Violence has damaged relations between India and Pakistan ever since the two countries gained their independence from Britain almost 70 years ago. This history of conflict follows many Indians and Pakistanis when they come to the United States. But some of them are finding that many of their beliefs about the other side are misguided.

This spring, the University of California in Los Angeles offered a class that sought to help Indians and Pakistanis better understand each other. The class was taught in both Hindi and Urdu -- the languages of India and Pakistan. The goal of the class was to promote understanding between the two countries. Most of the students in the class were Indian- or Pakistani-Americans.

Gyanam Mahajan teaches language and culture classes at the university. She said she expected a separation between the two sides.

"It comes with the immigrant families that come out of India or Pakistan, and they come here with the dislike and mistrust with the other community, and when they come here they come with this baggage. They come with this feeling that Hindi and Urdu are different languages."

Hindi is one of the official languages of India. Urdu is the national language of Pakistan. The two languages use different writing systems. But they are so similar when spoken that people who understand one can understand the other. This surprised many students, including Indian-Americans Trisha Patel and Rohan Luhar.

"It's surprising to know that like you pronounce everything the same way."

"I didn't really know what Urdu was before taking this class."

Professor Mahajan says the class may help improve relations between the countries.

"As I say in my class, the future of South Asia is actually here in this country."

Trisha Patel and many of her classmates say the class showed them how much the two sides have in common.

University officials hope the class will help the students become "ambassadors of peace."

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1.70 years ago,India and Pakistan were under the control of___________.

A the United States

B India alone

C Britain

D Pakistan alone

解析：选C。C。细节理解题。由第一段...the two countries gained their independence from Britain...可知，70年前，这两个国家处在英国的殖民统治之下。

2.Why does the University of California offer a class taught in both Hindi and Urdu?

A To help them gain independence.

B To help them understand each other.

C To misguide them about their beliefs.

D To promote their economy.

解析：选B。B。细节理解题。由第二段...The goal of the class was to promote understanding between the two countries...可知，此课程的目的是促进两国的相互理解。

3.The underlined word “expectd” in paragraph 3 probably means__________.

A 期望

B 预计

C 要求

D 盼望

解析：选B。B。词义猜测题。Gyanam Mahajan说在之前，她以为这两个国家之间有差别，两国之间有隔阂。所以这里的expect应为：预计。

4.What do they feel surprised about?

A They dislike and mistrust each other.

B They have two different languages.

C They understand each other when speaking.

D They write differently.

解析：选C。C。推理判断题。印、巴之间，虽然文字书写体系不一样，但在口语上（发音、说话方式）是一样的，所以他们在交流时没有障碍，这令他们感到惊讶。

5.What can be inferred from the underlined sentence?

A The class will help them know that they two have much in common.

B The students in this class will become peace ambassadors.

C This class will show the future of the South Asia in America.

D This class will help promote the relations between the two countries.

解析：选D。D。推理判断题。这里的‘南亚的未来’指的是印、巴关系。