单选题
Research has shown that motivation is very important
in learning a language; you need to be enthusiastic about it, and to be
interested in it. Different people will have different motives-the desire for
promotion, the hope of being able to study abroad, curiosity about a very
different culture, and pure intellectual enjoyment are only some of the possible
motives. But actually wanting to learn is the most important motive of
all. Courage is an essential attribute in learning a language.
It takes a lot of courage to speak a foreign language either in front of your
friends or to native speakers, bat don't be afraid of making mistakes--that is
the way we learn. Nowadays there are many different forms of English, each with
its own constructions and accent, and, so long as you can make yourself
understood and can understand what is said to you, you have succeeded in
communicating, which is the purpose of any language. Curiosity
is not only a possible motivation. It is also a great help in your learning.
Remember that a language is not just a grammatical system, it is the outcome of
a certain culture or different cultures. It is no good learning strings of words
and lists of grammatical tales unless you know as much as possible about the
background of the language, so that you can understand the ideas wich are being
conveyed, the references which are being made, the inferences Which can be drawn
from the information explicitly given. So learn as much as you can about the
different cultures which influence English--watch television programmes, listen
to tile radio, try to obtain newspapers and magazines which are written by
native speakers, look at advertisements, and above all, read--not textbooks, but
novels and poems and plays. They will show you how language is really used. The
English language is not an abstract system; it is a living form of expression
which derives much of its meaning from the context in which it is used, and much
of its effect from a whole network of extra-linguistic knowledge. If you live in
a country where English is the native language, you acquire this knowledge
naturally, just as in China you acquire your own cultural knowledge
unconsciously. But because you are unlikely to be able to visit countries where
English is spoken as the native language, you have to make a conscious effort to
acquire this cultural awareness and knowledge.
单选题
With what topic is this passage primarily concerned?