Reading Comprehension

Recent advances in non-invasive human neuroimaging have provided researchers in the emerging field of social brain science with insights into the working of consciousness and social cognition. Of special interest is the medial prefrontal cortex(MPFC), a region of the brain associated with memory, fear, and, perhaps, prejudice.
Fears create memories, and those memories appear to be stored in the amygdala. This same region also seems to create memories that counter those fears, though these memories are then stored in the MPFC. Neuroimages show that nerves from the MPFC project into the amygdala, providing the mechanism for suppressing the fear response. As one might expect, rodents with MPFC damage have a decreased ability to deal with certain fears.
MPFC activity also seems to correlate with self-referential judgments and memory. The dorsal MPPFC in particular shows heightened activity during introspective mental activity. Interestingly, there is a reduction in ventral MPFC activity when individuals are involved in tasks that demand attention. This indicates that cognitive activity can decrease certain emotional processing. Otherdifferences between these two areas of the MPFC have been noted. The ventral region becomes more engaged when an individual is shown photographs of strangers whose political beliefs - so the viewer is told - are similar to those of the person viewing the photograph, but the dorsal region becomes more active when the photographs are of individuals with whom the viewer does not share the same political perspective.
As long ago as the 19th century, scientists knew that damage to the MPFC interfered with social skills while leaving other mental skills untouched. With out newfound ability to actually observe mental activity in both healthy and impaired individuals without recourse to surgery, we have entered into an area that is sure to provide us with information about ourselves that will prove to be of enormous interest and great usefulness.



1. The primary purpose of the passage is to
A. highlight some of the work being done in a new field.
B. discuss technological breakthroughs.
C. illustrate the advantages of non-invasive brain research
D. show similarities between apparently differing research methods.
E. demonstrate the extent to which our knowledge of the brain has increased in recent years.

2. According to the passage, it is likely that the memories that allay fears are
A. formed in the dorsal and ventral MPFC
B. related to memories that form prejudices
C. created and stored in different parts of the brain
D. able to be manipulated in rats through neuroimaging procedures
E. affected by tasks that demand attention






















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[spoiler]o.a:1.A 2.C[/spoiler]
Question 1 is the best example of my weakness, I was somewhere between choice A and C, and I chose C eventually since choice A sounded too broad for me compare to choice C.
Also, for question 2, I had no clue where to find information that relates to the term"alay fears" from the second paragraph. As I discusses with you earlier, I had trouble to find correct infomation if the terms or content of the question is bit ambiguous.

Is it possible to find the rule or strategy to attack such pitfalls?




Thanks,
Yvonne

my answers A C

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to
A. highlight some of the work being done in a new field.
para 1 says " provided researchers in the emerging field ", which show its a new field and the passage aptly describes the work done in it.
B. discuss technological breakthroughs.
no technological brkthru is discussed
C. illustrate the advantages of non-invasive brain research
this is too small in scope, passage does say that based on the avances in this field somethign else happened.adn rest of the passage discusses that somethign else, not the cause.
D. show similarities between apparently differing research methods.
out of scope
E. demonstrate the extent to which our knowledge of the brain has increased in recent years.
studies using soem advances in a new field are discussed thats it,this is stretchign the given info to far.


2. According to the passage, it is likely that the memories that allay fears are
A. formed in the dorsal and ventral MPFC
B. related to memories that form prejudices
C. created and stored in different parts of the brain
D. able to be manipulated in rats through neuroimaging procedures
E. affected by tasks that demand attention

Allay means - to reduce /relieve
second para says " This same region also seems to create memories that counter those fears, though these memories are then stored in the MPFC."
this clearly satisfies option C.

HTH

Hi yvonne0923,

IMO C , C .

Well , i am not satisfied with answer of question 1 as A , as the passage talks about the prospects and not any kind of work done ... Do you have any official explanation for this , or your take at the question ... anything you noticed that makes A better choice than C .

Time taken 4 :03 , i am rusting . There were to many confusing concepts in para , increase decrease , stored here and there , MPFC + MPFFC , ventral and dorsal ... etc .

AIM GMAT wrote:Hi yvonne0923,

IMO C , C .

Well , i am not satisfied with answer of question 1 as A , as the passage talks about the prospects and not any kind of work done ... Do you have any official explanation for this , or your take at the question ... anything you noticed that makes A better choice than C .

Time taken 4 :03 , i am rusting . There were to many confusing concepts in para , increase decrease , stored here and there , MPFC + MPFFC , ventral and dorsal ... etc .

AIM,
for the first one, the passsage bases its facts on the neuroimages which show diff things as cited. so i thnk tht definitely counts towards the work done in the emerging field.
any other thoughts?

Thanks Rohu , now i get it how A is better than C . I was solving the question on basis of two words "advantages" and "work".

Great going rohu ... ... .

AIM GMAT wrote:Hi yvonne0923,

IMO C , C .

Well , i am not satisfied with answer of question 1 as A , as the passage talks about the prospects and not any kind of work done ... Do you have any official explanation for this , or your take at the question ... anything you noticed that makes A better choice than C .

Time taken 4 :03 , i am rusting . There were to many confusing concepts in para , increase decrease , stored here and there , MPFC + MPFFC , ventral and dorsal ... etc .

From the O.A explanation, the answer A: The new field is the"emerging field of social brain science"(1st paragraph). The work being highlighted refers to research into the MPFC.

rohu27 wrote:my answers A C

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to
A. highlight some of the work being done in a new field.
para 1 says " provided researchers in the emerging field ", which show its a new field and the passage aptly describes the work done in it.
B. discuss technological breakthroughs.
no technological brkthru is discussed
C. illustrate the advantages of non-invasive brain research
this is too small in scope, passage does say that based on the avances in this field somethign else happened.adn rest of the passage discusses that somethign else, not the cause.
D. show similarities between apparently differing research methods.
out of scope
E. demonstrate the extent to which our knowledge of the brain has increased in recent years.
studies using soem advances in a new field are discussed thats it,this is stretchign the given info to far.


2. According to the passage, it is likely that the memories that allay fears are
A. formed in the dorsal and ventral MPFC
B. related to memories that form prejudices
C. created and stored in different parts of the brain
D. able to be manipulated in rats through neuroimaging procedures
E. affected by tasks that demand attention

Allay means - to reduce /relieve
second para says " This same region also seems to create memories that counter those fears, though these memories are then stored in the MPFC."
this clearly satisfies option C.

HTH

Even though the 2nd para says that"This same region also seems to create memories that counter those fears, though these memories are then stored in the MPFC." but how do you know this is created and stored in different parts of the brain? Since the 2nd para only mentions that "those memories appear to be stored in the amygdala." In this case, the memory that counters fear should be stored in the specific area of "Amygdala" only, doesn't it?

yvonne0923 wrote:

rohu27 wrote:my answers A C

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to
A. highlight some of the work being done in a new field.
para 1 says " provided researchers in the emerging field ", which show its a new field and the passage aptly describes the work done in it.
B. discuss technological breakthroughs.
no technological brkthru is discussed
C. illustrate the advantages of non-invasive brain research
this is too small in scope, passage does say that based on the avances in this field somethign else happened.adn rest of the passage discusses that somethign else, not the cause.
D. show similarities between apparently differing research methods.
out of scope
E. demonstrate the extent to which our knowledge of the brain has increased in recent years.
studies using soem advances in a new field are discussed thats it,this is stretchign the given info to far.


2. According to the passage, it is likely that the memories that allay fears are
A. formed in the dorsal and ventral MPFC
B. related to memories that form prejudices
C. created and stored in different parts of the brain
D. able to be manipulated in rats through neuroimaging procedures
E. affected by tasks that demand attention

Allay means - to reduce /relieve
second para says " This same region also seems to create memories that counter those fears, though these memories are then stored in the MPFC."
this clearly satisfies option C.

HTH

Even though the 2nd para says that"This same region also seems to create memories that counter those fears, though these memories are then stored in the MPFC." but how do you know this is created and stored in different parts of the brain? Since the 2nd para only mentions that "those memories appear to be stored in the amygdala." In this case, the memory that counters fear should be stored in the specific area of "Amygdala" only, doesn't it?

the entire passage as mentione din the 1sta para discusses abt brain science, so i assumed amygdala to be part of brain (whr else can it be? )

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to
A. highlight some of the work being done in a new field.
para 1 says " provided researchers in the emerging field ", which show its a new field and the passage aptly describes the work done in it.
B. discuss technological breakthroughs.
no technological brkthru is discussed
C. illustrate the advantages of non-invasive brain research
this is too small in scope, passage does say that based on the avances in this field somethign else happened.adn rest of the passage discusses that somethign else, not the cause.

Para 1: Firstline : Keyword "emerging technology" we cannot determine adv of an emerging system.

D. show similarities between apparently differing research methods.
out of scope
E. demonstrate the extent to which our knowledge of the brain has increased in recent years.
studies using soem advances in a new field are discussed thats it,this is stretchign the given info to far.