Linguist Dr. Maria Lopez studies language extinction. She argues that when a language dies, unique knowledge about local ecosystems often disappears because indigenous languages contain ecological vocabulary with no equivalent in dominant languages.
Which example would best support Lopez's argument about knowledge loss?
Many languages have fewer than 1,000 speakers
Language learning is promoted in many schools
The Inuit have many words for snow
When researchers documented the dying Amazonian language Pirahã, they found 300+ plant species names that scientists hadn't classified, including plants with medicinal properties confirmed by later laboratory analysis
Correct Answer: D
Choice D is the best answer. Specific case: dying language contained unknown plant knowledge that proved scientifically valid.
- Context clues: Lopez claims unique ecological knowledge is lost with languages.
- Evidence evaluation: 300+ unclassified species + confirmed medicinal value proves unique knowledge.
- Verify: Information existed only in the dying language and proved valuable.
💡 Strategy: Claims about irreplaceable knowledge need examples of actually lost or nearly-lost information.