Language & Thought

Answer choices

1. A

   Out of Scope: translation4% picked this

   Are there limits to the translatability of one language

   Neither passage is spending any time wondering whether one language can be translated into another. The closest we come to talking about multiple languages is in comparing the sort of thoughts imposed by German vs. Spanish.

   4%
2. B

   Correct60% picked this

   What does scientific research reveal about the relation between language

   Why this is right

   "The relation between language and thought" is what we were looking for. The 'scientific research' part at the front is somewhat surprising, but can we make it work? For Passage A, definitely. The first sentence of the 2nd paragraph says, "new research suggests that in reality its influence consists in what it obliges us to think about". The following two sentences begin "For example" and "Furthermore", showing us that we are unpacking takeaways from this new research. For Passage B, the very first sentence is saying, "Studies ... give evidence regarding the role of language in the development of numerical reasoning (i.e. mathematical thought)." So both passages are discussing the connection between language and thought, by referencing scientific research. Thus, we can make this answer work.

   Skill tested: Main Point · how this choice captures the passage's function is the move to repeat next time.

   60%
3. C

   Reverse Causality23% picked this

   Do differences among languages result from different ways of thinking about

   This answer would be beautifully perfect if it just said "cause" instead of "result from". The authors were analyzing whether differences among languages cause different ways of thinking about the world? If we got this one wrong by reading too fast, we might need to remind ourselves that when an answer feels pretty perfect, we should still give it a 2nd read, as though it's wrong, reading word-by-word to see if there's anything objectionable, before we pick it. Yes, sometimes correct answers really are easy and obvious, but there are enough mean traps where a "perfectly" written answer is one word off and fools 25% or more of us.

   23%
4. D

   Out of Scope: better than thought6% picked this

   Were Whorf’s claims about language based on better evidence than

   There's no comparison in either passage between "how good we thought Whorf's evidence was" vs. "how good we think it is now". Passage A tells us a past tense story about people learning that there was never actually any evidence to support Whorf's views. And the new research presented by passage A does not support Whorf's claims, so we wouldn't call that better evidence than previously thought. Passage B doesn't mention the evidence for Whorf's claims at all.

   6%
5. E

   Too Strong: confined to8% picked this

   Is the influence of language on thought confined to specific areas such as

   Passage A mentioned some examples in which one's language influences one's perception of the gender of objects. Passage B mentioned some examples in which one's language influences one's sense of number and equivalence. But neither author was in the ballpark of asking, "Are the only two ways that language affects thought number and gender?"

   8%