Question

Listening to music during exercise improves exercise performance and reduces discomfort. Scientists researched whether listening to music while studying can help students learn better and the results were inconclusive. Students who needed external stimulation for studying fared worse while students who did not need any external stimulation benefited from music.
Which one of the following statements is the CORRECT inference of the above passage?

• A. Listening to music has no effect on learning and a positive effect on physical exercise.
• B. Listening to music has a clear positive effect both on physical exercise and on learning.
• C. Listening to music has a clear positive effect on physical exercise. Music has a positive effect on learning only in some students.
• D. Listening to music has a clear positive effect on learning in all students. Music has a positive effect only in some students who exercise.

Hint:

In inference questions, avoid absolute claims when the passage mentions conditional or inconclusive results. Match conclusions precisely to the evidence provided.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Identify the confirmed outcome for exercise.
The passage clearly states that listening to music during exercise improves performance and reduces discomfort. Hence, the positive effect of music on physical exercise is well established.

Step 2: Analyze the findings related to learning.
The research on listening to music while studying yielded inconclusive results. Specifically, students who required external stimulation performed worse, whereas students who did not require such stimulation benefited from music.

Step 3: Draw the correct inference.
Since music benefits only a subset of students (those who do not need external stimulation), it cannot be said to have a universally positive effect on learning. The effect is conditional and applies only to some students.

Step 4: Evaluate the options.
Option (C) accurately combines both conclusions: a clear positive effect on exercise and a selective positive effect on learning. The other options either overgeneralize or misrepresent the findings.
% Final Conclusion The correct inference from the passage is that music clearly improves exercise performance, while its effect on learning is positive only for some students.