Question

    Learning a second language is tricky at any age. Now, in a new study, scientists have worked out the exact age at which your chances of reaching fluency in a second language seem to drop: 10.

The study, published in the journal Cognition, found that it's nearly impossible for language learners to reach native-level fluency if they start learning a second tongue after age 10. But that's not because language skills start to go downhill. "It turns out you're still learning fast, "says study co-author Joshua Hartshorne, an assistant professor of psychology at Boston College. "It's just that you run out of time, because your ability to learn starts dropping at around 17 or 18 years old. People who start a few years after age 10 may still become quite good at a language," the authors say, "but they are unlikely to become fluent." Kids may be better than adults at learning new languages for many reasons. Children's brains are more plastic than those of adults, meaning they're better able to adapt and respond to new information. "All learning involves the brain changing," Hartshorne says, "and children's brains seem to be a lot more skillful at changing. " Kids may also be more willing to try new things and to potentially look foolish in the process than adults are. Their comparatively new grasp on their native tongue may also be advantageous. Unlike adults, who tend to obey the rules and patterns of their first language, kids may be able to approach a new one with a blank page.

These findings might seem discouraging, but it was heartening for scientists to learn that  the critical(关键的) period for fluent language acquisition might be longer than previously thought. Some scientists believed that the window began to close shortly after birth, while others extended it to early adolescence. Compared with those estimates (评估), age 17 or 18 — when language-learning ability starts to drop off—may seem relatively old.

1.What is the best period to learn a second language?

A.Before ten. B.Early adolescence. C.Age fifteen. D.Age seventeen or eighteen.

2.When it comes to new things, what does the writer think of kids compared with adults?

A.They're less skillful. B.They're less interested.

C.They're more flexible. D.They're more stubborn.

3.What does the underlined word "window" in the last paragraph refer to?

A.Interest. B.Chance. C.Confidence. D.Motivation.

4.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A.It's Never Too late to Learn a Second Language.

B.It Takes Time to Be Good at a Second Language.

C.Do We Really Need to Learn Foreign Languages?

D.Why Kids Learn Languages More Easily than Adults.

Answer

1.A

2.C

3.B

4.D

【解析】

本文为说明文。本文主要介绍了孩子比成年人更容易学语言，因为孩子在10岁以前更易更愿意尝试新事物，这对他们掌握新语言也是有利的。

1.细节理解题。根据第一段“Now, in a new study, scientists have worked out the exact age at which your chances of reaching fluency in a second language seem to drop: 10”以及第二段“The study, published in the journal Cognition, found that it's nearly impossible for language learners to reach native-level fluency if they start learning a second tongue after age 10.”可知，科学家们已经计算出讲流利的第二语言确切年龄是10岁。如果语言学习者在10岁以后开始学习第二种语言，他们几乎不可能达到母语水平的流利程度。由此可知，学习语言的最佳时期是在十岁前，故选A。

2.推理判断题。根据第二段Children's brains are more plastic than those of adults, meaning they' re better able to adapt and respond to new information. "All learning involves the brain changing, " Hartshorne says," and children's brains seem to be a lot more skillful at changing. "Kids may also be more willing to try new things and to potentially look foolish in the process than adults are.可知，孩子们的大脑似乎更善于改变。孩子们也可能比成年人更愿意尝试新事物。由此可推断出孩子与成年人相比，孩子们更灵活。所以当谈到新事物时，作者认为孩子和成年人相比孩子们更灵活，故选C。

3.猜测词义题。根据最后一段中划线词的上一句“the critical(关键的) period for fluent language acquisition might be longer than previously thought.”可知，学习语言的关键期可能比以前的要长些，即流利学习语言的机会长了。由此可推测出此处是指语言学习能力的“机会（Chance）”，故选B。

4.主旨大意题。第一段提出“学习语言的最佳时期是在10岁”。下文用研究来说明为什么儿童在这时更容易学好语言。研究表明如果语言学习者在10岁以后开始学习第二种语言，他们几乎不可能达到母语水平的流利程度，因为孩子们在对待新生事物时更灵活，对他们较好掌握新语言是有利的。因此D项（为什么孩子比成年人更容易学语言）为短文最佳标题。故选D。