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Difficulty: MediumSummary: Identifying Central Arguments and Key Points

Read the passage below carefully and answer the question that follows.

Across West Africa, the preservation of indigenous languages faces unprecedented challenges as globalized digital communication increasingly privileges major international tongues. Historically, indigenous linguistic heritage relied exclusively on oral transmission—folktales, proverbs, and epic narratives passed down through generations within rural communities. However, rapid rural-to-urban migration and the dominance of Western education have severed many younger citizens from these traditional repositories of knowledge.

In response, modern linguists and cultural historians advocate for the systematic digital archiving of endangered dialects. By recording native speakers and cataloguing oral syntax using open-access databases, researchers aim to create permanent digital repositories accessible to scholars worldwide. Yet, digital preservation alone is insufficient to guarantee linguistic survival. Critics rightly observe that storing recorded audio in digital vaults risks turning living languages into static museum artifacts if the languages are not actively spoken in daily public life. To achieve true linguistic vitality, digital archiving must be paired with educational policies that integrate mother-tongue instruction into primary school curricula. Ultimately, technological preservation should serve as a supportive tool rather than a substitute for community-driven language revitalization and institutional policy support.

Which of the following best summarizes the central argument of the passage?

  1. Digital archiving is a helpful supportive tool, but long-term linguistic survival requires integrating mother-tongue education into schools and fostering active community use.Answer
  2. B
    Modern linguists are actively cataloguing oral syntax and recording native speakers into open-access databases to assist global scholars.
  3. C
    Western education and globalization will inevitably cause the total extinction of all West African indigenous languages within a single generation.
  4. D
    Storing recorded audio in digital vaults reduces living languages to static artifacts that possess no educational or academic value.

Answer

Digital archiving is a helpful supportive tool, but long-term linguistic survival requires integrating mother-tongue education into schools and fostering active community use.
The passage asserts that while technological preservation via digital archiving is valuable, true linguistic survival depends on institutional educational policies and active community use.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the primary topic of the passage.
The passage discusses the preservation of West African indigenous languages facing modernization pressures.
Establishing the topic sets the boundary for evaluating main arguments versus supporting facts.
2
Distinguish between supporting points and the author's central thesis.
Digital archiving is mentioned as a supportive mechanism, but the main conclusion emphasizes that active community use and educational policy integration are essential for true linguistic survival.
A complete summary must capture the author's core thesis rather than secondary details or illustrative examples.
3
Evaluate the choices to match the synthesized central argument.
The statement emphasizing that digital tools must be paired with mother-tongue education and active usage represents the complete central thesis.
This option balances both sides of the author's argument without omitting core requirements or overstating claims.

Key Concept

Synthesizing the primary thesis of a passage by distinguishing the main argument from supporting details and qualifications.
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Topics

Summary: Identifying Central Arguments and Key Points

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