DEFINITIONS Items #41-44 provide a conversation between Dr. Smith and Dr. Patel
ID: 3459742 • Letter: D
Question
DEFINITIONS
Items #41-44 provide a conversation between Dr. Smith and Dr. Patel comparing human language to animal communication. Each part of the conversation requires a definition. From the three definitions that follow each description, choose the definition that provides the best definition.
Questions 41
“It’s incredible that the African grey parrot can communicate through language just like humans. They can count the number of blocks on the table, and even tell you what color they are,” Dr. Smith commented.
“Language!?!” responded Dr. Patel. “That’s not language. Would you consider a species that cannot communicate about events or objects outside of their immediate context capable of using language? Of course, you wouldn’t.”
Dr. Smith then inquired, “Precisely what do you mean by language?”
Which of the following definitions best articulates Dr. Patel’s concept of “language?”
a) Mostly, language involves representing ideas, events, and objects symbolically, but might not refer to events or objects outside of the immediate context.
b) Language must include the capability to refer to events or objects outside of the immediate context.
c) Language involves representing ideas, events, and objects symbolically.
Questions 42
“What about honey bees?” responds Dr. Smith. “Surely they are using language when a forager bee returns to the hive, and performs a dance that communicates certain information about a food source to other members of the colony.”
“You are partly correct in that bee communication uses symbols to represent events or objects outside of the immediate context,” Dr. Patel agrees. “However, the forager bee cannot express new ideas, such as the beautiful colors of the flowers or how crowded the hive has been lately. In other words, the bee cannot recombine symbols or expand their symbol-use to create new utterances. And that, my friend, is the true nature of language.”
Which of the following definitions best articulates Dr. Patel’s concept of “language?”
a) Mostly, language involves representing ideas, events, and objects symbolically, but might not recombine symbols, and create new utterances.
b) Language must include the capability to refer to events or objects outside of the immediate context, but might not recombine symbols, and create new utterances.
c) Language must include the capability to recombine symbols, and thereby create new utterances.
Questions 43
“I understand your points about the African grey parrot, and the bee dance,” concedes Dr. Smith. “But what about primates? Chimpanzees possess genetic structures similar to humans. One gorilla, in fact, understands thousands of signs and words. Chimpanzees thus use the essential component of language: representing ideas, events, and objects symbolically.”
Which of the following definitions best articulates Dr. Smith’s concept of “language?”
a) Language, used by species with genetic structures similar to humans, involves representing ideas, events, and objects symbolically.
b) Language involves representing ideas, events, and objects symbolically, and understanding thousands of words and signs.
c) Language involves representing ideas, events, and objects symbolically.
Questions 44
“That may well be,” Dr. Patel replied. “But chimpanzees remain incapable of combining signs into grammatical sentences. And syntax, as you know, is a necessary component of language.”
Which of the following definitions best articulates Dr. Patel’s concept of “language?”
a) Language involves representing ideas, events, and objects symbolically, but not necessarily the capability to combine signs into grammatical sentences.
b) Language involves representing ideas, events, and objects symbolically, including the capability to combine signs into grammatical sentences.
c) Language involves representing ideas, events, and objects symbolically, and understanding thousands of words and signs.
Explanation / Answer
In Question 41, According to Dr.Patel a species that cannot communicate about events or objects outside of their immediate context is not capable of using language. That is the reason for rejecting the idea that African grey parrot is using language. According to him, Language must include the capability to refer to events or objects outside of the immediate context. So the answer is B.
In Question 42, Even though Dr.Patel partly agrees that bees communicate as they uses symbols to represent events or objects outside of the immediate context but he says they are not capable of recombine symbols or expand their symbol-use to create new utterances. so according to him, Language must include the capability to recombine symbols and there by create new utterances. So the answer is C.
In Question 43, Dr.Smith says that Chimpanzees can understand thousands of signs and words because they use the essential component of language that is representing ideas, events and objects symbolically. so according to Dr,Smith Language involves representing ideas, events and objects symbolically. so the answer is C.
In Question 44, Dr.Patel says chimpanzees are not capable of combining signs into grammatical sentence and syntax which is a necessary component of language. so According to him, language involves representing ideas, events, and objects symbolically, including the capability to combine signs into grammatical sentences. So the answer is B.
By the whole conversation According to Dr.Patel 'Language can be defined as representing ideas events and objects symbolically inluding the capability to combine signs into grammatical sentences and the capability to refer events or objects outside of the immediate context and the capability to recombine symbols and can create new utterances.
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