Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumMost Strongly Supported Questions

When a community shifts from a nomadic lifestyle to a settled agricultural one, their vocabulary for describing permanent geographic features typically expands significantly. However, linguistic studies of the Xilari people, who transitioned to agriculture three centuries ago, show that their vocabulary for permanent geographic features is smaller than that of their nomadic neighbors, the Yulari. Records indicate that the Xilari settled in a highly uniform, flat basin, whereas the Yulari migrate annually through a diverse mountain range.

Based on the information provided, which of the following statements are most strongly supported? (Select all that apply)

  1. The physical diversity of a community's environment can sometimes outweigh the community's settlement status in determining the size of its geographic vocabulary.Answer
  2. Transitioning to an agricultural lifestyle is not sufficient to guarantee that a community will develop a larger geographic vocabulary than any given nomadic group.Answer
  3. C
    The Xilari's overall vocabulary is less extensive than the overall vocabulary of the Yulari.
  4. D
    Any community that possesses a relatively small geographic vocabulary must inhabit a highly uniform physical environment.
  5. E
    The transition to an agricultural lifestyle caused the Xilari's geographic vocabulary to decrease in size over the past three centuries.

Answer

The most strongly supported statements are that environmental diversity can sometimes outweigh settlement status, and that transitioning to agriculture does not guarantee a larger geographic vocabulary than any nomadic group.
The stimulus establishes that despite the general trend of agricultural societies expanding their geographic vocabulary, the agricultural Xilari have a smaller one than the nomadic Yulari. This difference directly corresponds to the contrasting physical diversity of their respective environments. Therefore, the text heavily supports the inference that environmental diversity can be a more powerful factor than settlement status, and it acts as a direct counterexample proving that an agricultural transition does not universally guarantee a larger geographic vocabulary than a nomadic lifestyle.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the general rule established in the first sentence.
Settling into an agricultural lifestyle typically leads to a significantly expanded vocabulary for geographic features.
To understand the baseline expectation before looking at specific data.
2
Analyze the specific exception presented in the passage.
The agricultural Xilari have a smaller geographic vocabulary than the nomadic Yulari.
To identify how the real-world example deviates from the general rule.
3
Identify the differing variables that might account for the exception.
The Xilari live in a highly uniform, flat basin, while the Yulari migrate through a diverse mountain range.
To synthesize the premises and find what logically supports the observed outcome.
4
Evaluate the answer choices against the synthesized premises to find conclusions that do not overreach.
The text safely supports the ideas that environment can override settlement status, and that agriculture alone does not absolutely guarantee a larger vocabulary.
To ensure the selected inferences rely strictly on provided facts without relying on outside assumptions or extreme qualifiers.

Key Concept

Synthesizing multiple premises to identify safely worded, strongly supported inferences while avoiding extreme generalizations.
Rate this question

Topics

Most Strongly Supported Questions

More questions from this topic