Question

The passage given below is followed by four alternate summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.
A distinguishing feature of language is our ability to refer to absent things, known as displaced reference. A speaker can bring distant referents to mind in the absence of any obvious stimuli. Thoughts, not limited to the here and now, can pop into our heads for unfathomable reasons. This ability to think about distant things necessarily precedes the ability to talk about them. Thought precedes meaningful referential communication. A prerequisite for the emergence of human-like meaningful symbols is that the mental categories they relate to can be invoked even in the absence of immediate stimuli.

• A. Thoughts are essential to communication and only humans have the ability to think about objects not present in their surroundings.
• B. The ability to think about objects not present in our environment precedes the development of human communication.
• C. Displaced reference is particular to humans and thoughts pop into our heads for no real reason.
• D. Thoughts precede all speech acts and these thoughts pop up in our heads even in the absence of any stimulus.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Let's summarize your reasoning:

Option 1: It is ruled out because it introduces the idea that only humans have the ability to think, which is not stated in the passage.

Option 3: This option is excluded as displaced reference is characterized as a feature of language, not necessarily humans.

Option 4: It is eliminated because the statement that thought precedes all speech acts is more restrictive than the passage, which mentions thought preceding all meaningful communication.

Option 2: This option is deemed the most suitable as it is concise and doesn't introduce any distortions or misrepresentations.

Your attention to the accuracy of the options in relation to the information provided in the passage is commendable. Option 2 aligns with the content of the passage and is the most appropriate choice.