New hypothesis ·Native language emphasizes certain thinking
Contrast this with Whorf's claim. Whorf said language closes doors on how we think; author says actually, language just pushes us toward certain doors.
Author's perspective ·Study results open to wide interpretation
Having language for number either allows for precise numeracy (Whorfian view) or at least pushes one's thinking in that direction (non-Whorfian, consistent with the views passage A's author).
Passage Style
27.
Which one of the following ██████████ █████████ ███ ████████ ██ ███████ ██ ███ ███ ████ ██ ███████ ██
Question Type
Implied
Principle or generalization
The correct answer is a principle that underlies Passage B, but not Passage A. Let’s look for an answer that, at a minimum, Passage B must agree with, but for which we don’t know Passage A’s opinion (or Passage A disagrees with it).
a
If different languages █████ ████████████ ████████ ██ ███ ███ ███ ████ ███████ ████ ████ ████████ █████ ████████ ████ ███████ ██ █████ ██████████
Passage B doesn’t discuss concepts that are incompatible with each other (contradictory). So we have no reason to think Passage B uses the principle in (A).
Passage B uses this concept toward the end of P1 and the beginning of P2. Research shows that certain Indian people have the concept of number. But they don’t have expressions for that concept. Passage B believes this supports the idea that language did not create the concept of numbers for those people.
Passage A doesn’t use this principle, because it doesn’t discuss speakers who possess concepts without language for that concept.
Passage B isn’t committed to the view that if a concept (such as number) can be expressed more exactly in one language, that language created the concept. It explicitly notes alternative interpretations — language might “mediate the expansion” of a concept or might merely “direct attention to such a concept.” So Passage B doesn’t use the principle in (D).
e
If a language ███████ ████████ ██ █████ █████ █ ████████ ████ ███████ ████ ████ ████ ████████ █████████████ ██ ███ █████████
Passage B doesn’t suggest that there’s a connection between a language’s obliging speakers to think about a concept and the independent origin of the concept. The only mention of a language obliging a speaker to think about a concept is the reference to number words potentially “directing attention” to the concept of numerical equality. But the author of Passage B doesn’t connect this potential relationship to the conclusion that numerical equality is a concept independent of language.
Difficulty
49% of people who answer get this correct
This is a very difficult question.
It is slightly harder than the average question in this passage.
CURVE
Score of students with a 50% chance of getting this right
25%150
162
75%173
Analysis
Implied
Principle or generalization
Comparative
Science
Answer Popularity
PopularityAvg. score
a
11%
157
b
49%
163
c
10%
155
d
17%
158
e
14%
157
Question history
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