Deck 10: Language

Question 1

Languages are composed of a hierarchy of building blocks that combine to form higher and higher-level categories. At the bottom of this hierarchy are __________.

A) morphemes
B) phrases
C) units of sound
D) verbs

Answer 1

units of sound

Question 2

Examine the sentence "The strangers left." What is the s at the end of the word strangers?

A) a function phoneme
B) a function morpheme
C) a content phoneme
D) a content morpheme

Answer 2

a function morpheme

Question 3

In the sentence "The cook squeezed the lemon," what is the verb phrase?

A) "The cook squeezed"
B) "squeezed"
C) "squeezed the lemon"
D) There is no verb phrase in this particular sentence.

Answer 3

"squeezed the lemon"

Question 4

English speakers seem to grasp intuitively that certain phoneme sequences never occur at the beginning of a word. To illustrate, which of the following is LEAST likely to be the name for a new breakfast food?

A) Tlitos
B) Pritos
C) Glitos
D) Flitos

Question 5

The term syntax refers to the __________.

A) meanings of words
B) sounds of words
C) rules by which words are combined
D) symbols used to designate words

Question 6

In the phrase "Aren't I?" what is the I at the end?

A) a functional morpheme
B) a content phoneme
C) a functional phoneme
D) a content morpheme

Question 7

In English, what does ing represent?

A) a word
B) syntax
C) a morpheme
D) a phoneme

Question 8

In the hierarchical structure of language, a morpheme is an organized grouping of __________.

A) words
B) phrases
C) sentences
D) phonemes

Question 9

Which of the following represents a single phoneme?

A) f
B) s
C) ing
D) ed

Question 10

Morphemes are to phonemes as meanings are to __________.

A) sounds
B) words
C) structural principles
D) syntax

Question 11

In the hierarchical structure of language, a phrase is an organized grouping of __________.

A) syllables
B) morphemes
C) sentences
D) words

Question 12

The morpheme man in the word mankind is best described as a __________.

A) content morpheme
B) function morpheme
C) pseudo morpheme
D) transitional morpheme

Question 13

Why is it fairly easy, out of context, to mistake the spoken sentence "The sky is falling" for the sentence "This guy is falling"?

A) They contain the same morphemes, but in different orders.
B) They contain ambiguous or vague referents.
C) The speech stream rarely contains silences between words.
D) There are only about 40 phonemes used in English, not enough to distinguish between sentences that sound the same.

Question 14

Which of the following is an example of a single morpheme?

A) f
B) ran
C) tl
D) talked

Question 15

The English language contains about __________ phonemes.

A) 13
B) 40
C) 5,000
D) 50,000

Question 16

Which of the following would help most if you wanted to memorize a list of seven nonsense syllables?

A) Add function morphemes to the syllables in the list.
B) Have someone read the nonsense syllables to you.
C) Change the syllables so that each one starts with the same letter.
D) Remove the vowel from the middle of each syllable to reduce the list size.

Question 17

The word cowboys contains __________ morphemes.

A) one
B) two
C) three
D) seven

Question 18

What name is given to sound categories in language, such as the sounds "f" and "t"?

A) complex structural units
B) function morphemes
C) content morphemes
D) phonemes

Question 19

What is the name for the smallest language unit that carries meaning?

A) phoneme
B) word
C) morpheme
D) sentence

Question 20

Speech can be understood at rates up to __________.

A) 500 words per minute
B) 1,000 words per minute
C) 50 words per minute
D) 250 words per minute

Question 21

Which of the following is probably the prototype for the concept "fruit"?

A) orange
B) lemon
C) blueberry
D) olive

Question 22

In one study, researchers asked participants to memorize strings of nonsense words. Some strings were short, such as rix and jag. The short strings were not made up of function morphemes. Other strings were longer, but were constructed in such a way so as to include function morphemes such as ing, ly, and est (e.g., rixing, jagly). What were the results of this study?

A) The longer strings with the function morphemes were easier to memorize.
B) The shorter strings without the function morphemes were easier to memorize.
C) Both strings were equally difficult to memorize, but when asked, the participants said they drew meaning from the strings that included function morphemes.
D) Both strings were equally difficult to memorize, but when asked, the participants said they were confused by the addition of function morphemes to nonsensical words.

Question 23

According to the definitional theory of word meaning, we see a group of words as having similar meaning when the words: __________.

A) sound the same
B) share features of meaning
C) refer to the same object
D) elicit similar mental images

Question 24

Linguists often use a diagram to depict the partitioning of a sentence. What is this tree diagram formally known as?

A) a branching tree structure
B) a phrase structure description
C) a structural representation of a sentence
D) a representational diagram

Question 25

Hal is participating in psychological research. He sees sentences such as "A tomato is a bird" on the computer screen and must decide if each is true or false. The research is most likely investigating __________.

A) the comprehension of propositions
B) garden path sentences
C) the prototype theory of word meaning
D) the definitional theory of word meaning

Question 26

A concept has a family resemblance structure when __________.

A) its meaning is different from its reference
B) it is described by a set of defining features
C) it is described by a set of defining features, no one of which is individually either necessary or sufficient
D) it cannot be represented by a mental image, but it shares features with other words

Question 27

Regarding the relationship between meaning and grammar, which of the following alternatives is FALSE?

A) Some nonsentences are meaningful.
B) Some grammatical sentences make no sense.
C) It is actually impossible for any sentence to be meaningless.
D) Grammar depends on a rulelike system, not on meaning.

Question 28

In English the correlation between the forms of words and their meanings is __________.

A) perfect
B) strong
C) weak
D) random

Question 29

What is true of the prototype theory of meaning?

A) A prototype embodies the single feature that is necessary and sufficient to define something as a member of a class.
B) A prototype embodies many but not necessarily all of the features that characterize a class.
C) A prototype allows us to form a mental image of all of the features necessary to characterize a class.
D) A prototype is an internal representation of all of the features necessary to characterize a class.

Question 30

The function of an object is central to __________ theories of word meaning.

A) folk
B) propositional
C) definition
D) prototype

Question 31

Which of the following strings of nonsense words would subjects find easiest to memorize, according to research?

A) yig wur vum rix hum im jag miv
B) blit dub fux wef doj kir jit rop
C) tof dit hib rop kif sil rom vit
D) the yigs wir vumly rixing him im jagest miv

Question 32

Which of the following statements best captures your text's conclusion regarding the mental representation of word meanings?

A) Our representation of each concept is most likely a prototype.
B) Our representation of each concept is probably definitional.
C) We have two separate representations of each concept-one that is definitional and one that is based on a prototype.
D) Our representation of each concept is a blend of a definition and a prototype.

Question 33

A list of necessary and sufficient features is critical to __________ theories of word meaning.

A) prototype
B) definitional
C) folk
D) both prototype and definitional

Question 34

According to the __________ theory of word meaning, words are bundles of semantic features.

A) folk
B) prototype
C) definitional
D) syntactic

Question 35

Which of the following would participants most readily identify as a bird, according to the prototype theory of word meaning?

A) penguin
B) ostrich
C) robin
D) Each of these would be identified equally rapidly as birds.

Question 36

What is the key principle behind folk theories of word meanings?

A) Complex sentences have meanings that are often subject to ambiguous interpretation.
B) Our knowledge of what things are at present restricts what they will always represent for us.
C) Ambiguous sentences will always be interpreted in terms of what is most familiar to us.
D) We will define members of a category in terms of what is most familiar to us.

Question 37

Which of the parts of speech is paired INCORRECTLY with a class of meaning?

A) Adverbs-states
B) Nouns-things
C) Adjectives-properties
D) Verbs-acts

Question 38

Which theory maintains that words are like "meaning-atoms"?

A) the folk theory of word meaning
B) the prototype theory of meaning
C) the definitional theory of word meaning
D) the case theory of word meaning c

Question 39

According to the definitional theory of word meaning, why do we understand the meaning of a word?

A) We form mental images of the word's meaning.
B) We are familiar with the particular objects to which words refer.
C) We come to associate words with specific actions.
D) We understand the semantic elements of the words.

Question 40

According to a definitional theory of word meaning, what summarizes the full meaning of each word?

A) a set of features essential for membership in the class named by the word
B) how it relates to words in the same "family"
C) the verb with which it happens to be paired
D) transitional morphemes that combine to make content morphemes

Question 41

Which of the following levels is NOT mentioned in your text as a level at which ambiguity can occur?

A) syntactic
B) phonological
C) morphemic
D) semantic

Question 42

Which of the following represents the least complex sentence?

A) who did what to whom
B) what was done by whom
C) a single sentence in which two propositions are uttered
D) the use of passive voice in a sentence

Question 43

Which issue poses a problem for the definitional theory of meaning?

A) Relationships can be explained in terms of groups of semantic features.
B) We have relatively few words that describe elementary concepts.
C) Words and concepts can be defined much as they are in a dictionary.
D) It is very difficult to come up with a definition that covers all the uses of a word.

Question 44

What results when the same string of words has two interpretations?

A) paraphrasing
B) a difference in the construction of the sentence
C) ambiguity
D) difficulty in adapting the sentence to a phrase structure tree diagram

Question 45

Which of the following is NOT a situation in which we would use a complex sentence?

A) when we wish to relate one proposition to another
B) when we wish to report "who did what to whom"
C) when we wish to ask a question or issue a command
D) when we wish to express our attitudes or beliefs

Question 46

The new car model manufactured by Honda gets 45 miles per gallon. Is this a simple or a complex sentence? Why?

A) It is a complex sentence because it contains more than one proposition.
B) It is a complex sentence because it expresses an attitude.
C) It is a simple sentence because it contains one proposition.
D) It is a simple sentence because it is easy to understand.

Question 47

Which issue poses a problem for the definitional theory of meaning?

A) Relationships can be explained in terms of groups of semantic features.
B) We have relatively few words that describe elementary concepts.
C) The words wife, sister, and daughter all contain the concept of female.
D) Some members of a meaning category fit the category far better than do other members.

Question 48

What evidence is consistent with the prototype theory of meaning?

A) Research participants are able to identify the single feature that is necessary and sufficient to define something as a member of a class.
B) Research participants find it easier to list words that are similar in meaning (wicked-evil) than words that are opposite in meaning (wicked-good).
C) Research participants are easily able to list words that define a particular member of a category.
D) Research participants judge some members of a category to be more representative than others.

Question 49

Which of the following is most likely true of complex sentences?

A) They use different rules of syntax than do simple sentences.
B) They contain only one proposition.
C) They still follow the formula of who-did-what-to-whom.
D) They contain function morphemes.

Question 50

Ida is asked to name as many pieces of furniture as she can. "Chair, table, bed . . . ,:" she begins. Running out of ideas, she struggles, finally offering, ". . .um . . .tie-rack?" How might we interpret Ida's pattern of responses with respect to theories of word meaning?

A) Ida's pattern of responses contradicts the prototype theory.
B) Ida's pattern of responses supports the prototype theory.
C) Ida's pattern of responses contradicts the folk theory.
D) Ida's pattern of responses supports the definitional theory.

Question 51

The prototype theory of word meaning makes which of the following assertions?

A) It is wrong to suppose that we can ever find a set of necessary and sufficient features for a given concept like bird.
B) Words have intrinsic meanings based on speech sounds.
C) We are born with categories of words that cluster into prototypes.
D) Word meaning derives from a set of necessary and sufficient features.

Question 52

Dr. Finlay records brain activation when participants view either nouns or verbs presented on a computer screen. Based on your knowledge of the brain and your text's discussion or word meaning in the language chapter, what do you think she'll find?

A) The same areas in the left hemisphere will be active when participants view nouns as when they view verbs.
B) The same areas in the right hemisphere will be active when participants view nouns as when they view verbs.
C) Different areas in the left hemisphere will be active when participants view nouns on the one hand, and when they view verbs on the other.
D) Areas in the right hemisphere will be active when participants view nouns, but areas in the left hemisphere will be active when they view verbs.

Question 53

Which of the following concepts is most consistent with the basic ideas of the prototype theory of meaning?

A) dictionary definitions
B) family resemblance structures
C) bundles of semantic features
D) prescriptive rules

Question 54

According to the prototype theory of meaning, what defines a prototype of a bird?

A) a list of all the physical features that define birds
B) the one particular feature that makes a bird most birdlike
C) a dictionary-type list of all the attributes that best define birds
D) the most bird-like type of bird

Question 55

Consider the sentence: Geraldo fed his bride the wedding cake with a fork. Which word or phrase is CORRECTLY matched with its case?

A) Geraldo-actor
B) fed-instrument
C) his bride-actor
D) with a fork-recipient

Question 56

Which of the following is NOT one of the ways that a word's case is indicated in a sentence?

A) prefixes
B) propositional tags
C) prepositions
D) the word's position in the sentence

Question 57

Concerning ambiguous sentences, which of the following statements is FALSE?

A) Ambiguity in sentences is common.
B) Even short sentences may be ambiguous.
C) Ambiguity may occur at either a structural or a semantic level.
D) Only lengthy sentences are ambiguous.

Question 58

Case markers indicate __________.

A) a word's part of speech
B) the predicate of a sentence
C) the subject of a sentence
D) a word's semantic role in a sentence

Question 59

What does examining a phrase structure diagram of a sentence enable one to determine?

A) who did what to whom
B) the meaning of the various words
C) the truth or falsity of the sentence
D) whether or not the sentence is ambiguous

Question 60

When two sentences look identical but differ in their meaning there is __________.

A) paraphrasing
B) semantic isomorphism
C) a family resemblance hierarchy
D) ambiguity

Question 61

Which structure reflects a passive sentence?

A) a sentence in which the function morphemes are absent
B) a sentence in which two or more propositions are present
C) a sentence in which the done-to is mentioned before the doer
D) a sentence in which the doer is mentioned before the done-to

Question 62

How are the factors that allow us to comprehend verbal communication integrated?

A) All sources of information interact and are processed as soon as they become available.
B) Sources of information are processed in a serial manner, beginning with an analysis of the extralinguistic information and ending with a hypothesis about the syntactical structure of the sentence.
C) Sources of information are processed in a serial manner, beginning with a hypothesis about the meaning of the sentence and ending with an analysis of the syntactical structure of the sentence.
D) Sources of information are processed in a serial manner, beginning with a hypothesis about the meaning of the sentence and ending with an analysis of the extralinguistic nature of the sentence.

Question 63

Most people interpret the sentence "Can you pass me the butter?" to mean, "Please pass me the butter." This illustrates __________.

A) the fact that meaning and reference are not the same thing
B) the inability of an associationist theory to explain language
C) an example of conversational inference
D) our tendency to assign conceptual properties to language where there is none

Question 64

Keisha is conducting a study for her senior thesis in psychology. She is examining children's and adults' comprehension of garden path sentences. What might she predict, given your text's discussion?

A) Children should find garden path sentences much more difficult than should adults.
B) Children should find garden path sentences slightly more difficult than should adults.
C) Children should find garden path sentences just as difficult as adults should.
D) Children should find garden path sentences less difficult than should adults.

Question 65

Your text describes a study in which eye-movement data revealed that participants looked at a cake rather than at an inedible object immediately on hearing the word eat and before the word cake was heard. The results of this study suggest an influence of language on __________.

A) problem solving
B) reasoning
C) memory
D) attention

Question 66

How might one best describe the relationship, if any, between language and the external environment?

A) Our perception of the environment influences our interpretation of the speech we hear.
B) Language influences our perception of the environment.
C) Language influences our perception of the environment. In turn, our perception of the environment influences our interpretation of the speech we hear.
D) There is surprisingly little relationship between language and the external environment.

Question 67

Psycholinguists study comprehension of garden path sentences by __________.

A) giving the participants a priming test
B) testing the participants' recall memory for different types of sentences
C) tracking the participants' eye movements
D) giving the participants a visual recognition test

Question 68

Your text cites the following ambiguous sentence: Children's stools useful for garden work. This sentence is ambiguous at a __________ level.

A) syntactic
B) phonological
C) pragmatic
D) semantic

Question 69

A person who simply answers, "Yes!" when you ask, "Could you pass me the salt?" has failed to obey the principle of __________.

A) grammatical structure
B) language structure
C) verbal description
D) conversational inference

Question 70

In terms of a word or phrase, what does the word "predicate" come closest to the meaning of?

A) concept
B) prototype
C) phrase structure
D) propose

Question 71

Jacqueline is taking part in psychological research. Her eye movements are tracked as she reads sentences. The study is most likely examining __________.

A) the interpretation of garden path sentences
B) the prototype theory of word meaning
C) the definitional theory of word meaning
D) the role of rhythm and stress in language comprehension

Question 72

Why are complex sentences still relatively easy to understand?

A) They use a different form of syntax than do simple sentences.
B) They still express a single proposition.
C) Function morphemes allow us to identify and relate the various phrases.
D) Despite their complexity, they still possess relatively simple morphemes.

Question 73

Speech occurs at a rate of approximately __________ word(s) per second.

A) 1
B) 3
C) 6
D) 10

Question 74

What description is given to a sentence that you find you must go back to reread because it has a misleading structure at its beginning?

A) a passive sentence
B) a garden path sentence
C) a sentence with a predicate and a noun phrase
D) a sentence that contains two propositions

Question 75

Imagine that in a particular language, the suffix -ia identifies the actor in the drama described by a sentence. This suffix is a(n) __________.

A) semantic indicator
B) propositional indicator
C) case marker
D) morphemic marker

Question 76

Which of the following statements BEST expresses both the speed and accuracy of language comprehension?

A) Language comprehension takes place rather slowly to prevent errors.
B) Language comprehension is both slow and error-prone.
C) Language comprehension occurs rapidly and is therefore quite prone to error.
D) Language comprehension occurs rapidly; therefore, errors occur now and then.

Question 77

Which of the following statements is an INCORRECT description of how we interpret sentences?

A) We interpret sentences rapidly.
B) We interpret each sentence we hear or read when we reach its ending.
C) Interpreting sentences is primarily an unconscious process.
D) We develop an interpretation of a sentence in an ongoing fashion as we hear or read each successive word.

Question 78

Which of the following terms is LEAST descriptive of the way we interpret sentences?

A) dynamic
B) online
C) effortful
D) rapid

Question 79

Psycholinguists study comprehension of garden path sentences with __________ tests.

A) priming
B) memory
C) eye tracking
D) visual identification

Question 80

Your text describes a study in which data revealed that participants attended to a cake rather than at an inedible object immediately on hearing the word eat, and before the word cake was heard. In this experiment, the __________ variable consisted of __________ data.

A) dependent; reaction time
B) dependent; eye movement
C) independent; reaction time
D) independent; eye movement