Text 1 Linguistic anthropologists once held that language evolution followed a linear trajectory from simplicity to complexity. This "accretion model" posited that early humans communicated with simple nouns and verbs, and over thousands of years, slowly developed complex grammar, tenses, and recursive structures. Under this view, the languages of ancient hunter-gatherers were functionally simpler than modern industrial languages.
Text 2 Recent comparative studies by linguist Dr. A. J. O’Connell challenge the accretion model. O’Connell points out that many ancient languages, such as Sanskrit or Classical Latin, possess grammatical structures far more intricate than their modern descendants. Furthermore, some indigenous languages spoken by isolated hunter-gatherer groups display levels of morphological complexity that baffle outsiders. This suggests that language does not simply "improve" linearly but fluctuates, often simplifying over time.
Based on the texts, how would O’Connell (Text 2) most likely respond to the "accretion model" presented in Text 1?
By conceding that modern languages are more complex but attributing this to the invention of writing
By disputing the assumption that language development is a unidirectional march from simple to complex
By acknowledging that hunter-gatherer languages were simple but arguing that this was due to a lack of need for complex grammar
By challenging the idea that Sanskrit and Latin are actually ancient languages
Correct Answer: B
Choice B is the best answer. Text 1 describes the "accretion model" as a linear progression from simple to complex. Text 2 presents evidence of ancient languages being highly complex and modern ones simpler, arguing that language "fluctuates" rather than simply improving linearly. Thus, O’Connell disputes the unidirectional/linear nature of the accretion model.
Choice A is incorrect because O’Connell argues that ancient languages were more complex, not less. Choice C is incorrect because O’Connell mentions hunter-gatherer languages can be surprisingly complex. Choice D is incorrect because O’Connell uses Sanskrit/Latin as examples of valid evidence, not as disputed languages.