Which of the following would best explain why large groups of people in different areas speak the same language with minor variations?

A.
language education

B.
a long-ago migration

C.
a shared language family

D.
missionaries and travelers

E.
the invasion of Germanic tribes


Which of the following best explains the difference between two predominant theories of the origins of language?

A.
Most linguists believe that current languages have shared roots, while Quentin Atkinson believes they developed individually in isolation.

B.
Most linguists believe that languages primarily developed in isolation, while Quentin Atkinson believes they developed in superfamilies.

C.
Some linguists believe that all languages came from Indo-European, while Quentin Atkinson believes that they stemmed from African languages.

D.
Some linguists believe that current languages were once joined in superfamilies, while Quentin Atkinson believes that all languages can ultimately be traced to Africa.

E.
All linguists believe that current languages belong to the same superfamily, while Quentin Atkinson believes that they all belong to different families of African languages.

Which of the following provides the best evidence for Quentin Atkinson’s theories of the origins of languages?

A.
Languages are more complex and diverse in Africa.

B.
Differences among languages predate recorded history.

C.
Humans outside Africa display greater linguistic diversity.

D.
Ninety-nine percent of the world speaks a language from one of fourteen families.

E.
Non-African languages are more likely to have developed from superfamilies.