Language learning begins with listening. Children are greatly different in the amount of listening they do
 before they start speaking, and later starters are often long listeners. Most children will "obey" spoken
 instructions some time before they can speak, though the word "obey" is hardly accurate as a 
description of the eager and delighted cooperation usually shown by the child. Before they can speak,
 many children will also ask questions by gesture and by making questioning noises. Any attempt to study
 the development from the noises babies make to their first spoken words leads to considerable difficulties. It is agreed that they enjoy making noises, and that during the first few months one or two noises sort
 themselves as particularly expressive as delight, pain, friendliness, and so on. But since these can't be
 said to show the baby's intention to communicate, they can hardly be regarded as early forms of
 language. It is agreed, too, that from about three months they play with sounds for enjoyment, and that
 by six months they are able to add new words to their store. This self-imitation leads on to deliberate (有意的) imitation of sounds made or words spoken to them by other people. The problem then arises as to
 the point at which one can say that these imitations can be considered as speech. It is a problem we need
 to get out. The meaning of a word depends on what a particular person means by it in a particular 
situation and it is clear that what a child means by a word will change as he gains more experience of the
 world .Thus the use at seven months of "mama" as a greeting for his mother cannot be dismissed as a
 meaningless sound simply because he also uses it at other times for his father, his dog, or anything else he
 likes. Playful and meaningless imitation of what other people say continues after the child has begun to
 speak for himself, I doubt, however, whether anything is gained when parents take advantage of this
 ability in an attempt to teach new sounds.

1. Before children start speaking, ________.

A. they need equal amount of listening      
B. they need different amounts of listening
C. they are all eager to cooperate with the adults by obeying spoken instructions
D. they can't understand and obey the adult's oral instructions

2. Children who start speaking late ________.

A. may have problems with their listening
B. probably do not hear enough language spoken around them
C. usually pay close attention to what they hear
D. often take a long time in learning to listen properly

3. A baby's first noises are ________.

A. an expression of his moods and feelings　　  
B. an early form of language
C. a sign that he means to tell you something　
D. an imitation of the speech of adults

4. The problem of deciding at what point a baby's imitations can be considered as speech _____.

A. is important because words have different meanings for different people
B. is one that should be properly understood because the meaning of words changes with age
C. is not especially important because the changeover takes place gradually 
D. is one that should be completely ignored (忽略) because children's use of words is often meaningless 

5. The author implies______.

A. parents can never hope to teach their children new sounds
B. even after they have learnt to speak, children still enjoy imitating 
C. children no longer imitate people after they begin to speak
D. children who are good at imitating learn new words more quickly

     Language learning begins with listening. Children are greatly different in the amount of listening they do
before they start speaking, and later starters are often long listeners. Most children will"obey" spoken
instructions some time before they can speak, though the word "obey" is hardly accurate as a description
of the eager and delighted cooperation usually shown by the child. Before they can speak, many children
will also ask questions by gesture and by making questioning noises.
     Any attempt to study the development from the noises babies make to their first spoken words leads to
considerable difficulties. It is agreed that they enjoy making noises, and that during the first few months one
or two noises sort themselves as particularly expressive as delight, pain, friendliness, and so on. But since
these can't be said to show the baby's intention to communicate, they can hardly be regarded as early forms
of language. It is agreed, too, that from about three months they play with sounds for enjoyment, and that
by six months they are able to add new words to their store. This self-imitation leads on to deliberate (有意
的) imitation of sounds made or words spoken to them by other people. The problem then arises as to the
point at which one can say that these imitations can be considered as speech.
     It is a problem we need to get out. The meaning of a word depends on what a particular person means
by it in a particular situation and it is clear that what a child means by a word will change as he gains more
experience of the world.Thus the use at seven months of"mama" as a greeting for his mother cannot be
dismissed as a meaningless sound simply because he also uses it at other times for his father, his dog, or
anything else he likes. Playful and meaningless imitation of what other people say continues after the child
has begun to speak for himself, I doubt, however, whether anything is gained when parents take advantage
of this ability in an attempt to teach new sounds.

1. Before children start speaking, _____.

A. they need equal amount of listening
B. they need different amounts of listening
C. they are all eager to cooperate with the adults by obeying spoken instructions
D. they can't understand and obey the adult's oral instructions

2. Children who start speaking late _____.

A. may have problems with their listening
B. probably do not hear enough language spoken around them
C. usually pay close attention to what they hear
D. often take a long time in learning to listen properly

3. A baby's first noises are _____.

A. an expression of his moods and feelings　　
B. an early form of language
C. a sign that he means to tell you something　
D. an imitation of the speech of adults

4. The problem of deciding at what point a baby's imitations can be considered as speech _____.

A. is important because words have different meanings for different people
B. is one that should be properly understood because the meaning of words changes with age
C. is not especially important because the changeover takes place gradually
D. is one that should be completely ignored (忽略) because children's use of words is often meaningless

4. The author implies _____.

A. parents can never hope to teach their children new sounds
B. even after they have learnt to speak, children still enjoy imitating
C. children no longer imitate people after they begin to speak
D. children who are good at imitating learn new words more quickly

     Language learning begins with listening. Children are greatly different in the amount of listening they do
before they start speaking, and later starters are often long listeners. Most children will "obey" spoken
instructions some time before they can speak, though the word "obey" is hardly accurate as a description of
the eager and delighted cooperation usually shown by the child. Before they can speak, many children will
also ask questions by gesture and by making questioning noises.
     Any attempt to study the development from the noises babies make to their first spoken words leads to
considerable difficulties. It is agreed that they enjoy making noises, and that during the first few months one
or two noises sort themselves as particularly expressive as delight, pain, friendliness, and so on. But since
these can't be said to show the baby's intention to communicate, they can hardly be regarded as early forms
of language. It is agreed, too, that from about three months they play with sounds for enjoyment, and that by
six months they are able to add new words to their store. This selfimitation (模仿) leads on to deliberate (有意
的) imitation of sounds made or words spoken to them by other people. The problem then arises as to the point
at which one can say that these imitations can be considered as speech.
     It is a problem we need to get out teeth into. The meaning of a word depends on what a particular person
means by it in a particular situation and it is clear that what a child means by a word will change as he gains
more experience of the world. Thus the use at seven months of "mama" as a greeting for his mother cannot be
dismissed as a meaningless sound simply because he also uses it at other times for his father, his dog, or
anything else he likes. Playful and meaningless imitation of what other people say continues after the child has
begun to speak for himself, I doubt, however whether anything is gained when parents take advantage of this
ability in an attempt to teach new sounds.

1. Before children start speaking _____.

A. they need equal amount of listening
B. they need different amounts of listening
C. they are all eager to cooperate with the adults by obeying spoken instructions
D. they can't understand and obey the adult's oral instructions

2. Children who start speaking late _____.

A. may have problems with their listening
B. probably do not hear enough language spoken around them
C. usually pay close attention to what they hear
D. often take a long time in learning to listen properly

3. The problem of deciding at what point a baby's imitations can be considered as speech _____.

A. is important because words have different meanings for different people
B. is not especially important because the changeover takes place gradually
C. is one that should be properly understood because the meaning of words changes with age
D. is one that should be completely ignored (忽略) because children's use of words is often meaningless

4. The speaker wants to tell us that _____.

A. parents can never hope to teach their children new sounds
B. children no longer imitate people after they begin to speak
C. even after they have learnt to speak,children still enjoy imitating
D. children who are good at imitating learn new words more quickly

     Language learning begins with listening. Children are greatly different in the amount of listening they do 
before they start speaking, and later starters are often long listeners. Most children will "obey" spoken 
instructions some time before they can speak, though the word "obey" is hardly accurate as a description 
of the eager and delighted cooperation usually shown by the child. Before they can speak, many children 
will also ask questions by gesture and by making questioning noises.
     Any attempt to study the development from the noises babies make to their first spoken words leads 
to considerable difficulties. It is agreed that they enjoy making noises, and that during the first few months 
one or two noises sort themselves as particularly expressive as delight, pain, friendliness, and so on. But 
since these can't be said to show the baby's intention to communicate, they can hardly be regarded as 
early forms of language. It is agreed, too, that from about three months they play with sounds for 
enjoyment, and that by six months they are able to add new words to their store. This self-imitation
(模仿) leads on to deliberate (有意的) imitation of sounds made or words spoken to them by other 
people. The problem then arises as to the point at which one can say that these imitations can be 
considered as speech.
     It is a problem we need to get out teeth into. The meaning of a word depends on what a particular 
person means by it in a parti cular situation and it is clear that what a child means by a word will change
 as he gains more experience of the world .Thus the use at seven months of “mama” as a greeting for 
his mother cannot be dismissed as a meaningless sound simply because he also uses it at other times for 
his father, his dog, or anything else he likes. Playful and meaningless imitation of what other people say 
continues  after the child has begun to speak for himself, I doubt, however whether anything is gained 
when parents take advantage of this ability in an attempt to teach new sounds.   

1. Before children start speaking _____.

A. they need equal amount of listening
B. they need different amounts of listening
C. they are all eager to cooperate with the adults by obeying spoken instructions
D. they can’t understand and obey the adult’s oral instructions

2. Children who start speaking late _____.

A. may have problems with their listening
B. probably do not hear enough language spoken around them
C. usually pay close attention to what they hear 
D. often take a long time in learning to listen properly

3. A baby's first noises are _____.

A. an expression of his moods and feelings　　
B. an early form of language
C. a sign that he means to tell you something　　
D. an imitation of the speech of adults

4. The problem of deciding at what point a baby's imitations can be considered as speech _____.

A. is important because words have different meanings for different people
B .is not especially important because the changeover takes place gradually
C. is one that should be properly understood because the meaning of words changes with age
D. is one that should  be completely ignored (忽略) because children's use of words is often meaningless

5. The speaker implies _____.

A. parents can never hope to teach their children new sounds
B. children no longer imitate people after they begin to speak
C. children who are good at imitating learn new words more quickly
D. even after they have learnt to speak, children still enjoy imitating

      Mark, a young person, tells me he wants to be a writer. I always encourage such people, but I also explain
that there's a big difference between "being a writer" and writing. In most cases these people are dreaming of
wealth and fame, not the long hours alone at a typewriter. "You've got to want to write," I say to them, "not
want to be a writer."
      The truth is that writing is a lonely, private and poor-paying affair. For every writer kissed by good luck
there are thousands more whose longing is never rewarded (报答). When I left a 20-year job in the U. S.
Coast Guard to become a writer, I had no hopes at all. What I did have was a friend who found me my room
in a New York apartment building. It didn't even matter that it was cold and had no bathroom. I immediately
bought a used typewriter and felt like a real writer. 
      After a year or so, however, I still hadn't got a break and began to doubt myself. It was so hard to sell a
story that hardly made enough to eat. But I knew I wanted to write. I had dreamed about it for years. I wasn't
going to be one of those people who die wondering "what if". I would keep putting my dream to the test-even
though it meant living with uncertainty and fear of failure. This is the shadow land of hope, and anyone with a
dream must learn to live there.

1. The passage is meant to _____.

A. warn young people of the hardship that a successful writer has to experience
B. advise young people to give up their idea of becoming a professional writer
C. show young people it's unrealistic (不现实的) for writers to seek wealth and fame
D. encourage young people to hunt for good jobs

2. What can be concluded from the passage?

A. Real writers often find their work interesting and rewarding.
B. A writer's success depends on luck rather than on effort.
C. Famous writers usually live in poverty.
D. The chances for a writer to become successful are small

3. Why did the author begin to doubt himself after the first year of his writing work?

A. Real writers often find their work interesting and rewarding.
B. A writer's success depends on luck rather than on effort.
C. Famous writers usually live in poverty.
D. The chances for a writer to become successful are small