The Other Mystery of Easter Island (Reading)

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The Other Mystery of Easter Island

1) According to the passage, Easter Island is most famous for its

A) unusual language.
B) secretive inhabitants.
C) peculiar monuments.
D) obscure exile.


2) Each of the following is true about the language of Easter Island EXCEPT:

A) It has so far remained incomprehensible to scholars.
B) It is unique within its geographical area.
C) It is possibly closely related to Spanish.
D) It is a relatively recent language.


3) The word "decipher" (paragraph 2, line 8) is closest in meaning to:

A) decode
B) contrast
C) evaluate
D) discover


4) According to the passage, Rongorongo disappeared because

A) All of its speakers were killed or taken as slaves. 
B) It was too closely related to the religious beliefs of the population.
C) Languages of the colonizers were dominated because they were easy to learn.
D) New settlers to the island outlawed its use.


5) The word "forthcoming" (paragraph 6, line 1) is closest in meaning to:

A) belligerent
B) cooperative
C) unstable
D) comprehensible


6) Which of the following was NOT a difficulty encountered by people wishing to translate the tablets?

A) The islanders were unwilling to help.
B) There are several meanings for each symbol.
C) Europeans had suppressed the language.
D) One symbol could represent an idea rather than just an object.


7) The phrase "the artifact" (paragraph 8, line 4) refers to:

A) the Mamri tablet
B) a lunar calendar
C) a four-foot-long scepter
D) an Easter Island Chief


8) Which of the following best expresses the essential information in the sentence, "Should anyone find a workable translation for Rongorongo, the knowledge stored on the remaining tablets might explain the mysterious statues of Easter Island, the sudden appearance of the written language, and the island’s history and customs as whole" (paragraph 10)?

A) The information contained on the tablets might address several important questions about Easter Island in the event that the language is translated.

B) Issues such as the mysterious statues, the emergence of written language, and the history and customs of the island might be explained by the data recorded on the tablets.

C) No one has completely analyzed Rongorongo, making it difficult to extract the knowledge contained in the tables.

D) Mysteries pertaining to Easter Island are likely to remain until linguists can unravel the Rongorongo written language.


9) Match the following pieces of information to the respective researchers:

A) The first to attempt to translate the language.

B) The first to identify the purpose of a tablet.

C) Realized the the symbols come in groups of three.

D) The first to make a major discovery about the tablets.

E) Successfully translated a portion of text.

F) Identified all the components of the language.

G) Misled by a young boy.

H) Focused his research on a staff with symbols on it.

I) Asked an elderly islander to help him translate.

J) Believed all the texts were connected to the creation of the world.


Thompson
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Hevesy
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Fischer
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