3. 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 for at least 5000 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, but 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 disregard 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.
66. 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.
67. According to the passage, writing ________
A. is imperfect, but less so than speech. B. represents speech, but not perfectly.
C. developed from imperfect speech. D. is represented perfectly by speech.
68. In the author’s judgment ________
A. writing has more advantages than speech.
B. speech is essential but writing has important benefits.
C. speech conveys ideas less accurately than writing does.
D. writing is more real than speech.
69. In order to show that learning to write requires effort, the author gives the example of ________
A. people who learn the rudiments of speech. B. people who speak many languages.
C. intelligent people who couldn’t write. D. severely handicapped children.
70. According to the author, one mark of civilized society is that it ________
A. affirms the primacy of speech over writing.
B. affirms the primacy of writing over speech.
C. teaches its children to speak perfectly.
D. keeps written records.
