The Economist Reading Challenge Week 3: Article 1

1. According to the passage author implies that Basques are similar to their neighbors in which way?

A. Language ( first para first line- unique language)
B. Cave painting timing (same line as A)
C. Choral traditions (same line as A)
D. Biblical origin (last line of first para)
E. Their genetic origin Correct (Proof: All descendent from same stone age : Para 3 line 1)

Question 2

2. Which of the following reasons are best supported by the article as an explanation of the differences in genetic composition between Basques and Spaniards?

A. Basques are a separate race that arrived in Europe during the Iron Age. - Incorrect
B. Basques followed Romans into the Iberian peninsula. -Not given in para 3
C. Ancient Iberians were the forefathers of the Spaniards. - doesn't seem an explanation for genetic-difference
D. The Arab Berber invasions and Roman conquests did not reach the Basque country but did reach the rest of Spain. Correct (para 3 roman conquer basque-contry but few settled in core area; Discouraged genetic-mingling)
E. Linguistic dissimilarities and difficulty in creating land trade routes . This is given but not an explanation of genetic-difference

I choose E. This is an inference question that asked Basques are similar to their neighbors in which way, so I will analyze each of the answer choices.

A. Language

From paragraph 1, "With their unique language, unrelated to all other European tongues, the continent’s oldest cave paintings, and their seafaring, gastronomic and choral traditions, the Basques have long had a strong sense of identity. Nationalist propagandists have gone further, claiming that the Basques form an ancient and superior race, the first Europeans. In some versions they descend directly from the biblical Noah."

Consequently, the author does not imply that Language of Basques is similar to their neighbors. A is out.

B. Cave painting timing

From the same paragraph in the answer choice A, "With their unique language, unrelated to all other European tongues, the continent’s oldest cave paintings, and their seafaring, gastronomic and choral traditions, the Basques have long had a strong sense of identity. Nationalist propagandists have gone further, claiming that the Basques form an ancient and superior race, the first Europeans. In some versions they descend directly from the biblical Noah."

The author also does not imply that Cave painting timing is similar to their neighbors. B is out.

C. Choral traditions

From the same paragraph in the answer choice A, "With their unique language, unrelated to all other European tongues, the continent’s oldest cave paintings, and their seafaring, gastronomic and choral traditions, the Basques have long had a strong sense of identity. Nationalist propagandists have gone further, claiming that the Basques form an ancient and superior race, the first Europeans. In some versions they descend directly from the biblical Noah."

The author does not imply that Choral traditions are similar to their neighbors. C is out.

D. Biblical origin

In the last sentence of paragraph 1, "In some versions they descend directly from the biblical Noah."

Even though the author talks about biblical Noah, it cannot imply that Biblical origin of Basques is similar to their neighbors. D is out.

E. Their genetic origin

From paragraph 2, "A new study of the genes of Basques and their neighbours brings mixed news for nationalists. The study, by a team at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona and published in Current Biology, shows that Basques are indeed genetically different from their neighbours. But those differences seem to be relatively recent, dating from the end of the Iron Age (around 2,500 years ago)."

The author implies that the genes of Basques and their neighbors were the same date from the end of the Iron Age. So there is the same genetic origin between Basques and their neighbors. E is the answer.

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This is the detailed question, I choose E. My explanation is below:
A. Basques are a separate race that arrived in Europe during the Iron Age.

From paragraph 3, there is no mention of a separate race that arrived in Europe during the Iron Age.

From paragraph 4, "These findings should scotch the idea of a separate Basque race, as asserted by Sabino Arana, the founder of the Basque Nationalist Party (pnv)."

So this answer choice is not supported by the passage. A is out.

B. Basques followed Romans into the Iberian peninsula.

From paragraph 3, "A key finding is that Basques and other Spaniards all descend from the same Stone Age migrants from Europe’s eastern steppes. The ancient Iberians, too, spoke a non-Indo-European language (like Basque, Finnish and Hungarian). The differences only began when the Romans turned up in Iberia. Recent research has found evidence that, contrary to myth, the Romans did conquer the Basque Country. But few seem to have settled in the core Basque-speaking areas."

The author does not talk about Basques followed Romans into the Iberian peninsula. So B is out.

C. Ancient Iberians were the forefathers of the Spaniards.

From paragraph 3, "A key finding is that Basques and other Spaniards all descend from the same Stone Age migrants from Europe’s eastern steppes. The ancient Iberians, too, spoke a non-Indo-European language (like Basque, Finnish and Hungarian). The differences only began when the Romans turned up in Iberia. "

The author says that the ancient Iberians spoke the same language (like Basque), so it cannot be the reason for the differences in genetic composition between Basques and Spaniards. So C is out.

D. The Arab Berber invasions and Roman conquests did not reach the Basque country but did reach the rest of Spain.

In paragraph 3, "Recent research has found evidence that, contrary to myth, the Romans did conquer the Basque Country. But few seem to have settled in the core Basque-speaking areas. And the Arab-Berber invaders who occupied much of Iberia for seven centuries scarcely got there."

As a result of this, the passage does not talk about the Arab Berber invasions and Roman reach the rest of Spain, and this answer choice does not explain the differences in genetic composition between Basques and Spaniards. D is Out.

E. Linguistic dissimilarities and difficulty in creating land trade routes.

From the paragraph 3, "A key finding is that Basques and other Spaniards all descend from the same Stone Age migrants from Europe’s eastern steppes. The ancient Iberians, too, spoke a non-Indo-European language (like Basque, Finnish and Hungarian). The differences only began when the Romans turned up in Iberia. Recent research has found evidence that, contrary to myth, the Romans did conquer the Basque Country. But few seem to have settled in the core Basque-speaking areas. And the Arab-Berber invaders who occupied much of Iberia for seven centuries scarcely got there. Impenetrable mountains and an incomprehensible language discouraged genetic mingling, the researchers surmise."

This answer choice is matched with the last sentence of paragraph 3, showing that linguistic dissimilarities and difficulty in creating land trade routes are the reasons supported by the article. So E is the answer.

Hope it helps.

A, B , C and D talks about differences . We need to find out similarities

WITH THEIR unique language( Option A) , unrelated to all other European tongues, the continent’s oldest cave paintings ( option B), and their seafaring, gastronomic and choral traditions ( option C), the Basques have long had a strong sense of identity
In some versions they descend directly from the biblical Noah.( option D)

Why E ?-->
The meaning seems that genetic origin is same but differentiated at iron age. So we can infer answer E from the excert given:
shows that Basques are indeed genetically different from their neighbours. But those differences seem to be relatively recent, dating from the end of the Iron Age

HENCE E




A. Basques are a separate race that arrived in Europe during the Iron Age.
Wrong: as per information , Basques descend from stone age
A key finding is that Basques and other Spaniards all descend from the same Stone Age migrants from Europe’s eastern steppes.


B. Basques followed Romans into the Iberian peninsula.

What differences --> when Romans turned up in Iberia. But Romans did conquer the Basque Country. Not basques followed the romans

Excerpts:
are indeed genetically different from their neighbours
those differences seem to be relatively recent, dating from the end of the Iron Age
The differences only began when the Romans turned up in Iberia

C. Ancient Iberians were the forefathers of the Spaniards.
The ancient Iberians, too, spoke a non-Indo-European language (like Basque, Finnish and Hungarian)
No informatin can be extracted that Ancient Iberians were the forefathers of the Spaniards.

D. The Arab Berber invasions and Roman conquests did not reach the Basque country but did reach the rest of Spain.

1.) The statement seems extreme as per passage it is given that:
Romans and Arabs invaders did reach but did not mingle and discourage genetic mingling

Romans did conquer the Basque Country. But few seem to have settled in the core Basque-speaking areas. And the Arab-Berber invaders who occupied much of Iberia for seven centuries scarcely got there. Impenetrable mountains and an incomprehensible language discouraged genetic mingling, the researchers surmise.

2.) No information is given whether they reached to Spanairds .


E. Linguistic dissimilarities and difficulty in creating land trade routes .
Impenetrable mountains and an incomprehensible language discouraged genetic mingling, the researchers surmise.
It matches exactly why they didn't have genetic mingling. Because of impenetrable mountains == land routes ; linguistic dissimilarities== incomprehensible language

HENCE E

Please find below my answers for this week's Article 1:

1) E

2) E

1. According to the passage author implies that Basques are similar to their neighbors in which way? - IMO E

A. Language - Incorrect
the first line mentions that the Basques have a unique language.
B. Cave painting timing - Incorrect
the first line mentions that the Basques have the oldest cave paintings
C. Choral traditions - Incorrect
Choral traditions for the neighbours are not mentioned in the passage, so we cannot be sure if they were similar to those of the neighbouring countries
D. Biblical origin - Incorrect
the first paragraph mentions that, according to some versions, Basques are descendants of biblical Noah, but the origin of the neighbours are not mentioned. Therefore, we cannot be sure if the two are similar in terms of their biblical origin
E. Their genetic origin - Correct
the second paragraph states that even though the Basques are genetically different from their neighbours, the differences seem to be relatively recent, dating from the end of the Iron Age. This implies that the Basques and their neighbours had a common ancestors around the iron age


2. Which of the following reasons are best supported by the article as an explanation of the differences in genetic composition between Basques and Spaniards? - IMO E

A. Basques are a separate race that arrived in Europe during the Iron Age. - Incorrect
the second and third paragraph mention that Basques and other Spaniards all descend from the same Stone Age migrants from Europe's eastern steppers. This implies that they had arrived on the scene way before the start of the iron age
B. Basques followed Romans into the Iberian peninsula. - Incorrect
From the third paragraph we know that the Romans conquered Basque and turned up in Iberia, but it does not specify if Basques went to the Iberian peninsula
C. Ancient Iberians were the forefathers of the Spaniards.- Incorrect
the passage doe not mention anything regarding the link between Iberians and Spaniards
D. The Arab Berber invasions and Roman conquests did not reach the Basque country but did reach the rest of Spain. - Incorrect
research confirmed that the Romans conquered the Basque country
E. Linguistic dissimilarities and difficulty in creating land trade routes - Correct
in the last line of third paragraph the researchers conclude that impenetrable mountains, which made land trade routes difficult, and an incomprehensible language were the main reasons that discouraged mingling, resulting in the differences in the genetic composition of Basques and Spaniards

Hi guys

Thank you for your participation! I have turned off the competition mode and the submissions are closed now. The winner will be announced on Monday at around 8am Pacific Time.

Good Luck

Excellent work!

Many of you answered all questions correctly and found the specific quotes in the passage supporting each of the answer choices. Good practice, everyone.