1 . 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. |
| A．Studying language acquisition will help understand language and the brain better. |
| B．Some experts believe innate factors explain children’s language development. |
| C．Some experts focus on the role of environmental factors in language acquisition. |
| D．Acquiring a language is complicated, and it involves both nature and nurture. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
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