Although language may be studied as an independent system, it is also important to look at in terms of what it tells us about society and culture. Whatever its phonemes, syntax, and history, language is a dynamic, adaptive system that facilitates the speaker’s survival and gives clues about what is significant in his/her life. When we focus on the relationship between language and culture of
those who speak it and how they inform each other, we are doing:
a. ethnolinguistics.
b. descriptive linguistics.
c. historical linguistics.
d. glottochronology.
e. frame substitution.
ANSWER: a
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Using Mendel's pea plants as an example, describe three ways in which natural selection affects the distribution of traits.
What will be an ideal response?
Which of the following statements about nonstate societies is true?
A. All political power is based on religion. B. Social control is maintained mostly through physical coercion. C. Warfare is conducted by professional armies. D. Political institutions are maintained totally separate from economic institutions. E. Economic, political, and religious activities are often embedded in one another.
The design feature "duality of patterning" refers to the human capacity to:
a. connect a large set of sounds to a small object (i.e. microorganism) and a small set of sounds to a large object (i.e. whale). b. create ambiguous sentences with dual meanings based on syntactic patterns. c. say one thing while intending to say another, indicating the second meaning with tone of voice. d. create nearly infinite combinations of finite sets of language units.
All religions have:
a. a belief in an all-powerful God. b. organized churches or places for worship. c. teachings or traditions that tell about supernatural powers. d. All of these are part of all religions.