Question 1

In general,the borrowing of __________ from another language is much more common than the borrowing of __________.

Accepted Answer

A)  words; grammar 
B)  morphs; words 
C)  grammar; syntax 
D)  syntax; morphs 
A)  words; grammar 
B)  morphs; words 
C)  grammar; syntax 
D)  syntax; morphs

Question 2

A dictionary most closely approximates a language's __________.

Accepted Answer

A)  lexicon 
B)  grammar 
C)  syntax 
D)  phonology 
A)  lexicon 
B)  grammar 
C)  syntax 
D)  phonology

Question 3

Which of these statements is true of global literacy?

Accepted Answer

A)  Only recently has universal literacy become a goal for most countries. 
B)  Globalization has spread almost universal literacy around the world. 
C)  Today, literacy rates for men and women are comparable throughout the world. 
D)  Literacy refers only to reading and writing in one's native language. 
A)  Only recently has universal literacy become a goal for most countries. 
B)  Globalization has spread almost universal literacy around the world. 
C)  Today, literacy rates for men and women are comparable throughout the world. 
D)  Literacy refers only to reading and writing in one's native language.

Question 4

What does it mean to say that a word or sound is arbitrary?

Accepted Answer

A)  One cannot just guess the meaning from the sound. 
B)  It has the same meaning in nearly all languages. 
C)  The word's meaning is the opposite of what it sounds like. 
D)  The meaning of the word has changed over the years. 
A)  One cannot just guess the meaning from the sound. 
B)  It has the same meaning in nearly all languages. 
C)  The word's meaning is the opposite of what it sounds like. 
D)  The meaning of the word has changed over the years.

Question 5

Children learn spoken language at __________.

Accepted Answer

A)  about the same age in all cultures 
B)  a relatively later age in simpler societies 
C)  a wide range of ages, but with no correlation with societal complexity 
D)  a relatively later age in more complex societies 
A)  about the same age in all cultures 
B)  a relatively later age in simpler societies 
C)  a wide range of ages, but with no correlation with societal complexity 
D)  a relatively later age in more complex societies

Question 6

Historical linguists are interested in __________.

Accepted Answer

A)  comparing certain languages to determine if they were derived from a common ancestral language 
B)  how people spoke in ancient times 
C)  how the role of body language differs between different historical periods 
D)  comparing how the number of basic color words increases in a society over time 
A)  comparing certain languages to determine if they were derived from a common ancestral language 
B)  how people spoke in ancient times 
C)  how the role of body language differs between different historical periods 
D)  comparing how the number of basic color words increases in a society over time

Question 7

Children commonly pluralize words incorrectly,such as "mans," "deers," and "mouses." What does this suggest about the grasp of linguistic rules?

Accepted Answer

A)  They have an intuitive understanding of morphology. 
B)  Children have a very simplistic understanding of grammatical rules. 
C)  They must learn each word as an individual unit of vocabulary, and cannot apply general rules. 
D)  Children understand free morphemes but not bound morphemes. 
A)  They have an intuitive understanding of morphology. 
B)  Children have a very simplistic understanding of grammatical rules. 
C)  They must learn each word as an individual unit of vocabulary, and cannot apply general rules. 
D)  Children understand free morphemes but not bound morphemes.

Question 8

Pauses,shrugs,vocal communication,and facial expressions all contribute to __________.

Accepted Answer

A)  paralanguage 
B)  metalanguage 
C)  symbolic language 
D)  body language 
A)  paralanguage 
B)  metalanguage 
C)  symbolic language 
D)  body language

Question 9

What do linguists mean when they refer to grammar?

Accepted Answer

A)  unconscious principles that predict how most people talk 
B)  prescriptive rules that people are supposed to follow when speaking 
C)  geographical variation within a single language 
D)  traits in a person's speech that serve as clues to their education and status 
A)  unconscious principles that predict how most people talk 
B)  prescriptive rules that people are supposed to follow when speaking 
C)  geographical variation within a single language 
D)  traits in a person's speech that serve as clues to their education and status

Question 10

What is a protolanguage?

Accepted Answer

A)  spoken reconstructed language from which modern languages derived 
B)  the simplest form of language known, with no tenses or number terms 
C)  the language that early Homo sapiens is believed to have spoken 
D)  the rudimentary language used by the apes and monkeys 
A)  spoken reconstructed language from which modern languages derived 
B)  the simplest form of language known, with no tenses or number terms 
C)  the language that early Homo sapiens is believed to have spoken 
D)  the rudimentary language used by the apes and monkeys

Question 11

The earliest writing systems are about __________ years old.

Accepted Answer

A)  6,000 
B)  2,000 
C)  3,000 
D)  10,000 
A)  6,000 
B)  2,000 
C)  3,000 
D)  10,000

Question 12

Nonhuman vocal systems are often referred to as __________ systems,because they do not combine different calls to produce new meanings.

Accepted Answer

A)  closed 
B)  absolute 
C)  limited 
D)  restricted 
A)  closed 
B)  absolute 
C)  limited 
D)  restricted

Question 13

Which of the following types of nonverbal communication appears to be culturally universal?

Accepted Answer

A)  facial expressions 
B)  the distance between two speakers 
C)  movement of the hands while speaking 
D)  amount of eye contact 
A)  facial expressions 
B)  the distance between two speakers 
C)  movement of the hands while speaking 
D)  amount of eye contact

Question 14

Which of the following findings would best support the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis?

Accepted Answer

A)  a language that lacks gendered pronouns is associated with an acceptance of fluid gender roles 
B)  multilingual individuals have trouble code-switching in some situations 
C)  men and women have identical internal syntax and grammar, but choose to speak differently 
D)  all languages represent the same basic ideas, just in different ways 
A)  a language that lacks gendered pronouns is associated with an acceptance of fluid gender roles 
B)  multilingual individuals have trouble code-switching in some situations 
C)  men and women have identical internal syntax and grammar, but choose to speak differently 
D)  all languages represent the same basic ideas, just in different ways

Question 15

In which of the following situations would you expect the speaker's language to feature regular consonant-vowel alteration?

Accepted Answer

A)  a society in which babies are held for most of the day 
B)  a culture living in a heavily forested environment 
C)  a subculture restricted to only women 
D)  an illiterate society with no formal educational system 
A)  a society in which babies are held for most of the day 
B)  a culture living in a heavily forested environment 
C)  a subculture restricted to only women 
D)  an illiterate society with no formal educational system

Question 16

Research has shown that English people from higher-class backgrounds tend to have more __________ speech,conforming more to what is considered standard English.

Accepted Answer

A)  homogeneous 
B)  inductive 
C)  deductive 
D)  heterogeneous 
A)  homogeneous 
B)  inductive 
C)  deductive 
D)  heterogeneous

Question 17

Why does the study of ape language capabilities advance the understanding of human language?

Accepted Answer

A)  Apes have at least some of the capabilities of language, which helps us better understand the evolution of human language. 
B)  Apes are capable of everything short of verbal language, which helps us improve communication with deaf people. 
C)  It is clear that apes can only mimic human sign language, which indicates that human language is truly unique to our lineage. 
D)  Ape language abilities are closer to humans than to other primates, which adds to our knowledge of the human family tree. 
A)  Apes have at least some of the capabilities of language, which helps us better understand the evolution of human language. 
B)  Apes are capable of everything short of verbal language, which helps us improve communication with deaf people. 
C)  It is clear that apes can only mimic human sign language, which indicates that human language is truly unique to our lineage. 
D)  Ape language abilities are closer to humans than to other primates, which adds to our knowledge of the human family tree.

Question 18

Which statement is true of syntax?

Accepted Answer

A)  Speakers of a language are usually not consciously aware of the rules of syntax. 
B)  The rules of syntax are only learned through formal education. 
C)  A language's syntax changes more quickly than its vocabulary. 
D)  All languages follow the same basic rules of syntax. 
A)  Speakers of a language are usually not consciously aware of the rules of syntax. 
B)  The rules of syntax are only learned through formal education. 
C)  A language's syntax changes more quickly than its vocabulary. 
D)  All languages follow the same basic rules of syntax.

Question 19

Compared to people in simpler societies,people in complex societies __________.

Accepted Answer

A)  commonly can give a larger number of general, or life-form, terms for plants and animals 
B)  commonly have fewer terms for plants but many for animals 
C)  commonly have the same number of general terms for plants, but more terms for specific plants 
D)  usually have more names for specific plants, but the same number of general plant terms 
A)  commonly can give a larger number of general, or life-form, terms for plants and animals 
B)  commonly have fewer terms for plants but many for animals 
C)  commonly have the same number of general terms for plants, but more terms for specific plants 
D)  usually have more names for specific plants, but the same number of general plant terms

Question 20

How does the early speech pattern of children compare to creole languages?

Accepted Answer

A)  The errors children make are consistent with the grammar of creoles. 
B)  Children seem to have an innate grammar in their own language, while creole languages lack a basic grammar. 
C)  Creole languages have a simple but consistent grammar, but children's early speech errors have no particular pattern. 
D)  Creole languages have more complex grammatical structure than that seen in childhood speech. 
A)  The errors children make are consistent with the grammar of creoles. 
B)  Children seem to have an innate grammar in their own language, while creole languages lack a basic grammar. 
C)  Creole languages have a simple but consistent grammar, but children's early speech errors have no particular pattern. 
D)  Creole languages have more complex grammatical structure than that seen in childhood speech.

In general,the borrowing of from another language is much more common than the borrowing of .

A dictionary most closely approximates a language's __________.

Which of these statements is true of global literacy?

What does it mean to say that a word or sound is arbitrary?

Children learn spoken language at __________.

Historical linguists are interested in __________.

Children commonly pluralize words incorrectly,such as "mans," "deers," and "mouses." What does this suggest about the grasp of linguistic rules?

Pauses,shrugs,vocal communication,and facial expressions all contribute to __________.

What do linguists mean when they refer to grammar?

What is a protolanguage?

The earliest writing systems are about __________ years old.

Nonhuman vocal systems are often referred to as __________ systems,because they do not combine different calls to produce new meanings.

Which of the following types of nonverbal communication appears to be culturally universal?

Which of the following findings would best support the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis?

In which of the following situations would you expect the speaker's language to feature regular consonant-vowel alteration?

Research has shown that English people from higher-class backgrounds tend to have more __________ speech,conforming more to what is considered standard English.

Why does the study of ape language capabilities advance the understanding of human language?

Which statement is true of syntax?

Compared to people in simpler societies,people in complex societies __________.

How does the early speech pattern of children compare to creole languages?

What Is Anthropology?

Research Methods in Anthropology

Genetics and Evolution

Human Variation and Adaptation

Primates: Past and Present

The First Hominins and the Emergence of Homo

The Emergence of Homo sapiens and the Upper Paleolithic World

Food Production and the Rise of States

Culture and Culture Change

Economics

Social Stratification: Class, Ethnicity, and Racism

Sex and Gender

Marriage, Family, and Kinship

Political Life: Social Order and Disorder

Religion and Magic

The Arts

Global Problems

Practicing and Applying Anthropology

Filters

Exam 10: Communication and Language

In general,the borrowing of __________ from another language is much more common than the borrowing of __________.

A dictionary most closely approximates a language's __________.

Which of these statements is true of global literacy?

What does it mean to say that a word or sound is arbitrary?

Children learn spoken language at __________.

Historical linguists are interested in __________.

Children commonly pluralize words incorrectly,such as "mans," "deers," and "mouses." What does this suggest about the grasp of linguistic rules?

Pauses,shrugs,vocal communication,and facial expressions all contribute to __________.

What do linguists mean when they refer to grammar?

What is a protolanguage?

The earliest writing systems are about __________ years old.

Nonhuman vocal systems are often referred to as __________ systems,because they do not combine different calls to produce new meanings.

Which of the following types of nonverbal communication appears to be culturally universal?

Which of the following findings would best support the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis?

In which of the following situations would you expect the speaker's language to feature regular consonant-vowel alteration?

Research has shown that English people from higher-class backgrounds tend to have more __________ speech,conforming more to what is considered standard English.

Why does the study of ape language capabilities advance the understanding of human language?

Which statement is true of syntax?

Compared to people in simpler societies,people in complex societies __________.

How does the early speech pattern of children compare to creole languages?

What Is Anthropology?

Research Methods in Anthropology

Genetics and Evolution

Human Variation and Adaptation

Primates: Past and Present

The First Hominins and the Emergence of Homo

The Emergence of Homo sapiens and the Upper Paleolithic World

Food Production and the Rise of States

Culture and Culture Change

Economics

Social Stratification: Class, Ethnicity, and Racism

Sex and Gender

Marriage, Family, and Kinship

Political Life: Social Order and Disorder

Religion and Magic

The Arts

Global Problems

Practicing and Applying Anthropology

Filters

In general,the borrowing of from another language is much more common than the borrowing of .