2025届高考英语外刊阅读 （2025.3.25）练习（含答案）.docxVIP

外刊阅读(3.25)

BABIESCOMEintotheworldseekingoutcomfort,sotheirfirstwordisoften“mama”.Itiseasytosayandreflectsthebondofmotherandchild.Meanwhilethoseleavingthisworldoftenmakeaphilosophicalstatement,revealalong-hiddentruthorevenutterawitticism.“EitherthosecurtainsgoorIdo,”OscarWildesupposedlysaidonhisdeathbed.

Allthis,includingWilde’squip,isdubious,arguesMichaelErard,anAmericanjournalistwhohaswrittenseveralbooksaboutlanguage.In“ByeByeILoveYou”hedismantlesmanylong-heldbeliefsaboututterancesatboththebeginningandendoflife.Hefindsfirstandlastwordstobesimilarinmanyways—suchashowtheyarecreatedbyexpectantlistenersasmuchasbytheirspeakers.

Soundslikemamaanddadaorpaparecurinmanyoftheworld’swordsfor“mother”and“father”.Butaboutasmanyparentalwordslackthesecommonsounds;insomelanguagesthewordfor“mother”featuresrareconsonantsthatchildrenmasteronlylater.“Mama”iswhatMrErardcallsa“culturalfirstword”,fussedoverbythosewhohavelearnedtolookoutforitorevenelicititfromlittleones.

Thingsareverydifferentelsewhere.AmongtheBengpeopleofIvoryCoast,ababyisnotsupposedtoutterhisfirstwordtooprecociously.Todosoisabadomen,involvinga“cosmicrebalancing”,andagrandparentmightdieincompensation.AmongspeakersofTayapinPapuaNewGuineababiesareexpectedtobedefiant;peoplelistenoutfor“oki”and“aiata”,meaning“I’mgettingoutofhere”and“stopit”.AsimilarbeliefholdsamongSamoans,forwhom“tae”isexpectedtobemanybabies’firstword,shortfor“aitae”(“eatshit”).

Inindustrialisedsocietiesearlylinguisticdevelopmentisbigbusiness.Unusualandvariedearlywordsaremeanttobeasignofagiftedchildwhowillreaptherewardsofbeingbrainylateron.Babybooksencouragingparentstoreportontheirchildren’sfirstwordsmadetheirappearanceinthe