题目

When Toni Morrison died in 2019, the world lost one of its most influential authors. But Morrizon was not an early success. Her first novel was not published until she was 39, and her last appeared when she was 84. And Morrison was not _26_ in this regard. Numerous writers produce masterpieces well into their 70s and beyond. Such _27_ accomplishments highlight an important point. Our capacity to speak, write and learn new vocabulary does not seem to _8_ with age. Our eyesight may dim and our recall may weaken, but, by comparison, our ability to produce and to _9_ language is well preserved into older adulthood. Indeed, the latest research that has emerged on language and aging shows that language mastery is a _30 _ that we begin as infants and continue on for the rest of our lives. Some aspects of our language abilities, such as our knowledge of word meanings,_31_ improve during middle and late adulthood. One study, for example, found that adults over sixty had an average vocabulary size of over 21,000 words. The researchers also studied a_32_ of college students and found that their average vocabulary contained 33 16,000 words. In another study, older adults, with an average age of 75,_34 _ better than participants in their youth or middle years on tasks that required them to determine the meaning of words. Thus, language seems to be a skill that, contrary to what many might _35_, does not weaken with age. A) actually I) literary B) approximately J) performed C) assume K) rarely D) component L) sample E) comprehend M) undermined F) deteriorate N) unique G) equivalent O) unit H) journey

When Toni Morrison died in 2019, the world lost one of its most influential authors. But Morrizon was not an early success. Her first novel was not published until she was 39, and her last appeared when she was 84. And Morrison was not _26_ in this regard. Numerous writers produce masterpieces well into their 70s and beyond. Such _27_ accomplishments highlight an important point. Our capacity to speak, write and learn new vocabulary does not seem to _8_ with age. Our eyesight may dim and our recall may weaken, but, by comparison, our ability to produce and to _9_ language is well preserved into older adulthood. Indeed, the latest research that has emerged on language and aging shows that language mastery is a _30 _ that we begin as infants and continue on for the rest of our lives. Some aspects of our language abilities, such as our knowledge of word meanings,_31_ improve during middle and late adulthood. One study, for example, found that adults over sixty had an average vocabulary size of over 21,000 words. The researchers also studied a_32_ of college students and found that their average vocabulary contained 33 16,000 words. In another study, older adults, with an average age of 75,_34 _ better than participants in their youth or middle years on tasks that required them to determine the meaning of words. Thus, language seems to be a skill that, contrary to what many might _35_, does not weaken with age. A) actually I) literary B) approximately J) performed C) assume K) rarely D) component L) sample E) comprehend M) undermined F) deteriorate N) unique G) equivalent O) unit H) journey

题目解答

答案

问题解析

这段文字讨论了作家托妮·莫里森（Toni Morrison）的生平以及语言能力与年龄的关系。文章指出，莫里森并不是一个早熟的作家，她的第一本小说是在39岁时出版的，而最后一本则在84岁时出版。文章进一步指出，这种情况在作家中并不少见，许多作家在70岁甚至更老的年龄仍然能够创作出杰作。这表明，随着年龄的增长，我们的语言能力并不会衰退，反而在某些方面会继续提升。

详细解析

  1. 第26空：句子为“Morrison was not 26 in this regard.” 这里的“this regard”指的是前文提到的“她的第一本小说是在39岁时出版的，而最后一本则在84岁时出版”，即晚成名。因此，这里需要一个词来表示“独特”或“例外”。选项中“unique”（独特的）符合语境。

    • 答案：N) unique

  2. 第27空：句子为“Such 27 accomplishments highlight an important point.” 这里的“accomplishments”指的是前文提到的作家在晚年仍然能够创作出杰作。因此，这里需要一个词来表示“文学”或“文学的”。选项中“literary”（文学的）符合语境。

    • 答案：I) literary

  3. 第28空：句子为“Our capacity to speak, write and learn new vocabulary does not seem to 28 with age.” 这里的“with age”指的是随着年龄的增长，我们的语言能力不会衰退。因此，这里需要一个词来表示“衰退”或“恶化”。选项中“deteriorate”（恶化）符合语境。

    • 答案：F) deteriorate

  4. 第29空：句子为“by comparison, our ability to produce and to 29 language is well preserved into older adulthood.” 这里的“produce”指的是生产语言，因此，这里需要一个词来表示“理解”或“ comprehension”。选项中“comprehend”（理解）符合语境。

    • 答案：E) comprehend

  5. 第30空：句子为“language mastery is a 30 that we begin as infants and continue on for the rest of our lives.” 这里的“that”指的是一个组成部分或部分。因此，这里需要一个词来表示“组成部分”或“成分”。选项中“component”（组成部分）符合语境。

    • 答案：D) component

  6. 第31空：句子为“Some aspects of our language abilities, such as our knowledge of word meanings, 31 improve during middle and late adulthood.” 这里的“improve”指的是提升。因此，这里需要一个词来表示“实际上”或“确实”。选项中“actually”（实际上）符合语境。

    • 答案：A) actually

  7. 第32空：句子为“The researchers also studied a 32 of college students and found that their average vocabulary contained 16,000 words.” 这里的“of college students”指的是一个样本。因此，这里需要一个词来表示“样本”。选项中“sample”（样本）符合语境。

    • 答案：L) sample

  8. 第34空：句子为“older adults, with an average age of 75, 34 better than participants in their youth or middle years on tasks that required them to determine the meaning of words.” 这里的“better”指的是表现更好。因此，这里需要一个词来表示“表现”。选项中“performed”（表现）符合语境。

    • 答案：J) performed

  9. 第35空：句子为“language seems to be a skill that, contrary to what many might 35, does not weaken with age.” 这里的“weaken with age”指的是随着年龄的增长而减弱。因此，这里需要一个词来表示“假设”或“认为”。选项中“assume”（假设）符合语境。

    • 答案：C) assume

最终答案

  • 第26空：N) unique
  • 第27空：I) literary
  • 第28空：F) deteriorate
  • 第29空：E) comprehend
  • 第30空：D) component
  • 第31空：A) actually
  • 第32空：L) sample
  • 第34空：J) performed
  • 第35空：C) assume

解析

本文围绕托妮·莫里森的创作生涯及语言能力与年龄年龄的关系展开。首先通过莫里森的例子引出“许多作家晚年仍能创作出杰作”这一现象，进而说明语言能力（如说话、写作、学习词汇等）不会随年龄衰退，甚至某些方面（如词汇量、词义判断）会在中年及晚年提升，并引用研究证据支持这一观点。

第26空

句子“Morrison was not 26 in this regard.”中，“this regard”指前文莫里森“晚年出书”的情况。后文提到“Numerous writers produce masterpieces well into their 70s and beyond”（许多作家70岁后仍创作杰作）”，说明莫里森并非“独特/例外”。选项中“unique（独特的）”符合语境，故填N) unique。

第27空

句子“Such 27 accomplishments highlight an important point.”中，“accomplishments（成就）指作家晚年创作杰作，属于“文学成就”。选项中“literary（文学的）”修饰accomplishments，符合语境，故填I) literary。

第28空

句子“Our capacity to speak... does not seem to 28 with age.”中，前文对比“eyesight may dim and our recall may weaken（视力下降、记忆力衰退）”，转折强调语言能力“不会随年龄不衰退”。选项中“deteriorate（恶化/衰退）”符合“不随年龄衰退”的逻辑，故填F) deteriorate。

第29空

句子“our ability to produce and to 29 language is well preserved”中，“produce（生产/产出）”与空格词并列，需表达语言能力的另一核心部分。选项中“comprehend（理解）”与“produce对应，符合“产出与理解语言的能力”，故填E) comprehend。

第30空

句子“language mastery is a 30 that we begin as infants and continue...”中，“begin as infants and continue for life（从婴儿开始持续一生）”说明语言掌握语言是人生的一个“组成部分”。选项中“component（组成部分）”符合，故填D) component。

第31空

句子“Some aspects... such as word meanings, 31 improve during middle and late adulthood.”中，研究发现“晚年语言能力提升”，需副词修饰improve。选项中“actually（实际上）”强调“意料之外的提升”，符合语境，故填A) actually。

32空

句子“studied a 32 of college students”中，研究中“大学生群体”是“样本”。选项中“sample（样本）”符合研究术语，故填L) sample。

34空

句子“older adults adults adults... 34 better than participants... on tasks”中，“on tasks（完成任务）”对应“表现更好”。选项中“performed（表现”符合，故填J) performed。

35空

句子“contrary to what many might 35, does not weaken with age.”中，“contrary to（与...相反）”说明大众观点是“语言能力随年龄衰退”，空格词需表达“大众的“假设/认为”。选项中“assume（假设）”符合，故填C) assume。