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混合経済、言語獲得、そして情報通信技術:三つのパラダイムの交錯」の英語長文問題

以下の英文を読み、設問に答えなさい。

The 20th century witnessed the rise of the mixed economy, a system blending market forces with government regulation. This approach, while aiming for economic efficiency and social equity, presented inherent complexities. Simultaneously, advancements in linguistics illuminated the intricate process of language acquisition, revealing the interplay between innate abilities and environmental influences. Children, for instance, demonstrate an astonishing capacity to decipher complex grammatical structures seemingly effortlessly, raising questions about the role of both biological predisposition and social interaction in language development. Interestingly, the accelerating pace of technological innovation, particularly in communication, mirrors these two developments. The exponential growth in computing power and network speeds parallels the complexities of both economic management and language learning. The rapid transmission of information resembles the swift acquisition of linguistic knowledge by young children, yet the management and filtering of this vast digital landscape pose challenges analogous to the balancing act inherent in a mixed economy. For example, the rise of misinformation and disinformation on the internet echoes the economic distortions caused by market failures in a mixed economy, requiring regulatory interventions to ensure transparency and fairness. Just as a mixed economy requires constant adjustments to navigate economic fluctuations, the digital sphere necessitates continuous adaptation to its rapidly evolving environment. The parallel between managing a complex economic system and moderating a constantly expanding digital information landscape highlights the multifaceted challenges humanity faces in the 21st century. Furthermore, the remarkable speed at which information spreads across the globe underscores the potential impact of global connectivity, emphasizing the urgent need for international cooperation to mitigate risks and leverage opportunities. Consider the speed of language acquisition in young children: a child can progress from babbling to complex sentence construction within a few years. Now consider the explosive growth of the internet and its impact on global communication. The similarities between these two seemingly disparate phenomena reveal profound insights into the dynamic interplay of innate capacity and external stimuli. Both highlight the importance of adaptive mechanisms to manage complexity and harness the benefits of rapid change. However, just as the mixed economy requires careful balance, so too does the management of global information flow. The ability to navigate the complexities of both presents major challenges, necessitating thoughtful policy and ethical considerations.

1. According to the passage, what is a key similarity between the mixed economy, language acquisition, and rapid communication advancements?

2. The analogy drawn between misinformation online and market failures in a mixed economy serves to illustrate:

3. What is the main point the author is trying to convey by comparing the speed of language acquisition to the speed of information dissemination via the internet?

4. The passage suggests that effective management of the global information flow requires: