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H Linguists agree that ultimately, the answer to the problem of language extinction is
multilingualism. Even uneducated people can learn several languages, as long as they
start as children. Indeed, most people in the world speak more than one tongue, and in
places such as Cameroon (279 languages), Papua New Guinea (823) and India (387) it
is common to speak three or four distinct languages and a dialect or two as well. Most
Americans and Canadians, to the west of Quebec, have a gut reaction that anyone
speaking another language in front of them is committing an immoral act. You get the
same reaction in Australia and Russia. It is no coincidence that these are the areas where
languages are disappearing the fastest. The first step in saving dying languages is to
persuade the world’s majorities to allow the minorities among them to speak with their
own voices.
Questions 27-33 The reading passage has eight paragraphs, A-H
Choose the correct heading for paragraphs A-H from the list below.
Write the correct number, i
– xi, in boxes 27-33 on your answer sheet.
List of Headings i. data consistency needed for language
ii. consensus on an initiative recommendation for saving dying out languages
iii. positive gains for protection
iv. minimum requirement for saving a language
v. Potential threat to minority language
vi. a period when there was absent of real effort made.
vii. native language programs launched
viii. Lack in confidence in young speakers as a negative factor
ix. Practise in several developing countries
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x. Value of minority language to linguists.
xi. government participation in language field
27. Paragraph A
28. Paragraph B
29. Paragraph D
30. Paragraph E
31. Paragraph F
32. Paragraph G
33. Paragraph H
Example: Paragraph C
Questions 34-38 Use the information in the passage to match the people (listed A-F) with opinions or deeds
below. Write the appropriate letters A-F in boxes 34-38 on your answer sheet.
A Nicholas Ostler
B Michael Krauss
C Joseph E. Grimes
D Sarah G. Thomason
E Keneth L. Hale
F Douglas H. Whalen
34. Reported language conservation practice in Hawaii
35. Predicted that many languages would disappear soon
36. Experienced process that languages die out personally
