Reading Comprehension

PT153 · S4 · P2 · Q12 Native American Languages

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This passage is based on an article published in 1996.

Topic

Preserving endangered Native American languages.

Framework

Problem / Solution (or maybe Old / New)

Main Point

There's a Problem - Native American languages are on the brink of extinction

There's a Solution - radio shows in native languages are great!

There's a Problem with the Solution - the internet is coming to more of these communities and it increases the threat of losing the native language (as people learn English in order to use the internet)

There's a Solution to the Problem with the Solution - make better radio shows in the native languages (not lessons, but fun stuff like interviews with old people, songs, and word games).

Putting that all together, you'd get something like this:

In order to continue the success radio shows have had in preserving endangered native languages in the face of the encroaching internet, the shows should focus on engaging formats over lessons.

Passage Map

P1 - Intro to Problem / Solution

The first three sentences have negative words that make us guess this passage is about a Problem: of 300, fewer than 150 survive / one third are near extinction / the decline is due to misguided policies

The Purpose Pivot halfway through (but, yet, however, recently) alerts us to the optimism the author has for the Solution.

P2 - More optimism for Solution

This paragraph fleshes out why radio shows are a great way of helping to preserve these endangered native languages.

P3 - New Problem / New Solution

This starts with another big Purpose Pivot (but, yet, however, recently). The author pours some pessimism on that optimism: the growth of Internet could counter the influence of radio.

Halfway down it switches to Solution by saying "Communities have a means to combat this trend". The final sentence is actually getting into prescriptive language, as the author says we should make radio programming more effective.

P4 - Author Supports their Solution

This paragraph explains what the "right" kind of radio programming would be.

12.

The passage states that the study of native languages has recently grown

Correct
in spite of residual effects
Why this is right
We know that there has been a recent growth in the study of native languages "despite the residual effects of this effort [by the US government to mandate the teaching of English to all Native Americans]." Can we say, as this answer is saying, that this was a misguided mandate? Sure, because the beginning of the 3rd sentence says, "misguided US government policies" and then uses a colon to introduce an example of a misguided US government policy: mandating the teaching of English to all Native Americans.
Skill tested: Locate Detail · how this choice captures the passage's function is the move to repeat next time.
89% picked this
because of a change in
Out of Scope
Out of Scope: change of attitude Unsupported Causal Relationship The first paragraph never says that the U.S. government changed their mind and was like, "Sike, you don't have to learn English. You should just study and preserve your native language." In fact the passage is suggesting the opposite of this causal relationship. It's not saying that the recent growth in study of native languages has happened because of the attitude of the U.S. government. It's saying it's happened in spite of the U.S. government's hostile attitude.
1% picked this
because of a growing awareness
Out of Scope
Out of Scope: great loss to scholarship Unsupported Causal Relationship We are never told the causal reason for this recent growth in the study of languages. This answer pretends like we were told that the recent growth is because there is a greater awareness that if these languages go extinct, scholars won't be able to study them. There's nothing like that said in the 1st paragraph.
2% picked this
because the use of native
Too Strong: supplanted Unsupported Causal Relationship
We are never told the causal reason for this recent growth in the study of languages. This answer pretends like we were told that the recent growth is because native radio shows have replaced more traditional means of language transmission. There's nothing like that said in the 1st paragraph. If anything the causality suggested is the reverse. It sounds like the recent growth in the study of native languages has led to the establishment of native radio stations. But neither is identified as the cause of the other. We're just told, "at the same time that one thing is happening, the other thing is happening'.
7% picked this
in spite of a lack
Contradicted
There isn't a lack of native scholars developing native language curricula. We are told, to the contrary, that "more universities are offering language curricula developed by Native American scholars".
0% picked this

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