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The passage highlights the widespread extinction of indigenous languages in North America due to colonisation, physical annihilation, and assimilation policies while noting slightly better survival rates in Central and South America. It implies that language survival may be influenced by factors such as social policies, cultural integration, and the extent of physical and cultural displacement.
Evaluating the choices, we note that Option a is plausible since allowing children to stay with families would help preserve native languages, unlike the North American policy of removing children to boarding schools, as discussed in the passage. Option b is also reasonable, as less effective assimilation efforts by colonial governments could lead to better language retention. Option c also aligns with the passage’s context, as it discusses physical annihilation as a significant driver of language extinction, but the survival rate being slightly better in South America could suggest marginally less physical annihilation.
However, Option d is problematic; while providing locals with jobs in the colonial administration might seem like a factor that supports language retention, this scenario is not consistent with the passage. The passage emphasises that dominant languages often replace indigenous ones through socio-economic pressures, and employment in colonial administration would likely reinforce the use of the dominant language rather than preserve native languages.
Hence, option d is the best choice.