Unit4Bodylanguage语篇演练(十六).doc

Unit 4　Body language语篇演练(十六) 时间安排：第六周·周一　　　演练题型：阅读理解2篇　　　建议用时：17分钟 答案栏：1～4____________　5～8____________ A “Baby signing” classes established to improve language skills actually make little difference to childrens development, according to new research.Scholars claimed (声称) there was no evidence that the lessons — in which babies are taught simple gestures to communicate their everyday needs — enable children to talk quicker than others. In a three-year study, it was claimed that the method could make mothers more responsive to their childrens behaviors but failed to actually increase babies vocabulary. An active home environment in which parents regularly talk to their children was much more effective, researchers warned. The conclusions will cast doubt on the movement — born in the United States — which has proved hugely popular among middle-class parents. Baby signing is now a multi-million pound industry, with thousands of mothers and fathers paying for classes, books and DVDs. Young children are taught simple gestures for words and phrases to communicate their everyday needs, such as “milk”， “more”， “all gone”， “food” and “tired”. It is claimed that the technique brings great benefits, including improving the relationship between mother and child, helping language development and even increasing a childs intelligence. But research from Hertfordshire University has found no evidence that using baby signing helps to improve their language development. The scholars added，“Baby signing has become big business and mothers, particularly first-time mums or less confident parents, feel the pressure to do it. Some even think ‘if I dont do it and everyone else is, I must be a bad mother’. ” But baby signing experts contradicted the findings. Wendy Moat, 45, who has been running baby signing classes for three years, said that the classes encouraged speech development, and may help develop a higher IQ. She said，“So many mums say that their children talk s