除湿机
feasible (adj)可行的, able to be made, done, or achieved:
E.g.: With the extra resources, the project now seems feasible.
take something for granted-to never think about something because you believe it will always be available or stay exactly the same:
E.g.: I took it for granted that I would find the perfect job.
E.g.: It’s easy to take your parents for granted.
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