Author's POV
“Phineas Gage’s accident provided doctors with valuable information about how the brain controls behavior.”
Question:
What is the author’s purpose in this sentence?
A. To entertain readers
B. To inform readers about a scientific discovery
C. To criticize medical practices
D. To persuade readers to agree with an opinion
B. To inform readers about a scientific discovery.
“The damage impaired his judgment.”
Question:
What does impaired most nearly mean?
A.Weakened
B. Spared
C. Tested
D. Explained
A. Weakened
“After the accident, Phineas Gage’s behavior changed dramatically.”
Question:
What caused the change in Gage’s behavior?
A. A new job
B. His age
C. A change in friends
D. His brain injury
D. His brain injury
“After the accident, Gage was impatient and unable to plan.”
Question:
Which conclusion is best supported by this sentence?
A. Gage lost his memory
B. Gage’s behavior changed
C. Gage became physically weaker
D. Gage could not speak
C. Gage became physically weaker
“Phineas Gage survived a severe brain injury, but his behavior changed dramatically afterward.”
Question:
What is the main idea of this sentence?
A. Gage survived a dangerous accident
B. Brain injuries can change behavior
C. Doctors were surprised
D. Accidents are unpredictable
B.Brain injuries can change behavior
“Teenagers are often blamed for risky behavior, but research shows their brains are still developing.”
Question:
What is the author’s point of view in this excerpt?
A. Teenagers should be punished for mistakes
B. Teenage behavior cannot change.
C. Teenagers choose to behave poorly
D. Teenage behavior has a scientific explanation
D. Teenage behavior has a scientific explanation
“The brain undergoes significant development.”
Question:
What does development mean here?
A. Decline
B. Growth
C. Damage
D. Delay
B. Growth
“The iron destroyed parts of the frontal lobe, which controls planning and self-control.”
Question:
How did the damage to the frontal lobe affect Gage?
A. It changed his ability to plan
B. It improved his memory
C. It strengthened his muscles
D. It cured his illness
it changed his ability to plan
“Friends said he was no longer the man they once knew.”
Question:
Which claim does this sentence best support?
A. Gage forgot his friends
B. Gage’s personality changed after the injury
C. Gage moved away after the accident
D. Gage avoided social interaction
B. Gage's personality changed after the injury
“Scientists studied Gage’s case and learned that specific parts of the brain control personality and decision-making.”
Question:
What main idea is developed in this excerpt?
A. The brain has different functions
B. Scientists were confused by Gage's injuries
C. Gage became famous
D. Doctors repaired brain injuries
the brain has different functions
“Scientific evidence challenges the assumption that teenage impulsivity is simply a matter of attitude.”
Question:
How does the author distinguish her position from others?
A.By using evidence to question common beliefs
B. By telling someone else's story
C. By telling a personal story
D. By blaming teenagers for their behavior
A. By using evidence to question common beliefs
“Before the accident… After the accident…”
Question:
What text structure is used?
A. Cause and effect
B.Problem and solution
C. Compare and contrast
D. Chronological
C. Compare and contrast
“Because the prefrontal cortex develops later than other brain regions, teenagers may struggle with impulse control.”
Question:
What relationship between ideas is described in this sentence?
A. Cause and effect
B. Sequence
C. Comparison
D. Problem and solution
A.Cause and effect
“Doctors later connected these changes to damage in his frontal lobes, the part of the brain responsible for planning and self-control.”
Question:
Which statement is best supported by the excerpt?
A.Damage to the brain affected Gage's behavior
B. The frontal lobes control physical strength
C. The accident improved Gage's decision-making
D. Doctors were unsure what caused the changes
A.Damage to the brain affected Gage's behavior
“This case helped scientists understand how the brain affects behavior.”
Question:
What central idea does this sentence support?
A. Science is always changing
B. Brain injuries can change behavior
C. Doctors make mistakes
D. Accidents are unpredictable
B. Brain injuries can change behavior.
“Understanding brain development allows adults to respond to adolescent behavior with patience rather than punishment.”
Question:
What does this sentence reveal about the author’s overall perspective?
A. Adults should ignore teenage behavior
B. Teenagers should not face consequences
C. Scientific understanding should influence how teens are treated
D. Teenagers will outgrow all bad behavior
C. Scientific understanding should influence how teens are treated.
“Rather than being careless, adolescents are adapting to ongoing changes in brain structure.”
Question:
How does this sentence reveal the author’s perspective?
A. By blaming teens for their behavior
B. By excusing all teenage behavior
C. By explaining behavior through science
D. By entertaining the reader
C. By explaining behavior through science.
“Gage’s case helped scientists understand that specific areas of the brain influence behavior.”
Question:
How did the event of Gage’s accident affect scientific understanding?
How did the event of Gage’s accident affect scientific understanding?
A. It ended research on the brain
B. It confirmed existing beliefs
C. It showed that injuries are unpredictable
D. It led to new ideas about brain function
“Once reliable and capable, Gage became unreliable and unable to follow social rules.”
Question:
Which piece of evidence from the text best supports the claim that brain injury can affect personality?
A. Gage worked as a railroad foreman
B. Gage survived the accident
C. Gage’s behavior changed after the accident
D. Doctors studied brain injuries
C. Gage's behavior changed after the accident
“During adolescence, the brain undergoes major changes that affect judgment, self-control, and behavior.”
Question:
Which statement best expresses the main idea?
A. Teenagers make poor decisions
B. The brain stops growing in adulthood
C. Adolescence is difficult
D. Brain development influences teenage behavior.
D. Brain development influences teenage behavior
Teenagers are often described as reckless or irresponsible, but scientific research tells a different story. Brain studies suggest that adolescent behavior is strongly connected to ongoing brain development. Rather than blaming teens for poor decisions, the author argues that adults should understand the biological changes taking place. This perspective helps explain why adolescence can be a challenging but important stage of life.
Question:
What is the author’s purpose in this paragraph?
A. To criticize teenage behavior
B. To entertain readers with science
C. To explain teenage behavior using research
D. To argue that teens should have fewer rules
C. To explain teenage behavior using research.
Scientists use brain-imaging technology to study how the adolescent brain develops. These scans show that the brain continues to change well into early adulthood. Because these changes affect areas linked to reasoning and emotional control, behavior can also change over time. As the brain matures, individuals often improve their ability to make thoughtful decisions.
Question:
Which text structure does the author mainly use in this paragraph?
A. Compare and contrast
B. Cause and effect
C. Problem and solution
D. Chronological sequence
B. Cause and effect
During adolescence, the brain goes through major changes, especially in the prefrontal cortex. This area of the brain is responsible for decision-making, planning, and self-control. Because it develops more slowly than other brain regions, teenagers may struggle with impulse control. However, this does not mean teens are incapable of good decisions. Instead, their brains are still learning how to manage complex situations.
Question:
How does the development of the prefrontal cortex affect teenage behavior?
A. It makes teenagers careless
B. It limits their ability to learn
C. It affects decision-making and self-control
D. It prevents emotional growth
C. It affects decision-making and self-control.
Before the accident, Phineas Gage was described as responsible, intelligent, and capable of managing difficult work. After the iron rod passed through his skull, people who knew him noticed significant changes. He became impatient, used inappropriate language, and struggled to follow plans. Employers found him unreliable, and he was unable to keep steady work. Doctors later connected these changes to damage in his frontal lobes.
Question:
Which two details from the paragraph best support the idea that Gage’s personality changed after the accident?
A. He worked on the railroad
B. He became impatient and used inappropriate language
C. Employers found him unreliable
D. Doctors studied his injury
E. He survived the accident
B. He became impatient and used inappropriate language.
and
C. Employers found him unreliable.
Phineas Gage’s survival amazed doctors, but what interested them most was how different he seemed afterward. He could still walk and speak, yet his behavior had changed dramatically. Scientists realized that although Gage’s body recovered, his personality did not. This case became one of the first pieces of evidence showing that specific parts of the brain control behavior and decision-making.
Question:
What is the central idea of this paragraph?
A. Phineas Gage’s accident was rare
B. Brain injuries can affect behavior and personality
C. Doctors could not help Gage
D. Physical recovery is impossible after brain injury
B. Brain injuries can affect behavior and personality.