Question ID:PT27 S1 Q16 Passage:Recent research shows that sound change (pronunciation shift) in a language is not gradual. New sounds often emerge suddenly. This confounds the classical account of sound change, whose central tenet is gradualness. Since this classical account must be discarded, sound-change theory in general must also be. Stem:Which one of the following, if assumed, does most to justify the argument's conclusion? Correct Answer Choice:DChoice A:The data on which the classical account of sound-change theory was based are now known to be inaccurate. Choice B:The emergence of new sounds appears to be random. Choice C:The meeting of linguistically disparate cultures can affect the sounds of their languages in unpredictable ways. Choice D:All theories of sound change rely heavily on the classical theory. Choice E:For most languages, historical records of their earlier stages are scarce or nonexistent.