Language learning begins with listening. Children are greatly different in the amount of listening they do before they start speaking, and late 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 trace 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 indicative of delight, pain, friendliness, and so on. But since these cannot 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 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.

【推荐3】Not even the sea is safe from the glare (强光) of humans’ light at night. Researchers published the first global map of ocean light pollution. It shows large parts of the sea are lit up at night. And that risks confusing or disrupting the behaviors of sea life.

Tim Smyth led a team to research where in the water this light is strongest. Smyth and his colleagues started with a world map of man-made night-sky brightness that had been created in 2016. Then they added data on the ocean and atmosphere. Some data came from shipboard measurements of man-made light in the water. Others came from satellite images that judge how clear the water is. Particles (微粒) in the water, such as tiny floating plants and animals, can affect how far downward light travels. These factors vary from place to place and may change with the seasons. The team also used computers to copy how different wavelengths of light move through water.

Next, they wanted to know how that underwater light might affect animals. Not all species will be easily affected. The team focused on copepods (桡足亚纲甲壳动物). These common creatures are a key part of many ocean food webs. They use light as a signal to move all together to the dark deep, seeking safety from other surface creatures. Normally they use the sun or the winter moon as their signal. Too much man-made light can mess up their usual patterns.

Light pollution is strongest in about three feet of the water. Here, man-made light can be strong enough to confuse the copepods. Nearly 2 million square kilometers of ocean get such strong night light. That’s an area about the size of Mexico. Farther down, the light gets weaker. But even 65 feet deep, it’s still bright enough to bother copepods across 840,000 square kilometers of ocean.

The team described its findings December 13 in Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene.

【推荐1】The UK’ S Best Theme Parks

The new Tamarin Trail takes adventurers through beautiful gardens, allowing kids and adults to come face-to-face with a troop of monkeys. The park is also home to Europe’ s only Thomas Land, which last year underwent a £2.5m expansion, including new rides. There are thrilling rides, including the stand-up roller coaster, Shockwave, and the 54-metre drop tower, Apocalypse.

Adults from £l5, children from £10(under-2s free)

All aboard Derren Brown’ s Ghost Train which opened in July 2016. This 10-15 minute train journey includes exciting live-action performances, 4D special effects and so on. Also new is “I’ m a Celebrity. Maze (迷宫)” , and there are some of the highest and fastest rides in Europe here too.

Adults from £28, children from £24(under-3s free)

Although not officially a theme park, this medieval castle offers history, magic, myth and adventure to suit all ages, and is now home to the UK’s first fully interactive and multi-sensory Horrible Histories Maze, giving vistors a fascinating experience of getting lost in time. From July, you can sleep over in the new riverside Middle Ages-themed woodland cottages of Knight’s Village.

From £31(under-3s free)

Following the Pandamonium live show in 2016, last year saw The Gruffalo River Ride Adventure open at Chessington, which has over 40 rides and attractions. Rides include Dragon Falls, Safari Skyway, Toadies Crazy Cars and Runaway Train.

From £29(under-3s free)

【推荐2】If you’re reading this story, the chances are you’ve got a pretty good command of English. You’re not alone — an estimated 1.5 billion people speak English today, making it the most commonly used language in the world. Most are non-native speakers with English as their second language, while it serves as a third or fourth language for hundreds of millions more. So which place has the most fluent non-native English speakers?

According to a new report by international education company, the Netherlands is the best non-native English speakers across the globe. The results of its English Proficiency Index (英语能力指数), based on a free online test taken by 2.3 million volunteers, show that the Dutch are the most fluent. Sweden was positioned just below, with a score of 68.74 out of 100, while Norway came in third with 67.93 points.

Although the places with “very high proficiency” were largely made up of European countries, Singapore and South Africa also scored highly, coming in fifth and sixth place respectively.

The report also found that English was the most widely studied second language in the world by far. This may be the reason why just 20% of school students in the United States were studying a foreign language.

The survey was measured by testing non-native English speakers in 100 countries and over 400 cities and regions who voluntarily agreed to take the test. But there’s one thing that should be noticed. People are more likely to participate (参与) in the survey if they can surf the internet more easily. And this may greatly influence the accuracy (准确性) of the results.

【推荐3】Chinese traditional painting and dance are two vital parts of the art world. But what about when they meet each other?

This year, a dance drama titled Poetic Dance: The Journey of a Legendary Landscape Painting (《只此青绿》) was staged on CCTV’ Spring Festival Gala and went viral.

According to CCTV, this poetic dance programme was inspired by the about 900-year-old Chinese painting A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains(《千里江山图》). Created by Song Dynasty painter Wang Ximeng at the age of 18, the painting is amazing in its marvellous size, rich coloration and the expressive details, reported CCTV. It shows a Chinese blue-green landscape: mountains and groupings of infinite rise and fall between cloudless sky and rippling water.

When the dancers moved elegantly, audiences seemed to be looking at the moving mountains and rivers. “It brings me a pure experience of beauty. It is not only dance but also an ‘exhibition’. Vast mountains and rivers are coming to life!” An Internet user Mo Weisha wrote in a review, “About a thousand years later, green mountains and rivers still wow people as they did long ago.

Some people even decided to watch the dance again when it was staged in the theaters later. In fact, in recent years, more and more modern shows highlight Chinese traditional culture and have received warm welcome. As for why, it is due to people’s great love for traditional culture.

“The younger generations have grown up with a more open mindset. They embrace Chinese culture and are proud of it. ”Yao Wei, director of Henan TV Station’s Innovation Center, told China Daily.