Question 12 is based on the passage you have just heard.

Passage Two

 听力原文

    (12) [The idea to study the American Indian tribe, Tarahumaras, came to James Copeland in 1984, when he discovered that very little research had been done on their language.] He contacted a tribe member through a social worker who worked with the tribesmen in Mexico. At first, the tribe member, named Gonzalez, was very reluctant to cooperate. He told Copeland that no amount of money could buy his language. But after Copeland explained to him what he intended to do with his research and how it would benefit the Tarahumaras, Gonzalez agreed to help. (13) [He took Copeland to his village and served as an intermediary.] Copeland says: “Thanks to him, the Tarahumaras understood what our mission was and started trusting us.” 

    (14) [Entering the world of the Tarahumaras has been a laborious project for Copeland.] To reach their homeland, he must drive two and a half days from Houston, Texas. He loads up his vehicle with goods that the tribesmen can’t easily get and gives the goods to them as a gesture of friendship. The Tarahumaras, who don’t believe in accumulating wealth, take the food and share it among themselves.

    For Copeland, the experience has not only been academically satisfying, but also has enriched his life in several ways. “I see people rejecting technology and living a very hard, traditional life, which offers me another notion about the meaning of progress in the western tradition,” he says. “I experience the simplicity of living in nature that I would otherwise only be able to read about. (15) [I see a lot of beauty in their sense of sharing and concern for each other.”]

12. Why did James Copeland want to study the American Indian Tarahumaras?

解析：A。录音开头提到了科普兰研究Tarahumaras部落的原因：他发现人们对于该部落语言的研究极少（he discovered that very little research had been done on their language）。A项是对此内容的同义转述，其中little research和on their language属于录音中原词复现，故A项为正确答案。

错项排除：录音中只提到科普兰想要研究塔拉乌马拉的语言，并未说研究的目的是保护这些印第安语言，B项中的trying to preserve属于过度推断，可排除。科普兰和社会工作者以及冈萨雷斯的交流虽有提及，但这是在科普兰萌生研究部落的想法之后所做的事，并不是产生该想法的起因，故可排除C项和D项。