LOGICAL REASONING: PROBLEM SOLUTION APPROACH

WEAKEN QUESTION

A linguist recently argued that all human languages must have a common origin because some concepts are universal; that is, they appear in all languages. For example, all languages are capable of describing lightness and darkness.

Which one of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the argument?
(A)     The Bernese language does not contain basic nouns like automobile and airplane.
(B)     No one linguist could possibly speak all known languages.
(C)     All speakers regardless of their languages are confronted with similar stimuli like lightness and darkness.
(D)     The similarity between human language and dolphin has not been attributed to a common origin.
(E)     Some languages include concepts of which speakers of other languages are not even aware.


SOLUTION:
Choice (A) is a false claim ploy. Automobile and airplane are not universal terms.
Choice (B) is true but irrelevant.
Choice (C) is the correct answer because if all people are subject to similar stimuli, then one would expect that they would all create words for those stimuli rather than have a common origin.
Choice (D) is irrelevant even though it mixes together common origin with human language.
Choice (E) overstates the claim because the author says that only some--not all—concepts are universal. This is the only incorrect choice with any merit.