Question

    Learning a second language is tricky at any age and it only gets tougher the longer you wait to open that dusty French book. Now, in a new study, scientists have pinpointed the exact age at which your chances of reaching fluency in a second language seem to plummet: 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 10. But that doesn’t seem to be because language skills go downhill. “It turns out you’re still learning fast. It’s just that you run out of time, because your ability to learn starts dropping at around 17 or 18 years old,” says study co-author Joshua Hartshorne, an assistant professor of psychology at Boston College.

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 skilled 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 default (默认) to the rules and patterns of their first language, kids may be able to approach a new one with a blank slate (石板).

These findings may seem discouraging, but it was heartening for scientists to learn that the critical period for fluent language acquisition might be longer than they previously thought. Some scientists believed that the brief window closes shortly after birth, while others stretched it only to early adolescence. Compared to those estimates, 17 or 18 — when language learning ability starts to drop off — seems relatively old.

“People fared better when they learned by immersion (沉浸), rather than simply in a classroom. And moving to a place where your desired language is spoken is the best way to learn as an adult. If that’s not an option, you can mimic an immersive environment by finding ways to have conversations with native speakers in their own communities,” Hartshorne says. By doing so, it’s possible to become conversationally proficient — even without the advantage of a child’s brain.

1.The underlined word “plummet” in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to “__________”.

A.decrease B.rise

C.end D.vary

2.What can be inferred from Joshua Hartshorne’s words?

A.Children are too young to grasp a second language.

B.Age 10-18 is the best time to learn a second language.

C.Adults go beyond the critical period for learning a second language.

D.Communicating with native speakers enables you to master all the language skills.

3.Why adults can’t reach native-level fluency in a second language?

A.Adults are less influenced by their mother tongues.

B.Adults spend more time responding to new information.

C.Adults are only too willing to experience something awkward in the process.

D.Adults prefer an immersive environment to a classroom in learning a second language.

4.The passage is mainly about __________.

A.the best age to learn a second language

B.the approaches to learning a second language

C.why kids learn a second language more easily than adults

D.whether adults can learn a second language like their younger selves

Answer

1.A

2.C

3.D

4.C

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。文章通过研究发现，介绍了为什么孩子比大人更容易学会一门新的语言。

1.词义猜测题。根据第一段划线词所在句Now, in a new study, scientists have pinpointed the exact age at which your chances of reaching fluency in a second language seem to plummet: 10. 现在，科学家们在一项新的研究中精确地指出了你达到流利水平的第二语言的机会________确切年龄：10岁。再根据第二段中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 10. 这篇发表在《认知》杂志上的研究发现，如果语言学习者从10岁以后才开始学习第二语言，他们就“几乎不可能”达到母语水平的流利程度。可知，此处表示的是10岁以后才学习第二语言想达到流利水平的机会就会下降，因此猜测划线词plummet意为“下降，降低”。故选A项。

2.推理判断题。根据第二段中“It turns out you’re still learning fast. It’s just that you run out of time, because your ability to learn starts dropping at around 17 or 18 years old,” says study co-author Joshua Hartshorne, an assistant professor of psychology at Boston College.该研究报告的联名作者、波士顿学院心理学助理教授乔舒亚·哈特肖恩说：“事实上，你还是能学得很快。问题在于这时候你的时间已经不多了，因为到了17~18岁左右，人的学习能力就会开始下降。”以及第三段中“All learning involves the brain changing,” Hartshorne says, “and children’s brains seem to be a lot more skilled at changing.” 哈特肖恩说：“所有学习都跟大脑的改变有关，而孩子的大脑对改变的适应能力似乎比成年人强得多。”可知，乔舒亚•哈特肖恩认为成年人已经错过了学习第二语言的关键时期。故选C项。

3.细节理解题。根据最后一段中“People fared better when they learned by immersion (沉浸), rather than simply in a classroom. And moving to a place where your desired language is spoken is the best way to learn as an adult....” Hartshorne says.乔舒亚•哈特肖恩说：“通过浸入式学习，而不是简单地在教室里学习，人们的表现会更好。一个成年人学外语的时候，最好的学习方法是搬到一个使用你想学的语言的地方去……”。可知，成年人在学习第二语言时更应该选择身临其境的环境而不是在教室里。故选D项。

4.主旨大意题。根据第一段中Now, in a new study, scientists have pinpointed the exact age at which your chances of reaching fluency in a second language seem to plummet: 10. 现在，科学家们在一项新的研究中精确地指出了你达到流利的第二语言的机会下降的确切年龄：10岁；第二段中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 10. 这篇发表在《认知》杂志上的研究发现，如果语言学习者从10岁以后才开始学习第二语言，他们就“几乎不可能”达到母语水平的流利程度；第三段中Kids may be better than adults at learning new languages for many reasons. 在学习新语言方面，孩子们可能比成年人做得更好，原因有很多。再通读全文，可知，本文主要是介绍了研究发现了为什么孩子比大人更容易学会第二门新的语言。因此选项C“why kids learn a second language more easily than adults”符合题意。故选C项。