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Language Quiz

Total questions: 20

Worksheet time: 5hrs 0mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

The sign shown in the image includes an Internet address for the county government. Explain how the sign illustrates the cultural tensions between traditional languages and English.

a)

The Internet spreads the use of English as a global lingua franca, but the Internet is also a place where traditional languages can be communicated and thrive.

b)

English is used for business and commerce on the Internet, while traditional languages such as Gaelic can only be heard in poems and music recordings but not written on the Internet.

c)

The Internet is produced only in English; as a result, many traditional languages disappear due to the dominance of English-language communication.

d)

Many countries ban the use of English-language Internet sites in an effort to resist the forces of globalization and protect their traditional languages.

e)

English is being used less outside of the United Kingdom. Speaking a traditional language as a first language has become the norm in former British colonies.

2.

Hebrew is an example of

a)

an isolated language.

b)

an extinct language.

c)

a revived language.

d)

a language family.

e)

an Altaic language.

3.

The contemporary distribution of languages around the globe is largely a result of

a)

social media

b)

the Internet

c)

Rosetta Stone sales

d)

migration

e)

high school requirements to earn a second language

4.

The current estimate of the number of languages spoken across the planet is approximately

a)

less than 100

b)

between 250 and 1,000 languages

c)

between 1,500 and 3,000 languages

d)

between 3,500 and 6,500 languages

e)

over 7,000

5.

The main difference between languages in the same family, branch, or group is how

a)

recently in time the languages were once the same

b)

closely the speakers of each language live to one another

c)

they correspond to the diffusion of free markets across much of the world

d)

similar the cultures of the speakers of each language are

e)

they all emerged at the same point in history, according to the Bible

6.

A collection of languages that share a common origin but have since evolved into individual languages is a

a)

dialect

b)

language branch

c)

language family

d)

language group

e)

language root

7.

A group of languages that share a common ancestor before recorded history is a

a)

dialect

b)

language branch

c)

language family

d)

language group

e)

language root

8.

A developing language

a)

has a literary tradition but is not spoken daily

b)

is really a collection of languages with common ancestory

c)

has a literary tradition and is spoken daily

d)

is spoken daily but lacks a literary tradition

e)

is a government recognized social media language

9.

The Icelandic language has changed less than any other Germanic language because of

a)

Iceland's close contact with other people and activities

b)

migration by German tribes

c)

Iceland's relative isolation from other places

d)

the extinction of the East Germanic group

e)

continuous exchange with Norway and Sweden

10.

A language that was nearly extinct in British-controlled areas but which is now being revived is

a)

Slavic

b)

Celtic

c)

Iranian

d)

English

e)

Pictish

11.

A language that is unrelated to any other is a(n)

a)

developing language

b)

scheduled language

c)

vulgar language

d)

isolated language

e)

endangered language

12.

Basque is spoken primarily in

a)

Brittany

b)

the Swiss Alps

c)

the Pyrenees Mountains

d)

Barcelona, Spain

e)

Liechtenstein

13.

The language family encompassing the languages of the People's Republic of China is

a)

Indo-European

b)

Indo-Iranian

c)

Mandarin

d)

Sino-Tibetan

e)

Austro-Asiatic

14.

Signs in Brussels, Belgium, are bilingual with ________ on them.

a)

Dutch and French

b)

French and Flemish

c)

Flemish and German

d)

French and German

e)

Flemish and English

15.

The three largest language families in Southeast Asia are

a)

Dravidian, Altaic, and Tai-Kadal

b)

Austronesian, Austro-Asiatic, and Tai-Kadal

c)

Austronesian, Afro-Asiatic, and Uralic

d)

Korean, Japanese, and Austronesia

e)

Indo-Iranian, Celtic, and Austronesia

16.

Which of the following is TRUE about Korean?

a)

Written Korean has a letter for each sound

b)

Korean is essentially Chinese spoke on the Korean peninsula

c)

Korean uses two systems of phonetic symbols

d)

The origin of Korean is unknown

e)

Korean is written with the familiar Roman alphabet to simplify trade

17.

The large number of individual languages documented in Africa has resulted primarily from

a)

thousands of years of isolation between cultural groups

b)

repeated invasions by outsiders

c)

introduction of many different languages by the colonial powers

d)

frequent migration by the different tribal groups

e)

colonial administration of native lands

18.

Which of the following is NOT a romance language?

a)

Romanian

b)

Italian

c)

French

d)

Greek

e)

Spanish

19.

While Hindu is India's official language, this language is a secondary official language

a)

Dravidian

b)

Urdu

c)

Devangari

d)

English

e)

French

20.

English is part of which language family?

a)

Germanic

b)

North Germanic

c)

West Germanic

d)

Indo-European

e)

Romance