Question 30·Hard·Inferences
In a longitudinal study of language acquisition, children exposed to two languages from birth reached early speech milestones—such as saying their first word and forming two-word combinations—at the same ages as monolingual children, but at age seven they consistently outperformed their monolingual peers on laboratory tasks measuring cognitive flexibility. This finding suggests that, for children exposed to two languages from birth, ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
For SAT Reading & Writing “complete the text” inference questions based on a study, restate the study’s findings in simple language, splitting them into clear parts (e.g., early outcomes vs. later outcomes). Then form a brief prediction that combines all key results. As you test choices, eliminate any that (1) contradict a stated result, (2) change what happens at a time point (e.g., early milestones vs. later performance), or (3) introduce stronger claims than the evidence supports. Choose the option that accurately reflects both the early and later findings without adding new, unsupported details.
Hints
Locate the two main results in the passage
Underline the part about when children reached early speech milestones, and then underline the part about how they did at age seven on cognitive flexibility tasks. What does each part say?
Summarize the findings in your own words
Ask yourself: Does the study say that bilingual exposure slows down early speech, or that it is about the same as monolinguals? And at age seven, are bilingual children behind, the same, or ahead in cognitive flexibility?
Watch for extreme or unsupported language in the choices
Be cautious of choices that introduce words like “delays,” “only,” or “solely.” Check if the passage really supports those strong claims, or if they go beyond what the study shows.
Choose the option that reflects both no harm and a later difference
Look for a choice that shows early development is not negatively affected and that there is some kind of later difference in thinking skills between bilingual and monolingual children.
Step-by-step Explanation
Restate the study’s key findings
First, translate the dense sentence into simpler points:
- Children exposed to two languages from birth hit early speech milestones (first word, two-word combinations) at the same ages as monolingual children. So there is no delay in early speech.
- At age seven, these bilingual children outperformed monolingual children on tasks measuring cognitive flexibility. So they show a later advantage in this mental skill.
Any correct answer must match both parts: no early speech delay, plus a later benefit in cognitive flexibility.
Understand what the question stem is asking you to infer
The text ends with: “This finding suggests that, for children exposed to two languages from birth, ______.”
That means the blank must express a general conclusion you can draw from the study’s results. In your own words, the study suggests something like:
- Early language development is not harmed by being exposed to two languages.
- There may be later mental advantages (in cognitive flexibility) for these children.
Keep this general idea in mind as you test the choices.
Test each answer choice against the study’s evidence
Now compare each option to the actual findings:
- The study says bilingual kids reached early speech milestones at the same ages as monolinguals, so any option claiming delays or other changes to early timing is not supported.
- The study says bilingual kids outperformed monolinguals in cognitive flexibility at age seven, so the conclusion should allow for a later cognitive benefit, without overclaiming or changing what kind of benefit was measured.
Eliminate choices that contradict these points or add claims not supported by the passage.
Match the accurate, balanced conclusion
The correct completion is the one that (1) says early language development is not hindered and (2) allows for later cognitive benefits, without adding certainty, causation, or a different outcome than the one measured.
Therefore, the correct answer is: acquiring two languages concurrently does not hinder early language development and may provide subsequent cognitive benefits.