Around 200 B.C，Aristophanes，an ancient Greek librarian，developed a system of marks to break up text to make it easier to read.Before this，words were often written in one long sentence without spaces between the words.Today in many languages -including English-there is a set of rules on how to use full stops，commas and other text marks.However，some believe this is changing.Dr Robert Frost，who studies language，says people no longer use full stops and other punctuation（標(biāo)點(diǎn)）symbols because they feel their messages are clear enough without them.So，is punctuation helpful or just troublesome？
   Yes-punctuation is important
   Punctuation is needed in order to make the meaning of written words clear.If a parent messaged to say，"It's time to eat，children"，this is different from， "It's time to eat children".The second sentence would probably make you want to run in the opposite direction because it sounds as though children were on the menu.The author Jonathan Pierce argues that punctuation can be used to add drama，to break up the sequence of words and change the rhythm of a sentence. "It allows writers to make sentences more interesting so the readers do not get bored，Pierce claims. "Otherwise，the words run into each other and lose their impact. " Besides，learning the different ways punctuation marks can be used is fun.It can add a lot to the style of writing and make it clearer.
   No-we don't need it
    Punctuation.Even，if a sentence is badly punctuated.jye.ai this one：It can still be，understood.This short piece of text shows that it is the words that are the important part of the sentence，not the symbols between them.Oxford-based linguist Kelly Jones says，"It is the order in which the words appear that conveys the meaning，not the punctuation marks.If there is any doubt in the meaning of the sentence，people are clever enough to work out what the person is really trying to say.For instance，when people speak，they do not use punctuation and yet we can still understand each other."Also，punctuation can be confusing -there are lots of complex rules to observe，and if it is used incorrectly it can cause more problems than if there were none，Punctuation simply isn't needed.

（1）What is the purpose of this passage？

A

A

A．To discuss alternative viewpoints.
B．To support one argument over another.
C．To evaluate the strength of competing ideas.
D．To outline historical development of language
（2）Who believes punctuation is necessary？

D

D

A．Robert Frost and Kelly Jones
B．Aristophanes and Robert Frost
C．Jonathan Pierce and Kelly Jones
D．Aristophanes and Jonathan Pierce
（3）In paragraph 3，the underlined part is used as

C

C

.
A．a(chǎn) definition
B．a(chǎn) fact
C．a(chǎn)n example
D．a(chǎn)n error
（4）Which of the following can be a strong argument against Kelly Jones's opinion？

C

C

A．Punctuation adds to the effect and richness of a language.
B．Without punctuation，people would be breathless when speaking.
C．Pauses and tones in speech serve similar functions to punctuation.
D．The choice and order of words are important to conveying meaning.