Explanation
A. The passage does not argue that the Chinatown Chinese is unintelligible to speakers of the Cantonese dialect, nor does it focus on the relationship between Chinatown Chinese and the Cantonese dialect specifically.
B. The passage does not state that linguists have concluded Chinatown Chinese is a new dialect because it is unfamiliar to many native Chinese people.
C. (Correct Response) The passage critiques the two main claims used to argue that Chinatown Chinese is a distinct new dialect. It discusses how the supposed language barrier is mostly imaginary, indicating that the claims do not withstand close scrutiny.
D. While the passage mentions the ability of new arrivals from China to converse with Chinese Americans in San Francisco, it does not base the argument against the distinctness of Chinatown Chinese solely on this ability.
E. The passage does not indicate that there is a consensus among linguists regarding the status of Chinatown Chinese as not being a distinct new dialect.
The passage challenges the claims that Chinatown Chinese is so different from any dialect used in China that it constitutes a new dialect and that it allows for effective communication within the Chinese American community in San Francisco regardless of the specific dialect spoken. The author argues against these claims, suggesting that the perceived language barrier is more notional than real, indicating skepticism about the idea that Chinatown Chinese is a distinct new dialect.