What is language for? Some people seem to think it’s for practicing grammar rules and learning lists of words — the longer the lists, the better. That’s wrong. Language is for the exchange (交流) of ideas and information. It’s meaningless knowing all about a language if you can’t use it freely. Many students I have met know hundreds of grammar rules, but they can ’t speak correctly or fluently(流利地). They are afraid of making mistakes. One shouldn’t be afraid of making mistakes when speaking a foreign language. Native speakers make mistakes and break rules, too. Bernard Shaw once wrote, “Foreigners often speak English too correctly.” But the mistakes that native speakers make are differ
ent from those that Chinese students make. They are English mistakes in the English language. And if enough native speakers break a rule, it is no longer a rule. What used to be wrong becomes right. People not only make history, but they make language. But people can only make its own language. It can’t make another people’s language. So Chinese students of English should pay attention to grammar, but they shouldn’t overdo it. They should put communication first.
小题1:Language is used to ________.
A．express oneself
B．practice grammar rules
C．talk with foreigners only
D．learn lists of words小题2: Generally, when an American or an Englishman speaks English, he ______.
A．never makes mistakes
B．often makes mistakes
C．can’t avoid（避免）making mistakes
D．always makes mistakes小题3:“Foreigners often speak English too correctly.” The sentence means that ______.
A．foreigners speak correct English.
B．foreigners speak incorrect English.
C．foreigners speak English according to the grammar rules.
D．foreigners never make mistakes when they speak English.小题4:If too many native speakers break a rule, ______.
A．what they will become right
B．they are against the law
C．they should say sorry to others
D．they will become heroes小题5:When we speak a foreign language, we should _____.
A．speak in Chinese way
B．speak by the rules
C．speak to native speakers
D．not be afraid of making mistakes
