Not long ago, many people believed that babies only wanted food and to be kept warm and dry. Some people thought babies were not able to learn things until they were five or six months old. But doctors in the United States now say babies begin learning on their first day of life.

A baby learns to get the best care possible by smiling to please her mother or other caregiver. This is how babies learn to connect and communicate with other people.

The researchers say this ability to learn exists in a baby even before birth. They say newborn babies can recognize and understand sounds they heard while they were still developing inside their mothers.

Experts say the first three years of a child’s life are the most intensive period of language and speech development. This is the time when the brain is developing. Language and communication skills are believed to develop best in an environment that is rich with sounds and sights. Experts say babies should repeatedly hear the speech and language of other people.

America’s National Institutes of Health says evidence suggests there are important periods of speech and language development in children. The ability to learn a language will be more difficult if these periods pass without early contact with a language.

The first signs of communication happen during the first few days of life, when a baby learns that crying will bring food and attention. Research shows that most children recognize the general sounds of their native language by six months of age. By that time, a baby usually begins to make sounds. These sounds become a kind of nonsense speech over time.

1.When does the author think babies begin to learn? (no more than 9 words, 2 marks)

2.Why do babies smile to please her mother or other caregiver? (no more than 9 words, 2 marks)

3.According to experts, how can babies’ language and communication skills develop? (no more than 8 words, 3 marks)

4.What does the author mainly tell us? (no more than 8 words, 3 marks)

阅读下面短文，根据所读内容在表格中的空白处填入恰当的单词。注意：每个空格只填一个单词。

Once kids hit the teenage years, parenting becomes more difficult than ever. Establishing effective house rules is one of the best ways to educate teenagers. House rules must respect teenagers’ desire to be independent and make sure they behave responsibly.

How can effective house rules be established?

First of all, get your teenager to take part in making the rules, which can help keep them motivated to follow them. Ask their opinion about what sorts of things they think are important when creating the rules and try to include some of their ideas.

When creating the list of rules, don’t list every single rule imaginable. Instead, try to limit it to the ten most important rules. I’ve seen some parents come up with several pages of rules which turn out to be more like a rule book rather than a list. Remember, it is important to make the list easy to remember and to be a basic guide.

Then, it is important that you write out the list of rules and hang them in a prominent (显眼的) location. Keeping the rules on the refrigerator or displayed somewhere where everyone can see them is a good reminder. Revise the rules whenever there’s a need, not very frequently though.

Explain clearly in advance what negative consequences will be in store when a rule gets broken. But ensure that none of your consequences are equal to abusive parenting. For example, take off the rule that says — “if you don’t get home by 11 at night, make arrangements to stay elsewhere until morning”. Let helping with small household chores like cleaning up their own rooms serve as consequences for disobeying rules.

Following these tips on establishing effective house rules accompanied by constant positive reinforcement (执行) will help improve your teenager’s behavior. Hope you can direct your teenager to become a responsible and independent person with the help of house rules!

Establishing house rules for1.__________

"Everything happens for the best." my mother said whenever I felt disappointed. "  36 , and one day something good will happen. Then you'll realize it wouldn't have happened  37  the disappointment you had experienced  38 ." Mother was right,  39  I discovered after graduating from college, I had decided to try for a job  40  radio, then  41  my way up to a sports announcer. I hitchhiked (搭免费车) to Chicago and tried every station, but got  42 . In one studio, a kind lady told me big stations couldn't risk hiring inexperienced persons. "Try your luck in the  43 " she said.

I hitchhiked home to Dixon, Illinois, where there was no radio-announcing jobs. My father said a store wanted a local  44  to manage its sports department. Since Dixon was  45  I had played high school football, I  46 . The job sounded just  47  for me. But l wasn't hired.

My disappointment  48  have shown. "Everything harem for the best." Mother  49 . Then I tried WOC Radio in Davenport, Iowa. The program director, Peter MacArthur, told me they had already hired an announcer. As I left his office, my disappointment boiled  50 . I asked aloud. "How can a fellow become a sport announcer if he can't get a job in a radio station?"

I was waiting for the  51  when I heard MacArthur calling, "What was that you said about sports? You know something about football?" Then he  52  me before a  53  and asked me to broadcast a(n)  54  game.

On my way home, as I have many times  55 , I thought of my mother's words.

1.                A．Get on         B．Carry on        C．Work on  D．Concentrate on

2.                A．in spite of       B．regardless of     C．but for   D．instead of

3.                A．previously      B．preciously       C．precisely  D．presently

4.                A．it             B．what           C．that  D．as

5.                A．in             B．on             C．by   D．from

6.                A．feel           B．work           C．find  D．push

7.                A．declined        B．accepted        C．reduced  D．received

8.                A．city            B．home          C．country   D．town

9.                A．salesman       B．athlete         C．shop assistant  D．manager

10.               A．in which        B．when          C．where D．how

11.               A．appealed       B．refused        C．agreed    D．applied

12.               A．right           B．reasonable      C．improper  D．stable

13.               A．should         B．must           C．could D．might

14.               A．recommended   B．requested      C．reminded  D．required

15.               A．above          B．out            C．in    D．over

16.               A．lift            B．result          C．response  D．offer

17.               A．told           B．stood          C．showed   D．helped

18.               A．radio          B．station         C．TV   D．microphone

19.               A．live            B．ordinary        C．imaginary  D．fierce

20.               A．before         B．since          C．until  D．unless