Reading Comprehension

PT153 · S4 · P2 · Q8 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.

Which one of the following most accurately states the main point of the passage?

Because of the growth in
Wrong Emphasis
This answer doesn't mention radio programming at all, which is the #1 thing our author wants to talk about. She wrote this passage to say, "Please -- improve radio programming, because it's an effective tool for language preservation, and if you don't make it better, the internet will ruin these efforts."
3% picked this
Correct
Native language radio programming has
Why this is right
We wanted something like, "Please -- improve radio programming, because it's an effective tool for language preservation, and if you don't make it better, the internet will ruin these efforts." This answer's first clause matches up well with paragraphs 1 and 2, and this answer's second clause matches up well enough with paragraphs 3 and 4.
Skill tested: Main Point · how this choice captures the passage's function is the move to repeat next time.
78% picked this
While the Internet and many
Too Strong: only
The author never said anything maximalist like, "radio is the only viable tool for counteracting language loss". In our thesis sentence (end of 3rd paragraph), she is saying, "If radio programming doesn't resonate, it won't be a viable tool for counteracting language loss."
1% picked this
Language preservation is more successful
Wrong Emphasis
This answer doesn't mention radio programming at all, which is the #1 thing our author wants to talk about. She wrote this passage to say, "Please -- improve radio programming, because it's an effective tool for language preservation, and if you don't make it better, the internet will ruin these efforts."
17% picked this
Native language radio programming succeeds
Too Narrow Wrong Causal Emphasis
The overall sentiment of this answer is "radio programming is doing a great job at helping to preserve native languages". That covers paragraphs 1 and 2, but this answer is missing any reference to paragraphs 3 and 4, which discuss the encroaching threat of the internet. Also, the author never talks about other approaches preserving native languages failing (she just says this approach of radio shows is particularly effective), and she never singles out the special causal difference-maker of radio as, "it stimulates the interest of older people in rekindling the use of their languages". I mean, yes, it's true that older people have taken an interest in rekindling the use of their languages, but that was just one part of why radio is good. The first half of the 2nd paragraph (where we talk about who radio is a good match for oral traditions) is at least as important as the second half of the 2nd paragraph (where we talk about its role in solidifying communities), within which we mention older people. Since "older people" is just a detail found in a sentence that is supporting Big Point #2 within the 2nd paragraph, we shouldn't be elevating "older people" to the Main Point answer choice. Big Point #2 (these radio stations help solidify communities) belongs in the Main Point more than one of its supporting details does. And we wouldn't put Big Point #2 in main point (these radio stations also help solidify communities) unless we were also putting Big Point #1 from that paragraph (these radio shows are a particularly effective tool for oral traditions). Sometimes we have to talk ourselves out of answers that say true things by reminding ourselves of where those true things fit in the hierarchy of the passage's argument. If we can demonstrate to ourselves that an idea is subsidiary to something else, then we usually know it's Too Narrow for the main point.
1% picked this

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