阅读理解

Many people thought babies were not able to learn things until they were five or six months old.But doctors now say babies begin learning,,on their first day of life. A baby will smile if his or hermother does something the baby likes. A babylearns to get the best care by smiling to please hermother or other care givers. This is when babies learn to connect and "talk" with other people.

Language skills are believed to develop best in the first three years when the place is rich withsounds and sights. Scientists say children should hear the speech and language of other people againand again. The first signs of communication(交际) happen during the first few days of life.when ababy learns that crying will bring food and attention.

Research shows that most children recognize the general sounds of their native language by sixmonths of age. By that time, a baby usually begins to make sounds. By the end of their first year, mostchildren are able to say a few simple words, although they may not understand the meaning of thewords. By 18 months of age, most children can say between eight and ten words. By two years of age,most children are able to make simple sentences. By ages three,four and five,the number of words achild can understand quickly increases. It is at these ages that children begin to understand the rulesof language.