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

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