# Lost for Words: answers and explanations

Cambridge IELTS 4, Test 2, Reading Passage 1

Source: Passage, questions and answer key from Cambridge IELTS 4, Test 2, Reading Passage 1. © Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Used for educational practice. Explanations and evidence notes are written by Testmigo.

## Answer key

| Q | Answer | Proof |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | isolation | Isolation breeds linguistic diversity: as a result, the world is peppered with languages spoken by only a few people. |
| 2 | economic globalisation | argues that the deadliest weapon is not government policy but economic globalization. |
| 3 | cultural identity | But a growing interest in cultural identity may prevent the direst predictions from coming true. |
| 4 | traditional skill | to learn a traditional skill such as basket weaving, with instruction exclusively in the endangered language. |
| 5 | E | Most of these languages will not survive without a large degree of bilingualism |
| 6 | B | But Mufwene says that preventing a language dying out is not the same as giving it new life by using it every day. |
| 7 | D | The patterns and connections we make among various concepts may be structured by the linguistic habits of our community. |
| 8 | C | When the next generation reaches their teens, they might not want to be induced into the old traditions. |
| 9 | B | "If a person shifts from Navajo to English, they lose something," Mufwene says. |
| 10 | NO | Navajo is considered endangered despite having 150,000 speakers. |
| 11 | YES | What makes a language endangered is not just the number of speakers, but how old they are. |
| 12 | NOT GIVEN | Quite often, governments try to kill off a minority language by banning its use in public or discouraging its use in schools |
| 13 | YES | So despite linguists' best efforts, many languages will disappear over the next century. |

## Why these answers are right

**1. isolation.** The summary says the variety of languages came about through geographical something. Paragraph C opens with "Isolation breeds linguistic diversity," explaining why many languages have few speakers. Breeds means causes, and geographical fits with isolation, so the one-word answer is isolation.

**2. economic globalisation.** The gap names a second factor, beside government initiatives, that is shrinking the number of languages. In paragraph E, Mufwene says the deadliest weapon is "not government policy but economic globalization." Government policy matches the first factor, so the missing two words are economic globalization.

**3. cultural identity.** This gap asks what people increasingly appreciate, helping endangered languages survive. Paragraph G says "a growing interest in cultural identity may prevent the direst predictions from coming true." Growing interest matches increasing appreciation, so the answer is cultural identity, which uses exactly two words.

The why and the trap for questions 4 onwards are free with an account on the [answers page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/lost-for-words/answers).

[Practice Lost for Words](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/lost-for-words)