Many of the world's languages are at risk of extinction within the next century. Roughly half of the approximately 7,000 languages spoken today are no longer being learned by children, the demographic group whose transmission keeps a language alive. Without intergenerational learners, even widely spoken languages can vanish within a few decades.
Which choice best describes the function of the second sentence in the text?
- A
It contradicts the prediction of extinction made in the first sentence.
- B
It introduces a new linguistic theory.
- C
It defines the term 'language family'.
- Dcheck_circle
It supports the prediction of extinction by citing the demographic mechanism behind it.
Explanation
The second sentence supports the prediction by naming the mechanism — child non-transmission. B captures this supporting-mechanism function.