‘This Marvellous Invention’ — IELTS Reading Answers

Paragraph A

“Compared to language, all other inventions pale in significance, since everything we have ever achieved depends on language and originates from it.”

Paragraph A ranks language above every other invention, since all we have achieved depends on language and originates from it, which is heading vi.

Paragraph B

“In its own right it is a tool of extraordinary sophistication, yet based on an idea of ingenious simplicity”

Paragraph B balances a tool of extraordinary sophistication with an idea of ingenious simplicity, matching the heading about a sophisticated yet simple tool, iv.

Paragraph C

“But run them through the cogs and wheels of the language machine, let it arrange them in some very special orders, and there is nothing that these meaningless streams of air cannot do: from sighing the interminable boredom of existence to unravelling the fundamental order of the universe.”

Paragraph C shows meaningless streams of air becoming capable of anything once arranged in very special orders, which is heading ii on the power of arrangement.

Paragraph D

“The most extraordinary thing about language, however, is that one doesn’t have to be a genius to set its wheels in motion.”

Paragraph D notes one doesn't have to be a genius to set language's wheels in motion, so ordinary people can operate it, heading vii.

Paragraph E

“Often, it is only the estrangement of foreign tongues, with their many exotic and outlandish features, that brings home the wonder of language’s design.”

Paragraph E says the estrangement of foreign tongues brings home the wonder of language's design, matching heading i about seeing language afresh.

Paragraph F

“The technology is so fine-tuned then that even a non-sound, when carefully placed in a particular position, has been invested with a specific function.”

Paragraph F shows even a non-sound, carefully placed, being invested with a specific function, matching the heading about meaning in tiny details, v.

“Other inventions – the wheel, agriculture, sliced bread – may have transformed our material existence”

The gap needs a phrase for other inventions' limited effect; the passage says the wheel, agriculture and sliced bread may have transformed our material existence, option E.

“Compared to language, all other inventions pale in significance, since everything we have ever achieved depends on language and originates from it.”

The gap concerns language's role in human achievement; the passage says everything we have ever achieved depends on language, option G.

“In its own right it is a tool of extraordinary sophistication, yet based on an idea of ingenious simplicity”

The gap needs the pairing of sophistication with simplicity; the passage calls language sophisticated yet based on ingenious simplicity, option B.

“The most extraordinary thing about language, however, is that one doesn’t have to be a genius to set its wheels in motion.”

The gap concerns who can use language; the passage says one doesn't have to be a genius to set its wheels in motion, option F.

Human beings might have achieved their present position without language.

“Without language, we could never have embarked on our ascent to unparalleled power over all other animals, and even over nature itself.”

The passage says without language we could never have begun our ascent to power over other animals, so the claim is contradicted.

The Port-Royal grammarians did justice to the nature of language.

“This was how, in 1660, the renowned French grammarians of the Port-Royal abbey near Versailles distilled the essence of language”

Distilling the essence of language in 1660 means the Port-Royal grammarians captured its nature faithfully, so the answer is YES.

A complex idea can be explained more clearly in a sentence than in a single word.

“One of the showiest stunts that some languages can pull off is an ability to build up words of breath-breaking length, and thus express in one word what English takes a whole sentence to say.”

The text notes some languages pack a sentence's content into one word, but never says which form explains a complex idea more clearly.

The Sumerians were responsible for starting the recording of events.

“And if that sounds like some one-off freak, then consider Sumerian, the language spoken on the banks of the Euphrates some 5,000 years ago by the people who invented writing and thus enabled the documentation of history.”

The Sumerians invented writing, which enabled the documentation of history, so they began the recording of events.