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RC Passage
Direction for the questions 9 to 12: The passage below is accompanied by a set of four questions. Choose the best answer to each question.
Languages become endangered and die out for many reasons. Sadly, the physical annihilation of communities of native speakers of a language is all too often the cause of language extinction. In North America, European
colonists brought death and destruction to many Native American communities. This was followed by US federal policies restricting the use of indigenous languages, including the removal of native children from their communities to federal boarding schools where native languages and cultural practices were prohibited. As many as 75 percent of the languages spoken in the territories that became the United States have gone extinct, with slightly better language survival rates in Central and South America . ..
Even without physical annihilation and prohibitions against language use, the language of the "dominant" cultures may drive other languages into extinction; young people see education, jobs, culture and technology associated with the dominant language and focus their attention on that language. The largest language "killers" are English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Russian, Hindi, and Chinese, all of which have privileged status as dominant languages threatening minority languages. When we lose a language, we lose the worldview, culture and knowledge of the people who spoke it, constituting a loss to all humanity. People around the world live in direct contact with their native environment, their habitat.
When the language they speak goes extinct, the rest of humanity loses their knowledge of that environment, their wisdom about the relationship between local plants and illness, their philosophical and religious beliefs as well as their native cultural expression (in music, visual art and poetry) that has enriched both the speakers of that language and others who would have encountered that culture. . . . As educators deeply immersed in the liberal arts, we believe that educating students broadly in all facets of language and culture . . . yields immense rewards. Some individuals educated in the liberal arts tradition will pursue advanced study in linguistics and become actively engaged in language preservation, setting out for the Amazon, for example, with video recording equipment to interview the last surviving elders in a community to record and document a language spoken by no children.
Certainly, though, the vast majority of students will not pursue this kind of activity. For these students, a liberal arts education is absolutely critical from the twin perspectives of language extinction and global citizenship. When students study languages other than their own, they are sensitized to the existence of different cultural perspectives and practices. With such an education, students are more likely to be able to articulate insights into their own cultural biases, be more empathetic to individuals of other cultures, communicate successfully across linguistic and cultural differences, consider and resolve questions in a way that reflects multiple cultural perspectives, and, ultimately extend support to people, programs, practices, and policies that support the preservation of endangered languages.
There is ample evidence that such preservation can work in languages spiraling toward extinction. For example, Navajo, Cree and Inuit communities have established schools in which these languages are the language of instruction and the number of speakers of each has increased.
RC Line-wise Explanation
Paragraph 1
"Languages become endangered and die out for many reasons."
Explanation: There are multiple causes behind the disappearance of languages.
"Sadly, the physical annihilation of communities of native speakers of a language is all too often the cause of language extinction."
Explanation: Often, language loss happens because the communities speaking them are destroyed or wiped out.
"In North America, European colonists brought death and destruction to many Native American communities."
Explanation: European settlers caused major harm to Indigenous populations in North America.
"This was followed by US federal policies restricting the use of indigenous languages, including the removal of native children from their communities to federal boarding schools where native languages and cultural practices were prohibited."
Explanation: After colonization, U.S. laws and policies banned native languages and forced Indigenous children into schools where their cultures and languages were not allowed.
"As many as 75 percent of the languages spoken in the territories that became the United States have gone extinct, with slightly better language survival rates in Central and South America."
Explanation: Three-quarters of Indigenous languages in the U.S. have vanished, though Central and South America have preserved more of theirs.
Paragraph 2
"Even without physical annihilation and prohibitions against language use, the language of the 'dominant' cultures may drive other languages into extinction;"
Explanation: Even without violence or bans, dominant languages can cause minority languages to fade away.
"Young people see education, jobs, culture and technology associated with the dominant language and focus their attention on that language."
Explanation: Youth often shift to the dominant language because it seems more useful for success in modern life.
"The largest language 'killers' are English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Russian, Hindi, and Chinese, all of which have privileged status as dominant languages threatening minority languages."
Explanation: These major global languages often overshadow and replace less commonly spoken languages.
Paragraph 3
"When we lose a language, we lose the worldview, culture and knowledge of the people who spoke it, constituting a loss to all humanity."
Explanation: The extinction of a language erases the unique culture and understanding of its speakers, which affects everyone.
"People around the world live in direct contact with their native environment, their habitat."
Explanation: Many communities have deep, firsthand experience with their natural surroundings.
"When the language they speak goes extinct, the rest of humanity loses their knowledge of that environment, their wisdom about the relationship between local plants and illness, their philosophical and religious beliefs as well as their native cultural expression (in music, visual art and poetry) that has enriched both the speakers of that language and others who would have encountered that culture."
Explanation: When such a language disappears, it takes with it traditional medical knowledge, beliefs, art, and other cultural treasures that could benefit everyone.
Paragraph 4
"As educators deeply immersed in the liberal arts, we believe that educating students broadly in all facets of language and culture . . . yields immense rewards."
Explanation: The authors, as liberal arts educators, strongly support a well-rounded education in language and culture.
"Some individuals educated in the liberal arts tradition will pursue advanced study in linguistics and become actively engaged in language preservation, setting out for the Amazon, for example, with video recording equipment to interview the last surviving elders in a community to record and document a language spoken by no children."
Explanation: A few students may go on to specialize in linguistics and work directly on saving endangered languages, even traveling to remote places to document them.
Paragraph 5
"Certainly, though, the vast majority of students will not pursue this kind of activity."
Explanation: Most students will not directly work in language preservation.
"For these students, a liberal arts education is absolutely critical from the twin perspectives of language extinction and global citizenship."
Explanation: Still, learning about languages and cultures helps all students become better global citizens and more aware of language loss.
"When students study languages other than their own, they are sensitized to the existence of different cultural perspectives and practices."
Explanation: Learning new languages opens students’ eyes to how other cultures think and live.
"With such an education, students are more likely to be able to articulate insights into their own cultural biases, be more empathetic to individuals of other cultures, communicate successfully across linguistic and cultural differences, consider and resolve questions in a way that reflects multiple cultural perspectives, and, ultimately extend support to people, programs, practices, and policies that support the preservation of endangered languages."
Explanation: This type of education builds empathy, cross-cultural communication skills, self-awareness, and increases the likelihood that students will support efforts to save endangered languages.
Paragraph 6
"There is ample evidence that such preservation can work in languages spiraling toward extinction."
Explanation: There are successful examples showing that language-saving efforts can succeed.
"For example, Navajo, Cree and Inuit communities have established schools in which these languages are the language of instruction and the number of speakers of each has increased."
Explanation: Native communities like the Navajo, Cree, and Inuit have opened schools that teach in their own languages, leading to an increase in native speakers.
RC Paragraph Explanation
Paragraph 1 Summary
Language extinction has often occurred due to the destruction of native-speaking communities and oppressive language policies, especially in North America, where most Indigenous languages have disappeared.
Paragraph 2 Summary
Even without violence, dominant global languages often replace minority ones as people seek upward mobility, making languages like English and Chinese major contributors to language death.
Paragraph 3 Summary
The loss of a language leads to the loss of unique cultural knowledge, environmental wisdom, and creative expression, which is a collective loss for all humanity.
Paragraph 4 Summary
Liberal arts education can inspire some to engage directly in saving endangered languages through fieldwork and documentation of dying languages.
Paragraph 5 Summary
Even for those not working in language preservation, studying languages promotes empathy, self-awareness, and cultural understanding, encouraging support for preserving linguistic diversity.
Paragraph 6 Summary
Language revitalization efforts have succeeded in Indigenous communities where native-language education has led to a rise in speakers.
RC Quick Table Summary
| Paragraph Number | Main Idea |
|---|---|
| Paragraph 1 | Language extinction often results from violence and language-suppressing policies. |
| Paragraph 2 | Dominant languages displace minority ones even without direct suppression. |
| Paragraph 3 | Losing a language means losing cultural and environmental knowledge. |
| Paragraph 4 | Liberal arts students can play a direct role in preserving endangered languages. |
| Paragraph 5 | Broad education fosters empathy and support for cultural and linguistic diversity. |
| Paragraph 6 | Endangered languages can be revived through targeted educational efforts. |
RC Questions
Ques 9. In the context of the passage, which one of the following hypothetical scenarios, if true, is NOT an example of the kind of loss that occurs when a language becomes extinct?
Option-wise Analysis
Option A: Incorrect. This scenario highlights the extinction of environmental knowledge—specifically, the ability to perceive and describe subtle “moods” of the ocean. This aligns with the passage’s concern about losing ecological insight encoded in endangered languages. Option B: Correct. This scenario centers around the bureaucratic or administrative loss of a tribe being removed from a government list. It does not focus on the cultural or knowledge-based loss that the passage emphasizes. The true concern, per the passage, is not the disappearance from lists but the disappearance of lived experiences, wisdom, and traditions tied to the language. Option C: Incorrect. This represents a loss of emotional and relational vocabulary—a word that encapsulates a unique familial experience. This ties directly into the author’s point that certain words and concepts may have no equivalent in other languages, and their loss diminishes human emotional and cultural expression. Option D: Incorrect. This scenario reflects the loss of precise environmental understanding, a key concern raised in the passage. The knowledge of snow textures has practical survival and cultural implications, especially in Inuit life.
Ques 10. Which one of the following hypothetical scenarios, if true, would most strongly undermine the central ideas of the passage?
Option-wise Analysis
Option A: Incorrect. The passage already acknowledges that most students will not engage in direct language preservation. This option does not challenge the value of liberal arts education in promoting global citizenship or empathy toward endangered cultures. Option B: Correct. It fundamentally shifts the focus of liberal arts education toward dominant languages, the very ones blamed for crowding out minority languages. This weakens the core argument that liberal arts helps preserve linguistic diversity. Option C: Incorrect. While it questions the long-term sustainability of preservation efforts, it still affirms that short-term preservation is possible. This does not invalidate the passage’s overall claim that such efforts are worthwhile. Option D: Incorrect. This points out a limitation of language documentation (i.e., it freezes the language), but it doesn’t refute the idea that recording endangered languages is better than total loss.
Ques 11. It can be inferred from the passage that it is likely South America had a slightly better language survival rate than North America for all of the following reasons EXCEPT:
Option-wise Analysis
Option A: Incorrect. This aligns with the passage’s logic. In North America, children were taken away to boarding schools where native languages were banned. If children in South America stayed with their families, their native languages would be more likely to survive. Option B: Incorrect. This fits the argument. If colonial authorities in South America were less successful in mainstreaming or assimilating indigenous populations, native languages would have had a better chance of surviving. Option C: Incorrect. The passage links the physical annihilation of native communities to language death. Therefore, if fewer indigenous people were killed in South America, language survival would be comparatively better. Option D: Correct. Providing locals with jobs in the colonial administration would likely require them to adopt the dominant colonial language, furthering the decline of their native tongue. This scenario supports language loss, not survival, and contradicts the factors contributing to better survival rates. It does not align with the reasons implied in the passage.
Ques 12. The author believes that a liberal arts education combined with participation in language preservation empower students in all of the following ways EXCEPT that they will
Option-wise Analysis
Option A: Incorrect. The passage clearly states that liberal arts education helps students communicate successfully across linguistic and cultural differences, which involves overcoming cultural barriers. Option B: Incorrect. Learning languages other than one's own is explicitly mentioned as a part of this educational journey. This exposure helps students develop cultural sensitivity and awareness. Option C: Correct. While the passage cites examples of Navajo, Cree, and Inuit communities establishing schools to preserve their languages, it never suggests that students themselves (whether liberal arts graduates or not) are expected to establish such institutions. This is beyond the scope of what the author claims students will be empowered to do. Option D: Incorrect. A key benefit of studying other languages and cultures, as stated in the passage, is that students gain insight into their own cultural biases and perspectives. This directly supports Option D.
