Read the excerpt:
Students often stay up late before an exam, believing that extra hours of study will help. Research suggests the opposite. During deep sleep the brain replays and strengthens what was learned during the day, moving new information into long-term memory. In one study, students who slept after learning a list of words remembered far more of them the next morning than students who stayed awake for the same length of time.
What is the author's main purpose in the excerpt?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. To argue that sleep helps students remember what they study
- Step 1: The author challenges the habit of staying up late and explains, with research and a study, that sleep strengthens what has been learned. Answer: To argue that sleep helps students remember what they study. Why not the others: Exam marking is never discussed, only one learning situation is described rather than several methods, and the excerpt says deep sleep strengthens memory, the opposite of weakening it.
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