Silbo Gomero the Whistle Language of the Canary Islands Reading Answers

Jan 27, 2023

Silbo Gomero the Whistle Language of the Canary Islands Reading Answers is an academic reading topic and a discussion about the Silbo Gomero as a famous whistling language. The given IELTS topic has originated from the book named “Cambridge IELTS 10 Student's Book with Answers”. The topic named Silbo Gomero the Whistle Language of the Canary Islands Reading Answers comes with 13 wide range of questions. There are two sorts of questions in this topic, such as, True/False/Not Given, and complete the notes. The candidates should thoroughly read the IELTS reading passage to recognize the synonyms and identify the keywords and answer the questions below. IELTS reading practice papers can be taken into consideration by the candidates in order to score a good score in the reading section in which similar topics like Silbo Gomero the Whistle Language of the Canary Islands Reading Answers has been included.

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Section 1

Read the passage to answer the following questions

Silbo Gomero the Whistle Language of the Canary Islands Reading Answers

La Gomera is one of the Canary Islands situated in the Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of Africa. This small volcanic island is mountainous, with steep rocky slopes and deep, wooded ravines, rising to 1,487 metres at its highest peak. It is also home to the best known of the world's whistle languages', a means of transmitting information over long distances which is perfectly adapted to the extreme terrain of the island.

This 'language, known as 'Silbo' or 'Silbo Gomero - from the Spanish word for 'whistle' - is now shedding light on the language-processing abilities of the human brain, according to scientists. Researchers say that silbo activates parts of the brain normally associated with spoken language, suggesting that the brain is remarkably flexible in its ability to interpret sounds as language.

'Science has developed the idea of brain areas that are dedicated to language, and we are starting to understand the scope of signals that can be recognised as language, says David Corina, co-author of a recent study and associate professor of psychology at the University of Washington in Seattle.

Silbo is a substitute for Spanish, with individual words recoded into whistles which have high- and low-frequency tones. A whistler or silbador puts a finger in his or her mouth to increase the whistle's pitch, while the other hand can be cupped to adjust the direction of the sound."

There is much more ambiguity in the histled signal than n the spoken signal, explains lead researcher Manuel Carreiras, psychology professor at the University of La Laguna on the Canary island of Tenerife. Because whistled 'words' can be hard to distinguish, silbadores rely on repetition, as well as awareness of context, to make themselves understood.

The silbadores of Gomera are traditionally shepherds and other isolated mountain folk, and their novel means of staying in touch allows them to communicate over distances of up to 10 kilometers. Carreiras explains that silbadores are able to pass a surprising amount of information via their whistles. 'In daily life they use whistles to communicate short commands, but any Spanish sentence could be whistled' Silbo has proved particularly useful when fires

have occurred on the island and rapid communication across large areas has been vital.

The study team used neuroimaging equipment to contrast the brain activity of silbadores while listening to whistled and spoken Spanish. Results showed the left temporal lobe of the brain, which is usually associated with spoken language, was engaged during the processing of Silbo. The researchers found that other key regions in the brain's frontal lobe also responded to the whistles, including those activated in response to sign language among deaf people. When the experiments were repeated with non-whistlers, however, activation was observed in all areas of the brain.

Our results provide more evidence about the flexibility of human capacity for language in a variety of forms, Gorina says. "These data suggest that left-hemisphere language regions are uniquely adapted for communicative purposes, independent of the modality of signal. The non- Silbo speakers were not recognising Silbo as a language. They had nothing to grab onto, so multiple areas of their brains were activated'

Carreiras says the origins of Silbo Gomero remain obscure, but that indigenous Canary Islanders, who were of North African origin, already had a whistled language when Spain conquered the volcanic islands in the 15th century Whistled languages survive-today in Papua New Guinea, Mexico, Vietnam, Guyana, China, Nepal, Senegal, and a few mountainous pockets in southern Europe. There are thought to be as many as 70 whistled languages still in use, though only 12 have been described and studied scientifically.

This form of communication is an adaptation found among cultures where people are often isolated from each other, according to Julien Meyer, a researcher at the Institute of Human Sciences in Lyon, France. They are mostly used in mountains or dense forests, he says. 'Whistled languages are quite clearly defined and represent an original adaptation of the spoken language for the needs of isolated human groups.’

But with modern communication technology now widely available, researchers say whistled languages like Silbo are threatened with extinction. With dwindling numbers of Gomera islanders still fluent in the language, Canaries' authorities are taking steps to try to ensure its survival. Since 1999, Silbo Gomero has been taught in all of the island's elementary schools. In addition, locals are seeking assistance from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The local authorities are trying to get an award from the organization to declare (Silbo Gomero) as something that should be preserved for humanity, Carreiras adds.

Section 2

Questions 14-19

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 2?
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

Question 14. La Gomera is the most mountainous of all the Canary Islands.

Answer: NOT GIVEN
Supporting sentence: La Gomera is one of the Canary Islands situated in the Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of Africa.
Keyword : La Gomera, one of the, Canary Islands, Atlantic Ocean
Keyword location: paragraph 1, lines 1-2
Explanation: The first two lines of paragraph 1 says that one of the Canary Islands, La Gomera, is mountainous. Therefore, no valid information has not been provided in the above extract to support this statement. Hence, it is an invalid statement.

Question 15. Silbo is only appropriate for short and simple messages.

Answer: FALSE
Supporting sentence: 'In daily life they use whistles to communicate short commands, but any Spanish sentence could be whistled' Silbo has proved particularly useful when fires have occurred on the island and rapid communication across large areas has been vital.
Keyword : daily life, whistles, communicate, short commands
Keyword location: paragraph 6, lines 4-6
Explanation: Carreiras claims in paragraph 6 that in daily life they use whistles to transmit short directives, but any Spanish sentence might be whistled. According to the author, silbadores are able to communicate a surprising quantity of information via their whistles. Therefore, whistles, or silbo, can be used to convey any message, not simply brief ones. Simply put, brief communications are more prevalent in day-to-day communication. Thus, the provided statement is the FALSE one.

Question 16. In the brain-activity study, silbadores and non-whistlers produced different results.

Answer: TRUE
Supporting sentence: Results showed the left temporal lobe of the brain, which is usually associated with spoken language, was engaged during the processing of Silbo.
Keyword : brain-activity, silbadores, non-whistlers, different results
Keyword location: paragraph 7, lines 2-3
Explanation: Lines 2-3 of paragraph 7 says about the brain activity research's findings. The left temporal lobe and other important areas of the frontal lobe of the brain responded to silbadores. These lines state that silbadores and non-whistlers produce variable results. So, the statement is the TRUE one.

Question 17. The Spanish introduced Silbo to the islands in the 15th century.

Answer: FALSE
Supporting sentence: indigenous Canary Islanders, who were of North African origin, already had a whistled language when Spain conquered the volcanic islands in the 15th century
Keyword : Spanish, introduced, Silbo,15th century
Keyword location: paragraph 9, lines 1-3
Explanation: Lines 1-3 of paragraph 9 state that Spain captured the volcanic islands in the 15th century. It is the time when indigenous Canary Islanders already spoke a whistled language. Thus, the statement can be regarded as a FALSE one.

Question 18. There is precise data available regarding all of the whistle languages in existence today.

Answer: FALSE
Supporting sentence: There are thought to be as many as 70 whistled languages still in use, though only 12 have been described and studied scientifically.
Keyword : precise, data, whistle, languages, toda
Keyword location: paragraph 9, lines 5-6
Explanation: According to lines 5-6 of paragraph 9, there are up to 70 whistled languages still in use. In spite of that, only 12 have been identified and investigated scientifically. So, the above statement can be regarded as a FALSE one.

Question 19. The children of Gomera now learn Silbo.

Answer: TRUE
Supporting sentence: Since 1999, Silbo Gomero has been taught in all of the island's elementary schools.
Keyword : 1999, children, Gomera, learn, Silbo
Keyword location: paragraph 11, line 4
Explanation: The final line of paragraph 11 discusses the Canary authorities' efforts to ensure Silbo's survival. Silbo Gomero has been taught in every elementary school on the island since 1999. So it seems sensible that youngsters are still being taught the Silbo language today. Hence, it can be said that the children of Gomera have now learned Silbo. Thus, the above statement can be regarded as a TRUE one.

Questions 20-26

Complete the notes below. Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.

Silbo Gomero

How Silbo is produced

high-and low-frequency tones represent different sounds in Spanish (20)...........
the pitch of the whistle is controlled using silbador (21)........
(22).......... is changed with a cupped hand

How Silbo is used

has long been used by shepherds and people living in secluded locations
in everyday use for the transmission of brief (23)........
can relay essential information quickly, e.g. to inform people about (24)........

The future of Silbo

future under threat because of new (25).........
Canaries' authorities hoping to receive a UNESCO (26)........to help preserve it

Question 20:

Answer: words
Supporting sentence: Silbo is a substitute for Spanish, with individual words recorded into whistles which have high- and low-frequency tones.
Keyword : high, low, frequency, tones, sounds, Spanish
Keyword location: paragraph 4, lines 1-2
Explanation: It is reported in paragraph 4 that Silbo is a replacement for Spanish, with individual words recoded into whistles. Those whistles have high and low-frequency tones respectively. So, it can be said that in Spanish words, high-and-low frequency tones state different sounds.

Question 21:

Answer: finger
Supporting sentence: A whistler or silbador puts a finger in his or her mouth to increase the whistle's pitch
Keyword : pitch, whistle, controlled, silbador’s
Keyword location: paragraph 4, lines 2-
Explanation: The whistler can raise the pitch of the whistle. They can do it by placing a finger in their mouth, as stated in lines 2-3 of paragraph 4. In other terms, this may be passively stated as the silbador's finger can be used to boost the whistle's pitch. Thus, silbador's finger can be used to control the pitch of the whistle.

Question 22:

Answer: direction
Supporting sentence: while the other hand can be cupped to adjust the direction of the sound.
Keyword : changed, cupped, hand
Keyword location: paragraph 4, line 3
Explanation: The third line of paragraph 4 states that whistling can be done at a higher pitch. They can accomplish this by sticking a finger in the victim's mouth. Whereas, the other hand can be cupped to change the sound's direction. Thus, it can be stated that the cupped hand can cause a change in direction of the sound.

Question 23:

Answer: commands
Supporting sentence: In daily life they use whistles to communicate short commands
Keyword : everyday, use, transmission, brief
Keyword location: paragraph 6, line 4
Explanation: The fourth line of paragraph 6 states that the whistles are typically used by the silbadores. They used it to convey brief directives in daily life, however, any Spanish sentence could be whistled. To communicate concise orders, whistles are thus used often in daily life. So, it can be said that the Silbo is used for the transmission of brief commands in day-to-day life.

Question 24:

Answer: fires
Supporting sentence: Silbo has proved particularly useful when fires have occurred on the island and rapid communication across large areas has been vital.
Keyword : Silbo, useful,fires, island,
Keyword location: paragraph 6, lines 5-6
Explanation: The fifth to sixth lines of paragraph 6 implies that Silbo has been especially effective. It is when there have been fires on the island and quick communication across broad areas has been critical. It implies that silbo can be used to broadcast crucial information to the public, such as fires. So, silbo can relay essential information quickly, which means alerting people about fire.

Question 25:

Answer: technology
Supporting sentence: But with modern communication technology now widely available, researchers say whistled languages like Silbo are threatened with extinction.
Keyword : modern communication, technology, Silbo, extinction
Keyword location: paragraph 11, lines 1-2
Explanation: The first two lines of paragraph 11 suggest that researchers believe whistled languages like Silbo are on the verge of extinction. This is because contemporary communication technology becomes more widely available. This statement implies that Silbo is in danger as a result of cutting-edge, contemporary communication technology. Hence, technology creates danger for the future of silbo.

Question 26:

Answer: award
Supporting sentence: The local authorities are trying to get an award from the organization to declare (Silbo Gomero) as something that should be preserved for humanity, Carreiras adds.
Keyword : Canaries’ authorities, receive, UNESCO, preserve
Keyword location: paragraph 11, lines 6-8
Explanation: Lines 6-8 of paragraph 11 imply that the local government is attempting to obtain recognition from the organization. They are trying to do in order to designate Silbo Gomero as a site that needs to be protected for humanity. Here, the term "organization" refers to UNESCO. Canaries' authorities hoping to receive a UNESCO award to help preserve it.