单选题
A number of researchers have examined the variables/strategies that affect students' learning English as a second language. This report identifies some of the learner variables/ strategies used by two students in a Hong Kong Technical Institute. The instruments for data collection included observation, interviews and questionnaires. The findings are discussed and some implications highlighted. What makes a "good" language learner "good", and what makes a "poor" language learner "poor"? What does this imply for the teaching of language in the Hong Kong context? These are the central questions of this assignment. The existing body of research attributes the differences between language learners to learner variables and learner strategies. Learner variables include such things as differences in personality, motivation, style, aptitude and age(Ellis, 1986: Chap. 5)and strategies refer to " techniques, approaches, or deliberate actions that students take in order to facilitate the learning and recall of both linguistic and content area information"(Chamot, 1987: 71). It is important to note here that what we are considering is not the fact that language learners do and can learn, but why there should be such variations in speed of learning, ability to use the target language, and in achieving examination grades, areas which generally lead to the classification of students as being either "good" or "poor". Learner variables and strategies have been the focus of a number of research projects,(O'Malley et al, 1985, Oxford, 1989). However, to the best of my knowledge, this area has not been researched in Hong Kong classrooms. Since I am a teacher of English working in Hong Kong, gleaning a little of what learner variables and strategies seem to work for local students seems to be a fruitful area of research. In discussing learner variables and strategies, we have to keep in mind the arbitrary nature of actually identifying these aspects. As the existing research points out, it is not possible to observe directly qualities such as aptitude, motivation and anxiety.(Oxford, 1986)We cannot look inside the mind of a language learner and find out what strategies, if any, they are using. These strategies are not visible processes. Also, as Naiman and his colleagues(1978)point out, no single learning strategy, cognitive style or learner characteristic is sufficient to explain success in language learning. The factors must be considered simultaneously to discover how they interact to affect success or failure in a particular language learning situation. Bearing these constraints in mind, the aim of this assignment is to develop two small scale studies of the language learners attempting to gain an overall idea of what strategies are in use and what variables seem to make a difference to Hong Kong students.
单选题
In Paragraph 2 "learner variables" and "strategies" are defined by reference to other writers'______.
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】解析：本题是推理题。根据本段的“Learner variables include such things…(Ellis，1986：Chap．5)and strategies refer to…both linguistic and content area information”(Chamot，1987：71)．”可知，之所以引用其他作者的观点，是因为他们的这些观点得到公认，故A正确。
单选题
The main point of Paragraph 2 is______.
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】解析：本题是主旨题。根据本段提到的“It is important to note here that what we areconsidering is not the fact that language learners do and can learn，but why there should be suchvariations in speed of learning，ability to use the target language，and in achieving examinationgrades，areas which generally lead to the classification of students as being either‘good’or‘poor’，”可知，作者引用good和poor，是为下文作铺垫，也为研究确定的方向和范围，故B正确。
单选题
In Paragraph 3 the writer uses the phrase "to the best of my knowledge..." because______.
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】解析：本题是细节题。根据题干可找到的第三段原句为“However，to the best of myknowledge，this area has not been researched in Hong Kong classrooms．”，据作者获悉，香港的学校并未研究此领域的课题，故B正确。
单选题
The reference to "Naiman and his colleagues(1978)" in Paragraph 4 is made______.
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】解析：本题是推理题。根据题干可找到对应的原文“Also，as Naiman and his colleagues(1978)point out，no single learning strategy，cognitive style or learner characteristic is sufficientto explain success in language learning．”，接下来一句“The factors must be consideredsimultaneously to discover how they interact to affect success or failure in a particular languagelearning situation．”解释说明上面的观点，C符合此意。
单选题
According to this passage, research in this area is characterized as______.
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】解析：本题是推理题。A项“实证上可观测的”；B项“通常不可能直接观测的”；C项“从研究文献到数据，不好定义”；D项“与直接进行相比，更容易形成理论”。由最后一段“…two small scale studies of the language learners attempting to gain an overall idea of what strategies are in use and what variables seem to make a difference to Hong Kong students．”可知，用不同的方法对学生会产生不同的影响。由此可知B正确。