III. Read the passage below and choose the best answer to each question.
Because writing has become so important in our culture, we sometimes think of it as more real than speech. A little thought, however, will show why speech is primary and writing secondary to language. Human beings have been writing (as far as we can tell from surviving evidence) for at least 5,000 years; but they have been talking for much longer, doubtless ever since there have been human beings.
When writing did develop, it was derived from and represented speech, although imperfectly. Even today there are spoken languages that have no written form. Furthermore, we all learn to talk well before we learn to write; any human child who is not severely handicapped physically or mentally will learn to talk: a normal human being cannot be prevented from doing so. On the other hand, it takes a special effort to learn to write. In the past many intelligent and useful members of society did not acquire the skill, and even today many who speak languages with writing systems never learn to read or write, while some who learn the rudiments of those skills do so only imperfectly.
To affirm the primacy of speech over writing is not, however, to disparage the latter. One advantage writing has over speech is that it is more permanent and makes possible the records that any civilization must have. Thus, if speaking makes us human, writing makes us civilized.
1. The author of the passage argues that .........
A. writing has become too important in today’s society
B. speech is more basic to language than writing
C. everyone who learns to speak must learn to write
D. all languages should have a written form
2. Normal human beings .........
A. learn to write before learning to talk B. learn to talk before learning to write
C. learn to talk after learning to write D. learn to write and to talk at the same time
3. According to the passage, writing .........
3. According to the passage, writing .........
A. represents speech, but not perfectly B. is imperfect, but less so than speech
C. developed from imperfect speech D. is represented perfectly by speech
4. Which of the following is NOT true?
A. Writing has become so important in our culture.
B. It is easy to acquire the writing skill.
C. Writing represents speech, but not perfectly.
D. Speech is essential but writing has important benefits.
5. The word “advantage” in the last paragraph most closely means .........
A. benefit B. rudiments C. domination D. skill
