Recent studies on Native American languages point towards an alarming

Question

Recent studies on Native American languages point towards an alarming problem in the United States today. Language loss, a global phenomenon, is accelerating among indigenous groups in the United States. A large majority of Native American vernaculars are spoken only by elders and the remainder are fast approaching that status, as growing numbers of children speak only English.

To many, the precedence of one “common” language seems like an achievement of globalization and hence they argue that it would be wiser to spend resources on improving the English speaking skills of Native Americans rather than resuscitating fading tongues. However, no language is just a collection of words and, therefore, languages are not so simply substitutable for each other. Each language is a unique tool for analyzing and synthesizing the world and to lose such a tool is to forget a way of constructing reality, blotting out a perspective evolved over many generations. Native American languages express ideas on which Native American cultures are anchored; a native language does not just reflect a culture - in a functional sense it is the culture. These languages are based on entirely different histories, scientific and natural-world understandings, spiritual beliefs, and political and legal ideas. They capture concepts that do not exist in English. In essence, they are based on different realities.

Realising the magnitude of this language-loss, most indigenous tribes today are making some type of effort toward a language-comeback. These efforts include everything from instituting apprenticeship programs, which pair a fluent elder with a student, to using, what may seem like an unusual tool because of the inherent reservations in Native American communities to being photographed or recorded in any form, technology such as YouTube videos of native speakers or Google Hangout video chats for live, long-distance conversations. The idea is to engage the younger members of the tribe who, in their effort to fit into the more popular culture, are quickly losing ties with their unique heritage.   1 
 A. Incorrect: Out of Context

The author draws no such cause and effect relationship. Yes, the aversion to being photographed or recorded is mentioned but that is to highlight how the use of technology as tool to revive these languages might seem as a rather odd choice.
B.Correct

This can be derived from the following section of the passage:

Each language is a unique tool… do not exist in English.

In the above section of the passage, the author states that languages convey unique perceptions of events (world) and to lose a language is to lose this perspective. He/she also states that a native language is the foundation of the culture itself. The author then goes on to say that these Native American languages capture concepts that do not exist in English. From this analysis, we can understand that the author would agree that perspectives are context driven and accordingly, across cultures same events could be viewed/interpreted differently.
C. Incorrect: Out of Scope

First of all, there is no given information to establish whether the dominance of English over some ethnic minorities is an “unintended” effect of globalization. Secondly, the author mentions globalization while presenting the opinion of people who think that the dominance of English as a language is an achievement of globalization. However, the author never gives any opinion confirming that it is indeed a result of globalization. Finally, this choice makes a broader statement about globalization that talks about more than one effect of the same.
D.Incorrect: Inconsistent

The passage does mention that language loss is a global phenomenon and that it is accelerating among Native American languages; however, the author gives no information to support any comparison between the language loss in Native American languages and that in other languages. 
E. Incorrect: Out of Scope

There is no information given to support any sort of comparison between the awareness levels of the two generations. All that we can infer is that the older generation of Native Americans is more likely to speak their language than the younger generation is. 
1. Which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?
A. Because some Native American communities are inherently averse to being photographed or recorded in any form, their languages are at an even greater risk of reaching extinction.
B. Same events can be understood differently across cultures, cultures which do not necessarily share the same contexts.
C. Globalization has had many unintended consequences such as the dominance of English as a language over some ethnic minorities.
D. Although language loss is a global phenomenon, the scale at which it has affected Native American languages is probably the most severe.
E. The younger generation of Native Americans is not as aware of the near extinct state of Native American languages as the older generation is.

2 
 the first paragraph introduces the problem of language loss in Native American language. The second paragraph focuses on the author’s perspective on why languages are not substitutable, especially why English cannot replace Native American language. Finally, the third paragraph talks about the kind of efforts being made by the indigenous tribes to revive their languages. In all, the entire passage is geared towards explaining the nature of a problem and certain efforts being made to overcome it.

A.Correct
B. Incorrect: Partial Scope

In a sense, the two perspectives mentioned in the second paragraph are opposite to each other since one considers language as substitutable for each other and the other doesn’t; however, these perspectives form the content of only the second paragraph and not the whole passage.
C. Incorrect: Inconsistent

The author does explain a problem but does not propose any solution to it.
D. Incorrect: Out of Scope

We do get the sense that the author agrees with the findings of the studies mentioned in the first paragraph; however, the passage is not written from the point of view of validating these findings. 
E. Incorrect: Out of Scope

First of all, we don’t know what the normal/general view is on the issue of language loss in Native American languages. Second of all, the author neither appreciates nor criticizes the mentioned effort. He/she simply states them while bringing out the underlying reason behind these efforts.

2. The author is primarily concerned with
A. To explain the nature of a problem and certain remedial measures being taken for it
B. To present two contradictory perspectives on a problem
C. To explain a problem while proposing a solution to it
D. To corroborate the findings of certain recent studies
E. To appreciate the efforts made to rectify a situation that is not normally seen as a problem

3 
 A. Incorrect: Out of Context

This is opposite to the thought expressed by the author, and as understood by us in the pre-thinking analysis.

B. Incorrect: Out Of Scope

While the author does say this in the second paragraph (from which the cited extract has been taken), the author does not mention popular languages in the extract itself and neither does he/she make an attempt to differentiate between any two cultures here. Hence, for the purpose the cited section, this choice is not in scope.
C.Incorrect: Inconsistent

The author says that a native language is more than just a reflection of culture, implying that its role is NOT limited to just portraying the culture; it is in fact the basis of the culture. However, this choice talks about a scenario in which the language does not reflect the culture.
D. Incorrect: Opposite

The author makes a statement about Native American languages, saying that they are more than just a reflection of culture. However, this choice twists the thought presented to say that the culture itself is more than the ideas expressed in it.
E. Correct

This choice matches our pre-thinking analysis. 
3. Which of the following can be inferred from the statement below?

...a native language does not just reflect a culture - in a functional sense it is the culture.

A. A native language does not by itself stand for a culture.
B. Native American cultures are rooted in ideas that do not exist in some of the other popular languages.
C. Even when a native language does not portray a culture, it could be the culture itself.
D. The culture a native language reflects is more than the ideas expressed in it.
E. A native language is synonymous with the culture it is spoken in.

4 
 A. Incorrect: Stated in the passage
This information is explicitly given to us in the first sentence of the last paragraph:
Realising the magnitude of this language-loss,  most  indigenous tribes today are making some type of effort toward a language-comeback.
B. Correct: Out of Scope
There is no such comparison made in the last paragraph, the section in which the use of technology for the stated purpose is mentioned. 
C. Incorrect: Stated in the passage
This information is stated in the first paragraph:
 A large majority  of Native American vernaculars are spoken only by elders…
D. Incorrect: Stated in the passage
This information is given to us in the last paragraph:
…to using, what may  seem like an unusual tool  because of the inherent reservations in Native American communities to being photographed or recorded in any form, technology such as YouTube videos of native speakers or Google Hangout video chats for live, long-distance conversations.
E. Incorrect: Stated in the passage
This information is stated in the first sentence of the second paragraph:
To many, the precedence of one “common” language seems like an  achievement  of globalization and hence they argue that it would be wiser to spend resources on improving the English speaking skills of Native Americans  rather than resuscitating fading tongues.  
4. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A. Majority of the Native American tribes are aware of the scale of the problem of language-loss in their culture.
B. There are more chances of engaging Native American youth with their culture through the use of technology than through other means. 
C. Most of the Native American languages today are spoken only by the elders of the indigenous communities.
D. Use of audio-visual mediums by Native Americans to resuscitate their languages could seem like an odd choice. 
E. More than a few people think that language loss in Native American cultures is not really a problem.

Nikhil · Accepted Answer

1. Which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?

A. Because some Native American communities are inherently averse to being photographed or recorded in any form, their languages are at an even greater risk of reaching extinction.

Incorrect : Out of Context

The author draws no such cause and effect relationship. Yes, the aversion to being photographed or recorded is mentioned but that is to highlight how the use of technology as tool to revive these languages might seem as a rather odd choice.

B. Same events can be understood differently across cultures, cultures which do not necessarily share the same contexts.

Correct

This can be derived from the following section of the passage:

Each language is a unique tool… do not exist in English.

In the above section of the passage, the author states that languages convey unique perceptions of events (world) and to lose a language is to lose this perspective. He/she also states that a native language is the foundation of the culture itself. The author then goes on to say that these Native American languages capture concepts that do not exist in English. From this analysis, we can understand that the author would agree that perspectives are context driven and accordingly, across cultures same events could be viewed/interpreted differently.

C. Globalization has had many unintended consequences such as the dominance of English as a language over some ethnic minorities.

Incorrect : Out of Scope

First of all, there is no given information to establish whether the dominance of English over some ethnic minorities is an “unintended” effect of globalization. Secondly, the author mentions globalization while presenting the opinion of people who think that the dominance of English as a language is an achievement of globalization. However, the author never gives any opinion confirming that it is indeed a result of globalization. Finally, this choice makes a broader statement about globalization that talks about more than one effect of the same.

D. Although language loss is a global phenomenon, the scale at which it has affected Native American languages is probably the most severe.

Incorrect : Inconsistent

The passage does mention that language loss is a global phenomenon and that it is accelerating among Native American languages; however, the author gives no information to support any comparison between the language loss in Native American languages and that in other languages.

E. The younger generation of Native Americans is not as aware of the near extinct state of Native American languages as the older generation is.

Incorrect : Out of Scope

There is no information given to support any sort of comparison between the awareness levels of the two generations. All that we can infer is that the older generation of Native Americans is more likely to speak their language than the younger generation is.

2. The author is primarily concerned with

A. To explain the nature of a problem and certain remedial measures being taken for it

Correct

the first paragraph introduces the problem of language loss in Native American language. The second paragraph focuses on the author’s perspective on why languages are not substitutable, especially why English cannot replace Native American language. Finally, the third paragraph talks about the kind of efforts being made by the indigenous tribes to revive their languages. In all, the entire passage is geared towards explaining the nature of a problem and certain efforts being made to overcome it.

B. To present two contradictory perspectives on a problem

Incorrect : Partial Scope

In a sense, the two perspectives mentioned in the second paragraph are opposite to each other since one considers language as substitutable for each other and the other doesn’t; however, these perspectives form the content of only the second paragraph and not the whole passage.

C. To explain a problem while proposing a solution to it

Incorrect : Inconsistent

The author does explain a problem but does not propose any solution to it.

D. To corroborate the findings of certain recent studies

Incorrect : Out of Scope

We do get the sense that the author agrees with the findings of the studies mentioned in the first paragraph; however, the passage is not written from the point of view of validating these findings.

E. To appreciate the efforts made to rectify a situation that is not normally seen as a problem

Incorrect : Out of Scope

First of all, we don’t know what the normal/general view is on the issue of language loss in Native American languages. Second of all, the author neither appreciates nor criticizes the mentioned effort. He/she simply states them while bringing out the underlying reason behind these efforts.

3. Which of the following can be inferred from the statement below?

...a native language does not just reflect a culture - in a functional sense it is the culture.

A. A native language does not by itself stand for a culture.

Incorrect : Out of Context

This is opposite to the thought expressed by the author, and as understood by us in the pre-thinking analysis.

B. Native American cultures are rooted in ideas that do not exist in some of the other popular languages.

Incorrect : Out Of Scope

While the author does say this in the second paragraph (from which the cited extract has been taken), the author does not mention popular languages in the extract itself and neither does he/she make an attempt to differentiate between any two cultures here. Hence, for the purpose the cited section, this choice is not in scope.

C. Even when a native language does not portray a culture, it could be the culture itself.

Incorrect : Inconsistent

The author says that a native language is more than just a reflection of culture, implying that its role is NOT limited to just portraying the culture; it is in fact the basis of the culture. However, this choice talks about a scenario in which the language does not reflect the culture.

D. The culture a native language reflects is more than the ideas expressed in it.

Incorrect : Opposite

The author makes a statement about Native American languages, saying that they are more than just a reflection of culture. However, this choice twists the thought presented to say that the culture itself is more than the ideas expressed in it.

E. A native language is synonymous with the culture it is spoken in.

Correct

4. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?

A. Majority of the Native American tribes are aware of the scale of the problem of language-loss in their culture.

Incorrect : Stated in the passage

This information is explicitly given to us in the first sentence of the last paragraph:
Realising the magnitude of this language-loss,  most  indigenous tribes today are making some type of effort toward a language-comeback.

B. There are more chances of engaging Native American youth with their culture through the use of technology than through other means.

Correct : Out of Scope

There is no such comparison made in the last paragraph, the section in which the use of technology for the stated purpose is mentioned.

C. Most of the Native American languages today are spoken only by the elders of the indigenous communities.

Incorrect : Stated in the passage

This information is stated in the first paragraph:

A large majority  of Native American vernaculars are spoken only by elders…

D. Use of audio-visual mediums by Native Americans to resuscitate their languages could seem like an odd choice.

Incorrect : Stated in the passage

This information is given to us in the last paragraph:

…to using, what may  seem like an unusual tool  because of the inherent reservations in Native American communities to being photographed or recorded in any form, technology such as YouTube videos of native speakers or Google Hangout video chats for live, long-distance conversations.

E. More than a few people think that language loss in Native American cultures is not really a problem.

Incorrect : Stated in the passage

This information is stated in the first sentence of the second paragraph:
To many, the precedence of one “common” language seems like an  achievement  of globalization and hence they argue that it would be wiser to spend resources on improving the English speaking skills of Native Americans  rather than resuscitating fading tongues.

DavidTutorexamPAL · Answer

Question 1 
 
The answer is B.

We'll answer using the  Alternative  approach, since it is easier to examine the answers and find the right one by process of elimination:

A. Because some Native American communities are inherently averse to being photographed or recorded in any form, their languages are at an even greater risk of reaching extinction.  The reverse is true - despite this averseness, they have agreed to be photographed and recorded, lessening the risk of extinction 
B. Same events can be understood differently across cultures, cultures which do not necessarily share the same contexts.  The entire second paragraph would seem to express this idea: languages capture different realities 
C. Globalization has had many unintended consequences such as the dominance of English as a language over some ethnic minorities. this is certainly a consequence, but nowhere does it say that it is unintended 
D. Although language loss is a global phenomenon, the scale at which it has affected Native American languages is probably the most severe.  nowhere does it say this: we are only told that the rate is accelerating in relation to itself, but not that it is greater or lesser than other languages
 
E. The younger generation of Native Americans is not as aware of the near extinct state of Native American languages as the older generation is.  nowhere does it say this, and the opposite is probably true: the young generation is involved in an apprenticship program, so they probably know the reason

DavidTutorexamPAL · Answer

Question 2 
 
The answer is A.

We'll answer using the  Alternative  approach, since it is easier to examine the answers and find the right one by process of elimination:

2. The author is primarily concerned with
A. To explain the nature of a problem and certain remedial measures being taken for it  this seems to fit exactly: the first two paragraphs explain why this is a problem, the third describes certain steps which are meant to help respond to it 
B. To present two contradictory perspectives on a problem  nope - there is not contest presented to the notion that this is a serious problem 
C. To explain a problem while proposing a solution to it  this is close, but not accurate: no one solution is offered, but several partial remedies (not full solutions) are described as happening (not proposed by the author) 
D. To corroborate the findings of certain recent studies  no 
E. To appreciate the efforts made to rectify a situation that is not normally seen as a problem  though this may be partly true, it's definitely not the main concern: only one paragraph (the third) out of three even deals with the efforts to rectify

DavidTutorexamPAL · Answer

Question 3 
 
The answer is E.

We'll answer using the  Alternative  approach, since it is easier to examine the answers and find the right one by process of elimination:

A. A native language does not by itself stand for a culture.  the opposite is true: if it "is the culture", it very well may stand for it alone 
B. Native American cultures are rooted in ideas that do not exist in some of the other popular languages.  maybe, but this doesn't not directly derive from the statement: its possible (based on this statement alone) that all languages have the same ideas 
C. Even when a native language does not portray a culture, it could be the culture itself.   it is not clear how (and seems to be a contradiction) something could be something else but not portray it: if the second half of the sentence is true, the first must be 
D. The culture a native language reflects is more than the ideas expressed in it.  not what the statement says - maybe a culture - and the language - is precisely the ideas expressed (and only them) 
E. A native language is synonymous with the culture it is spoken in.  yup: the language "is the culture"

DavidTutorexamPAL · Answer

Question 4 
 
The answer is B.

We'll answer using the  Alternative  approach, since it we are explicitly asked to examine the answers:

4. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A. Majority of the Native American tribes are aware of the scale of the problem of language-loss in their culture.  third paragraph: "Realising the magnitude of this language-loss, most indigenous tribes ..." 
B. There are more chances of engaging Native American youth with their culture through the use of technology than through other means.  Third paragraph: following the sentence describing the use of technology, we are told "The idea is to engage the younger members of the tribe" 
C. Most of the Native American languages today are spoken only by the elders of the indigenous communities.  First paragraph: "A large majority of Native American vernaculars are spoken only by elders" 
D. Use of audio-visual mediums by Native Americans to resuscitate their languages could seem like an odd choice.  Third paragraph: "may seem like an unusual tool" 
E. More than a few people think that language loss in Native American cultures is not really a problem.  Not stated

u1983 · Answer

Hello  workout  and/or Experts,

Please help me understand the effective meaning difference between the choices below for Q3. Which of the following can be inferred from the highlighted text ?

C. Even when a native language does not portray a culture, it could be the culture itself.
E. A native language is synonymous with the culture it is spoken in.

Thanks in appreciation

auradediligodo · Answer

Hi,

Took 9 minutes but got one wrong. It took 4 minutes to read the passage, formulate the paragraphs summaries and the main point

P1: native american languages are being replaced by english
P2: why language loss is linked to many drawbacks
P3: efforts taken to prevent language loss among native cultures

MP: present the drawbacks associated with language loss and show the efforts taken to prevent it

1.   Which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?

Pre thinking:  since we are not given much information we need to evaluate the single statments

A. Because some Native American communities are inherently averse to being photographed or recorded in any form, their languages are at an even greater risk of reaching extinction.  technology is used for a different purpose that is to revive the language. Incorrect 
B. Same events can be understood differently across cultures, cultures which do not necessarily share the same contexts.  Let's reason on the information related to culture and language: Language is associated with both the culture and an unique perspective of the world. So we can infer that different cultures(=different languages) lead to a different understanding of events. Correct 
C. Globalization has had many unintended consequences such as the dominance of English as a language over some ethnic minorities.  I would say that this choice is too general since we are talking only about american natives. Incorrect 
D. Although language loss is a global phenomenon, the scale at which it has affected Native American languages is probably the most severe.  too extreme because of the "most". Incorrect 
E. The younger generation of Native Americans is not as aware of the near extinct state of Native American languages as the older generation is.  inconsistent. They probably are aware since they don't speak the native language anymore.

2.  The author is primarily concerned with:

Pre-thinking: For this question refer to our main point formulation and loo for an answer choice that is worded similarly or that conveys the same meaning

A. To explain the nature of a problem and certain remedial measures being taken for it  This answer choice is worded similarly as our MP. Hence this is correct 
B. To present two contradictory perspectives on a problem  no contradictory perspectives mentioned. Hence incorrect 
C. To explain a problem while proposing a solution to it  no solution is  proposed . Incorrect 
D. To corroborate the findings of certain recent studies  this is not the purpose. the author for sure agrees that there are drawbacks associated with language loss but her purpose is to present information and not to support. Incorrect 
E. To appreciate the efforts made to rectify a situation that is not normally seen as a problem  no appreciation here. Incorrect

3.  Which of the following can be inferred from the statement below?

...a native language does not just reflect a culture - in a functional sense it is the culture.

Pre-thinking:  the author reasoning is that the language is an active part of a culture. So any statement that says how much languages define cultures will be our answer

A. A native language does not by itself stand for a culture.  according to the passage this could be the case. Hence incorrect 
B. Native American cultures are rooted in ideas that do not exist in some of the other popular languages.  cannot be inferred. Incorrect 
C. Even when a native language does not portray a culture, it could be the culture itself.  the author does not present a scenario in which the language does not portray the culture. Hence wrong 
D. The culture a native language reflects is more than the ideas expressed in it.  this could have several meaning since we don't know what is that is more communicated 
E. A native language is synonymous with the culture it is spoken in.   This is in line with our prethinking. correct

4.  Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?

Pre-thinking:  detail question. To answer it let's analyze the answer choices

A. Majority of the Native American tribes are aware of the scale of the problem of language-loss in their culture.  mentioned in the beginning of the last paragraph. Hence incorrect 
B. There are more chances of engaging Native American youth with their culture through the use of technology than through other means.  this is not mentioned but can be easily inferred so let's keep it for now 
C. Most of the Native American languages today are spoken only by the elders of the indigenous communities. metioned in the last sentence of the first paragraph. Hence incorrect 
D. Use of audio-visual mediums by Native Americans to resuscitate their languages could seem like an odd choice.  Mentioned in the last paragraph 
E. More than a few people think that language loss in Native American cultures is not really a problem.  mentioned in the first sentence of P2. Hence incorrect

Since everything except for B is clearly mentioned in the passage answer B is the correct answer

goofytiwari69 · Answer

4. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A. Majority of the Native American tribes are aware of the scale of the problem of language-loss in their culture.   mentioned  " Realising the magnitude of this language-loss, most indigenous tribes today are making some type of effort toward a language-comeback".

B. There are more chances of engaging Native American youth with their culture through the use of technology than through other means.   not mentioned

C. Most of the Native American languages today are spoken only by the elders of the indigenous communities.   mentioned   ". A large majority of Native American vernaculars are spoken only by elders".

D. Use of audio-visual mediums by Native Americans to resuscitate their languages could seem like an odd choice.   mentioned   ." what may seem like an unusual tool because of the inherent reservations in Native American communities to being photographed or recorded in any form, technology such as YouTube videos of native speakers or Google Hangout video chats for live, long-distance conversations.".

E. More than a few people think that language loss in Native American cultures is not really a problem.    sort of mentioned   "To many, the precedence of one “common” language seems like an achievement of globalization and hence they argue that it would be wiser to spend resources on improving the English speaking skills of Native Americans rather than resuscitating fading tongues.".

Solenja · Answer

I'm not sure with others but i feel this a really hard reading comprehension(period) or may be im not just familiar with these type of paragraphs

VerbalBot · Answer

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Recent studies on Native American languages point towards an alarming

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