Comprehension

The understanding that the brain has areas of specialization has brought with it the tendency to teach in ways that reflect these specialized functions. For example, research concerning the specialized functions of the left and right hemispheres has led to left and right hemisphere teaching. Recent research suggests that such an approach neither reflects how the brain learns, nor how it functions once learning has occurred. To the contrary, in most ‘higher vertebrates’ brain systems interact together as a whole brain with the external world. Learning is about making connections within the brain and between the brain and outside world. 
What does this mean? Until recently, the idea that the neural basis for learning resided in connections between neurons remained a speculation. Now, there is direct evidence that when learning occurs, neuro-chemical communication between neurons is facilitated, and less input is required to activate established connections over time. This evidence also indicates that learning creates connections between not only adjacent neurons but also between distant neurons, and that connections are made from simple circuits to complex ones and from complex circuits to simple ones.
As connections are formed among adjacent neurons to form circuits, connections also begin to form with neurons in other regions of the brain that are associated with visual, tactile, and even olfactory information related to the sound of the word. Meaning is attributed to ‘sounds of words’ because of these connections. Some of the brain sites for these other neurons are far from the neural circuits that correspond to the component sounds of the words; they include sites in other areas of the left hemisphere and even sites in the right hemisphere. The whole complex of interconnected neurons that are activated by the word is called a neural network.
In early stages of learning, neural circuits are activated piecemeal, incompletely, and weakly. It is like getting a glimpse of a partially exposed and blurry picture. With more experience, practice, and exposure, the picture becomes clearer and more detailed. As the exposure is repeated, less input is needed to activate the entire network. With time, activation and recognition become relatively automatic, and the learner can direct her attention to other parts of the task. This also explains why learning takes time. Time is needed to establish new neutral networks and connections between networks. This suggests that the neutral mechanism for learning is essentially the same as the products of learning. Learning is a process that establishes new connections among networks. The newly acquired skills or knowledge are nothing but formation of neutral circuits and networks.

Question: 1

It can be inferred that, for a nursery student, learning will …

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Young learners often grasp concepts in fragments; integration of knowledge occurs progressively as brain connections strengthen with age.
Updated On: Aug 30, 2025
  • comprise piecemeal ideas and disconnected concepts.
  • be a pleasant experience due to the formation of improved connections among neurons.
  • lead to complex behavior due to formation of new connections among neurons.
  • be better if discrete subjects are taught than a mix of subjects.
  • be a happy experience.
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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

For nursery-level students, cognitive abilities and neural connections are still in their early developmental stage.
Their understanding of concepts is not fully integrated, and they often perceive ideas in isolation rather than as part of a continuous, logical framework.
Hence: - Option A correctly reflects that learning for such students will involve fragmented and disconnected ideas.
- Option B and C focus on improved or complex neural connections, which occur at later developmental stages, not at the nursery level.
- Option D and E are subjective statements, not directly inferred from the developmental psychology context.
Thus, the best inference is Option A.
\[ \boxed{\text{For nursery students, learning will comprise piecemeal ideas and disconnected concepts.}} \]
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Question: 2

Read the following statements and answer the question that follows.
I. The two hemispheres of the brain are responsible for learning autonomously.
II. Simultaneous activation of circuits can take place in different areas of the brain.
III. There are specific regions of the brain associated with sight, touch and smell.
IV. The brain receives inputs from multiple external sources.
V. Learning is not the result of connections between neurons.
Which of the above statements are consistent with ideas expressed in the passage?

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In such reasoning questions, eliminate extreme or contradictory statements (like V) and focus on those directly consistent with neuroscience principles (like II and III).
Updated On: Aug 30, 2025
  • I, V
  • II, III
  • III, V
  • IV, V
  • I, II, III
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The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Evaluate each statement.
I. “The two hemispheres… learning autonomously.” → Not supported. No evidence in the passage for hemispheres functioning independently. ✗
II. “Simultaneous activation of circuits…” → Supported; circuits in different areas can indeed be active together. ✓
III. “Specific regions… sight, touch, smell.” → Supported; sensory functions are localized in particular brain regions. ✓
IV. “Brain receives inputs from multiple external sources.” → General truth, but not emphasized in the given context. ✗
V. “Learning is not the result of connections between neurons.” → Opposite of neuroscience findings; passage stresses the importance of neuronal connections. ✗
Step 2: Correct combination.
Only II and III align with the ideas in the passage. \[ \boxed{\text{Answer: B (II, III)}} \]
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Question: 3

Which of the following proverbs best describes the passage?

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Always match the underlying idea of the passage with the proverb: here, the theme of accumulation and collective value fits perfectly with “Many a mickle makes a muckle.”
Updated On: Aug 30, 2025
  • When student is ready, the master appears.
  • Child is the father of the man.
  • All’s well that ends well.
  • You can’t teach old dog new tricks.
  • Many a mickle makes a muckle.
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The Correct Option is

Solution and Explanation

The proverb “Many a mickle makes a muckle” means that {small efforts or contributions, when accumulated, amount to something large or significant}.
Option (A) refers to learning readiness, not accumulation.
Option (B) emphasizes how childhood shapes adulthood, which is unrelated.
Option (C) focuses on outcomes being good if the ending is good, not the central theme.
Option (D) suggests difficulty in changing old habits, again irrelevant.
Option (E) directly matches the passage’s theme (likely about how small parts combine to create a whole). Thus, the correct match is: \[ \boxed{\text{Many a mickle makes a muckle.}} \]
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Question: 4

A father and son aged 60 and 25 respectively, have been learning paragliding for quite some time. Based on the passage above, which of the following would be true?

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When options differ in certainty, prefer cautious modals (“might”, “can”) unless the passage guarantees absolutes. Avoid choices that add unstated assumptions or claim “always”.
Updated On: Aug 30, 2025
  • The son would always learn more.
  • The father {might} learn more, if both of them started at the same time.
  • The son would learn more, if both of them started at the same time.
  • If both of them have been learning since the age of 15, the son would learn more.
  • Both of them would always progress equally.
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The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Note the modal strength in options.
Options (A), (C), and (E) make strong, universal claims (“always”, “would learn more”, “always progress equally”), which are not warranted without specific evidence from the passage.
Step 2: Evaluate conditional statements.
Option (D) presumes a particular history (“since the age of 15”) not stated; hence it over-assumes.
Step 3: Choose the logically safe inference.
Option (B) uses the modal “might”, acknowledging uncertainty and allowing that the older learner could outperform given equal starting conditions; this is consistent and does not overgeneralize beyond the passage.
\[ \boxed{\text{Hence, (B) is the only defensible statement.}} \]
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