【B1】______ [br] 【B11】______ [originaltext] How men first learnt to invent wo

How men first learnt to invent words is unknown; in other words, the origin of language is a mystery. All we really know is that men, unlike animals, somehow invented certain sounds to express thought and feelings, actions and things, so that they could communicate with each other; and that later they agreed upon certain signs, called letters, which could be combined to represent those sounds, and which could be written down. Those sounds, whether spoken, or written in letters we call words.
      The power of words, then lies in their associations , that is, the things they bring up before our minds. Words become filled with meaning for us by experience; and the longer we live, the more we are reminded of the glad and sad events of our past by certain words; and the longer we live, the more words we read and learn, the more the number of words that means something to us increases
     Great writers are those who not only have great thoughts but also express those thoughts in words which appeal powerfully to what we call literary style . Above all, the real poet is a master of words. He can convey his meaning in words which sing like music, and which by their position and association can move men to tears. We should therefore learn to choose our words carefully and use them accurately, or they will make our speech silly and vulgar.