Question

the uto - aztecan language family is divided into a northern branch, which includes the shoshone language of present - day idaho and utah, and a southern one, whose best - known representative is nahuatl, the language of the aztec empire in mexico. lexical similarities across the family, including of botanical terms, confirm descent from a single language spoken millennia ago, and the family’s geographical distribution suggests an origin in what is now the us southwest. however, vocabulary pertaining to maize isn’t shared between northern and southern branches, despite the crop’s universal cultivation among uto - aztecan tribes. given archaeological evidence that maize originated in mexico and diffused northward into what became the us southwest, some linguists reason that ______
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which choice most logically completes the text?
a northern uto - aztecan tribes likely obtained the crop directly from a southern uto - aztecan tribe rather than from a non - uto - aztecan tribe.
b variation in maize - related vocabulary within each branch of the uto - aztecan family likely reflects regionally specific methods for cultivating the crop.
c southern uto - aztecan tribes likely acquired maize at roughly the same time as northern uto - aztecan tribes did, though from different sources.
d the family’s division into northern and southern branches likely preceded the acquisition of the crop by the uto - aztecan tribes.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze the context: Maize originated in Mexico (southern region) and diffused north. Northern and southern Uto - Aztecan branches don't share maize - related vocabulary.

• Option A: The text is about vocabulary differences, not about which tribe northern got maize from. Eliminate.
• Option B: The lack of shared maize - related vocabulary between branches and the diffusion path of maize (from south to north) can lead to the idea that within each branch, the maize - related vocabulary variation is due to region - specific cultivation methods. This connects the vocabulary difference to the cultivation context.
• Option C: Archaeological evidence says maize diffused north, so southern tribes should have acquired it earlier. This option contradicts the evidence. Eliminate.
• Option D: If the division preceded crop acquisition, we would expect some shared vocabulary (since they came from a single language). But there's no shared maize - related vocabulary. So this is inconsistent. Eliminate.

Answer:

B. variation in maize - related vocabulary within each branch of the Uto - Aztecan family likely reflects regionally specific methods for cultivating the crop.