Reading Comprehension

[Mohamed]

The hardest languuage

People often ask which is the most difficult languuage to learn, and it is not easy to answer because there are many factors to take into consideration. Firstly, in a first languuage the differences are unimportant as people learn their mother tongue naturally, so the question of how hard a languuage is to learn is only relevant when learning a second languuage.

A native speaker of Spanish, for example, will find Portuguese much easier to learn than a native speaker of Chinese, for example, because Portuguese is very similar to Spanish, while Chinese is very different, so first languuage can affect learning a second languuage. The greater the differences between the second languuage and our first, the harder it will be for most people to learn. Many people answer that Chinese is the hardest languuage to learn, possibly influenced by the thought of learning the Chinese writing system, and the pronunciation of Chinese does appear to be very difficult for many foreign learners. However, for Japanese speakers, who already use Chinese characters in their own languuage, learning writing will be less difficult than for speakers of languuages using the Roman alphabet.

Some people seem to learn languuages readily, while others find it very difficult. Teachers and the circumstances in which the languuage is learned also play an important role, as well as each learner's motivation for learning. If people learn a languuage because they need to use it professionally, they often learn it faster than people studying a languuage that has no direct use in their day to day life.

Apparently, British diplomats and other embassy staff have found that the second hardest languuage is Japanese, which will probably come as no surprise to many, but the languuage that they have found to be the most problematic is Hungarian, which has 35 cases (forms of a nouns according to whether it is subject, object, genitive, etc). This does not mean that Hungarian is the hardest languuage to learn for everyone, but it causes British diplomatic personnel, who are generally used to learning languuages, the most difficulty. However, Tabassaran, a Caucasian languuage has 48 cases, so it might cause more difficulty if British diplomats had to learn it.

Different cultures and individuals from those cultures will find different languuages more difficult. In the case of Hungarian for British learners, it is not a question of the writing system, which uses a similar alphabet, but the grammatical complexity, though native speakers of related languuages may find it easier, while struggling with languuages that the British find relatively easy.

No languuage is easy to learn well, though languuages which are related to our first languuage are easier. Learning a completely different writing system is a huge challenge, but that does not necessarily make a languuage more difficult than another. In the end, it is impossible to say that there is one languuage that is the most difficult languuage in the world.



Questions

Q1 - The question of how hard a languuage is to learn is relevant to both first and second languuage acquisition.
True False

Q2 - Portuguese is definitely easier than Chinese.
True False

Q3 - A Japanese speaker may well find the Chinese writing system easier than a speaker of a European languuage.
True False

Q4 - The Hungarian alphabet causes problems for British speakers.
True False

Q5 - Hungarian is the hardest languuage in the world.
True False

Q6 - Hungarian has as many cases as Tabassaran.
True False

Q7 - Many British diplomats learn Tabassaran.
True False

Q8 - The writer thinks that learning new writing systems is easy.
True False

[أم بدر الدين]

T HANK YOU BUT I THINK THAT WITH HOPE WE CAN LEARN ANY LG
Are the question put here for answering , 0

[Mohamed]

Thanks for your comment sister
Yes, questions are questions lol

[أم بدر الدين]

Answers

Q1 - The question of how hard a languuage is to learn is relevant to both first and second languuage acquisition.
False

Q2 - Portuguese is definitely easier than Chinese.
False

Q3 - A Japanese speaker may well find the Chinese writing system easier than a speaker of a European languuage.
True

Q4 - The Hungarian alphabet causes problems for British speakers.
False

Q5 - Hungarian is the hardest languuage in the world.
False

Q6 - Hungarian has as many cases as Tabassaran.
False

Q7 - Many British diplomats learn Tabassaran.
False

Q8 - The writer thinks that learning new writing systems is easy.
False

[Mohamed]

Thanks Malika! It's great!
Your answers are all correct
God bless you
Who can give us a new txt please
We are waiting for you

[أم بدر الدين]

Thank you i will try to do it but do you mean that the text must deal with the same topic ? 0

[Mohamed]

You mean languuage? No. One gives a txt with questions, and we try to read it all and answer

[أم بدر الدين]

Many of the computing patterns used today in elementary arithmetic, such as those for performing long multiplications and divisions, were developed as late as the fifteenth century. Two reasons are usually given to account for this late development, namely, the mental difficulties and the physical difficulties of such work.

The first of these, the mental difficulties, must be somewhat discounted. The impression that the ancient numeral systems are not useful for calculations is largely based on lack of familiarity with these systems. It is clear that addition and subtraction in a simple grouping system require only the ability to count the number symbols of each kind and then to convert to higher units. No memorization of number combinations is needed. In a ciphered numeral system, if sufficient addition and multiplication tables have been memorized, the work can proceed much as we do it today.

The physical difficulties, however, were quite real. Without a large supply of something to write on, any very extended development of the arithmetic process was bound to be limited. It must be remembered that our common machine-made pulp paper is little more than a hundred years old. The older rag paper was made by hand and was consequently very expensive.*

Questions
Please indicate if the following statements are true or false according to the text.

1. The passage mainly talks about the reasons why some elementary computing patterns were not developed until the fifteenth century.
True False

2. The author believes that mental difficulties were a central reason for the late development of some elementary computing patterns.
True False

3. Calculations with grouping systems involve memorizing numerical combinations.
True False

4. Using a ciphered numeral system does not require any memorization.
True False

5. The unavailability of cheap paper and other writing materials such as pens was a reason for the slow development of arithmetic systems.
True False

6. The paper we use today was developed much later than rag paper.
True False

7. Rag paper was probably expensive because its manufacture required human labor.
True False

[Mohamed]

Very nice work Malika, and very nice text too
I'm sure this will help secondary school's studetns
We're waiting for someone to answer
Keep it up

[أم بدر الدين]

Thank you brother; i am here to help