Question

    Studies show that language learning in babies is improved when parents speak more than a few simple words and use a wider vocabulary(词汇). Earlier research found that the style of speech used by parents to communicate with their baby could increase language development.

One such speaking style is known as "parentese". Research has shown that babies react (反应) better to this kind of language in the first months of life. Generally, "parentese" requires adults to speak in a higher voice and at a slower speed. The language is made easier to understand, while sentences are short and often repeated.

Can parents be taught good ways to improve their "parentese" skills? Patricia Kuhl, a professor of speech and hearing sciences, carried out a study on it. She says the purpose of the study was to find out whether a parent can be "trained" to create their own speaking style to improve language learning in children.

Naja Ferjan Ramirez helped lead the study. "Most parents know that the amount(数量) of language their child hears is important," Ferjan Ramrez said. "What we shared with them through training is that how they talk to their baby may matter even more."

For the study, parents were given a small recording device(设备), which they put inside a piece of their baby's clothing. All spoken communication from parents and the child was recorded. The recordings were made at three different periods of the child's life: when the child was six, ten and fourteen months old. The parents were divided into two groups: a control group and an intervention(干预) group. Those in the intervention group received training after their six and ten month recordings.

The study found that between the ages of six and fourteen months, trained parents increased the amount of speech directed to the child and their use of "parentese" by 15 percent. Parents in the control group showed less growth in those areas, about 7 percent.

1.What can parents do to improve their baby's language learning?

A.Communicate with their baby with a few simple words.

B.Communicate with their baby with a wider vocabulary.

C.Communicate with their baby using longer sentences.

D.Communicate with their baby in a gentle voice.

2.What can we learn about "parentese" from the text?

A.It means that adults talk with their babies in a lower voice.

B.It means that the language parents use becomes more difficult.

C.It means that adults talk with their babies more quickly.

D.It means that the sentences parents use are short.

3.According to Ferjan Ramirez, what do the researchers want parents to know about through training?

A.The importance of the amount of language their child hears.

B.The importance of the type of language their child understands.

C.The importance of the way parents talk to their children.

D.The importance of high and low voices when parents talk to children.

4.What is Paragraph 5 mainly about?

A.What the study needed. B.How the study was carried out.

C.The reason why the study was carried out. D.The advantages of the study.

5.What can be concluded(推断) from the study mentioned above?

A.Trained parents are more likely(可能的) to improve their children's language learning.

B.Six to fourteen months is the best time to improve children's language learning.

C.Parents in the control group used more "parentese" than in the intervention group.

D.Trained parents needed to use "parentese" for at least fourteen months.

Answer

1.B

2.D

3.C

4.B

5.A

【解析】

文章大意：文章通过怎样与婴儿交流能更加促进婴儿的语言学习能力为引子，得出父母的教育方式对婴儿的生长发育具有很重要的作用的结论。

1.

细节理解题。根据文中“Studies show that language learning in babies is improved when parents speak more than a few simple words and use a wider vocabulary(词汇).” 研究表明，当父母多说几个简单的单词并使用更广泛的词汇时，婴儿的语言学习会得到改善。可知，父母能用更广泛的词汇与宝宝交流，来提高孩子的语言学习能力，故答案为B。

2.

细节理解题。根据文中“Generally, ‘parentese’ requires adults to speak in a higher voice and at a slower speed. The language is made easier to understand, while sentences are short and often repeated.” 一般来说，“家长语”要求成年人说话声音要高一些，语速要慢一些。语言变得更容易理解，而句子很短而且经常重复。可知，从课文中我们能学到关于“家长语”，这意味着父母使用的句子很短。故答案为D。

3.

细节理解题。根据文中“‘Most parents know that the amount(数量) of language their child hears is important,’ Ferjan Ramrez said. ‘What we shared with them through training is that how they talk to their baby may matter even more.’” “大多数父母都知道他们孩子听到的语言的数量是很重要的，”费扬·拉姆雷斯说，“我们通过培训与他们分享的是，他们如何与孩子交谈可能更重要。”可知，根据费扬·拉米雷斯的说法，研究人员希望家长们通过培训了解到父母和孩子谈话方式的重要性。故答案为C。

4.

细节理解题。根据文中“The recordings were made at three different periods of the child's life: when the child was six, ten and fourteen months old. The parents were divided into two groups: a control group and an intervention(干预) group. Those in the intervention group received training after their six and ten month recordings.” 这些录音是在孩子生命的三个不同时期进行的：孩子六个月大、十个月大和十四个月大。父母分为两组：对照组和干预组。干预组在六个月和十个月后接受训练。可知，第5段主要是关于研究是如何进行的。故答案为B。

5.

主旨大意题。根据文章内容可知，文章通过怎样与婴儿交流能更加促进婴儿的语言学习能力为引子，得出父母的教育方式对婴儿的生长发育具有很重要的作用的结论。可知，受过训练的父母更有可能提高孩子的语言学习能力。故答案为A。