A
Brits (英国人) are extremely bad at languages, with many of us relying on the fact that the rest of the world speak English. Only half (51%) are able to speak a second language to any standard and as more people travel abroad, this is becoming an increasing regret, according to a new study.
Almost twothirds (62%) of UK adults wish they were better at speaking languages. So they can better understand a city's culture (38% of respondents), talk with locals (24%) and go beyond the guide book (21%)．
Overcoming language barriers can be one of the most difficult parts of a holiday, particularly when in unfamiliar surroundings. So stressful in the fact that 10% of respondents said they didn't travel because of the problem.
The survey by Hostelworld showed that one in five blamed getting lost on the language barrier, while a similar number had problems ordering food and one in ten got on the wrong train, plane or other form of transportation.
If languages weren't an issue then one in eight (12%) Brits would visit Japan. China, Italy and Russia were also popular choices. Despite the communication problem, Japan has seen a 7.5% increase in the number of British visitors between January and April, compared to this time last year.
“The number of British travelers to Japan has been growing year on year，” according to Hollie Mantle, marketing and communication manager for the Japanese Tourist Board. “People are realizing that Japan is one of the most hospitable and beautiful countries on earth, with so many new experiences for travelers to try, not to mention worldclass cuisine！”
They had his message for Brits thinking about visiting: “Though some travelers worry about language barriers, as soon as you arrive in Japan, you'll realize that people will go out of their way to help you enjoy their country. There really are few ‘barriers’ — road signs and train stations are in English, you'll find that people speak more English than they let on, and even when they don't, they will go above and beyond to help you out.”
语篇解读：本文主要说明了语言障碍成为英国人出国旅游的一大顾虑。
1．What do we know from the first two paragraphs?
A．Brits are poor at languages.
B．Brits regret what they have done.
C．Brits like relying on others.
D．Brits are good at languages.
解析：选A 推理判断题。根据第一段第一句，并结合对前两段的整体理解可推知，英国人的语言能力比较差，故选A。
2．How many Brits can't order food correctly because of language barriers?
A．About 10%. B．About 12%.
C．About 20%. D．About 21%.
解析：选C 细节理解题。根据第四段中的“The survey ...had problems ordering food”可知，1/5即20%的英国人因为语言障碍不能正确订餐，故选C。
3．How is the text mainly developed?
A．By analyzing causes. B．By giving examples.
C．By making description. D．By listing data.
解析：选D 篇章结构题。根据对文章的整体理解可知，本文列举了大量的数据来论证作者的观点，由此可推知，本文是通过列出数据来发展的，故选D。
