Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
Learning to speak one’s language comes naturally to a human being; we learn it without formal instruction. But writing is an unnatural activity; it must be taught formally and studied deliberately. Indeed, many of the problems that arise in learning to write are simply problems of finding proper written equivalent for the various features of speech. The spelling of our words is a clumsy attempt to reproduce the sound of our voices. The punctuation of our sentences and the settings of paragraphs are designed to give some approximation of the pauses and intonation we use automatically to give shape and point to our speaking.
The writer of English (or any other language) loses a whole world of gestures, facial expressions and tone of voice the minute he decides to write something rather than say it aloud. He loses the immediacy of direct contact with his audience. If there were no compensation at all for all these disadvantages, then communicating with other people through the medium of squiggles on paper would be as unsatisfactory as trying to wash your feet with your socks on.
Writing takes more effort than speech, but the effort we make simply to capture our words on paper can also lead us to compose things that are worth the effort. The unusual energy that goes into achievement in any art or sport can and should function finally to help the individual increase his own powers and perfect his abilities. Three hundred and fifty years ago, a clever man pointed out that practice in speaking makes a man ‘ready’ or quick in his responses while practice in writing makes a man ‘exact’, helps him to polish and perfect his thoughts.
(a) Why did the writer say that writing is an unnatural activity?
(b) Give two specific examples of problems encountered in learning to write.
(c) Mention any two disadvantages that arise in written communication.
(d) What major advantage comes from the acquisition of good written skills
(e) …that goes into achievement in any art or sport (i) What grammatical name is used to describe the above expression?
(ii) What is its function?
(f) For each of the following words find another word or phrase that means the same and can replace it as used in the passage:
(i) deliberately; (ii) equivalent; (iii) designed; (iv) compensation (v) responses; (vi) polish.
Explanation
(a) This is because writing has to be taught formally and deliberately.
(b)(i) The first example of problems in learning to write is finding proper written equivalent of features of speech.
(ii) Finding equivalent of gestures and facial expressions in writing.
(c)(i) In written communication, the writer use of gestures, facial expression and tone of voice good writing skills helps one to polish and perfect one's (ii) Immediate direct contact with his audience
(d) Acquisition thoughts.
(e)(i) Adjectival clause. (ii) It qualifies the noun "energy"
(f)(i) deliberately - purposely, on purpose (ii) equivalent - form, same with (iii) designed - set, fashioned (iv) compensation - reward
(v) responses - answers
(vi) polish - refine