Final answer:
Monique's inability to comprehend spoken language points to damage in Wernicke's area within the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for language comprehension.
Step-by-step explanation:
The issue of not being able to understand spoken language would most likely be due to damage in Wernicke's area. The cerebral cortex contains two critical regions that are responsible for processing language: Broca's area and Wernicke's area. Both areas are indispensable for proper language function, and impairment to either can cause distinct forms of aphasia, which are deficits in language skills. Broca's area is linked with the production of language or speech; thus, damage to this region typically results in expressive aphasia, where individuals have trouble forming proper speech or may speak in broken sentences with compromised grammar. In contrast, Wernicke's area is crucial for the comprehension of language.
Damage to this region typically leads to receptive aphasia, where the individual may be able to produce fluent speech but with little to no understanding of the spoken content or language comprehension. In summary, since Monique's problem surrounds her inability to comprehend spoken language, it signifies an issue with language reception rather than production, pinpointing the damage to Wernicke's area. Therefore, the correct answer to the question is a) Wernicke's area.