Question 1

Imagine you are interpreting a pair of sentences such as "The sidewalk was covered with ice" and "Ramona fell down." The kind of inference we use to link these sentences together would most likely be a(n) ____________________ inference.

Accepted Answer

The sentences imply a cause-and-effect relationship, where the icy sidewalk caused Ramona to fall down. This type of inference is known as a causal inference. Choice B (coherent) could also be a plausible answer, but it is a more general type of inference that refers to the overall coherence and flow of a text. Choices C (anaphoric) and D (instrument) do not fit the context of the given sentences.

Question 2

Brain imaging studies reveal that semantics and syntax are associated with which two lobes of the cerebral cortex?

Accepted Answer

Numerous brain imaging studies have shown that semantics (meaning) and syntax (grammar) are primarily associated with the frontal and temporal lobes of the cerebral cortex, with the left hemisphere being particularly important for language processing in most individuals. The temporal lobe appears to be more involved in semantic processing, while the frontal lobe is more involved in syntax and grammar.

Question 3

When two people engage in a conversation, if one person produces a specific grammatical construction in his or her speech and then the other person does the same, this phenomenon is referred to as

Accepted Answer

Syntactic priming is the phenomenon where speakers tend to produce grammatical constructions that they have recently encountered or used themselves in conversation. This can result in the other speaker using the same construction, creating a repetition effect. Option A, anaphoric inferencing, refers to the process of using context to understand pronouns and is not related to the phenomenon described. Option B, phonemic restoration, refers to the brain's ability to fill in missing sounds in speech, and option C, garden pathing, refers to the process of temporarily misinterpreting a sentence due to its structure. Neither of these options are related to the phenomenon described.

Question 4

Which of the following statements is NOT accurate?

Accepted Answer

The statement "Semantics and lexicons are equal in scope" is not accurate. Semantics is a broader field of study than lexicology and includes various aspects of meaning beyond just individual words. Therefore, their scopes are not equal.

Question 5

The idea that the rules governing the grouping of words in a sentence is the primary determinant of the way a sentence is parsed is part of the ____________________ approach to parsing.

Accepted Answer

The garden path model emphasizes that the structure of a sentence and the grammatical rules governing word order are the primary factors influencing how we understand, or parse, sentences. This approach suggests that readers or listeners can be led down the "garden path" to an incorrect interpretation, which must be revised when further information makes the initial interpretation untenable.

Question 6

Boxing champion George Foreman recently described his family vacations with the statement, "At our ranch in Marshall, Texas, there are lots of ponds and I take the kids out and we fish. And then of course, we grill them." That a reader understands "them" appropriately (George grills fish, not his kids!) is the result of a(n) ____________________ inference.

Accepted Answer

Anaphoric inference is the process of using information provided earlier in a text or conversation to understand the meaning of a later phrase or sentence. In this case, the reference to "them" can only be understood correctly by referring back to the previous sentence mentioning fishing.

Question 7

Which of the following is the best example of a garden path sentence?

Accepted Answer

Garden path sentences are sentences that initially lead the reader to interpret them in one way, but require a re-interpretation to understand their true meaning. Sentence A initially suggests that the police stopped the Toyota, but upon re-reading, it becomes clear that the Toyota disappeared before the police stopped.

Question 8

Chaz is listening to his grandma reminisce about the first time she danced with his grandpa 60 years ago. When his grandma says, "It seemed like the song would play forever," Chaz understands that it is more likely his grandma was listening to a radio playing and not a CD. This understanding requires Chaz use a(n)

Accepted Answer

Chaz is inferring that his grandma was listening to a radio based on the context of the story and his knowledge that CDs did not exist 60 years ago. This is an example of instrument inference, which involves using previous knowledge and context to make inferences about a situation.

Question 9

The concept of language can best be thought of as a ________.

Accepted Answer

Language is generally understood as a system of communication consisting of words, grammar, and syntax. While it involves processes, dialogue, and cognition, those elements are all part of the overall system of language.

Question 10

Syntax is the

Accepted Answer

Syntax refers to the rules for arranging words to form sentences in a language. It involves the order of words, the use of punctuation, and the arrangement of phrases and clauses to create meaning.

Question 11

The given-new contract is a method for creating

Accepted Answer

The given-new contract is a principle of communication that regulates information flow between a speaker and a listener to promote mutual understanding and comprehension. It ensures that the speaker provides new information that is relevant to the topic and that the listener is able to integrate it with the previously given information. Thus, it is a method for creating comprehension between a speaker and a listener in a conversation.

Question 12

Consider the following sentences: "Captain Ahab wanted to kill the whale. He cursed at it." These two sentences taken together provide an example of a(n)

Accepted Answer

The second sentence "He cursed at it" refers back to Captain Ahab from the first sentence, indicating an anaphoric inference.

Question 13

According to the situation model of text processing,

Accepted Answer

According to the situation model of text processing, people create a mental representation of what the text is about in terms of people, objects, locations, and events. This representation includes the relationships between these elements and how they relate to the overall story. This allows readers to better understand and remember the information presented in the text.

Question 14

Coherence refers to the

Accepted Answer

Coherence refers to the representation of the text in a reader's mind so that information in one part of the text is related to information in another part of the text. It is the quality that makes a text clear and easy to understand. Coherence can be achieved through various linguistic devices such as linking words, pronouns, and repetition.

Question 15

The crucial question in comparing garden path and constrain-based approaches to parsing is ____________________ is involved.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The crucial question in comparing garden path...

Question 16

The constraint-based approach to parsing states that

Accepted Answer

The constraint-based approach to parsing suggests that semantic information is used immediately as a sentence is being read, influencing the parsing process in real-time.

Question 17

Most of the coherence in text is created by

Accepted Answer

Coherence in text primarily comes from inference, which involves readers using their own knowledge and information provided in the text to make connections between ideas, thus creating a logical and understandable flow. Syntax, parsing, and phoneme restoration are more related to the structure and interpretation of sentences and sounds, rather than the logical flow and connection of ideas across a text.

Question 18

Tanenhaus and coworkers' eye movement study presented participants with different pictures for interpreting the sentence, "Put the apple on the towel in the box." Their results showed the importance of ____________________ in how we understand sentences in real-life situations.

Accepted Answer

Tanenhaus and coworkers' study demonstrated the importance of environmental context in sentence interpretation. Participants' eye movements were influenced by the visual context of the objects depicted in the pictures, emphasizing the role of the immediate environment in sentence comprehension.

Question 19

According to the concept of ________, when we read a sentence like, "Jorge grabbed his coat from his bedroom and his backpack from the living room, walked downstairs, and called his friend Gerry," we create a simulation of Jorge's apartment and keep track of his location as he moves throughout the apartment.

Accepted Answer

The concept being described here is that of situation models, which are mental representations of events or situations that include information about the people, objects, locations, and causal relationships involved. As we read about Jorge moving through his apartment, we create a mental simulation of the situation, keeping track of his location and the objects he interacts with along the way. This helps us to understand and remember the sequence of events in the sentence.

Question 20

Consider the sentence, "Because he always jogs a mile seems like a short distance to him."
The principle of late closure states that this sentence would first be parsed into which of the following phrases?

Accepted Answer

The principle of late closure in sentence parsing suggests that new elements of a sentence (in this case, "a mile") are added into the current phrase or clause (in this case, "Because he always jogs") for as long as possible before starting a new phrase or clause. Therefore, the sentence would first be parsed as "Because he always jogs a mile" before the realization that "a mile seems like a short distance to him" is a separate clause.

Quiz 11: Language