The most intensive period of speech and language development for humans is during the first three years of life, a period when the brain is developing and maturing. These skills appear to develop best in a world that is rich with sounds, sights, and consistent（一致的，协调的，相容的）exposure（揭发）to the speech and language of others.
There is increasing evidence suggesting that there are "critical periods" for speech and language development in infants and young children. This means that the developing brain is best able to absorb a language, any language, during this period. The beginning signs of communication occur during the first few days of life when an infant learns that a cry will bring food, comfort, and companionship. As they grow, infants begin to sort out the speech sounds (phonemes) or building blocks that compose the words of their language. Research has shown that by six months of age, most children recognize the basic sounds of their native language
As the speech mechanism (jaw, lips, and tongue) and voice mature, an infant is able to make controlled sound. By six months of age, an infant usually babbles or produces repetitive syllables such as "ba, ba, ba" or "da, da, da." By the end of their first year, most children have mastered the ability to say a few simple words. Children are most likely unaware of the meaning of their first words, but soon learn the power of those words as others respond to them.
By eighteen months of age, most children can say eight to ten words. By age two, most are putting words together in crude sentences such as "more milk." During this period, children rapidly learn that words symbolize or represent objects, actions, and thoughts. At this age they also engage in representational or pretend play. At ages three, four, and five, a child's vocabulary rapidly increases, and he or she begins to master the rules of language.
1．According to the passage, which of the statements is NOT true
A．The developing brain is best able to absorb any language.
B．The beginning signs of communication occur during the first few days of life.
C．By six months of age, all children recognize the basic sounds of their native language.
D．By 2, children rapidly learn that words symbolize or represent objects, actions, and thoughts.
2．We can infer from the passage that____
A．by six months of age, an infant must babble or produce repetitive syllables
B．by their first year, most children are most likely aware of the meaning of their first words
C．by 2, children rapidly learn that words symbolize or represent objects, actions, and thoughts
D．the brain development is critical to develop children’s speech and language ability
3．That there are “critical periods” for speech and language development in infants and young children means ______
A．that children are so young that it is easy for them to study
B．that the developing brain is best able to absorb a language, any language
C．that the children are eager to learn the language
D．that we must take care of children
4 In Paragraph 3, the underlined word “mechanism” can be replaced by ______.
A．organs B．skills C．abilities D．habits
Yesterday's paper had a short article about the Coming-of-Age ceremony in a large city in Japan. According to the article, the mayor of the city formally apologized to an enraged professor who delivered a speech at the ceremony that was all but ignored by 20-year-olds in the city.
The officials prepared 7,000 seats in a gymnasium where the ceremony was held for the 17,000 twenty-year-olds residing in the city. But most of the seats were empty during the speech. And many of the 20-year-olds who did show up ignored the professor and spoke among themselves or talked on their mobile phones. Some even made a ruckus (骚动) outside the gymnasium.
One 20-year-old who attended the ceremony said youngsters came to the ceremony not to
listen to speeches but to see their classmates. The mayor criticized the young generation at a news conference on Tuesday, saying such behavior "is symbolic of the postwar era which failed to
nurture healthy character and social intelligece."
Personally I feel people should not generalize the whole generation or the whole era when he criticizes something. But it is also true generation gap is getting bigger and bigger regarding the ceremony of Coming-of-Age Day. So far this ceremony has been held with citizens' tax money. Many older generations understand this festival as an entrance ceremony of adults' world which requires maturity including responsibility, patience, and cooperativeness. Older people tend to be "educational" to younger ones, while younger people tend to feel they finally obtain a right to behave freely because they are now adults. Though, ironically, young people have to ask their parents to buy them new clothes for the ceremony.
It is about time to change the way we celebrate this festival, I think. The idea of blessing new 20-year-olds is not so bad. But there seems to be some other ways to celebrate more properly. The present way seems to me a little superficial and materialistic. It can provide solutionless arguments between different generations, instead of friendships and respects. Instead of eternally complaining about the young's behaviors at the ceremonies, people should consider how they can make their ceremonies worthier, I feel.
1．We can infer from the passage that
A．in Japan, girls and boys, when they are 20 years old, come to their adulthood
B．there are 7,000 twenty-year-olds residents in the city
C．the mayor criticized the young generation at a news conference
D．it’s about time to change the way we celebrate the Coming-of-Age
2．When the professor was giving a speech the 20-years-olds are NOT________.
A．talking with each other B．chatting on their mobile phones
C．talking with the professor D．making ruckus outside
3．According to the author _________
A．the festival is an entrance ceremony of adults’ world which requires maturity including responsibility, patience, and cooperativeness
B．the young people tend to obtain a right to behave freely because they are now adults
C．young people have to ask their parents to buy them new clothes for the ceremony
D．it’s time to end complaining about the young’s behaviors at the ceremonies, and people should consider how to make their ceremonies worthier
4．What’s the best title for the passage
A．There are solutionless arguments between different generations.
B．Coming-of-Age ceremony should be much worthier.
C．Old people should be educational to young people
D．The younger ones’ behaviors stand for an era which failed to nurture healthy character and social intelligence
第二部分 阅读理解(共两节，满分50分)
第一节 阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。(共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分)
Mickey’s Goal
Last night was the last game for my eight-year-old son’s soccer team. It was the final quarter. The score was two to one, my son’s team in the lead. Parents surrounded the playground, offering encouragement.
With less than ten seconds remaining, the ball suddenly rolled in front of my son’s teammate, Mickey O’ Donnel. With shouts of “Kick it!” echoing（回响）across the playground, Mickey
turned around and gave it everything he had. All around me the crowd erupted （沸腾）. O’ Donnel
had scored!m
Then there was silence. Mickey had scored all right, but in the wrong goal, ending the game in a tie. For a moment there was a total hush. You see, Mickey has Down syndrome（综合症）and for him there is no such thing as a wrong goal. All goals were celebrated by a joyous hug from Mickey. He had even been known to hug the opposing players when they scored.
The silence was finally broken when Mickey, his face filled with joy, hugged my son tightly and shouted, “I scored! I scored. Everybody won! Everybody won!” For a moment I held my breath, not sure how my son would react. I need not have worried. I watched, through tears, as my son threw up his hand in the classic high-five salute and started chanting, “Way to go Mickey! Way to go Mickey!” Within moments both teams surrounded Mickey, joining in the chant and congratulating him on his goal
Later that night, when my daughter asked who had won, I smiled as I replied, “It was a tie. Everybody won.
1．What was the score of the soccer matchm
A．Two to two, equal to both the teams.
B．Three to one in Mickey’s team’s favor.
C．Two to one in the opposite team’s favor.
D．Everybody won because of Mickey’s goal.
2．What did the author worry about when Mickey scored and hugged his son?
A．The result of the match would fail his son.
B．His son would shout at Mickey for his goal.
C．Mickey would again hug the opposing players.
D．His son would understand Mickey’s wrong goal.
3．It can be inferred from the passage that________.
A．both teams liked and respected Mickey.
B．both teams were thankful to Mickey for his goal.
C．Mickey didn’t mind though his goal was wrong
D．Mickey was a kind-hearted boy and hoped everybody won.
4．The purpose of the author in writing the passage is _______.
A．to tell a joke to make readers laugh.
B．to suggest we should not mind losing .
C．to show enjoying a game is more than winning a game
D．to present his son’s fine qualities of understanding others
第二节 完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Yesenia is a brave and nice person who has passed challenges in her life. And learning from
the past always makes her a focused person. Are you _____21_____ to know more about hts mysterious girl? Then let’s get started here.
First, her life was ______22______ for a girl of her age at that time because her childhood wasn’t as ______23_______ as other girls. It _______24________ with the death of her grandmother with whom she had a great relationship. Then, when she was eight years old, her ______25____ left because he had a fight with her mother over another woman. So she didn’t have a _____26____ family to raise her.
But, ______27______ time passed, she forgot her sadness and became the same girl again. After that, she had a(n) ________28_________ when she was in her grandmother’s house. It ______29_______ when she was playing with a lighted candle, and _______30______, the candle fell onto the table. The tablecloth caught fire and the flames ________31_______ her on the chest and on the arm.
No matter what happened, however, she continued to _______32______ in school. She graduated from school in 2000 and got the _______33_______she had expected. Then, she moved to America for ______34_______ study. English was very _____35____ for her because she had never studied it before. _____36_____, she worked as a volunteer in a hospital because she didn’t want to see people _____37_____ from accidents. This experience _____38_____ her braver.
Yesenia is a girl who has experienced ___39______ sufferings in her life but who I think will be happy in the USA and she really ______40______ it.
21. A. confused B. serious C. curious D. tired
22. A. difficult B. lucky C. dull D. disappointing
23. A. happy B. equal C. real D. surprising
24. A. ended B. started C. combined D. mixed
25. A. grandfather B. sister C. brother D. father
26. A. complete B. big C. modern D. comfortable
27. A. after B. as C. since D. for
28. A. story B. experience C. accident D. lesson
29. A. showed up B. appeared C. happened D. took place
30. A. unacceptably B. undoubtedly C. unnaturally D. unfortunately
31. A. hit B. exploded C. spread D. burned
32. A. live B. work C. study D. calm
33. A. prize B. diploma C. reward D. praise
34. A. farther B. further C. farthest D. furthest
35. A. difficult B. pleasant C. easy D. popular
36. A. However B. Thus C. Also D. Therefore
37. A. benefit B. suffer C. lose D. recover
38. A. kept B. made C. forced D. drove
39. A. many B. little C. few D. much
40. A. satisfies B. catches C. suits D. deserves
___________ speaking English well, the young girl can write good essays in the language.
A. Not only B. Except C. Unless D. Besides
–Jane, I’ve bought a beautiful skirt for you.
--It’s really beautiful, but it is ______ for me.
A. too small a little B. a little too small
C. too a little small D. a too little small
