Question

    Newborns begin to develop language skills long before they begin speaking. And, compared to adults, they develop these skills more quickly. People have a hard time learning new languages as they grow older, but babies have the ability to learn any language easily.

For a long time, scientists have tried to explain how such young children can learn the complicated (复杂的) grammatical rules and sounds of a language. Now, researchers are getting a better idea of what’s happening in the brains of the tiniest language learners. This new information might help kids with learning problems as well as adults who want to learn new languages. It might even help scientists who are trying to design computers that can communicate like people do.

Most babies go “ma ma” by 6 months of age, and most children speak in full sentences by age 3. For many years, scientists have wondered how the brains of young children figure out how to communicate using language. With help from new technologies, scientists are now finding that babies begin life with the ability to learn any language. They get into contact (接触) with other people, listen to what they say and watch their movements very closely. That is why they quickly master the languages they hear most often.

Studies show that, up to about 6 months of age, babies can recognize all the sounds that make up all the languages in the world. Starting at around 6 months old a baby’s brain focuses on the most common sounds it hears. Then, children begin responding only to the sounds of the language they hear the most.

In a similar way older babies start recognizing the patterns that make up the rules of their native language. For example, English children who are about 18 months old start to figure out that words ending in “-ing” or “-ed” are usually verbs, and that verbs are action words.

1.Which of the following opinions does the author agree with?

A. Babies are really good language learners.

B. Adults should learn languages like babies.

C. It’s better to learn a new language at an early age.

D. Babies should be trained to improve language skills.

2.The researchers found out that babies learn a language mainly by _____.

A. repeating the words of other people

B. remembering the full sentences they hear

C. hearing and closely watching others speak

D. figuring out the meaning of different sounds

3.In the last two paragraphs, the author explains _____.

A. why babies pay more attention to sounds

B. how babies respond to what they hear most often

C. why verbs in a language attract the most attention of a baby

D. how babies master the grammatical rules of their native language

Answer

1.A

2.C

3.D

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。本文说明了婴儿学习语言的能力比成人要强，并且介绍了一个能够帮助有学习障碍的人的研究机构。

1.细节理解题。根据第一段最后一句but babies have the ability to learn any language easily.可知，人们很难学习新的语言，但是婴儿很容易学习任何语言，故选A。

2.细节理解题。根据第三段中They get into contact (接触) with other people, listen to what they say and watch their movements very closely. That is why they quickly master the languages they hear most often.可知，他们可以接触到其他人，仔细听他们说什么，认真观察他们的说话方式，这就是为什么他们很快掌握他们经常听到的语言的原因。可知研究人员发现婴儿主要通过听和观察别人说话来学习语言的，故选C。

3.推理判断题。阅读最后两段Studies show that, up to about 6 months of age, babies can recognize all the sounds that make up all the languages in the world...可知，这两段主要讲了6个月大的婴儿能够识别世界上语言的所有声音， 然后，孩子们开始只回应他们听到的语言的声音，年长的婴儿也开始认识到构成他们母语规则。这两段解释了孩子是如何掌握母语的语法规则的，故选D。