Today’s article

“When did human language emerge?” — Peter Dizikes, MIT News, March 14, 2025.

Original article: https://news.mit.edu/2025/when-did-human-language-emerge-0314

Free to read without login. This is a selected article from March 14, 2025, not news published today. Read the full text at the source; the exercises below are original.

Suggested level: B2–C1 (editorial estimate) · Time: 12–15 minutes to read, plus 8 minutes for the questions.

Introduction

语言能力与实际使用语言是一回事吗？今天从人类起源入手，练习区分证据、推论和学者观点。先读全文，再回原文定位。

Vocabulary

  1. genomic — 与基因组有关的
  2. divergence — 分化、分离
  3. inherited — 遗传的
  4. converging — 趋于一致的
  5. cognitive — 与认知有关的
  6. syntax — 句法
  7. symbolic — 象征性的
  8. incremental — 渐进的

Reading comprehension

Answer questions 1–2 briefly in English. For questions 3–5, choose TRUE, FALSE, or NOT GIVEN according to the original article.

1. How many genetic studies did the analysis examine?

Reference answer
Fifteen.

2. What approximate date does the analysis suggest for the first regional population split?

Reference answer
135,000 years ago.

3. Miyagawa treats producing sounds as equivalent to having human language capacity.

Reference answer
FALSE. He distinguishes sound production from the cognitive system combining vocabulary and grammar.

4. All scholars mentioned agree that language was the main driver of new symbolic activities.

Reference answer
FALSE. Some propose a broader, gradual development in which language was not necessarily central.

5. The researchers identified the first spoken word.

Reference answer
NOT GIVEN. No first word is identified.

Reading strategy

特别留意 suggests、might 和观点归属。年代估计不等于直接观察；某位研究者的解释也不等于所有学者的共识。判断题中的 all 尤其值得检查。

Expression practice

not necessarily — 不一定、未必。

Original practice sentence (not a quotation from the article): A faster method is not necessarily a more reliable one.

试着写一句说明效率与准确性之间的关系。