Question

which of these statements is most strongly supported by the following passage (paragraph 1)? today, english is a global language spoken by an estimated 1.5 billion people. although it is a germanic language, english shows a distinct linguistic mix. english shares many cognates with romance languages—such as animal which is a english and french cognate, or drama, which means the same thing in both english and spanish. english is also known for its large vocabulary. how did all these new words get introduced to the english language? why are there so many words for the same things, like cow and beef? the answer to all of these questions lies in britains history. a. english is the most widely spoken language in the world. b. the tremendous range of english vocabulary is easily understood when examining british history. c. english synonyms and antonyms often come in variations of three. d. the diversity of american citizens greatly contributed to the mix of english diction.

Explanation:

The passage mentions English has a large vocabulary and that the answer to how new words were introduced and why there are many words for the same things lies in Britain's history. This supports that examining British history helps understand the range of English vocabulary. Option A is not fully supported as it just says English is a global - language, not the most widely - spoken. Option C has no basis in the passage. Option D mentions American citizens which is not in the passage.

Answer:

B. The tremendous range of English vocabulary is easily understood when examining British history.