雅思阅读真题（Part 3）
语言的起源：米森新书访谈
本篇也叫：语言起源、语言的起源、语言起源之谜、人类语言起源、语言是怎么来的、语言诞生
Part 3 · 考频：中频 · 最近考试：2026.2.12西南财经大学
本篇为雅思阅读真题（Part 3）《The origin of language》，共 12 题，2026.2.12西南财经大学雅思考试真题回忆，页面提供完整原文、题目、答案与解析，并支持在线机考模式免费练习。本页同时提供 Markdown 版本 供 AI 助手与搜索引擎直接读取。
考古学家Stephen Mithen谈其关于语言起源的新书，回顾1859年达尔文《物种起源》后语言起源研究的热潮、1866年巴黎语言学会的禁令，以及1990年代以来的研究复兴。他提出进展有限的四个原因，包括对考古化石证据和音乐这一听觉发声系统关注不足，并提及尼安德特人大脑与语言能力的问题。
The archaeologist Stephen Mithen talks about the ideas behind his new book on the origin of language.
A
Theories on the origin and evolution of language have been a major area of my research for many years. By 1859, when British scientist Charles Darwin published The Origin of Species, there was already a great deal of interest in this subject. However, the debate became plagued by strange theories, so much so that in 1866 the influential Société de Linguistique de Paris banned all discussions about the origin of language. The ban lasted for more than a century, before a surge of research began during the 1990s. Linguists, psychologists, anthropologists and archaeologists now frequently debate the origin of language and have published many articles and books on this topic. And yet, despite almost frenzied activity, limited progress has been made.
B
I believe there are four reasons for this. The first is an insufficient concern with the archaeological and fossil proof of the brains and behaviour of our human ancestors. Many theories to date rely on an assumed association between brain size and language abilities, without acknowledging the problem this creates: fossil evidence indicates that the Neanderthals had larger brains than modern humans, Homo sapiens, but archaeological evidence indicates that the Neanderthals lacked a capacity for language. So something is seriously amiss with those theories.
C
That 'something' might relate to the second reason for limited progress: insufficient concern with the other major aural and vocal communication system of modern humans: music. 39 Even though the Société de Linguistique de Paris had nothing to say about studying the origin of music, academics appear to have had a self-imposed ban, with limited discussion of this issue during the 19th and 20th centuries. However, there are notable exceptions that should be acknowledged. One is the aforementioned Charles Darwin, who, in his 1871 book on human evolution, The Descent of Man, devoted several pages to the development of music. Another is the renowned ethnomusicologist John Blacking whose 1973 book, How Musical is Man?, broached the idea that music is an inherent and universal human quality.
D
The origin of music deserves as much attention as that of language, as we cannot treat one without the other. Those writers who had evidently annoyed the Société de Linguistique de Paris were quite aware of this. For them music and language were intimately linked; the French writer and philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau's On the Origin of Language (1781) was a reflection on both music and language. In contrast, Morten Christiansen and Simon Kirby's book, Language Evolution (2000), which they conceived as 'a definitive book on the subject', failed to mention music in any of its 17 chapters. Those authors have an important lesson to learn from Rousseau and other writers of his time who addressed the origin of language.
E
Music is a universal feature of human society and plays a significant role in the lives of all individuals. Indeed, music is perhaps in even greater need of study than language: the latter has a self-evident function-the transmission of information-and can be readily accepted as a product of evolution, even if its specific evolutionary history remains unclear. But what is the point of music?
F
That question leads directly to a third reason for our lack of progress in understanding how language evolved, and indeed the human mind in general: an insufficient concern with emotion If music is about anything, it is about expressing emotion. But while archaeologists have put significant effort into examining the intellectual capacities of our ancestors, their emotional lives have been sorely neglected. This has contributed to the neglect of music, which, in turn, has constrained our understanding of language.
G
There is one further reason why progress has been limited, those who have been most influential regarding the evolution of language have simply got it wrong, and misled everyone else. Linguist Derek Bickerton has made an important contribution towards our understanding of the origin of language by bringing his profound knowledge of linguistios to the discussions that have occurred. But Bickerton's idea that the precursor of modern language consisted of words strung together with limited, if any, grammar is, I believe, fundamentally mistaken Bickerton refers to this precursor as 'proto-language' and suggests that it was similar to the type of language spoken by young children today, and mastered by apes through the use of computer keyboards. This idea has dominated the field of language origins for the last two decades, and is one that I once found persuasive. But I now understand that it is not only flawed but has severely limited the progress that should have been made.
H
My book therefore provides an alternative view, one that draws on the ideas of a linguist who has, I believe, identified the true nature of proto-language. Her name is Alison Wray. She argues that proto-language was holistic rather than compositional in character. By this she means that the precursor to language was a communication system composed of 'messages' rather than words; each message was uniquely associated with an arbitrary meaning, as are the utterances of language today. But in Wray's proto-language, they were not composed out of smaller units of meaning (i.e. words) which could be combined together using a rule system (i.e. grammar) to make more complex messages with emergent meanings For Wray, proto-language was semantically complex and agrammatical. I believe this insight enables us to understand the origin of music as well as language, and to relate both to the emotional lives of our human ancestors.
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答案：The lack of progress is surprising given the amount of work being done.
原文定位：And yet, despite almost frenzied activity, limited progress has been made
同义替换：「lack」↔「limited」，「surprising」↔「yet, despite」，「amount of work being done」↔「almost frenzied activity」
答案：Some current theories are based on conflicting evidence.
原文定位：Many theories to date rely on an assumed association between brain size and language abilities, without acknowledging the problem this creates: fossil evidence indicates that the Neanderthals had larger brains than modern humans, Homo sapiens, but archaeological evidence indicates that the Neanderthals lacked a capacity for language
同义替换：「current」↔「to date」
答案：Modern theorists should pay more attention to his approach.
原文定位：Those authors have an important lesson to learn from Rousseau and other writers of his time who addressed the origin of language
同义替换：「pay more attention to」↔「have an important lesson to learn from」
答案：The assumption behind them is wrong.
原文定位：But I now understand that it is not only flawed but has severely limited the progress that should have been made
同义替换：「current view」↔「now understand」
答案：language music and emotions
原文定位：I believe this insight enables us to understand the origin of music as well as language, and to relate both to the emotional lives of our human ancestors
同义替换：「link between」↔「relate both to」，「help establish」↔「enables us to understand」
答案：felt that the origin of language should not be debated.
原文定位：in 1866 the influential Société de Linguistique de Paris banned all discussions about the origin of language
同义替换：「banned all discussions」↔「should not be debated」
答案：referred to music in part of a book about the development of human beings.
原文定位：One is the aforementioned Charles Darwin, who, in his 1871 book on human evolution, The Descent of Man, devoted several pages to the development of music
同义替换：「referred to」↔「devoted several pages to the development of」，「the development of human beings」↔「human evolution」
答案：suggested music was an essential part of every individual.
原文定位：Another is the renowned ethnomusicologist John Blacking whose 1973 book, How Musical is Man;broached the idea that music is an inherent and universal human quality
同义替换：「essential part」↔「inherent and universal」，「every individual」↔「human quality」
答案：made no link between music and language in a comprehensive study.
原文定位：Morten Christiansen and Simon Kirby's book, Language Evolution;failed to mention music in any of its 17 chapters
同义替换：「made no link between」↔「failed to」
答案：states that early language was made up of basic words used in an unsystematic way.
原文定位：Bickerton's idea that the precursor of modern language consisted of words strung together with limited, if any, grammar is, I believe, fundamentally mistaken
同义替换：「early」↔「precursor」，「made up」↔「consisted of」，「unsystematic way」↔「limited, if any, grammar」
答案：believes that proto-language had no individual words.
原文定位：She argues that proto-language was holistic rather than compositional in character;they were not composed out of smaller units of meaning
同义替换：「had no individual」↔「not composed out of smaller units of」
答案：evidence from prehistoric times,music,emotions
原文定位：The first is an insufficient concern with the archaeological and fossil proof of the brains and behaviour of our human ancestors;insufficient concern with the other major aural and vocal communication system of modern humans: music;a third reason;insufficient concern with emotion
同义替换：「prehistoric times evidence」↔「archaeological and fossil proof」，「have not been studied enough」↔「insufficient concern」