1. (2021八上·义乌开学考) 阅读理解

If you're reading this right now, you're probably interested in learning English as a second language and think it could be a valuable skill in the future. But these days, fewer college students in the United States are studying foreign languages themselves.

The Modern Language Association (MLA), a group in the US that tracks language studies, found that the number of US college students who were studying a foreign language dropped by 9 percent from 2019 to 2021, Quartz reported.

Most of the drop was due to a decrease (下降) in the number of people learning Spanish, the most popular foreign language among US college students, while many other foreign languages such as German and Italian also lost popularity.

One reason for this could be that studying a foreign language is not seen as practical (实用的). Indeed, the decrease in foreign language studies came just after the global financial crash of 2008.

There are many majors now, such as digital arts, that didn't exist in earlier years. With more choices than before, students are less likely to study a foreign language.

But failing to master a second language could take away potential job opportunities for US students in the future, experts say.

Luckily, efforts have been made to change the situation. Starting this June, the government in New York City will allow its high school students to choose Spanish as one of the tests they must pass to graduate.

1. （1） Which foreign language was the most popular among US college students?

   A . Spanish B . French C . German D . Italian
3. （2） Which of the following is TRUE, according to the passage?

   A . Compared with 2019, there were more US college students studying foreign languages in 2021. B . From 2019 to 2021, the number of US college students who were studying Spanish dropped by 9 percent. C . There would be fewer job opportunities for US students who don't master a second language in the future. D . The US government will allow high school students to choose Spanish as one of the tests they have to pass for graduation.
5. （3） From the passage, we can guess that digital arts is ____________.

   A . Very popular among US college students B . More practical than studying a foreign language. C . Less practical than studying a foreign language D . A new major in US colleges.
7. （4） What's the main idea of the passage?

   A . There is no need to learn a foreign language B . It's necessary to learn a foreign language. C . Learning Spanish is more useful than before.                        D . There are fewer US students learning a foreign language.