As I was thinking about language learning the other day, the image of baking bread came into my mind. I compared some of the exercises and drills that we put ourselves through in order to learn a language to the various ingredients that go into baking a loaf of fresh bread. Real language learning takes place in human relationships. No one sits down and eats a cup of flour, even if he is hungry and in a hurry. You don't become bilingual by learning lists of vocabulary. You don't become a speaker of a language by memorizing verb conjugations and agreement rules. You become bilingual by entering a community that uses that other language as its primary means of communication. I am not suggesting that we can make bread without ingredients. Flour is necessary, as are yeast , salt, water and other ingredients. Vocabulary is part of any language and will have to be learned. Grammatical rules exist in every language and cannot be ignored. But merely combining the appropriate ingredients in the recommended proportions does not result in bread. At best, you only end up with a ball of dough . In order to get bread, you have to apply heat to the dough. And in language learning, that heat comes from the community. Anyone who has learned a second language has experienced that heat. It creeps up your neck when you ask the babysitter, "Have you already been eaten?" when you meant to say, "Have you already eaten?" When you try to say something quite innocent and the whole room bursts into laughter, you are experiencing the heat that turns raw dough into good bread. Remember the old saying, "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen"? This is where language learning often breaks down because we find the heat uncomfortable and we stop the baking process. In order words, we can't stand the heat, so we get out of the kitchen. However, the language learner who stays in the kitchen--in the heat--until the combined ingredients are thoroughly transformed will enjoy the richness of a quality loaf of bread. He is lad that... What's the purpose of illustration of the example--you ask the babysitter, "Have you already been eaten?" when you meant to say, "Have you already eaten?"? A) To verify that you are sure to make some mistakes when you enter a community. B) To show that you should combine the ingredients in the recommended proportions. C) To prove that you may experience "heat" from the community in language learning. D) To indicate that being bilingual calls for your courage, confidence and perseverance.
C
(Question)
The smell of fresh air is becoming something of a distant memory, thanks to our increasing use of fragrance . From air fresheners to scented candles, we live in a world of scent. Recent figures show seven in ten people use air fresheners or scented candles to keep our homes smelling sweet. Yet recent records suggest that perfumed products could affect our health, causing problems including allergies , headaches and asthma . One leading expert believes nearly a third of people suffer health effects from being exposed to scents. A major problem is so-called "contact" allergy--where perfumes and scented products cause eczema when they come into contact with the skin. About one in 20 is thought to be affected by fragrance allergy. "Often it may not be immediately obvious that you have developed a fragrance allergy," says Dr. Baron. "You don't react immediately. Gradually, as you are exposed more and more, the body increases its reaction, until it becomes noticeable to you." People with pre-existing eczema are particularly vulnerable . "The eczema worsens in areas in contact with perfumes," says Dr. Baron. "But even those without allergies can be at risk of fragrance allergy." You can become suddenly allergic to perfumes and personal care products that you have been using for years. "Even if you know which fragrance causes a problem, it can be difficult to avoid, as most personal care products -soap, shampoo, sun cream and washing powder--contain fragrances," says Dr. Baron. And strong scents can also cause headaches. Fragrances activate the nose's nerve cells, stimulating the nerve system associated with head pain. To minimize risk, sufferers are advised to minimize the contact. "Fragrance suggest cleanliness - yet people are smelling a potentially dangerous chemical mixture," says Anne Steinemann, professor of the University of Washington. "We often use them to mask one problem - as with air fresheners - but create a greater one - adding poisonous chemicals to the air." Which of the following questions does the text NOT answer? A) Which products contain fragrance? B) What's the influence of fragrance in the air? C) What are the air fresheners made up of? D) How are headaches caused by fragrance?
(Answer)
C
Question: WASHINGTON The head of the World Bank says for the first time in human history, it is possible to end poverty around the world. Jim Yong Kim told a Washington audience Tuesday, he wants to make ending world poverty by 2030 a top goal for the bank and governments around the world. World Bank President Jim Yong Kim says that the problems of poverty, hunger and inequality are wide, urgent and a matter of survival of millions. "We know that despite the great successes of the last decade, there are still about 1.3 billion people living in extreme poverty, 870 million who go hungry every day, and 6.9 million children under five dying every year," he said. But Kim told a Washington audience that the previous successful efforts to cut the number of people living in extreme poverty by half give them hope. "We are at an moment in history, when the successes of past decades and an increasingly favourable economic outlook combine to give developing countries a chance-for the first time ever-to end extreme poverty within a generation," he said in a speech at Georgetown University. "Our duty now must be to ensure that these favourable circumstances are matched with deliberate decisions to realize this historic opportunity." Kim says success will require increasing the speed of economic growth, particularly in South Africa and South Asia. But he warned that civil unrest could happen if economic growth does not help people at all income levels, and also include women and youth. Kim says that the World Bank and other development agencies will have more resources to get this job done right. "Meeting this 2030 goal will take extraordinary effort," he said. However, Kim warned that all the progress in fighting poverty could be destroyed by climate disasters unless the nations of the world do more to prevent climate change. What's the passage mainly about? A) The key of ending world poverty is preventing climate change. B) A top goal-ending world poverty will possibly be achieved by 2030. C) The success of ending poverty-economic growth. D) The progress in fighting poverty.
Answer:
B