Students who study foreign languages do not need to care whether the grammar is easy or difficult. By changing the order of the words and by adding some auxiliary(助动词) verbs and suffixes(后缀), we can turn a statement into a question, state whether an action has taken place or is soon to take place, and perform many other word skills to express different meanings. However, the question which many language experts can’t understand or explain is “who created grammar?”.
Some recent languages were developed from the Atlantic slave trade. Since the slaves didn’t know each other’s languages, they developed a language called a pidgin. Pidgins are strings(一串) of words copied from the language of the landowners. They have little in the way of grammar, and speakers need to use too many words to make their meaning understood. However, slave children didn’t simply copy the strings of words used by their elders. They adapted their words to create an expressive language. In this way complex grammar systems which come from pidgins were invented.
Further facts can be seen in studying sign languages for the deaf. Sign languages are not simply a group of gestures; they use the same grammatical system that is found in spoken languages. A recent record of the creation of this language was born in Nicaragua. Previously, although deaf children were taught speech and lip reading in the classrooms, on the playgrounds they began to invent their own sign system, using the gestures they used at home. It was basically a pidgin and didn’t meet grammar rules. However, a new system was born when children who joined the school later developed a quite different sign language. It was based on the signs of the older children, but it was shorter and easier to understand, and it had a large range of special use of grammar to explain the meaning. What’s more, they all used the signs in the same way. So the original pidgin was greatly improved.
Most experts believe that many of the languages were pidgins at first. They were used by different groups of people without rules and gradually turned into a widely accepted system.
The English past tense—“ed” ending—may have come from the verb “do”. “It ended” may once have been “It end-did”. It seems that children have grammatical machinery in their brains. Their minds can create different structures, even when there is no grammar present for them to copy.
根据材料内容选择最佳答案。
1. What can be inferred (推断) about the slaves’ pidgin language?
| A．It was difficult to understand. | B．It came from different languages. |
| C．It was created by the landowners. | D．It contained highly complex grammar. |
| A．Slaves. | B．Pidgins. | C．Slave children. | D．Grammar systems. |
| A．No same signs were used for communication. | B．Most of the gestures were made for everyday activities. |
| C．The hand movements were smoother and more attractive. | D．The meaning was clearer than the previous sign language. |
| A．English grammar of the past tense system is incorrect. | B．Children say English past tense differently from adults. |
| C．The thought that English was once a pidgin is acceptable. | D．Experts have proven that English was created by children. |
| A．The Creators of Grammar | B．The History of Languages |
| C．Why Pidgins Came into Being | D．How Grammar Systems Are Used |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Feet help us walk, run, dance, and jump. The words feet and foot are also used in everyday speech.
To be under someone's feet means to be troublesome. In other words, you are standing too close to someone and are getting in their way. Some adults criticize children for being under foot.
Speaking of children, if someone says their home will soon have the pitter-patter of tiny feet, it means the family is expecting a baby!
Now, people who are active do not let grass grow under their feet. They are never in one place for very long. People who can think and take action at the same time are said to be able to think on their feet.
Some people appear to have it all. They have money, a good education, good looks, a great family and a large circle of friends. You could say they have the world at their feet. This means whatever they want seems to be there for them.
People who have both feet firmly on the ground are realistic and practical. They are not dreamy. You might say such a person is well grounded. If you are a bad dancer, you might be described as having two left feet. To dance well, it is better to have a right foot and a left foot.
Sam loves skiing. He thinks that it would be fun to own a ski resort （滑雪场）high in the mountains. But he knows nothing about running a business. So, he decides to get his feet wet. In other words, he wants to get used to a new situation.
He joins an organization for resort owners and attends their meetings. He travels to ski areas all over the United States. This helps Sam get his foot in the door. Having a foot in the door is a starting point. This expression comes from people selling things door-to-door. They would block the door with their foot so people couldn't close the door on them.
1. What would you say to someone who is "under your feet"?| A．Oh, I'm terribly sorry. | B．Take off your feet! |
| C．Excuse me, you are in the way. | D．Sorry for the trouble. |
| A．They are always under foot. | B．They never let grass grow under their feet. |
| C．They have the pitter-patter of tiny feet. | D．They can think on their feet |
| A．having two left feet. | B．getting your feet wet. |
| C．getting your foot in the door. | D．having both feet firmly on the ground |
| A．It's a big success. | B．It opens only in winter. |
| C．It lies high in the mountains. | D．It's not started yet. |
| A．How to be a good dancer | B．Feet help us walk and run |
| C．Use your feet properly | D．Ready for a new business |
【推荐2】Different gestures(手势) mean different things in different countries. Sometimes a gesture that is polite in one country is not polite in another and should not be used.
The usual explanation(解释) for the origin of this gesture is not really correct. It says that in ancient Roman times, when people were pleased with the way a gladiator(角斗士) had fought,
The truth is, however, it was translated into a wrong meaning by mistake. If people wanted to save the gladiator,
阅读上面短文，把A-E五个句子填入文中空缺处，使短文内容完整、正确.
| A．When a gladiator was given the thumbs down |
| B．they put out their hands and hid their thumbs in their hands |
| C．Different meanings of gestures can also cause problems in understanding what person is trying to say |
| D．they showed their thumbs up |
| E．This is called give someone or something “the thumb up” |
【推荐3】There are many expressions with heart. One of them is to “lose your heart” to someone. When that happens, you have fallen in love. But if the person who “won your heart” does not love you, then you are sure to have a “broken heart”. In your sadness, you think that the person you love is “hard-heart”, and in fact, has a “heart of stone”.
You may decide to “pour out your heart” to a friend. Telling someone about your personal problems can often make you feel better.
If your friend does not seem to understand how painful your broken heart is, you may ask her to “have a heart”. You are asking your friend to show some sympathy (同情) for your situation.Your friend “has her heart in the right place” if she says she is sorry for how you feel.
If your friend says, “My heart bleeds (流血) for you”, she means the opposite. She is a cold-hearted person who does not really care about your situation.
When you are feeling afraid, “your heart is in your mouth”. You might say, for example, that your heart was in your mouth when you asked a bank to lend you some money to pay for a new house.
If that bank says no to you, do not “lose heart”. Be “strong-hearted”. Sit down with the banker and have a “heart to heart” talk. Be open and honest about your situation. The bank may have a “change of heart” and agree to lend you the money. Then you could stop worrying and “put your heart at rest”.
1. If the person who won your heart does not love you, you may think that ________.| A．she has a strong heart | B．she has a heart of stone |
| C．she has a broken heart | D．she loses her heart |
| A．be kind to you | B．tell us about her personal information |
| C．live a happy life | D．have a right heart |
| A．not know about her health problem | B．have a heart trouble |
| C．not care much about you | D．want to know what happened |
| A．A broken heart. | B．Lose one’s heart. |
| C．Heart in one’s mouth. | D．Have a heart. |
| A．If someone doesn’t love you, you’ll lose your heart to him or her. |
| B．When your friends have a heart, they won’t understand your broken heart. |
| C．When you are feeling afraid, you should put your heart into your mouth. |
| D．You can put your heart at rest if the bank agrees to lend you the money you need finally. |
【推荐1】Meeting someone for the first time can be embarrassing (令人尴尬的) if you get it wrong. Suppose you are going to meet a person from the UK. Do you know what you should say and do?
A hand shake is the most common way to greet someone, especially if you are in a formal (正式的) situation. However, the kind of handshake is important. Your handshake should be confident, but that doesn’t mean you need to crush (挤压) anybody’s fingers. On the other hand, don’t be too weak. It’s always a good idea to smile and make eye contact (直视) with the person you are shaking hands with. Lastly, remember that two shakes are enough. Take hold of the hand and shake it up and down twice. Don’t hold on for too long-you are not asking someone to dance!
Hugging and kissing are more informal greetings in the UK. They are usually for friends, family and small children. When meeting someone for the first time, you may not want to use these kinds of greetings.
In the past, Britons would usually greet strangers with a “How do you do?” Today, this phrase is seen as out-of-date. It’s seldom used now. Phrases such as “How are you doing?” and “How are you?” have become more popular. These phrases, however, can cause some confusion (困惑). When a Briton says “How are you?” to you, he or she probably doesn’t expect you to answer the question. You may just reply with “How are you?” to him or her.
Greeting phrases may be different from one place to another. You might hear a “Now then?” or “Ey up?” when you meet someone from the north of the U.K. How should you reply then? Just smile and say, “Hi!”, or “How are you”?
1. How do people usually greet in a formal situation?| A．By hugging. | B．By shaking hands. | C．By kissing. |
① Be confident. ② Crush other’s fingers. ③ Be too weak.
④ Smile and keep eye contact. ⑤ Shake hands twice. ⑥ Hold on for a long time.
| A．①④⑤ | B．①②④ | C．②③⑥ |
| A．时尚的 | B．典型的 | C．过时的 |
| A．I’m fine. | B．How are you? | C．Not too bad. |
A． | B． | C． |
【推荐2】When Leon Martin asked for his parents’ advice on how to become a UX designer, they both went silent. “In fact, I had no idea what he was talking about,” said Anne, his mother. “I don’t know whether he was talking about designing clothes, computer programs of a fancy brand of bike.”
Even when her 18-year-old son explained that it was something about “behind the scenes” online design, his mother was still a bit lost. “I felt like I had totally failed as a parent,” she said. “My job as a parent is to open doors so my children can achieve their potential (潜力), but now can I do that when I don’t even understand what their dreams are?”
Anne is not alone. Recent research has found that more than 2/3 of parents in England are now facing the problem. When their children express interest in new education and job choices, they may know nothing about them. More than 75% of parents feel it is almost impossible to offer their children good advice in such a fast-changing job market.
Michelle Reed did a survey of over 2,000 parents of secondary school students in England. She found that many parents were afraid their children hardly follow them. “We all know that parents’ opinions and suggestions play an important role in shaping and influencing their children’s career dreams,” she said. “But we usually depend much on our own experiences. And things have changed so much since most of us were at school.”
Bryon Mathew, the writer of the Awesome Career Books, said the world was changing so rapidly that parents should not try to decide on certain careers for their children.
1. What did Leon Martin’s parents do with his future job choice?| A．They could not agree with him more. | B．They offered Leon good advice. |
| C．They failed to understand it. | D．They had a clear understanding of it. |
| A．Understand their children’s interest in new job choices. |
| B．Decide on certain careers for their children. |
| C．Help their children to achieve their potential. |
| D．Realize their children’s dreams. |
| A．Parents know everything about their children’s interest in future job choices |
| B．More than 2/3 of parents know nothing about how to become a UX designer. |
| C．It is impossible for few of parents to offer good advice to their children in a fast-changing job market. |
| D．Parents should not try to decide on certain careers for their children. |
| A．Most of the parents in England were facing trouble in accepting new jobs. |
| B．Parents feared their children would refuse to share their career dreams. |
| C．A lot of parents found it difficult to help their children with their education. |
| D．Children’s future depends a lot on their parents’ working experiences. |
| A．How can children make career choices? |
| B．How can parents become career advisers? |
| C．Should children take their parents’ career advice? |
| D．Should parents choose a career for their children? |
【推荐3】Sometimes we all have this problem: We know the face, but why not the name?
When you meet someone, you may be focused on impressing the person with your skill and professional knowledge rather than learning more about them. You introduce yourselves and shake hands. But when you meet the person again at the event, why do you draw a blank?
“One of the biggest problems is that people don’t really hear the name,” says Kevin Horsley, a master of memory and writer of Unlimited Memory. “They’re not really concentrating (集中注意力) because they’re trying to be interesting instead of trying to be interested.” The bottom line: Thinking of a name is difficult when you haven’t taken the time to listen to it.
When you study a new subject at school or prepare for a presentation at work, it takes time to learn the material. You study and review the subject matter before a test or a meeting with a client (客户). It is the same as meeting someone once and expecting their name to appear in your mind. Horsley describes this as the “tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon (舌尖现象)”. You can’t remember the name because you never learned it properly.
There are ways to improve your recall ability.
It is easier to find something you have forgotten from your mind a short time before. Horsley recommends going back to someone shortly after your first meet. While at a party, you could say, “Hi, Jill.” Then two minutes later say, “I’m sorry, you said Jill?” This process is a predictor (预示) of whether or not you’ll know the name later.
More importantly, consider changing your mind. As with any skill, if you think you are unable to master it, you may not make an effort to improve. “There’s not such thing as a good or bad memory for names,” says Horsley. “There’s only a good or bad method.”
1. What do you pay more attention to when you meet someone for the first time?| A．Your own abilities. | B．Others’ names. | C．Others’ appearances. | D．Your clothes. |
| A．draw a picture | B．forget something on purpose |
| C．cover something completely | D．be unable to remember something |
| A．What people should do when first meeting someone. |
| B．What is usually on people’s mind when meeting someone new. |
| C．Why people are not able to remember a person’s name. |
| D．How to improve people’s ability to remember someone’s name. |
| A．Study a new subject at school. |
| B．Have a second conversation after a short time. |
| C．Introduce themselves to others again and again. |
| D．They can give nice presents to others after meeting for the first time. |
