Question

Language learning begins with listening. Children are greatly different in the amount of listening they do before they start speaking, and later starters are often long listeners. Most children will “obey” spoken instructions some time before they can speak, though the word “obey” is hardly accurate as a description of the eager and delighted cooperation usually shown by the child. Before they can speak, many children will also ask questions by gesture and by making questioning noises.

Any attempt to study the development from the noises babies make to their first spoken words leads to considerable difficulties. It is agreed that they enjoy making noises, and that during the first few months one or two noises sort themselves as particularly expressive as delight, pain, friendliness, and so on. But since these can’t be said to show the baby’s intention to communicate, they can hardly be regarded as early forms of language. It is agreed, too, that from about three months they play with sounds for enjoyment, and that by six months they are able to add new words to their store. This self-imitation leads on to deliberate imitation of sounds made or words spoken to them by other people. The problem then arises as to the point at which one can say that these imitations can be considered as speech.

It is a problem we need to get our teeth into. The meaning of a word depends on what a particular person means by it in a particular situation and it is clear that what a child means by a word will change as he gains more experience of the world. Thus the use at seven months of “mama” as a greeting for his mother cannot be dismissed as a meaningless sound simply because he also uses it at other times for his father, his dog, or anything else he likes. Playful and meaningless imitation of what other people say continues after the child has begun to speak for himself. I doubt, however, whether anything is gained when parents take advantage of this ability in an attempt to teach new sounds.

1.Before children start speaking       .

A. they need equal amount of listening

B. they need different amounts of listening

C. they are all eager to cooperate with the adults by obeying spoken instructions

D. they can’t understand and obey the adult’s oral instructions

2.Children who start speaking late       .

A. may have problems with their listening

B. probably do not hear enough language spoken around them

C. usually pay close attention to what they hear

D. often take a long time in learning to listen property

3.A baby’s first noises are       .

A. an expression of his moods and feelings

B. an early form of language

C. a sign that he means to tell you something

D. an imitation of the speech of adults

4.The writer implies       .

A. parents can never hope to teach their children new sounds

B. children no longer imitate people after they begin to speak

C. children who are good at imitating learn new words more quickly

D. even after they have learnt to speak, children still enjoy imitating

Answer

1.B

2.D

3.A

4.D

【解析】本文讲语言学习从听开始，听得越多，讲得越好。婴儿起初的声音不算语言，而是一种情感的表达。但从何时开始算语言并不重要，因为这个转变是个渐变过程。孩子即使开始讲话，他们始终还是喜欢模仿。

1.细节理解题。由文章开头第二句“Children are greatly different in the amount of listening they do before they start speaking,”可知，孩子在开始说话之前需要不同数量的倾听。故选B.

2.细节理解题。由文章第二句中and later starters are often long listeners可知，开始讲话越晚，学倾听的时间就越长。故选D.

3.细节理解题。根据文章第二段中的“during the first few months one or two noises sort themselves as particularly expressive as delight, pain, friendliness, and so on.”可知，婴儿一开始发出的声音是对自己情感的表达。故选A.

4.细节理解题。根据最后一段中的“Playful and meaningless imitation of what other people say continues after the child has begun to speak for himself.”可知，孩子哪怕学会了自己说话也喜欢模仿。故选D.