The origin of language

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题目与答案

1. 27 In the first paragraph, what does the writer suggest about the origin of language?
   • Too many branches of science have been involved in its study.
   • The Société de Linguistique de Paris instigated research in this area.
   • The lack of progress is surprising given the amount of work being done.
   • Most progress in the study of language was made between 1859 and 1866.

   答案：The lack of progress is surprising given the amount of work being done.

   原文定位：And yet, despite almost frenzied activity, limited progress has been made

   同义替换：「lack」↔「limited」，「surprising」↔「yet, despite」，「amount of work being done」↔「almost frenzied activity」

2. 28 What is the 'problem referred to in the second paragraph?
   • Some current theories are based on conflicting evidence.
   • There is insufficient fossil evidence to reach a conclusion.
   • Fossil evidence suggests that Homo sapiens had larger brains than Neanderthals.
   • Archaeological evidence shows that Neanderthals were able to talk.

   答案：Some current theories are based on conflicting evidence.

   原文定位：Many theories to date rely on an assumed association between brain size and language abilities, without acknowledging the problem this creates: fossil evidence indicates that the Neanderthals had larger brains than modern humans, Homo sapiens, but archaeological evidence indicates that the Neanderthals lacked a capacity for language

   同义替换：「current」↔「to date」

3. 29 What does the writer suggest about Jean-Jacques Rousseau's work in 1781?
   • Modern theorists should pay more attention to his approach.
   • His ideas supported those of the Société de Linguistique de Paris.
   • His ideas were mirrored in a later book called Language Evolution.
   • His ideas are too outdated to be of any relevance today.

   答案：Modern theorists should pay more attention to his approach.

   原文定位：Those authors have an important lesson to learn from Rousseau and other writers of his time who addressed the origin of language

   同义替换：「pay more attention to」↔「have an important lesson to learn from」

4. 30 What is the writer's current view of Derek Bickerton's ideas?
   • They have had little impact on the study of language.
   • They have helped the study of linguistics to progress.
   • They are not accepted by the majority of linguists.
   • The assumption behind them is wrong.

   答案：The assumption behind them is wrong.

   原文定位：But I now understand that it is not only flawed but has severely limited the progress that should have been made

   同义替换：「current view」↔「now understand」

5. 31 In the final paragraph, the writer concludes that Alison Wray's ideas will help establish a dink between
   • grammar and meaning
   • messages and proto-language
   • language music and emotions
   • proto-language and modern semantics

   答案：language music and emotions

   原文定位：I believe this insight enables us to understand the origin of music as well as language, and to relate both to the emotional lives of our human ancestors

   同义替换：「link between」↔「relate both to」，「help establish」↔「enables us to understand」

6. The Société de Linguistique de Paris
   • suggested music was an essential part of every individual.
   • made no link between music and language in a comprehensive study.
   • believes that early language was very musical.
   • felt that the origin of language should not be debated.
   • states that early language was made up of basic words used in an unsystematic way.
   • devoted 17 chapters of a book to music.

   答案：felt that the origin of language should not be debated.

   原文定位：in 1866 the influential Société de Linguistique de Paris banned all discussions about the origin of language

   同义替换：「banned all discussions」↔「should not be debated」

7. Charles Darwin
   • suggested music was an essential part of every individual.
   • made no link between music and language in a comprehensive study.
   • believes that early language was very musical.
   • felt that the origin of language should not be debated.
   • states that early language was made up of basic words used in an unsystematic way.
   • devoted 17 chapters of a book to music.

   答案：referred to music in part of a book about the development of human beings.

   原文定位：One is the aforementioned Charles Darwin, who, in his 1871 book on human evolution, The Descent of Man, devoted several pages to the development of music

   同义替换：「referred to」↔「devoted several pages to the development of」，「the development of human beings」↔「human evolution」

8. John Blacking
   • suggested music was an essential part of every individual.
   • made no link between music and language in a comprehensive study.
   • believes that early language was very musical.
   • felt that the origin of language should not be debated.
   • states that early language was made up of basic words used in an unsystematic way.
   • devoted 17 chapters of a book to music.

   答案：suggested music was an essential part of every individual.

   原文定位：Another is the renowned ethnomusicologist John Blacking whose 1973 book, How Musical is Man;broached the idea that music is an inherent and universal human quality

   同义替换：「essential part」↔「inherent and universal」，「every individual」↔「human quality」

9. Christiansen and Kirby
   • suggested music was an essential part of every individual.
   • made no link between music and language in a comprehensive study.
   • believes that early language was very musical.
   • felt that the origin of language should not be debated.
   • states that early language was made up of basic words used in an unsystematic way.
   • devoted 17 chapters of a book to music.

   答案：made no link between music and language in a comprehensive study.

   原文定位：Morten Christiansen and Simon Kirby's book, Language Evolution;failed to mention music in any of its 17 chapters

   同义替换：「made no link between」↔「failed to」

10. Derek Bickerton
    • suggested music was an essential part of every individual.
    • made no link between music and language in a comprehensive study.
    • believes that early language was very musical.
    • felt that the origin of language should not be debated.
    • states that early language was made up of basic words used in an unsystematic way.
    • devoted 17 chapters of a book to music.

    答案：states that early language was made up of basic words used in an unsystematic way.

    原文定位：Bickerton's idea that the precursor of modern language consisted of words strung together with limited, if any, grammar is, I believe, fundamentally mistaken

    同义替换：「early」↔「precursor」，「made up」↔「consisted of」，「unsystematic way」↔「limited, if any, grammar」

11. Alison Wray
    • suggested music was an essential part of every individual.
    • made no link between music and language in a comprehensive study.
    • believes that early language was very musical.
    • felt that the origin of language should not be debated.
    • states that early language was made up of basic words used in an unsystematic way.
    • devoted 17 chapters of a book to music.

    答案：believes that proto-language had no individual words.

    原文定位：She argues that proto-language was holistic rather than compositional in character;they were not composed out of smaller units of meaning

    同义替换：「had no individual」↔「not composed out of smaller units of」

12. 38-40 According to the writer, which THREE of the following areas have not been studied enough in order to understand the origin of language?
    • evidence from prehistoric times
    • intelligence
    • individual sounds
    • music
    • emotions
    • human intellect

    答案：evidence from prehistoric times,music,emotions

    原文定位：The first is an insufficient concern with the archaeological and fossil proof of the brains and behaviour of our human ancestors;insufficient concern with the other major aural and vocal communication system of modern humans: music;a third reason;insufficient concern with emotion

    同义替换：「prehistoric times evidence」↔「archaeological and fossil proof」，「have not been studied enough」↔「insufficient concern」