Language learning begins with listening. Children are greatly different in the a

Language learning begins with listening. Children aregreatly different in the amount of listening they do before they startspeaking, 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 delightedcooperation usually shown by the child. Before they can speak, many childrenwill also ask questions by gesture and by making questioning noises.

     Any attempt to study thedevelopment from the noises babies make to their first spoken words leads toconsiderable difficulties. It is agreed that they enjoy making noises, and thatduring the first few months one or two noises sort themselves as particularlyexpressive as delight, pain, friendliness, and so on. But sincethese can't besaid to show the baby's intention to communicate, they can hardly be regarded asearly forms of language. It is agreed, too, that from about three months theyplay with sounds for enjoyment, and that by six months they are able to add newwords to their store. This self-imitation leads on to deliberate (有意的) imitation of sounds made or words spoken to them byother people. The problem then arises as to the point at which one can say thatthese imitations can be considered as speech.

     It is a problem we need toget out. The meaning of a word depends on what a particular person means by itin a particular situation and it is clear that what a child means by a wordwill change as he gains more experience of the world.Thus the use at sevenmonths of"mama" as a greeting for his mother cannot be dismissed as ameaningless 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 whatother people say continues after the child has begun to speak for himself, Idoubt, however, whether anything is gained when parents take advantage of thisability 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 byobeying spoken instructions

D. they can't understand and obey the adult's oralinstructions

2.Children who start speaking late _____.

A. may have problems with their listening

B. probably do not hear enough language spoken aroundthem

C. usually pay close attention to what they hear

D. often take a long time in learning to listenproperly

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 problem of deciding at what point a baby'simitations can be considered as speech _____.

A. is important because words have different meaningsfor different people

B. is one that should be properly understood becausethe meaning of words changes with age

C. is not especially important because the changeovertakes place gradually

D. is one that should be completely ignored (忽略) because children's use of words is often meaningless

5.The author implies _____.

A. parents can never hope to teach their children newsounds

B. even after they have learnt to speak, childrenstill enjoy imitating

C. children no longer imitate people after they beginto speak

D. children who are good at imitating learn new wordsmore quickly

试题答案

【答案】

1.B

2.D

3.A

4.C

5.B

【解析】

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