Language And Culture Bonvillain Chapter 4 Exam Prep

Test Bank

Chapter 4

In this revision of the test bank, I have updated all of the questions to reflect changes in Cultural Anthropology, 4e. There is also a new system for identifying the difficulty of the questions. In earlier editions, the questions were tagged in one of three ways: factual (recall of factual material), conceptual (understanding key concepts), and applied (application of sociological knowledge to a situation). In this revision, the questions are now tagged according to the six levels of learning that help organize the text. Think of these six levels as moving from lower-level to higher-level cognitive reasoning. The six levels are:

REMEMBER: a question involving recall of key terms or factual material

UNDERSTAND: a question testing comprehension of more complex ideas

APPLY: a question applying anthropological knowledge to some new situation

ANALYZE: a question requiring identifying elements of an argument and their interrelationship

EVALUATE: a question requiring critical assessment

CREATE: a question requiring the generation of new ideas

The ninety questions in this chapter’s test bank are divided into two types of questions. Multiple-choice questions span a broad range of skills (one-third are “Remember” questions and the remainder are divided among four higher levels). Essay questions are the most demanding because they include the four highest levels of cognitive reasoning (from “Apply” to “Create”).

Types of Questions

Easy to Difficult Level of Difficulty

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. Although both the Indian and South Australian narratives explain the existence of different languages, they differ in that __________.

a. in the South Australian story the source of different languages is not divine

b. in the South Australian story the source of different languages is divine

c. in the South Australian story the old woman was trying to protect the people of the earth

d. in the South Australian story the creation of different languages is a divine punishment

2. Today there are about __________ languages spoken around the world.

a. 845

b. 1,400

c. 4,600

d. 6,200

3. What is the primary medium humans use for interacting with one another?

a. Language

b. Nonverbal communication

c. Gestures

d. Symbolism

4. With perhaps an exception or two, language is a system of communication unique to humans in part because it is __________.

a. both verbal and nonverbal

b. complex

c. symbolic

d. memory based

5. __________ is the feature of language that makes it possible to talk about the past or hypothetical events.

a. Imagination

b. Displacement

c. Theory of mind

d. Duality of patterning

6. Language is any form of communication that involves __________.

a. sounds, symbols, and words

b. symbols, grammar, and call systems

c. symbols, displacement, and productivity

d. duality of patterning, displacement, and productivity

7. __________ is the arbitrary association of sounds with meaning.

a. Symbolism

b. Displacement

c. Productivity

d. Flexibility

8. Because they can signal the presence and direction of food, some nonhuman primate call systems may contain a limited form of __________.

a. displacement

b. productivity

c. signaling

d. symbolism

9. __________ is the ability to join sounds and words in theoretically infinite meaningful combinations.

a. Symbolism

b. Productivity

c. Duality of patterning

d. Syntax

10. Early attempts were made to train nonhuman primates to __________, but these attempts failed.

a. speak English words

b. use sign language

c. speak complex human languages

d. speak African click languages

11. More recent attempts to teach nonhuman primates __________ or __________ have not produced clear results.

a. sign language; keyboard symbol language

b. writing; sign language

c. computer keyboard language; color-based language

d. writing; color-based language

12. Both gorillas and chimpanzees seem to be able to __________ in a rudimentary way, although they do not seem to do so in the wild.

a. understand videotaped or recorded call systems

b. understand and manipulate symbols

c. produce syntax

d. form human verbal sounds

13. Why do researchers believe language emerged?

a. Displacement

b. Productivity

c. Symbolism

d. Signaling

14. Currently, researchers believe that speech capability developed in human ancestors by __________ years ago.

a. 50,000 to 75,000

b. 100,000 to 150,000

c. 200,000 to 250,000

d. 300,000 to 400,000

15. __________ is the study of sound systems in language.

a. Phonemics

b. Phonetics

c. Phonology

d. Phrenology

16. The study of the articulation and production of human speech sounds is known as __________.

a. phonemics

b. phonetics

c. phonology

d. phrenology

17. __________ is the analysis of the use of sounds to differentiate the meanings of words.

a. Phonemics

b. Phonetics

c. Phonology

d. Phrenology

18. A person learns to apply rules for differentiating phonemes unconsciously __________.

a. in the womb

b. during infancy

c. during childhood

d. in adulthood

19. The sound /p/ in pit is different from /b/ in bit because they are different __________ in English.

a. letters

b. phonemes

c. symbols

d. morphemes

20. Because subjects precede objects in the vast majority of languages, this pattern probably reflects __________.

a. human cognition

b. syntax

c. universal grammar

d. morpheme

21. __________ use the full range of sounds that human vocal cords can produce.

a. All languages

b. Two languages: Arabic and Korean

c. Three languages: Arabic, Swahili, and Swedish

d. No languages

22. A minimal unit of sound that differentiates meaning in a particular language is a __________.

a. phoneme

b. syllable

c. vowel

d. morpheme

23. The study of the internal structure of words and the combination of meaningful units within the word is __________.

a. morphology

b. phonology

c. phonemics

d. phonetics

24. A unit of sound and meaning, either a separate word or a meaningful part of a word, is called a __________.

a. phoneme

b. morpheme

c. syntax

d. syllable

25. According to Noam Chomsky, there are underlying rules to word order and sentence construction in all languages, which is known as __________.

a. syntax

b. morphology

c. semantics

d. universal grammar

26. __________ is the study of systems of meaning in a language.

a. Syntax

b. Morphology

c. Semantics

d. Linguistics

27. Words or phrases and sentences also convey __________ that varies with the relationship people have with one another as well as the context in which they are speaking.

a. grammar

b. logic

c. interactional meaning

d. syntax

28. Nonverbal actions with specific meanings that substitute for spoken words are __________.

a. emblems

b. nonverbal communication

c. body language

d. gestures

29. The communication of meanings between people of different languages and cultures is known as __________.

a. gestures

b. body language

c. intercultural communication

d. nonverbal communication

30. Within cultures, body language and nonverbal communication can vary and may lead to __________.

a. emblems

b. nonverbal behaviors

c. verbal intercultural communication

d. cross-cultural misunderstandings

31. In the study of students who viewed videotaped gestures, __________ interpreted them correctly.

a. 100 percent

b. 23 percent

c. 0 percent

d. 50 percent

32. Studies have shown that __________ are more likely to assume a dominant posture.

a. women

b. teenagers

c. adults

d. men

33. Nonverbal communication includes __________.

a. logic

b. symbols

c. use of sign language

d. facial expressions, body gestures, and touching

34. The study of how language use changes according to social context is __________.

a. intercultural communication studies

b. historical linguistics

c. sociolinguistics

d. cultural anthropology

35. The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis states that __________.

a. language is an outgrowth of nonverbal communication

b. society and culture determine the content of language

c. socioeconomic position influences language use

d. the form and content of language influence speakers’ behaviors, thought processes, and worldviews

36. According to Edward Sapir, vocabulary reflects __________.

a. the degree of advancement in a society

b. what is culturally important to a people

c. educational level

d. the environment

37. Projects to preserve and teach Native American languages such as the Learning Lodge Institute have the larger goal of __________.

a. preserving Native American cultures through language preservation

b. weaning Native Americans off the use of English

c. teaching Native American languages to non-Native Americans

d. using education for the teaching of language and culture

38. Learning Lodge participants believe language is essential for the survival of a tribe. Why?

a. Without a language to speak there is no culture.

b. People within the tribe will not be able to communicate without language.

c. Indigenous languages are important for the public to learn.

d. Culture is based on language.

39. Benjamin Whorf examined __________ as well as vocabulary in his studies of the Hopi language.

a. grammar

b. climate

c. economy

d. syntax

40. According to Whorf, different concepts of __________ were reflected in the differences between the Hopi and English languages.

a. hospitality

b. time

c. kinship

d. history

41. Recent studies in linguistic anthropology attempt to develop experimental designs focusing on __________.

a. memory

b. facial features

c. inflection

d. sleep patterns

42. A good summary of Sapir and Whorf’s conclusion about the relationship between language and thought is __________.

a. culture and society shape language

b. language determines thought and culture

c. language serves as a set of guideposts for human thought but does not constrain people’s ability to think

d. language shapes the wiring of the brain

43. Most linguists take the position that the relationship between thought and language is __________.

a. unidirectional: thought influences language

b. unidirectional: language influences thought

c. nondirectional: language and thought do not influence each other

d. bidirectional: language and thought influence each other

44. An example of a threatened language due to a dominant national culture that speaks a different language and controls media, economic, and political forums is __________.

a. Portuguese

b. English

c. Maori

d. Italian

45. The __________ of language speakers often reveals the history of migration and regional occupation.

a. education

b. age

c. demographics

d. sex

46. A(n) __________ is a variety of a language spoken by a particular group of people, based on regional differences or social differences such as gender, class, race, or ethnicity.

a. accent

b. dialect

c. pidgin

d. creole

47. A(n) __________ is a variation in the way languages are pronounced.

a. accent

b. dialect

c. pidgin

d. creole

48. Until the __________ prevailing attitudes in the United States accepted multilingualism in education and public life.

a. 1830s

b. Civil War

c. end of the nineteenth century

d. 1950s

49. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2008 __________ people in the United States spoken some language other than English at home.

a. one in twenty

b. one in ten

c. one in five

d. one in three

50. Why did attitudes change toward multilingualism during the late nineteenth century?

a. People became more tolerable.

b. Individuals understood the importance of native languages.

c. The prejudice against immigrants and educators promoting the teaching of “correct” standard English..

d. English was not widely spoken.

51. About __________ different languages are spoken in the United States.

a. 790

b. 100

c. 381

d. 1,000

52. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly __________ of people who spoke a language other than English at home also spoke English well.

a. 25 percent

b. 90 percent

c. 78 percent

d. 60 percent

53. The Native American language with the largest number of home speakers is __________.

a. Apache

b. Navajo

c. Cherokee

d. Yupik

54. What is the most frequently spoken non-English language in Louisiana, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont?

a. French

b. English

c. Spanish

d. German

55. Approximately how many people in America claimed a Native American language as their only language?

a. 20,000

b. 5,000

c. 10,000

d. 12,000

56. In the United States, the ability to use a non-English language tends to disappear in the __________ generation after immigration.

a. first

b. second

c. third

d. fourth

57. Standard versions of a language in a nation tend to be based on __________.

a. the earliest original form of the language

b. the form that best fits dictionary and school grammar use

c. the most widely spoken version of the language

d. economic, social, and political factors

58. Nonstandard versions of a language tend to be stigmatized __________.

a. when they cannot be understood

b. to the extent that they deviate from the standard

c. when there is a strong system of national government

d. if the members of the group who speak it are indigenous

59. Speakers of the standard dialect gain prestige and respect, while speakers of nonstandard dialects are __________.

a. looked down upon

b. viewed as superior

c. not taken seriously

d. viewed as uneducated

60. Ebonics is another term for __________.

a. African slang

b. poor English

c. African American Vernacular English

d. Creole

61. Most linguists agree that the sources of African American Vernacular English are __________ and __________.

a. African American standard English; southern English

b. urban slang; southern English

c. rural southern English; African languages

d. African languages; urban slang

62. In 1996, the Oakland Board of Education started a new teaching approach based on the premise that African American children would learn basic concepts better in _________.

a. immersive classrooms

b. a third, new dialect

c. exclusively standard English

d. their own primary dialect

63. The Bridge program advocated by the Oakland school board is __________ according to research in other public school systems where it has been tested.

a. successful

b. unsuccessful

c. outdated

d. overly expensive

64. When people elevate a particular dialect over another, they convey __________.

a. a message of authority

b. a message of superiority

c. a message of confidence

d. a message of capitalism

65. __________ is the study of culture through people’s use of language to categorize and classify people, objects, activities, and experiences.

a. Sociolinguistics

b. Ethnosemantics

c. Ethnography of communication

d. Componential analysis

66. Specialized or technical words are __________, spoken by people who share a particular occupation or interest.

a. creoles

b. pidgins

c. jargons

d. dialects

67. A technique of analyzing the similarities and contrasts in a particular category, such as kinship terms or animal names, is called ______________.

a. sociolinguistics

b. ethnosemantics

c. morphology

d. componential analysis

68. Compositional analysis of English shows that it places greater importance on __________ than other animals.

a. fish

b. wild mammals

c. domesticated animals

d. pets

69. The exchange of standard greetings by two people who share a language and culture is an example of a __________.

a. linguistic problem

b. cultural presupposition

c. cliché

d. set piece

70. The term for the study of communication as it occurs within a particular cultural context, considering such features as the participant’s settings and the participant’s attitudes and goals, is __________.

a. sociolinguistics

b. ethnosemantics

c. ethnography of communication

d. componential analysis

71. Cultural presuppositions are __________.

a. rudimentary languages that have been simplified

b. a technique of analyzing the similarities and contrasts in a particular category

c. the study of communication as it occurs within a particular cultural context

d. shared knowledge and unspoken assumptions that people have as members of their culture

72. Synchronous computer-mediated communication (CMC) is most similar to:

a. interpreter-mediated communication

b. jargon

c. sending a letter

d. face-to-face communication

73. Systems of meaning include jargons, which are __________.

a. specific to certain activities or occupations

b. specific to certain regions

c. specific to certain individuals

d. specific to certain countries

74. Language change is constant and natural as __________.

a. languages borrow words from other languages

b. people lack education

c. new words and expressions are invented or discarded

d. people become more educated

75. How do pidgins differ from creoles?

a. Pidgins and creoles are the same.

b. Pidgins are not full languages.

c. Pidgins combine sounds, grammatical forms, and vocabulary from different languages.

d. Pidgins arise during periods of close contact between individuals that speak different languages.

76. __________ are languages that have historic roots as an amalgamation of vocabulary and grammar derived from two or more independent languages.

a. Pidgins

b. Creoles

c. Lingua francas

d. Dialects

77. __________ are rudimentary languages that have a simplified grammar and a limited vocabulary.

a. Pidgins

b. Creoles

c. Lingua francas

d. Dialects

78. __________ are words in different languages that are derived from the same word in their parent language.

a. Loanwords

b. Cognates

c. Language families

d. Lingua francas

79. Words borrowed from one language to another are ____________.

a. cognates

b. language families

c. loanwords

d. lingua francas

80. Plotting the distributions of related languages can show information on __________.

a. migration, contacts, and conquests in the past

b. intermarriage and trade

c. globalization

d. colonizers and war

ESSAY QUESTIONS

81. Using the terms symbolism, displacement, and productivity, discuss what makes human language different from other, animal, communication systems. Briefly discuss the history of attempts to teach nonhuman primates language and the kinds of success with which these attempts have been met.

(APPLY)

82. Give three examples of nonverbal communication and explain why nonverbal communication is problematic in cross-cultural situations.

(ANALYZE)

83. What is the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis? Why have the most extreme versions of the hypothesis been rejected while milder versions are commonly accepted?

(ANALYZE)

84. For what reasons have indigenous languages around the world been placed in danger of extinction in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries? What has been done to preserve these languages?

(CREATE)

85. Explain the difference between a dialect, a creole, and a pidgin. Under what circumstances do they arise?

(APPLY)

86. What steps did the Oakland Board of Education take in 1996 to improve the standard English reading comprehension of African American students? What was the outcome?

(EVALUATE)

87. In many countries around the world, including Switzerland, students learn multiple languages in school with little difficulty, but in the United States, many African American students have historically had difficulty learning standard English. What is the idea of cultural resistance and how might this explain the difficulty?

(CREATE)

88. What is the ethnography of communication? Using an example, give the elements an ethnographer of communication would need to take into account in order to correctly understand and explain a communication event.

(CREATE)

89. What is a language family? Cognates? Loanwords? How does historical linguistics use these concepts to understand language change and the social reasons for it over time?

(EVALUATE)

90. What do language maintenance programs in indigenous communities tell us about the relationship between language and culture?

(ANALYZE)