Question 13

In both languages, the accent may fall on any syllable.

Both Russian and English share the characteristic that the accent in a word can vary, meaning it is not fixed to a specific syllable. This allows for flexibility in pronunciation in both languages.

A) short syllables are not accented

This option is incorrect because the passage indicates that while only one syllable is accented in Russian, it does not specifically state that short syllables are not accented. In fact, the passage focuses on the variability of accents rather than their length.

B) the last syllable of words cannot be accented

This option is also incorrect. The passage explicitly states that the accent is not fixed to any specific syllable, which means that the last syllable of a word can indeed be accented in both Russian and English.

C) only one syllable in each word is accented

While this statement is true for Russian, it does not accurately reflect the characteristics of English. In English, multiple syllables may carry stress, making this option incomplete as it does not apply to both languages.

D) the accent may fall on any syllable

This option is correct because it captures the essence of the passage, which highlights that both Russian and English allow for the accent to be placed on different syllables, illustrating a key similarity between the two languages.

Conclusion

The correct answer is clearly supported by the passage as it emphasizes the flexibility of accent placement in both languages. Options A, B, and C either misinterpret or fail to fully encompass the shared characteristic discussed in the text, making option D the only accurate choice.