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 exact as a description of the eager and delighted co- operation（合作） usually shown by the child. Before they can speak, many children will also ask questions by gestures 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’s agreed that they enjoy making noises, and that during the first few months one or two noises sort themselves out as particular expression like 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（自我模仿）leads out to deliberate（有意的）imitation of sounds made or words spoken to them by other people. The problem then arises to the point at which one can say that these imitations can be considered as speech.

　　It is a problem we need to get our 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 another time 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 his ability in an attempt to teach new words.

　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

　　A baby’s first noises are ________ .

　　A. an expression of his moods and feelings

　　B. an early form of language

　　C. an imitation of the speech of adults

　　D. a sign that he means to tell you something

　　The problem of deciding at what point a baby’s imitation can be considered as speech ________ .

　　A. is important because words have different meanings for different people

　　B. is not especially important because the change takes place gradually

　　C. is one that should be ignored（忽略）because children’s use of words is often meaningless

　　D. is one that can never be properly understood because the meaning of words changes with age

　　The speaker implies that ________ .

　　A. even after they have learnt to speak, children still enjoy imitation

　　B. children who are good at imitating learn new words more quickly

　　C. children no longer imitate people after they begin to speak

　　D. patents can never hope to teach their children new sounds

E
In the old days, children were familiar with birth and death as part of life. Now this is perhaps the first generation of American youngsters who have never been close by during of the birth a baby and have never experienced the death of a family member.
　　Nowadays when people grow old, we often send them to nursing homes. When they get sick, we send them to a hospital, where children are forbidden to visit patients— even when those patients are their parents. This deprives（剥夺）the dying patient of family members during the last few days of his life and it deprives the children of an experience of death, which is an important learning experience.
　　Some of my colleagues and I once interviewed and followed about 500 in order to find out what they could teach us and how we could be of more benefit, not just to them but to the members of their families as well. We were most impressed by the fact that even those patients who were not told of their serious illness were quite aware of its potential outcome.
　　It is important for family members, and doctors and nurses to understand these patients’ communication in order to truly understand their needs, fears and fantasies. Most of our patients welcomed another human being with whom they could talk openly, honestly, and frankly about their trouble. Many of them shared with us their reat need to be informed, to be kept up-to-date on their medical condition and to be told when the end was near. We found out that patients who had been dealt with openly and frankly were better able to deal with the coming of death and finally to reach a true stage of acceptance before death.
82.The elders of today's Americans________ .
　　A. are often absent when a family member is born or dying
　　B. usually see the birth or death of a family member　　
C. are unfamiliar with birth and death
　　D. have often experienced the fear of death as part of life
83.Children in America are deprived of the chance to________.
　　A. visit a patient at hospital　　　　                             B. visit their family members
　　C. look after the patients　　　　                                          D. learn how to face death　
84.The need of a dying patient for people to accompany him shows________.
　　A. his wish for communication with other people　　             
B. his fear of death
　　C. his unwillingness to die                    　     
D. he feels very upset about his condition
85.It may be concluded from the passage that________.
　　A. dying patients should be truthfully informed of their condition
　　B. dying patients are afraid of being told of the coming of death
　　C. most patients are unable to accept death until it can’t be avoided
D. dying patients are not likely to be informed about their condition         

第二节：完形填空(共20小题；每小题1分，满分20分)

阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

Mary had her own special kind of joy, and she knew exactly how to spread it around. She lifted children from 　31　 into laughter, love, and belonging. Each time she found a new 　32　 for a child, she gave the family one of her little homemade paper roses. It had become a 　33　 for her, and the families didn't ever forget it.

One evening, Mary was 　34　a meeting for adoptive parents. One of the 　35　 fathers stood up to introduce himself. But before he spoke, he reached into his coat pocket and held up a 　36　, red paper rose.

“Twenty years ago today, I felt alone and 　37　. I didn't know the talents inside me or what was possible for me.

Then Mary 　38　 two wonderful people into my life. They taught me what it was like to feel 　39　. They not only loved me 　40　. They opened a world of 　41　 that I didn't know existed. My new parents told me, ‘Reach for your dreams!’

I did, and today I'm 　42　 to be giving that chance to a child who 　43　 just like me. My mother gave me this little rose. By now, all of you 　44　 where she got it so long ago.

Mary sent me a new rose just yesterday. And my new rose 　45　a new spring, a beautiful new 　46　 for my own little girl. It 　47　 me to show her what unconditional love is, and to teach her to reach for her own beautiful dreams.

Thank you, Mary, for the special little things like roses that 　48　 our lives together. And thank you for all you've done for me and so many families over the years!”

One brief even can send our spirits soaring or 　49　 us in quiet to ponder a new beginning.　50　 it is also the very small things, like Mary's roses, that tie together the meaningful things.

31.A. poverty                    B. loneliness              C. misery                   D. suffering

32.A. home               B. place             C. school             D. life

33.A. glory                B. favor              C. habit              D. tradition

34.A. organizing      B. planning                C. hosting             D. attending

35. A. new                 B. grateful                 C. kind               D. active

36. A. broken              B. faded                         C. treasured           D. dried

37.A. tasteless             B. powerless                C. priceless             D. worthless

38.A. directed             B. introduced             C. brought            D. accepted

39.A. loved            B. protected          C. cared             D. cheered

40.A. silently              B. continuously             C. unintentionally      D. unconditionally

41.A. necessities         B. possibilities                     C. beauties            D. riches

42.A. eager            B. willing                  C. proud             D. lucky

43.A. started out        B. came up                 C. turned out          D. grew up

44.A. understand         B. guess                     C. tell               D. know  

45.A. replaces           B. symbolizes               C. equals            D. creates

46.A. chance           B. mystery                    C. challenge           D. beginning

47.A. reminds              B. helps                        C. accompanies        D. drives

48.A. fix              B. close                C. tie                  D. gather

49.A. cause              B. push                        C. put                           D. leave

50.A. Yet               B. Besides                    C. Otherwise          D. Therefore