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Linguist: In English, the past is described as “behind�

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by AbeNeedsAnswers » Thu May 02, 2019 10:48 am

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Linguist: In English, the past is described as "behind" and the future "ahead," whereas in Aymara the past is "ahead" and the future "behind." Research indicates that English speakers sway backward when discussing the past and forward when discussing the future. Conversely, Aymara speakers gesture forward with their hands when discussing the past and backward when discussing the future. These bodily movements, therefore, suggest that the language one speaks affects how one mentally visualizes time.

The linguist's reasoning depends on assuming which of the following?

A. At least some Aymara speakers sway forward when discussing the past and backward when discussing the future.
B. Most people mentally visualize time as running either forward or backward.
C. Not all English and Aymara speakers tend to sway or gesture forward or backward when discussing the present.
D. How people move when discussing the future correlates to some extent with how they mentally visualize time.
E. The researchers also examined the movements of at least some speakers of languages other than English and Aymara discussing the past and the future.

D

Source: Official Guide 2020
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Source: — Critical Reasoning |

by deloitte247 » Fri May 10, 2019 3:05 am
OPTION A - INCORRECT
Well, the Aymara speakers who sway forward when discussing the past and backward when discussing the future, isn't an assumption, but rather an established fact in the argument.

OPTION B - INCORRECT
The linguist reasoning isn't exactly based on how people visualises time as running either forward or backward but on how the language one speaks affect how one's mentally visualizes time, according to the argument.

OPTION C - INCORRECT
The arguments main concern isn't about the way English and Aymara speakers sway or gesture forward and backward when discussing the present which contradicts the past and the future bring discussed in the argument.

OPTION D - CORRECT
The linguist reasoning depends on assuming that the way people move when discussing the future correlates with the way they mentally visualizes time. That's why English speakers gesture forward ahead and the Aymara speakers gesture backward when discussing the future because for them, the future is behind.

OPTION E - INCORRECT
The argument made no mention of other speakers aside the English and Aymara speakers, so this cannot serve as an assumption to which the linguist's reasoning is based on.
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