"Male and Female Brains: Are They Different?" 2010 SOL #3

Which word means the same as assertions in paragraph 1?

• concepts

• facts

• suspicions

• claims

Which best summarizes paragraph 2?

• IQ tests are an effective measure in determining the intelligence of both males and females.

• Although there is a link between body weight and brain size, males are not more intelligent than females.

• Although there is a difference in brain size between males and females, they seem to be equally intelligent.

• Males tend to score about the same as females on tests.

Read the sentence from paragraph 3:

This allows the more emotional right side to “talk” to the more analytical left side of the brain.

The word “talk” is used —

• sarcastically

• figuratively

• objectively

• literally

In paragraph 5, why does the author present the findings of Dr. Leonard Sax?

• To establish credibility by citing a medical professional

• To show that psychologists and physicians sometimes disagree on gender differences

• To demonstrate the fact that stereotypes are based on opinion

• To provide medical evidence to support the claim that women are more intelligent than men

In paragraph 6, the author presents evidence to suggest that —

• males are generally better at public speaking than females

• females are better able to put their thoughts into words at an earlier age than males

• males are more likely to excel in the social sciences than females

• females in their teens express themselves better through speech than through writing

Which word means the same as proficiency in paragraph 6?

• curiosity

• skill

• effort

• beauty

Why does the author compare historical and modern attitudes toward men and women in paragraph 7?

• To prove that the brains of males and females are physically the same

• To confirm that gender determines how well a student will perform in a subject

• To demonstrate that assumptions about gender learning differences are misleading

• To show that males are better at learning languages than females

Which best expresses the main idea of paragraph 7?

• Scientists have found that brain types are determined at birth.

• Expectations can influence performances of males and females.

• Perspectives on women’s language abilities have changed.

• Abilities of males and females have reversed in the last 100 years.

In paragraph 7, the author supports her point of view by —

• exposing contradictions between gender stereotypes and behaviors

• explaining the reasons behind stereotypes of the 1800s

• focusing on women’s strong points and men’s areas of weakness

• revealing that girls tend to outperform boys in chemistry and biology

Which characteristic most clearly identifies this passage as a report?

• It uses descriptive language.

• It has a central theme.

• It is based on factual information.

• It contains figurative language.