PrepTest 128, Section 2, Question 6
The effects of technology on language and the(67 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(8 more words not shown)
- ATechnology can adversely(7 more words not shown)
- BChanges in communication(7 more words not shown)
- CA decrease in(10 more words not shown)
- DA widespread loosening(8 more words not shown)
- EChanges in interpersonal(12 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Technology changes how we communicate, and changes in communication can affect culture. I can picture part of that process: someone writes a quick email, uses informal phrasing or an abbreviation such as LOL, and becomes accustomed to a less formal way of communicating.
The passage takes the thought further. It says email loosened language rules, and that loosening made relationships more casual. Does informal language necessarily make the relationship itself more casual? Could other changes help explain the shift? Those would be reasonable questions if we were evaluating the causal argument.
What we’re looking for
But this question asks which proposition the account illustrates. We need to follow the account we're given: a change in technology changes language, which then changes relationships. My broad prediction is that a communication technology can affect culture. Let's see which answer accurately captures the particular effect described.
Working the answers
- A
'Adversely' means negatively. The passage says relationships have become more casual, but it never says that is bad. Perhaps informality improves a relationship; perhaps it harms it. Choosing A would require a judgment the passage doesn't make.
- BCorrect
Email is a communication medium, and the account says its arrival led to more casual relationships through changes in language use. That illustrates a change in communication media causing a change in interpersonal relationships. B describes the change without judging it good or bad.
- C
This runs in the wrong direction. The passage begins with a technological change and describes its effects on language. C begins with a decrease in linguistic sophistication and has it produce more sophisticated technology. It also goes beyond the passage by equating less formal usage with less sophisticated language.
- D
This adds two judgments: the old rules were 'overly rigid,' and loosening them 'improves' communication. We are told that the rules loosened, not that they were excessive or that communication became better. As with A, our own preference for formality or informality cannot supply the missing evaluation.
- E
The stated account has language changes making relationships more casual. E has relationship changes causing changes in speech. The same subjects appear, but the direction of the explanation is different.
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