The Debt We Owe to the Adolescent Brain by Jeanne Miller

The title of the selection highlights the idea that —

• humans could survive without an extended period of adolescent brain development

• humans would likely become extinct without sufficient adolescent brain growth

• adolescent brain growth determines adult communication ability

• adolescent brain development has important benefits for adults

The comparison between most mammals and humans in paragraph 2 helps the reader understand that —

• humans reproduce at a similar stage of development as compared to other mammals

• rapid adolescent growth is more common in other mammals than it is in humans

• humans have a unique period of adolescence as compared to other mammals

• family protection is more important for other mammals than it is for humans

Read the thesaurus definition. insulate v: wrap, cushion, isolate, detach Which synonym best fits how insulating is used in the following sentences?

We lose "gray matter" and gain "white matter": myelin, which forms an insulating sheath around nerve fibers.

• Wrap

• Cushion

• Isolate

• Detach

The organizational pattern of the section “Brain Under Construction” allows the author to —

• highlight examples that explain why Neanderthals died out

• explain the effects of gray matter on the adolescent brain

• describe the makeup and composition of the adult brain

• compare and contrast human development with Neanderthals

Read the dictionary entry.
streamline \strēm´līn´\ n 1. a contour designed for decreased air resistance 2. a path of a particle flowing without turbulence past an object v 3. to make something more efficient or simple 4. to modernize something

Which definition best fits how streamlines is used in paragraph 4?

• Definition 1

• Definition 2

• Definition 3

• Definition 4

The organization of the section “Moving On from Childhood” helps the author emphasize the idea that —

• teenage brains are wired for risk-taking to propel them out of their homes

• the brains of children are fundamentally different from those of teenagers

• teenage desire for peer approval can lead to destructive risk-taking

• influencing the desire for rewards can alter teenage behavior

Which two phrases best describe how the author organizes the ideas in the section “Moving On from Childhood” to develop her thesis?

• By describing the brains of adolescents and the brains of early human ancestors

• By comparing the brains of adolescents to the brains of children and adults

• By presenting a timeline of important studies on the adolescent brain

• By explaining the problems associated with the adolescent brain

• By identifying the effects of rewards on the adolescent brain

The author includes the information in the section “Stone Age Impulses in the Modern World” most likely to —

• compare the success of modern teens to that of their ancestors

• explain the benefits of risk-taking for teenage development

• caution teens and their parents about the dangers of risk-taking

• provide scientific evidence that the teenage brain is unique

Which quotation from the selection best explains how teenagers can benefit from their developing brains?

• But the price we pay is that, as myelin is laid down, flexibility diminishes. (paragraph 4)

• “There is evidence,” she says, “that even adolescent rodents tend to hang out with same-aged peers and tend to have more fights with their parents.” (paragraph 6)

• And, compared to children or adults, teens are much more sensitive to rewards. (paragraph 8)

• “As long as it’s not lethal—as in the case of foolish risk-taking—it can lead to innovation and creativity.” (paragraph 12)

Which of the following organizational structures is the section titled Brain Under Construction?

• Description

• Cause and effect

• Compare and contrast

• Problem Solution