Test Review Quiz 2

Which provides an objective summary of the passage?

• English is the most spoken language in the world, but Mandarin Chinese is the language of most countries.

• Thousands of different languages exist all over the globe despite originally developing from the same location.

• Modern languages are in danger of becoming extinct soon because they are too complex.

• By studying a language and its origins, people will have a better understanding of its history and the people who first spoke it.

Part A: Which of these claims relies on sufficient and valid reasoning?

• Discontinuity-based theorists will likely find that language evolved from pre-language communication.

• Linguistics experts will likely obtain concrete evidence that proved language first began with modern man.

• Discontinuity-based theorists will likely continue to oppose the ideas of continuity-based theorists.

• Modern languages will likely be proven to be a mixture of hand movements and sounds created by early man.

Part B: Which detail from paragraph 4 best supports the answer to Part A?

• “Some say it is impossible that language could have evolved from nothing and that it is based on pre-language communications performed by our pre-human ancestors.”

• “An opposite viewpoint is that language is so unique to humans that it could not have just evolved from pre-human conditions and that somewhere along the line it must have just randomly appeared amongst our ancestors"

• “Continuity-based theories are more prominent in modern linguistics theory, but major ideas vary.”

• “Because language emerged in such early prehistory of man, there are little to no traces of its origins, and no comparable processes are able to be seen today, leaving linguistics experts in the dark on how language could have evolved from its earliest roots.”

Read this sentence. "When a person learns a language, he or she also comes away with a deeper understanding of the culture of that people, what they value, and what they abhor." Why does the author include this sentence in the final paragraph?

• to describe the importance of understanding a language's history before learning it

• to explain the significance of language studies to explain the significance of language studies

• to illustrate the lasting impact that learning a new language has on a person.

• to persuade the reader to learn a new language

Read the sentence from the first paragraph. "There are over 6,000 languages, both spoken and written, in existence today, and a general consensus among linguistic experts is that 50 to 90% of the languages spoken today will be extinct by the year 2100." Based on this statement, what inference can the reader most logically make?

• By 2100, people will no longer communicate verbally which will result in languages becoming extinct.

• By 2100, language will evolve to the point that only major languages will be spoken, and others will die out.

• By 2100, people around the world will only speak one or two languages, and all the others will vanish.

• By 2100, communication around the world will improve because there will be fewer languages to confuse people.

In the passage, to what is the rushing water at Whirlpool Rapids compared?

• a racehorse

• a stampede

• an avalanche

• a rainstorm

Why is Homan chosen to help with the project?

• He can start working on the project right away.

• His father recommended him.

• He is sixteen and strong enough to carry all the heavy equipment that is needed.

• One of the men sees how effectively he is flying his kite near the gorge.

Which of the following statements best summarizes the events in Paragraph 9?

• Rockets could be used to fire a line across the gorge.

• Everyone offers ideas about getting a line across the gorge.

• One man has a good idea to carry the line.

• It would be too expensive to use a ship to carry the line.

Read the sentence from Paragraph 18. "But soon it was too dark to see, and Homan felt no pull on his line." Why does the author include this sentence?

• to explain that he did not have enough line

• to let the reader know the line had been sliced

• to explain that Homan was disappointed

• to inform the reader that Homan could no longer watch his kite

Which detail from the passage is least necessary to explain the topic?

• Charles Ellet owned a high hat and Spanish cape.

• The water ran quickly in the river.

• The best winds blew from the west.

• Homan Walsh later took a train to Nebraska.