Death of writing [TED]

Find a statement using ‘while’ in PARAGRAPH 3 to introduce contrasting ideas and choose the best paraphrase for it.

• a. Writing is a fairly new invention considering that humans have been speaking for at least 80,000 years.

• b. Both written and spoken language are fairly new inventions, even though humans have been around for at least 80, 000 years

Find a statement using ‘while’ in PARAGRAPH 4 to introduce contrasting ideas and choose the best paraphrase for it.

• a. Not nearly everyone learns to speak and write, but one form takes longer than the other

• b. Not everyone can write, but just about everyone can speak.

Find a statement using ‘while’ in PARAGRAPH 7 to introduce contrasting ideas and choose the best paraphrase for it.

• a. Although there are differences in how we speak and write, they are not as significant as you might think.

• b. Speaking and writing are different forms of communication, but they have an important effect on each other.

Find a statement using ‘while’ in 'The Decline of Language?' to introduce contrasting ideas and choose the best paraphrase for it.

• a. People have always been complaining about how communication is deteriorating, even though it seems like a very recent phenomenon.

• b. It seems like people have always been complaining about how communication is deteriorating, but it’s actually a very recent phenomenon.

Choose the correct words to complete the blank:

An array of things or people is a ___________ of them.

• Large variety

•  Limited number

Choose the correct words to complete the blank:

A scourge is something that causes a lot of ___________ a group of people.

• Trouble 

• Happiness

Choose the correct words to complete the blank:

To spell means to __________ that something will happen

• Signify

• Deny

Choose the synonyms of the underlined words:

If one purpose of texting is to communicate with others very quickly, then logically it follows that people will create abbreviations for certain expressions

• Reasonably

• Possibly

Choose the synonyms of the underlined words:

John McWhorter became interested in becoming a linguist at an early age, when he heard someone speaking a foreign language 

• Person who studies the way children speak 

• Person who studies the structure of languages

Choose the synonyms of the underlined words:

Some writers are able to get a lot of feedback from readers through comments posted online

• Donations

• Responses