Task 1：阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。
(2014·新课标全国Ⅱ，C)One of the latest trends(趋势) in American childcare is Chinese au pairs.Au Pair in Stamford，Conn.，for example，has got increasing numbers of requests for Chinese au pairs from zero to around 4,000 since 2004.And that's true all across the country.
“I thought it would be very useful for him to learn Chinese at an early age，”Joseph Stocke，the managing director of a company，says of his 2yearold son.“I would at least like to give him the chance to use the language in the future.”After only six months of being cared for by a 25yearold woman from China，the boy can already understand basic Chinese daily expressions，his dad says.
Li Drake，a Chinese native raising two children in Minnesota with an American husband，had another reason for looking for an au pair from China：She didn't want her children to miss out on their roots.“Because I am Chinese，my husband and I wanted the children to keep exposed to(接触) the language and culture，”she says.
“Staying with a native speaker is better for children than simply sitting in a classroom，”says Suzanne Flynn，a professor in language education of children.“But parents must understand that just one year with an au pair is unlikely to produce plete mastery demands continued learning until the age of 10 or 12.”
The popularity of au pairs from China has been strengthened by the increasing numbers of American parents who want their children to learn Chinese.It is expected that American demand for au pairs will continue to rise in the next few years.
【语篇解读】本文讲到了美国现在存在的一种趋势，即越来越多的美国人想找中国女佣照顾孩子，以利于孩子学习汉语。
1．What does the term“au pair”in the text mean?
A．A mother raising her children on her own.
B．A child learning a foreign language at home.
C．A professor in language education of children.
D．A young foreign woman taking care of children.
答案D[词义猜测题。根据文章第二段中“After only six months of being cared by 25-year-old woman...daily expressions”和第三段中“...had another reason for looking for an au pair
from China”和第四段中“Staying with a native...in a classroom”可知“au pair”是照顾孩子的外国年轻女佣，故D项正确。]
2．Li Drake has her children study Chinese because she wants them ________.
A．to live in China some day
B．to speak the language at home
C．to catch up with other children
D．to learn about the Chinese culture
答案D[事实细节题。根据文章第三段中“Because I am Chinese...the language and culture.”可知Li Drake让孩子学习汉语是想使他们了解中国文化。故D项正确。]
3．What can we infer from the text?
A．Learning Chinese is becoming popular in America.
B．Educated woman do better in looking after children.
C．Chinese au pairs need to improve their English skills.
D．Children can learn a foreign language well in six months.
答案A[推理判断题。越来越多的美国人请中国年轻女佣照顾孩子以利于孩子学汉语，所以汉语学习在美国变得很受欢迎。故A正确。]
Task 2：词汇积累
1．childcare n．(托儿所或保姆进行的)儿童保育
2．native n．当地人，本地人adj.本国的，本土的
one's native country 本国，祖国
3．unlikely adj.不太可能的
4．mastery n．精通，熟练，掌握
man's mastery over nature 人对自然的控制
5．popularity n．普遍，流行
6．strengthen v t.加强，巩固strengthen unity 加强团结
7．at least至少
8．miss out 错过机会，遗漏
Task 3：语法填空
“I thought it would be very useful for him __1__ (learn) Chi nese at an early age” Joseph Stocke，the managing __2__ (direct) of a company，says of his 2yearold son.“I would at least like to give
