I am confused about the meaning of the underlined part.

[flowerseed]

It is a problem we need not get our teeth into. The meaning of a word depends on what a particular person means by it in a particular situation and it is clear that what a child means by a word will change as he gains more experience of the world .Thus the use at seven months of “mama” as a greeting for his mother cannot be dismissed as a meaningless sound simply because he also uses it at other times for his father, his dog, or anything else he likes. Playful and meaningless imitation of what other people say continues after the child has begun to speak for himself. I doubt, however, whether anything is gained when parents take advantage of this ability in an attempt to teach new sounds .

My question: What does the writer imply by this sentence? Does he mean "
parents can never hope to teach their children new sounds"

Many thanks to whoever helps me with the problem.:-D

 

[apex2000]

Not quite. The writer 'doubts'; therefore s/he is expressing an opinion not a certainty. However the first sentence 'it is a problem.......' suggests that you may not have given us sufficient material. If it is all about sounds then there is evidence that a child will attempt to copy new sounds, whether or not they are promoted by the parents. Speaking to a child is always considered as productive. Some researchers claim that the child starts learning whilst in the womb.

 

[flowerseed]

Not quite. The writer 'doubts'; therefore s/he is expressing an opinion not a certainty. However the first sentence 'it is a problem.......' suggests that you may not have given us sufficient material. If it is all about sounds then their is evidence that a child will attempt to copy new sounds, whether or not they are promoted by the parents. Speaking to a child is always considered as productive. Some researchers claim that the child starts learning whilst in the womb.

Thank you very much for your reply! :up: I am clear now. Here is another problem that confuses me very much. Would you please give me a hand?


Australians have been warned they face a life or death decision over their water — drink recycled sewage ([FONT=&#23435]污水[/FONT]) or die.
With the drought continuing, the country is set to be forced to use purified waste water for drinking, even though there is great disagreement to the measure.
Queensland has become the first state to introduce the policy after a warning from its premier.
“I think in the end, because of the drought, all of Australia is going to end up drinking recycled purified water, ”said Peter Beattie. “These are difficult decisions, but you either drink water or you die. There's no choice. It's liquid gold, it's a matter of life and death.”
Beattie said Australia's second largest state would become the first to use recycled water for drinking.
Water is recycled in Britain and parts of northern Europe along with the US and Israel.
But Australians have never liked the idea.
To try to change the way Australians think, Prime Minister John Howard and Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull have backed Queensland’s move. "I am very strongly in favour of recycling and Mr Beattie is right and I agree with him completely," Howard said.
Turnbull added that Australian cities, all now facing water shortages because of the worst drought on record, must start to use recycled water. "All of our big cities have to widen the range of water sources to include sources which are not dependent on rainfall," he said.

46. From the passage, it can be inferred that______.
A. other ways to solve the water shortage may be discussed and discovered
B. many Australians like the idea of drinking recycled water
C. big cities in other states will not follow Queensland
D. Britain faces the same drought problem as Australia does


According to the underlined sentence in the passage, I think D" Britain faces the same drought problem as Australia does" is the intended answer. But other people said it was A " other ways to solve the water shortage may be discussed and discovered" that is the correct choice. What is your opinion ?

 

[apex2000]

Water is recycled in Britain and parts of northern Europe along with the US and Israel.

This is simply a statement of fact. It has nothing directly to do with drought, although there is always a possibility of drought anywhere. As the general need for more water arises then other solutions are brought into play, apart from relying on sufficient rainfall. Recycling is regarded as a cheaper option than desalinating sea water.

The problem in Australia is very much more severe than anything we have seen in the northern hemisphere. Therefore your question is better answered by A and not your preferred option D.

 

[flowerseed]

Water is recycled in Britain and parts of northern Europe along with the US and Israel.

This is simply a statement of fact. It has nothing directly to do with drought, although there is always a possibility of drought anywhere. As the general need for more water arises then other solutions are brought into play, apart from relying on sufficient rainfall. Recycling is regarded as a cheaper option than desalinating sea water.

The problem in Australia is very much more severe than anything we have seen in the northern hemisphere. Therefore your question is better answered by A and not your preferred option D.

Thank you very much ! But when we say "sth is inferred in the passage", we need to find out the supportive sentence or phrases of it within the passage. Is there any sentences in the passage that implies the statement of Choice A?

 

[apex2000]

The last sentence, attributed to Turner, meets your need.
'To widen the range of water sources' indicates A.

 

[flowerseed]

The last sentence, attributed to Turner, meets your need.
'To widen the range of water sources' indicates A.

Got it ! You are being very patient and helpful!