Reading comprehension: read the passage carefully and then answer the question that follows. To know language is to be able to speak it; even a child who does not yet attend school can speak his or her language. In order to speak a language it is important to listen to it and to read a few pages in it every day. A child picks up language and learns to talk just as (s)he learns to walk. Walking and talking come naturally to a child as it grows. In our country, a child may grow up speaking more than one language, if these languages are spoken in the home and in the neighbourhood. We call this multilingualism. A child speaks a language or languages much before (s)he starts going to school. To know a language then is first of all to be able to speak it as easily and naturally as a three year old child does. Later on the child will learn to read and write in that language. In order to read and write in a language, one has to speak it. But it is possible to speak a language but not be able to read or write in it. A baby does not speak until it is nine months old but it understands a few words at six months of age. It has been listening ever since it was born, and even a little before that. So the first strategy in speaking a language is to listen. Question: A child has been __________ ever since it was born.

Introduction / Context:
This question is another detail based item from the same passage. It checks your ability to recall exactly what the author says about the earliest language related activity of a child, starting from birth.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The passage discusses various stages: listening, speaking, understanding, reading, and writing.
• Near the end, the author describes what a baby does from birth and even before birth.
• The sentence of interest says that the baby has been listening ever since it was born, and even a little before that.
• The question asks what the child has been doing ever since it was born.
• Options include speaking, reading, walking, and listening.

Concept / Approach:
The key skill for this question is precise reading. You should not guess based on general knowledge of child development. The author clearly indicates listening as the continuous activity from birth onward. Other activities such as speaking, reading, and walking are shown to occur later in the child's life.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Locate the lines in the passage that describe a baby's timeline. Step 2: Note the information: the baby does not speak until nine months and understands a few words at six months. Step 3: Focus on the sentence: It has been listening ever since it was born, and even a little before that. Step 4: Conclude that listening is the activity the author highlights as happening from birth.

Verification / Alternative check:
Check each option against the passage. Speaking is explicitly denied until nine months. Reading and walking are not mentioned as activities from birth at all. Only listening is directly stated as continuous from birth and slightly earlier. Therefore listening must be the correct answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• speaking: The passage clearly states that the baby does not speak until nine months.
• reading: Reading is a later skill that the child acquires after speaking, and it is not associated with birth.
• walking: Although the passage compares learning to walk and talk, it does not say that walking begins from birth.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to choose speaking because the passage focuses on speaking as knowing a language. However, the author carefully distinguishes between listening, understanding, and speaking. Another error is not revisiting the relevant lines and relying on memory, which may mix up the sequence of skills.

Final Answer:
Correct option: listening.