Look – who was talking
Read Look – who was talking and check the IELTS Reading answers. When did we start talking to each other and how long did it take us to become so good at it? One view of language development, held by linguists such as Noam Chomsky and anthropologists such as Richard Klein, is that language, specifi…
Passage preview
When did we start talking to each other and how long did it take us to become so good at it? One view of language development, held by linguists such as Noam Chomsky and anthropologists such as Richard Klein, is that language, specifically the spoken word, appeared suddenly among modem humans a mere 35,000 to 50,000 years ago and that the ability to speak words and use syntax was recently genetically hard wired into our brains in a kind of language organ. This view of language is associated with the old idea that logical thought is dependent on words, a concept originating with Plato and much in vogue in the 19th century – that is, animals do not speak because they do not think. However, the abstract thought demonstrated in 20th century experiments with chimpanzees and bonobos put this theory in doubt.
Vocabulary from this passage
7 words worth learning before you sit the test, each with the sentence it appears in.
- cumulative adjective
Increasing steadily in quantity, strength, or effect through successive additions over time
The cumulative impact of untreated agricultural runoff led to extensive degradation of the river ecosystem.
- evolutionary pressures noun
Environmental factors that force organisms or organisations to adapt or face severe difficulty
Fierce digital competition created evolutionary pressures that forced traditional retailers to adopt automated inventory systems.
- in vogue phrase
Being fashionable, popular, or widely accepted and practiced at a particular period in time
Minimalist interior design and open office layouts have become increasingly in vogue across major cities.
- logical conclusion noun
A sensible decision, result, or belief reached through clear, step-by-step reasoning
Merging the two municipal departments was the logical conclusion of the regional administrative efficiency review.
- marginally adverb
To a very small, slight, or barely noticeable extent or degree
The revised company policy reduced employee turnover rates only marginally over the subsequent financial quarter.
- take a turn for the worse verb
To deteriorate quickly or change into a significantly more difficult or unhealthy state
Diplomatic relations took a turn for the worse following the sudden imposition of heavy international sanctions.
- taxing adjective
Physically or mentally demanding and requiring great effort, patience, or energy
Managing massive infrastructure redevelopment projects is an exceptionally taxing assignment for municipal project managers.
Answers with explanations
- 27. B
The statement connects speech development to primate ancestors. In paragraph B, Condillac is introduced as proposing that spoken language emerged from gesture language, with the theory tracing gesture language to **sounds accompanying gestures** arising **originally among apes**. Condillac therefore explicitly links human speech to ape communication. Chomsky, discussed in paragraph A, argued that speech appeared abruptly among modern humans without tracing its origin to apes, making Condillac the sole matching thinker.
- 28. C
The statement claims that animal research is crucial for understanding human speech development. While paragraph A mentions 20th-century **experiments with chimpanzees and bonobos** that challenged the classical view of language and thought, this research is cited by the author as modern commentary rather than an essential principle advocated by Chomsky or Condillac. Because neither historical thinker made this claim, the correct choice is the option indicating neither person.
- 29. A
The statement tests who proposed that language appeared late in human prehistory. In paragraph A, the author notes that Noam Chomsky held that spoken language **appeared suddenly** among modern humans only **35,000 to 50,000 years ago**. This timeframe is comparatively recent in hominid evolution. In contrast, Condillac viewed speech as a long evolutionary development originating with gestures. Therefore, the view attributing language origin to a late evolutionary date belongs to Chomsky.
- 30. B
The statement attributes speech evolution to non-verbal precursors. In paragraph B, Condillac's theory states that spoken communication evolved directly out of **gesture language (langage d'action)** through simple associations between actions and objects. This explicitly demonstrates that non-verbal gestures were foundational to verbal language. Chomsky rejected this evolutionary progression, positing an innate genetic organ that emerged suddenly. Thus, the statement matches Condillac.
- 31. C
The statement attributes language diversity primarily to environmental over biological factors. Paragraph C explains that unique language characteristics, such as French, stem from **cultural possessions** and cultural evolution rather than biological traits, but it does not credit either Chomsky or Condillac with linking language divergence to environmental factors. Because this argument represents contemporary linguistic analysis rather than the theories of the named individuals, the correct match is neither person.
- 32. A
The statement links rational thought directly to spoken language. Paragraph A explains that Chomsky's perspective is associated with the philosophical view that **logical thought is dependent on words**, implying that animals lack speech because they cannot think. Condillac, by contrast, argued that thought and gesture preceded words. Because the dependency of logical reasoning on spoken vocabulary is tied directly to Chomsky's theoretical framework, the statement matches Chomsky.
- 33. NO
The statement claims anthropologists now agree on when speech began. In paragraph D, the author notes that experts who favor an early emergence view it as a gradual process, but points out that recent fossil evidence **brings this into doubt**. Furthermore, paragraphs A and D contrast radically different chronologies ranging from 35,000 to 2 million years ago. Because the text establishes that scholars remain divided rather than in agreement, the claim is contradicted, making the answer NO.
- 34. NO
The statement asserts that ancient technological progress correlated directly with brain size. In paragraph F, the writer describes a **paradox**: brain volume grew most rapidly when stone tool development **advanced only marginally**, whereas technological acceleration occurred over a million years later when brains were actually **getting smaller**. Because tool innovation was inversely related or decoupled from cranial expansion, the statement directly contradicts the writer's claims. The correct answer is NO.
- 35. YES
The statement asserts that researchers have pinpointed the period of fastest brain expansion. In paragraph F, the writer specifies that over the interval from **2.5 to 1.5 million years ago**, hominid brains expanded **more rapidly than at any time since** across all human species. This confirms that the specific timeframe of maximum cranial growth has indeed been determined. Because the statement agrees completely with the author's explicit claim, the answer is YES.
- 36. NOT GIVEN
The statement claims that the development of agriculture influenced human language evolution. While the passage extensively analyzes how climate changes, tool-making, and social cooperation drove cranial expansion and speech between 2.5 million and 35,000 years ago, it makes no reference whatsoever to farming or agriculture. Because the writer provides no information or opinion regarding agriculture's impact on language, it is impossible to determine their stance, making the answer NOT GIVEN.
- 37. YES
The statement suggests human cultural advance follows an identifiable pattern. In paragraph H, the writer explains that generational accumulation creates a predictable trajectory, noting that one can **predict exactly the same curve** of advance seen in the archaeological record, progressing **first very slow, then faster and faster**. Because the writer explicitly affirms that historical cultural evolution adheres to this consistent acceleration curve, the statement agrees with their claim, making the answer YES.
- 38. C
The statement focuses on fossil evidence showing when brain growth largely ended. In paragraph E, the author explains that re-dating Olduvai Gorge fossils revealed that **the bulk of increases in brain size was over** by approximately **1.2 million years ago**, with hominid brain capacities reaching modern ranges. This explicit chronological threshold identifies 1.2 million years ago as the date when maximum cranial expansion was essentially finished.
- 39. C
The statement concerns the date by which language development was fully realized. In paragraph G, the author argues that the near-maximum brain size achieved by **1.2 million years ago** demonstrates that early ancestors **could already have been talking perfectly well**. This deduction directly attributes fully functional spoken communication to the 1.2 million-year mark rather than the earlier initial transition around 2.5 million years ago.
- 40. A
The statement links an environmental shift to the beginning of language development. In paragraph G, the author explains that around **2.5 million years ago**, the climate deteriorated, becoming **colder and drier**, which made foraging harder and created an urgent necessity for **verbal communication** and cooperation. This identifies 2.5 million years ago as the specific date when external climatic pressure stimulated the onset of human speech.