Language and Migration
题目：
The study of language can offer important clues about the historic migration of people around the world. Most historians would place the emergence of major groups of human languages between about 10,000 and 20,000 years ago, given the current distribution of descendant speakers of related languages. In general, the more related languages differ from each other, the further back in time they diverged from a common ancestor. The oldest and widest spread of language groups suggests two key periods of migrations. The first was from Africa to the Pacific Ocean along waterborne routes through tropical locales between 80,000 and 50,000 years ago. The subsequent human migration identifies dispersions through temperate zones between 40,000 and 30,000 years ago, reaching the more extreme environmental zones. Substantial movements from the savanna areas of Eastern and Southern Africa are reflected in the distribution and history of Khoisan languages sometime after 80,000 years ago. Speakers of Nilo-Saharan languages who moved eastward into the Indian Ocean world may eventually account for the similarities between African, tropical Asian, and Oceanic language groups.
The Bantu migrations in Africa demonstrate ways the study of language can help scholars trace human movement in the distant past. Between 6,000 and 1,000 years ago, Bantu speakers from the Lake Chad region slowly spread across most of sub-Saharan Africa (the three-quarters of Africa south of the Sahara Desert). By about 1000 B.C.E., the pace of their migrations quickened. They may have been aided in this process by their ability to make and use iron tools and weapons, which could have given them an advantage over other human communities. The incorporation of words from other language groups into Bantu languages, including words related to agriculture and herding, both provides evidence of other groups Bantu speakers encountered and indicates that they may have acquired knowledge of these processes from non-Bantu speakers.
The Bantu expansion involved speakers of related languages that now make up the populations of the southern half of the African continent. This largest and longest of recent African migrations also accounts for the shared cultural and political patterns that have helped to mitigate that continent’s environmental and cultural diversity. The movement of Bantu speakers, like the spread of Asian peoples to the Pacific, may initially have been the result of dramatic climatic fluctuation. Both the Bantu and Asian migrations have been documented by archaeological and linguistic evidence, including the similar styles of and decoration on excavated pottery and the shared vocabulary of distant peoples.
One day it may be possible to trace in greater detail the pattern of all early human migrations using linguistic evidence. For the present time, historians have limited and fragmentary evidence of how (and when) the world’s twee or more language groups emerged and whether those groups are related ancestrally. For example, the speakers of early Indo-European languages appear to belong to one large superfamily of languages (Eurasiatic) that emerged sometime after about 40,000 years ago. Historians do not agree on the exact location of their homeland. Later migrations can be traced between the areas occupied by the ancestors of Celtic groups and Central Asian peoples and likely resulted in shared physical and cultural characteristics. For example, by about 4,000 years ago, a community in the Tarim Basin of today’s Xinjiang region in China buried their dead in dry and sometimes salty soils, which preserved and mummified the bodies. Archaeologists have been able to detect distinctively European features-fair skin and light-colored hair-from the remains of these Indo-European migrants, who once lived near the modern Chinese city of Urumchi. Much later migrations can be studied by examining the similarities and differences among language groups. The migration of Celtic people, who initially inhabited cold regions in Central Europe, was one of the most widespread movements of people in Europe. Better conditions and the lure of other cultures drew the Celts south to Southern Europe and West Asia and west toward the Atlantic Ocean and the British Isles, where they settled during the first millennium B.C.E.
1
The study of language can offer important clues about the historic migration of people around the world. Most historians would place the emergence of major groups of human languages between about 10,000 and 20,000 years ago, given the current distribution of descendant speakers of related languages. In general, the more related languages differ from each other, the further back in time they diverged from a common ancestor. The oldest and widest spread of language groups suggests two key periods of migrations. The first was from Africa to the Pacific Ocean along waterborne routes through tropical locales between 80,000 and 50,000 years ago. The subsequent human migration identifies dispersions through temperate zones between 40,000 and 30,000 years ago, reaching the more extreme environmental zones. Substantial movements from the savanna areas of Eastern and Southern Africa are reflected in the distribution and history of Khoisan languages sometime after 80,000 years ago. Speakers of Nilo-Saharan languages who moved eastward into the Indian Ocean world may eventually account for the similarities between African, tropical Asian, and Oceanic language groups.
The word “Substantial”in the passage is closest in meaning to
Vocabulary Questions词汇题
AContinuous
BPossible
CSignificant
DLimited
2
The study of language can offer important clues about the historic migration of people around the world. Most historians would place the emergence of major groups of human languages between about 10,000 and 20,000 years ago, given the current distribution of descendant speakers of related languages. In general, the more related languages differ from each other, the further back in time they diverged from a common ancestor. The oldest and widest spread of language groups suggests two key periods of migrations. The first was from Africa to the Pacific Ocean along waterborne routes through tropical locales between 80,000 and 50,000 years ago. The subsequent human migration identifies dispersions through temperate zones between 40,000 and 30,000 years ago, reaching the more extreme environmental zones. Substantial movements from the savanna areas of Eastern and Southern Africa are reflected in the distribution and history of Khoisan languages sometime after 80,000 years ago. Speakers of Nilo-Saharan languages who moved eastward into the Indian Ocean world may eventually account for the similarities between African, tropical Asian, and Oceanic language groups.
According to paragraph 1,all of the following statements about the oldest and widest spread of language groups are true EXCEPT:
Negative Factual Information Questions否定事实信息题
AThe spread occurred in two major stages.
BThe spread from Africa occurred along tropical waterways.
CThe spread began because people wanted to live in temperate zones.
DThe spread eventually resulted in people reaching more extreme regions.
3
The study of language can offer important clues about the historic migration of people around the world. Most historians would place the emergence of major groups of human languages between about 10,000 and 20,000 years ago, given the current distribution of descendant speakers of related languages. In general, the more related languages differ from each other, the further back in time they diverged from a common ancestor. The oldest and widest spread of language groups suggests two key periods of migrations. The first was from Africa to the Pacific Ocean along waterborne routes through tropical locales between 80,000 and 50,000 years ago. The subsequent human migration identifies dispersions through temperate zones between 40,000 and 30,000 years ago, reaching the more extreme environmental zones. Substantial movements from the savanna areas of Eastern and Southern Africa are reflected in the distribution and history of Khoisan languages sometime after 80,000 years ago. Speakers of Nilo-Saharan languages who moved eastward into the Indian Ocean world may eventually account for the similarities between African, tropical Asian, and Oceanic language groups.
Paragraph 1 suggests which of the following about African, tropical Asian, and Oceanic language groups?
Inference Questions推理题
AExperts generally agree about how and when each of them emerged.
BThey are too geographically distant to be related to one another.
CThey probably have less in common with one another than scholars believe.
DThey may have originated from Nilo-Saharan languages.
4
The Bantu migrations in Africa demonstrate ways the study of language can help scholars trace human movement in the distant past. Between 6,000 and 1,000 years ago, Bantu speakers from the Lake Chad region slowly spread across most of sub-Saharan Africa (the three-quarters of Africa south of the Sahara Desert). By about 1000 B.C.E., the pace of their migrations quickened. They may have been aided in this process by their ability to make and use iron tools and weapons, which could have given them an advantage over other human communities. The incorporation of words from other language groups into Bantu languages, including words related to agriculture and herding, both provides evidence of other groups Bantu speakers encountered and indicates that they may have acquired knowledge of these processes from non-Bantu speakers.
According to paragraph 2， which of the following was an indirect effect of the Bantu migrations in Africa?
Factual Information Questions事实信息题
ABantu people acquired skills in the making and use of iron tools and weapons from non-Bantu people.
BBantu languages were changed as a result of contact with other groups.
CBantu words related to agriculture were introduced into other language groups.
DBantu people taught skills such as herding to the groups they encountered.
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The Bantu expansion involved speakers of related languages that now make up the populations of the southern half of the African continent. This largest and longest of recent African migrations also accounts for the shared cultural and political patterns that have helped to mitigate that continent’s environmental and cultural diversity. The movement of Bantu speakers, like the spread of Asian peoples to the Pacific, may initially have been the result of dramatic climatic fluctuation. Both the Bantu and Asian migrations have been documented by archaeological and linguistic evidence, including the similar styles of and decoration on excavated pottery and the shared vocabulary of distant peoples.
According to paragraph 3,the Bantu expansion was possibly caused by
Factual Information Questions事实信息题
Athe movement of non-Bantu populations from Southern Africa
Bcultural and political factors
Cthe migration of Asian peoples
Da major change in climate
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The Bantu expansion involved speakers of related languages that now make up the populations of the southern half of the African continent. This largest and longest of recent African migrations also accounts for the shared cultural and political patterns that have helped to mitigate that continent’s environmental and cultural diversity. The movement of Bantu speakers, like the spread of Asian peoples to the Pacific, may initially have been the result of dramatic climatic fluctuation. Both the Bantu and Asian migrations have been documented by archaeological and linguistic evidence, including the similar styles of and decoration on excavated pottery and the shared vocabulary of distant peoples.
According to paragraph 3, the movement of Bantu speakers across Africa has affected the continent in which of the following ways?
Factual Information Questions事实信息题
AIt has moved the center of Bantu culture away from the southern half of the continent.
BIt has made the continent more culturally unified than it might otherwise have been.
CIt has intensified the effects of climatic change across the continent.
DIt has deepened geographical divisions and led to conflict.
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One day it may be possible to trace in greater detail the pattern of all early human migrations using linguistic evidence. For the present time, historians have limited and fragmentary evidence of how (and when) the world’s twee or more language groups emerged and whether those groups are related ancestrally. For example, the speakers of early Indo-European languages appear to belong to one large superfamily of languages (Eurasiatic) that emerged sometime after about 40,000 years ago. Historians do not agree on the exact location of their homeland. Later migrations can be traced between the areas occupied by the ancestors of Celtic groups and Central Asian peoples and likely resulted in shared physical and cultural characteristics. For example, by about 4,000 years ago, a community in the Tarim Basin of today’s Xinjiang region in China buried their dead in dry and sometimes salty soils, which preserved and mummified the bodies. Archaeologists have been able to detect distinctively European features-fair skin and light-colored hair-from the remains of these Indo-European migrants, who once lived near the modern Chinese city of Urumchi. Much later migrations can be studied by examining the similarities and differences among language groups. The migration of Celtic people, who initially inhabited cold regions in Central Europe, was one of the most widespread movements of people in Europe. Better conditions and the lure of other cultures drew the Celts south to Southern Europe and West Asia and west toward the Atlantic Ocean and the British Isles, where they settled during the first millennium B.C.E.
Why does the author provide the information that historians“do not agree on the exact location”of the Indo-European homeland?
Factual Information Questions事实信息题
ATo demonstrate the ineffectiveness of using linguistic evidence to trace early human migrations
BTo illustrate the limited nature of expert knowledge regarding the emergence of the world’s language groups
CTo demonstrate a consequence of the uncertainty regarding precisely how many major language groups exist
DTo suggest that the Indo-European languages may not actually belong to one large superfamily
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One day it may be possible to trace in greater detail the pattern of all early human migrations using linguistic evidence. For the present time, historians have limited and fragmentary evidence of how (and when) the world’s twee or more language groups emerged and whether those groups are related ancestrally. For example, the speakers of early Indo-European languages appear to belong to one large superfamily of languages (Eurasiatic) that emerged sometime after about 40,000 years ago. Historians do not agree on the exact location of their homeland. Later migrations can be traced between the areas occupied by the ancestors of Celtic groups and Central Asian peoples and likely resulted in shared physical and cultural characteristics. For example, by about 4,000 years ago, a community in the Tarim Basin of today’s Xinjiang region in China buried their dead in dry and sometimes salty soils, which preserved and mummified the bodies. Archaeologists have been able to detect distinctively European features-fair skin and light-colored hair-from the remains of these Indo-European migrants, who once lived near the modern Chinese city of Urumchi. Much later migrations can be studied by examining the similarities and differences among language groups. The migration of Celtic people, who initially inhabited cold regions in Central Europe, was one of the most widespread movements of people in Europe. Better conditions and the lure of other cultures drew the Celts south to Southern Europe and West Asia and west toward the Atlantic Ocean and the British Isles, where they settled during the first millennium B.C.E.
Why does the author observe that archaeologists have detected “distinctively European features”in humans buried 4,000 years ago in Xinjiang?
Rhetorical Purpose Questions修辞目的题
ATo suggest that Celtic groups left Central Asia later than archaeologists have traditionally believed
BTo support the theory proposed by some historians that the Indo-European homeland is in China
CTo support the claim that migrations of Indo-European peoples likely caused people in different parts of the world to have similar physical characteristics
DTo illustrate why some archaeologists are doubtful about findings based on remains taken from dry and salty soils
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One day it may be possible to trace in greater detail the pattern of all early human migrations using linguistic evidence. For the present time, historians have limited and fragmentary evidence of how (and when) the world’s twee or more language groups emerged and whether those groups are related ancestrally. For example, the speakers of early Indo-European languages appear to belong to one large superfamily of languages (Eurasiatic) that emerged sometime after about 40,000 years ago. Historians do not agree on the exact location of their homeland. Later migrations can be traced between the areas occupied by the ancestors of Celtic groups and Central Asian peoples and likely resulted in shared physical and cultural characteristics. For example, by about 4,000 years ago, a community in the Tarim Basin of today’s Xinjiang region in China buried their dead in dry and sometimes salty soils, which preserved and mummified the bodies. Archaeologists have been able to detect distinctively European features-fair skin and light-colored hair-from the remains of these Indo-European migrants, who once lived near the modern Chinese city of Urumchi. [■] Much later migrations can be studied by examining the similarities and differences among language groups. [■] The migration of Celtic people, who initially inhabited cold regions in Central Europe, was one of the most widespread movements of people in Europe. [■] Better conditions and the lure of other cultures drew the Celts south to Southern Europe and West Asia and west toward the Atlantic Ocean and the British Isles, where they settled during the first millennium B.C.E. [■]
Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage
For example, some shared grammar and vocabulary demonstrate that Irish, a modern Celtic language, is a descendant of languages spoken widely across Europe during the first millennium B.C.EInsert Text Questions句子插入题
Where would the sentence best fit？Click on a square sentence to the passage.
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The world’s language groups are believed to have emerged more than 10,000 years ago.
Prose Summary Questions概要小结题
Select 3 answers
ATwo key periods of migration related to the spread of language occurred between 10,000 and 20,000 years ago, the first originating in Southern Africa and the second ending in Asia.
BThe ancient use of words related to agriculture and herding in Bantu languages is evidence of how Bantu speakers’ knowledge of these processes gave them an advantage over other peoples.
CIndo-European languages seem to be part of the Eurasiatic superfamily, and their speakers spread widely, with the Celtic migration being one of the largest in Europe in later millennia.
DScholars have been able to determine the direction and approximate timing of the movement of ancient peoples in part by studying similarities among language groups.
EArchaeological and linguistic evidence indicates how people migrated over long distances in Asia and how speakers of Bantu and related languages became dominant in sub-Saharan Africa.
FCultural and linguistic features shared by some people in China, West Asia, and the British Isles are evidence of widespread migrations out of Central Europe in search of better conditions.
