Test 4 READING PASSAGE 2 You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14-26, which are based on Reading Passage 2 below. Silbo Gomero — the whistle ‘language’ of the Canary Islands La Gomera is one ofthe Canary Islands situated inthe Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of Afica, This small volcanic island is mountainous, with step rocky slopes and deep, wooded wines, sing to 1,487 metres a its highest peak. Iis also home to the best known of de world’s \whiste "languages", means of tansmittng information overlong distances which is pefecly ‘adapted tothe extreme terrain ofthe island, ‘This ‘language’, known as ‘Sibo" or ‘Silbo Gomero' from the Spanish word for ‘whiste’— is now shedding light on the language-processng abilities of the human brain, according to scientists. Researchers say that Silbo activates parts ofthe brain normally assoiated with spoken language, suggesting tat the bra is remarkably fleible in its ability to interpret sounds as, language “Science has developed the idea of brain aeas that are dedicated to language, and we ae starting to understand the scope of signals that ean be recognised as language,’ says David Corina, co-author ofa recent study and associate professor of psychology atthe University of Washington in Seattle, Silo is substitute for Spanish, with individual words recoded into whistles which have high- ‘and low-frequency tones. A whistler —orstbador ~ puts a finger in is or her mouth fo increase ‘the whistle pitch, while the other hand can be cupped te adjust the direction ofthe sound. "There is much more ambiguity in the whistled signal than inthe spoken signal explains lead researcher ‘Manuel Carrera, psychology professor atthe University of La Laguna onthe Canary island of ‘Tenerife, Because whisled ‘words’ can be bard to distinguish, silbadores rely on repetition, as ‘wel as awareness of context, to make themselves understood. ‘The silbadores of Gomera ae traditionally shepherds and ober isolated mountain fol, nd their novel means of saying in touch allows them to communicate over distances of upto 10 kilometres, Careias explains tat silbadores ar able to passa surprising amount of | information via their whistles.‘ daily life they use whistles to communicate short commands, but any Spanish sentence could be whistled” Sifbo has proved prtculrly useful when fires have ‘secured onthe island and rapid communication across large areas has been vita 4Reading “The study team used neuroimaging equipment to contrast he brain activity of sibadores while listening to whistle and spoken Spanish. Results showed te left temporal lobe ofthe brain, wich is usually associated with spoken language, was engaged during the processing of Slbo ‘The researchers found that other key regions inthe bran’ frontal lobe also responded tothe ‘whistles, including those activated in response to sign language among deaf people. When the ‘experiments were repeated with non-whistlrs, however, activation was observed inal areas of the brain, “Our results provide more evidence about the fexbility of human capacity for Ianguage in a variety of forms Corina sys “These data supges that le -hemisphere language regions are ‘uniquely adapted for commanicative purposes, independent of the modality of signal. The non- Sib speakers were not recognising Silbo as language. They had nothing 1 grab onto, so ‘multiple areas of ther brains were activated” (Carreiras says the origins of Sifbo Gomero remain obscure, but that indigenous Canary Islanders, ‘who were of North Afican origin, already hada whistled language when Spain conqoered the vyoleanc islands in the 15 2entury Whisted languages survive today in Papua New Guinea, ‘Mexico, Vietnam, Guyana, China, Nepal, Senegal, anda few mountainous pockets in southern Europe. There are thought tobe as many a8 70 whistled languages sill in use, though only 12 have been described and stusied scientifically. Ths form of communication isan adaptation ‘ound among cultures where people are often isolated from eachother, according ta Julien ‘Meyer, a escarher at the Iesiute of Human Seienoes in Lyon, Franc. “They are mosily used in ‘mountains or dense forests, he says, "Whistled languages are quit clearly defined and represent an original adaptation ofthe spoken language forthe needs of isolated human groups” ‘But with modern communication technology now widely available, researchers sty whistled languages lik Silbo are threatened with extinction, With dvindling numbers of Gomera islanders still uent in te language, Canaries’ authorities are taking tes o ty to ensure is Survival Since 1999, Sitbo Gomero tas been taught in all of te island’ elementary schools. In addition, locals ae seeking assistance from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural (Organization (UNESCO), ‘“he local authorities are trying to get an award from the organisation ‘0 declare [Silbo Gomero] es something that should be preserved for humanity,’ Carreras ads. 85Test 4 Questions 14-19 Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 2? In boxes 14-19 on your answer sheet, write TRUE It the statement agrees with the information FALSE __ ifthe statement contradicts the information NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this 14 La Gomerais the most mountainous ofall the Canary Islands, 415. Sibois only appropriate for short and simple messages. 416 In the brain-actvty study, sibadores and non-whisters produced different results. 47 The Spanish intoduced Sllbo tothe islands in the 15th century. 1 There is precise data available regarding all ofthe whistle languages in ‘existence today, 49. The children of Gomera now leam Sio. 88Reading ‘Questions 20-26 ‘Complete the notes below ‘Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 20-26 on your answer sheet. Silbo Gomero How Silbo is produced + high: and low-frequency tones represent different sounds in Spanish 0 + pitch of whistle is controlled using slbador’s 24. cou nels changed with a cupped hand How Silbo is used + has long been used by shepherds and people living in secluded locations + Ineveryday use for the transmission of brief 23... = canrelay essential information quickly e.g. to inform people about 24 - ‘The future of Sib future under threat because of new 25. ‘Canaries’ authorise hoping to receive a UNESCO 26 preserve it -to help 3(Sp.28] «7