ACT-READING-P4

The main point of this passage is to:

•  illustrate the importance of genetics in the formation of a baby’s brain.
• illustrate the importance of stimulation and experience in the formation of a baby’s brain.
• indicate the great need for conducting further research on babies’ brains.
• compare the latest research on babies’ brains with similar research conducted fifteen years ago.

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The main point made in the second, third, and fourth paragraphs (lines 14–52) is that the structure of a baby’s brain:

• is genetically determined before the child is born.
• can be seen through positron-emission tomography.
• can be altered through a process known as pruning.
• is still developing after the child is born.

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According to the passage, one thing PET allows neurobiologists to do is:

• observe activity in the frontal cortex of a baby’s brain.
• determine the number of genes involved in the formation of a baby’s brain.
• control the release of neurotransmitters in a baby’s auditory cortex.
• restore microscopic connections in a baby’s brain.

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When she compares a baby’s brain to city neighborhoods, the author is most nearly illustrating her point that:

• neurotransmitters are actually brain chemicals.
• regions of the brain are awakened through experience.
• the visual cortex allows a baby to recognize specific images.
• a baby’s brain has about 1,000 trillion synapses.

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Which of the following would the author of the passage be LEAST likely to recommend as a way to strengthen the synapses of a baby’s brain?

• Reading to a baby
• Playing peekaboo with a baby
• Teaching a baby with flashcards
• Showing a baby how to distinguish red socks from blue blocks

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The last paragraph suggests that the formation of synapses occurs most rapidly:

• during the first two months of a child’s life.
• during the first nine months of a child’s life.
• from the time a child is about six months old until that child is about ten years old.
• from the time a child is about one year old until that child is well into adolescence.

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As it is used in line 30, the phrase something innate most nearly means:

• a memory.
• learned behavior.
• physical immaturity.
• an inherited trait.

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The fifth paragraph (lines 53–70) suggests that one of the main causes of pruning is:

• a lack of stimulation.
• an insufficient number of genes.
• the use of flashcards.
• the strengthening of synapses.

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When the author refers to “entrepreneurs preying on the anxieties of new parents” (lines 60–61), she is most likely suggesting that new parents should:

• give their babies products such as flashcards only if they have examined these products carefully.
• not be deceived by advertising that claims certain products will increase a baby’s intelligence.
•  not worry if their babies’ development is slightly behind that suggested by neurobiologists.
• take their pediatrician’s advice before they listen to the advice given by other family members.

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The passage states that, in terms of development, the average baby should be able to:

•  focus his or her eyes on an object at two months of age.
• develop a “startle” reflex at about two months of age.
• make logical connections between ideas at about four months of age.
• form explicit memories at about nine months of age.

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