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The human mInd Is astonlshing.We can solve complex problems,perform calculations,
create art,and process language effortlessly.We humans are the smartest of all,or so we
think...
However,recent studies reveal how easily context can mislead us.Consider the
MOller-Lyer illusion ()equal-length lines look different if one has outward-pointing
arrows and the other has inward-pointing arrows.Simllarly,three identical-sized runners
positioned along a visual path seem to vary in size.
Before you conclude that being fooled is reserved only for visual illuslons,let me give the
example of Belinda:an outspoken philosophy student,deeply concerned with sustainability,
biodiversity,and global warming.Is Belinda more likely:a)a top student,or b)a top student
and vegetarian Many people choose the second,because the context of being vegetarian
seems to fit the Image of someone deeply concerned with sustainability But statistically,the
first is more likely.There are always more top students than vegetarian top students.
Yet for all its potential to trick,context more often serves as our mental shortcut to
efficient understanding.Rather than memorizing every possible meaning of words and
sentence patterns,we constantly use surrounding information to fill gaps.As linguist J.R.
Firth observed,"You shall know a word by the company it keeps."For example,in the
sentence "My daughter was ferliamated when she got a pet dog,"we can guess that
"ferliamated"means "excited",even if the word doesn't exist.This two-sided nature of context
leads us to an important discovery about how our minds work.
While we can discuss anything at any time in any context,it seems more likely that we
talk about the things whose meaning lies in the same context.This offers exciting
possibilities for understanding both the human mind and language itself-showing how
communication depends not just on our thinking,but equally on how language is built to work
with context.
32.Whlch image matches She description of the "runners"Illusion
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A
C
D
33.Why do people often choose option(b)In the Bellnda example
A.Top students often make greener choices.
B.Rich detalls override their logical thinking.
C.Personai experiences affect decision-making.
D.First impressions lead to their false judgment.
34.How do FIrth's quote and the"ferllamated"example support the author's polnt
A.They show how context helps word understandlng.
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