1 . Language Acquisition(习得)

Almost all humans acquire at least one language before the age of five. How do young children understand and produce complex sentences with complicated meanings? Do adults learn language differently from children? Most linguistic(语言学的) researchers agree that both nature and nurture(后天) are involved in language acquisition. They disagree， however， about how much linguistic knowledge children have from birth-and thus whether genetics or experience is more important in language acquisition.

For many linguists， biological factors are the most important in language learning. Some argue that some linguistic knowledge must exist in our brains from birth because children cannot possibly experience every feature of their language before the age of five. These linguists point out that nearly all children can produce the same kinds of complex sentence structures by the age of five， even without having heard them before.

Many researchers have theorized what this innate(先天的) linguistic knowledge must look like. One popular theory(理论) is universal grammar. This theory believes that all languages have the same basic structural foundation. That foundation is the innate knowledge universal to all humans. While children are not genetically tending to speak a particular language， a universal grammar gives them certain linguistic information as a starting point， which allows them to readily acquire the rules and patterns of whichever language they are exposed to.

Not all linguists， however， believe that an inborn ability for language is the most important factor in language acquisition. These researchers place greater emphasis on the influence of usage and experience. They argue that children are exposed to a wealth of linguistic structures over the course of five years. They gather data and determine language patterns and structures from what they have observed.

Linguists on both sides of the debate are still working to explain the different language learning abilities of adults and children. Early childhood seems to be an important period for mastering certain aspects of language. Children also tend to have a heightened ability to learn second languages. While adults may have some advantages when studying in a formal classroom， they usually do not learn second languages. While adults may have some advantages when studying in a formal classroom, they usually do not learn as quickly and easily as children. Are these different abilities a result of differences in how adults and children are exposed to a new language? Are they the result of biological changes， or do both biology and experience come into play?

While our understanding of language acquisition is incomplete, this pursuit is well worth the effort. “We still don’t understand how a child learns its first language, why some children have language disorders, or how children and adults learn a second language,” explains Professor Joan Ma ling.

Explaining the process of language acquisition promises not only to help scientists answer these questions, but also to explain fundamental features of learning and the human brain.

1. What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．The control of nurture over nature in language acquisition.

B．The influence of universal grammar in language acquisition.

C．The best methods for children and adults to acquire language.

D．The role of biological and environmental factors in language acquisition.

2. What’s the right order of the passage's summary?
a. Studying language acquisition will help understand language and the brain better.
b. Some experts focus on the role of environmental factors in language acquisition.
c. Some experts believe innate factors explain children's language development.
d. Acquiring a language is complicated， and it involves both nature and nurture.

A．abcd

B．dcba

C．dbca

D．adcb

3. In Paragraph 2 and Paragraph 3， the author wants to ________.

A．present a general argument and then explain a specific theory

B．present a specific theory and then propose a new study to prove it

C．present a general argument and then disprove an opposite argument

D．present a scientific debate and then discuss what all linguists agree on

4. What is the author's purpose of writing Paragraph 5 and Paragraph 6?

A．To raise open questions that all linguists have.

B．To present two different viewpoints on language learning.

C．To stress the importance of experience in language learning

D．To introduce adult language acquisition and show why it's unpopular.

2 . 假如你是育才中学高二（1）班的班长李华，从新闻上得知本市要修建地铁的消息后，你们班就“要不要修地铁”这一话题展开了一场激烈的讨论。请根据以下提示，给某英文报社的编辑写一封信， 客观介绍这次讨论的情况。

85%的学生赞成	15%的学生反对
1. 方便，快速，安全 2. 节能， 无污染 3. 有助于缓解地面交通拥堵情况，减少交通事故。 4. …….	1. 花费太大， 应将这些钱用于建造更多的公路和铁路 2. 可能破坏某些地下文物 3. ……

注意：1. 词数100左右
2. 适当添加细节，以使行文连贯。
参考词汇：historical relics历史文物

3 . Should schools report a student’s health to parents?

As if grades weren’t enough to worry about, some students now have weight on their minds too. The number of overweight children in the United States has more than doubled in the past 20 years, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.     1    

As a result, schools in several states, from California to Pennsylvania, have started sending home "BMI report cards". Those schools send home a report of a student’s body mass index (BMI). BMI is a calculation of weight and height that tells whether a person is overweight for his or her age.

    2     People on both sides of the debate are weighing in.

Some lawmakers say BMI reports warn parents of their children s health problem help fight against obesity. In 2003, former Arkansas Governor. Mike Huckabee helped launch the first program to report students’ BMI.       3     Pechatrician Joe Thompson helped plan the BMI program for Arkansas schools. He explains that the reports in Arkansas are sent home separately from report cards. “The misconception is that students are being graded on their weight,” he told WR News, “Just like a school screen for vision or hearing, this is a health approach to raise awareness about a risk.”

    4     Parents have complained that the reports damage their children’s self-respect. Some parents say kids also worry that they are being “graded” on their weight.       5     They point out that many school cafeterias serve tasty foods. Parent Brett Levy from Chicago, Illinois, believes that schools should teach kids to lead healthy lifestyles instead of reporting their BMIS. “Telling a boy or girl a BMI is not education,” he told WR News. “It’s a fear strategy.”

A．Should schools send home BMI reports?

B．Obesity rates in that state have since stopped increasing.

C．Since then children with heart disease have received the reports.

D．Not everyone thinks that reporting students’ BMI is a good idea.

E．Schools agree that more activities are required for students to control weight.

F．Being obese, or severely overweight, can lead to health problems later in life.

G．Some people argue that schools that label students overweight are acting unfairly.