Q5

[fishfisheast]

Could anyone please tell me why B is not the correct answer? Is it because pattern and syllabic out of scope? Many thanks

[christine.defenbaugh]

Thanks for asking, fishfisheast!

We are being asked WHY the author used the word "vocabulary" in the discussion of canary song. To figure this out, we must return to the line in question and assess the context.

Line 23 uses the word "vocabulary" in quotes to refer to the (at that point) developed song. The word "vocabulary" is evocative of human language. In fact, the paragraph began with a similarity drawn between the way that "[y]oung canaries...learn to sing" and the way that "humans learn to speak." The rest of the paragraph describes the way that a canary builds up the repertoire of song. The use of the word "vocabulary" simply reaffirms the relationship between this repertoire of song for canaries and human language. What would be the "repertoire" for human language - words! Words, words, words!

(D) gives us precisely that relationship: a similarity between "repertoire of words" and "repertoire of songs" (both are "vocabulary"). The word "vocabulary" generally means "a bunch of words that you know", so this makes a perfect parallel to "a lot of song the canary knows."

(B) is not correct because the author never contends that there is any similarity in the sound patterns of songs and words. Rather, the similarity is in how canaries and humans learn song and language, respectively. You are right that a relationship between "patterned groupings of sounds" and "syllabic structure of words" is out of scope!

Let's take a quick look at the other incorrect answers:
(A) Grammar is never raised in the passage, either in reference to human language grammar, nor in reference to anything in canary song that might be similar.

(C) This has nothing to do with human language, and that's the thing "vocabulary" is meant to evoke!

(E) While canary song is certainly fairly complex, the author never suggests that the complexity is remotely similar to human language complexity - only that we learn the two things in similar ways.

I hope this helps clear up this question!