美国境内的西班牙风情 挑战阅读理解

People often associate the United States only with the English

language. And many United States citizens often think that America

only means the land within the borders of the United States. This

simplification, however, obscures the truth. In fact, America refers to

all the countries in the western hemisphere, including those of both

North and South America. Therefore, Argentina and Canada are just as

American as the United States.

The second misconception is that of the United States being a solely

English-speaking country. If you were to travel to just about any part of

the Southwest United States, and many other parts as well, you would

notice that place names are all in Spanish. Some famous Spanish

place names include Los Angeles (the Angels), San Francisco(Saint

Francisco), and Las Vegas (the Fertile Valleys). It is very common for

people to have forgotten the meanings of these names, as English is

the official language. But they still have Spanish flavor and feel.

Even more important than place names are the people themselves.

Step into any small town or major city down in the Southwest, and

you’ll hear Spanish spoken all around you. There will be restaurant

signs in Spanish, boys and girls speaking Spanish slang, and Spanish

graffiti on the walls. Contrary to the perception that many people have,

Spanish came to the Southwest much earlier than English. Spanish

people colonized these lands, starting around the 1500s. These lands

were only taken by the United States in 1848. Despite being officially

incorporated into an English-speaking country, the peoples of the

American Southwest never lost their language and their distinctly

Spanish feel. So next time you go to the United States, keep in mind

that you’re in a bilingual place.

1. Why do people associate the United States with English?

(A) Americans only speak English.

(B) The United States is bilingual.

(C) People also speak Spanish there.

(D) English is the official language.

2. Which of the following countries is considered American?

(A) The United States. (B) Argentina.

(C) Canada. (D) All of the above.

3. According to the author, what is more important than place names?

(A) The Spanish language.

(B) The meanings of the names.

(C) The people themselves.

(D) The graffiti on the walls.

4. Who first colonized the Southwest of the US?

(A) The Spanish.

(B) The English people.

(C) The Amish.

(D) The Eskimos.

答案：

DDCA