Language And Reading - Sentence Processing

Question 1

What are the three main tasks involved in sentence processing?

1) Recognizing syntax, assigning emotion, and interpreting meaning
2) Recognizing words, assigning syntactic structure, and interpreting meaning
3) Recognizing context, assigning syntax, and storing memory
4) Grouping phrases, interpreting syntax, and linking world knowledge

Answer 1

Recognizing words, assigning syntactic structure, and interpreting meaning

Question 2

What does “syntax” refer to in sentence processing?

1) The emotional tone of a sentence
2) The order and structure of words in phrases and clauses
3) The context provided by the sentence
4) The literal meaning derived from individual words

Answer 2

The order and structure of words in phrases and clauses

Question 3

Which diagram type visually represents sentence syntax?

1) Flowchart
2) Tree diagram
3) Bar chart
4) Mind map

Answer 3

Tree diagram

Question 4

What is “syntactic ambiguity”?

1) The inability to assign meaning to a sentence
2) A sentence or clause having more than one possible grammatical interpretation
3) The temporary failure to understand non-literal language
4) Sentences with unfamiliar vocabulary

Answer 4

A sentence or clause having more than one possible grammatical interpretation

Question 5

What is an example of a “garden path” sentence?

1) “The spy observed the politician with binoculars.”
2) “While Anna dressed the baby threw up.”
3) “Kick the bucket to express frustration.”
4) “My lawyer is a shark.”

Answer 5

“While Anna dressed the baby threw up.”

Question 6

Which theory assumes only one syntactic structure is initially considered?

1) Constraint satisfaction
2) Garden path theory
3) Parallel parsing model
4) Direct access view

Answer 6

Garden path theory

Question 7

Minimal attachment and late closure are principles associated with:

1) Constraint satisfaction
2) Graded salience hypothesis
3) Garden path theory
4) Parallel models

Answer 7

Garden path theory

Question 8

Parallel parsing models suggest:

1) Only one interpretation is available initially
2) All possible sentence interpretations are considered simultaneously
3) Ambiguous sentences cannot be resolved
4) Sentence processing ignores world knowledge

Answer 8

All possible sentence interpretations are considered simultaneously

Question 9

What is “non-literal language”?

1) Language that relies solely on syntax for interpretation
2) Expressions whose intended meaning differs from the literal meaning of words
3) Language based entirely on figurative speech
4) Sentences that violate syntactic rules

Answer 9

Expressions whose intended meaning differs from the literal meaning of words

Question 10

Which is an example of an idiom?

1) “My lawyer is a shark.”
2) “Kick the bucket.”
3) “The baby threw up.”
4) “What lovely weather.”

Answer 10

“Kick the bucket.”

Question 11

What is the processing sequence in the Standard Pragmatic View of irony?

1) Context → Literal meaning → Reanalysis → Ironic meaning
2) Literal meaning → Context mismatch → Reanalysis → Ironic meaning
3) Context mismatch → Literal meaning → Ironic meaning
4) Context → Ironic meaning → Literal meaning

Answer 11

Literal meaning → Context mismatch → Reanalysis → Ironic meaning

Question 12

According to the Graded Salience Hypothesis, what determines processing speed for irony?

1) World knowledge
2) Familiarity with the ironic expression
3) Context provided by the sentence
4) Emotional tone

Answer 12

Familiarity with the ironic expression

Question 13

What is unique about the Direct Access View of irony?

1) It processes ironic meaning without accessing literal meaning first
2) It only applies to unfamiliar ironies
3) It requires world knowledge for interpretation
4) It involves a higher processing cost

Answer 13

It processes ironic meaning without accessing literal meaning first

Question 14

What is an N400 response?

1) A brain response to ambiguous syntax
2) A spike in brain activity when encountering a word that doesn’t fit context
3) A physical reaction to metaphor processing
4) A measure of memory retention during sentence processing

Answer 14

A spike in brain activity when encountering a word that doesn’t fit context

Question 15

Which theory of parsing integrates features from both serial and parallel models?

1) Constraint satisfaction
2) Unrestricted race model
3) Garden path theory
4) Graded salience hypothesis

Answer 15

Unrestricted race model

Question 16

What was observed in Hagoort et al.’s ERP study?

1) Ambiguous sentences cause prolonged N400 responses
2) World knowledge violations trigger distinct brain activity patterns
3) Familiar metaphors have no processing cost
4) Syntax violations are resolved using late closure principles

Answer 16

World knowledge violations trigger distinct brain activity patterns

Question 17

What does minimal attachment prefer in parsing?

1) A structure with fewer nodes
2) A structure influenced by world knowledge
3) A temporary structure for ambiguous phrases
4) A structure chosen using verb bias

Answer 17

A structure with fewer nodes

Question 18

What role does verb bias play in parsing?

1) It reduces the ambiguity of sentences
2) It determines the preferred interpretation based on common verb usage
3) It slows down processing of temporary ambiguities
4) It eliminates the need for context

Answer 18

It determines the preferred interpretation based on common verb usage

Question 19

What type of ambiguity does “The spy observed the politician with binoculars” illustrate?

1) Temporary ambiguity
2) Global ambiguity
3) Figurative ambiguity
4) Contextual ambiguity

Answer 19

Global ambiguity

Question 20

What is a key limitation of the Garden Path Theory?

1) It ignores syntactic structure
2) It doesn’t account for the role of context or world knowledge
3) It overemphasizes the role of minimal attachment
4) It assumes all sentences are globally ambiguous

Answer 20

It doesn’t account for the role of context or world knowledge