18．Can you remember the day when you spoke your first word？If you can，you are unusual．Try to imagine what first few months of your life were like．I am sure you just spent most of your time eating，sleeping and crying．As you grow older，you were awake more of the time．It took you r parents more time to play with you and talk to you．You watched and listened curiously．You began to know that people made certain sounds to go with certain things．
Then you began to try making the sounds you heard．And step by step you were able to make the right sound for one thing．
On that day you came to understand the secret of language．The secret is that a certain sound means a certain thing．One sound might be as good as another．But it is no good as a word unless everybody agrees on its meaning．Only when a group of people use the same set of sounds of things，can they understand each other．Then，and only then do these people have a LANGUAGE．
After you found the secret of language，you learned words．Some of the words meant things，such as BOOKS，CHAIRS and SHOES．Some words meant doing things，such as GO and SWIM．And other words describe things，such as GOOD and DIRTY．Soon you learned to put words together to express one's idea，such as"1 want to go out and play with my friends．"This is language．By means of language people can communicate．So we say languages are means of communication．
43．When you were a little baby，youD．
A．made sounds to let people know that you wanted to eat
B．spent most of your time playing with your parents
C．could not hear any sound around you
D．spent most of your time eating，playing and crying
44．The secret of language is thatC．
A．one sound might be as good as another
B．people can understand each other
C．a certain sound is for a certain thing
D．there is a special sound for each person
45．You could learn wordsB．
A．before you knew what the language was
B．after you knew what the language was
C．if you knew the secret of the language
D．when you were a baby
46．The aim in using language isC
A．to get everything one wants from others
B．to say what one wants to know
C．to share ideas，opinions，news，etc with one another
D．to make oneself understood by others．
分析 文章叙述了从小的时候开始，从牙牙学语开始语言就开始慢慢形成，到后来学会了说话并能够用来交流．
解答 DCBC
43．D 细节题．根据第一段 Try to imagine what first few months of your life were like．I am sure you just spent most of your time eating，sleeping and crying得知在小的时候，我们大部分时间都在吃、睡、哭，故选D．
44．C 推理题．The secret is that a certain sound means a certain thing这句话告诉我们语言的秘密是某个音对应某个事情，故选C．
45．B 细节题．根据After you found the secret of language，you learned words得知，在你掌握语言的秘密之后，你就学会了说话，故选B．
46．C 推理题．最后一句话By means of language people can communicate．So we say languages are means of communication通过语言人们能后交流，所以交流就是分享彼此的想法，观点等，故选C．
点评 阅读理解题测试考生在阅读基础上的逻辑推理能力，要求考生根据文章所述事件的逻辑关系，对未说明的趋势或结局作出合理的推断；或根据作者所阐述的观点理论，对文章未涉及的现象、事例给以解释．考生首先要仔细阅读短文，完整了解信息，准确把握作者观点．
