AP Human Geography Chapter 5 Languages Test

The map shows the distribution of the language family that has the largest number of speakers in the world. Which statement correctly identifies the language family shown and the method of diffusion that best explains the pattern?

• The map shows the distribution of the Amerindian language family, which diffused from its hearth in Canada and spread southward into South America through contagious diffusion and into Europe and Asia through trade and hierarchical diffusion.

• The map shows the distribution of the Sino-Tibetan language family, which diffused from its hearth in China and spread into Europe by contagious diffusion and to the Americas through stimulus diffusion.

• The map shows the distribution of the Uralic language family, which diffused from its hearth in Iceland and spread into northern Europe through contagious diffusion by Norse trading groups.

• The map shows the distribution of the Indo-European language family, which diffused from its hearth in the Caucasus Mountains and spread throughout Eurasia through contagious diffusion and into the Americas, Africa, and Australia through colonialism and relocation diffusion.

• The map shows the distribution of the Afro-Asiatic language family, which diffused from its hearth in Egypt and spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula and into Eurasia through contagious diffusion and into the Americas through colonialism and relocation diffusion.

The photograph shows a road sign in the Republic of Ireland. Which of the following best describes the sign's significance within the cultural landscape?

• The sign indicates that County Cork is a linguistic region of the Republic of Ireland.

• The sign delineates an international political border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

• The sign promotes the use of a single language in the region.

• The sign promotes the use of traditional language among citizens of the Republic of Ireland.

• The sign represents a uniform cultural identity within the region.

A highly simplified language developed between linguistically heterogeneous groups for the purposes of basic intergroup communication is known as which of the following?

• a creole

• a pidgin

• a lingua franca

• bilingualism

• standard dialect

All of the following belong to the Indo-European language family EXCEPT

• Hindi

• Bengali

• Farsi (Persian)

• Mandarin

• Dutch

The predominance of English as the preferred language spoken at many international business meetings and political summits could be cited to support the claim that English is a popular

• creole language

• pidgin language

• language branch

• dialect

• lingua franca

The English language belongs to which of the following branches of the Indo-European language family?

• Romance

• Greek

• Celtic

• Germanic

• Armenian

In which of the following countries is one most likely to encounter speakers whose native tongue belongs to the Nilo-Saharan language family?

• Chad

• Kuwait

• Turkey

• Mongolia

• Cyprus

A collection of languages related to each other through a common ancestor language that existed before recorded human history is called a

• language group

• kinship group

• folk culture

• speech community

• language family

The two largest language families in the world, in terms of number of speakers, are

• Afro-Asiatic and Austro-Asiatic

• Japanese and Niger-Congo

• Sino-Tibetan and Indo-European

• Uralic and Korean

• Austronesian and Indo-European

Which of the following correctly sequences the continuum from language family to dialect?

• Sino-Tibetan, Sinitic, Mandarin, Chinese

• Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Hindi, Bengali

• Indo-European, Baltic-Slavic, Russian, Ukrainian

• Indo-European, Germanic, English, Midlands

• Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Arabic, Afrikaans