Question

passage ii - what is music? the brain knows.
passage b
what is music? the brain knows.
(11) though music has been found that even the most ancient cultures) made music. the reasons behind
(its universal allure remain unexplained. 2 however, until recently they have been unable to verify this
hypothesis. 3 scientists have long assumed that there must be a neural basis for our love of music, and
have been searching for evidence using conventional brain - scanning technology. 4 now, though,
researchers at the massachusetts institute of technology (mit) have devised a weird trick for brain
imaging that seems to support this long - held hypothesis. (13)
these mit researchers performed mathematical analyses of scans of the auditory cortex and found
that specific groups of neurons in this region, which is located in the temporal lobes, fires in response
to music. however, they found a part of the brain that is dedicated to distinguishing music from other
types of sound. during testing, neurons in the area fired in response to everything from bach to
12 which choice most effectively maintains the essay’s tone?
a no change
b new approach to
c cool new method of
d mode of action concerning

Explanation:

The original phrase "weird trick for brain" is informal and doesn't fit the academic tone of the essay. Option A (NO CHANGE) keeps the informal tone. Option C ("cool new method of") is also informal with "cool". Option D ("mode of action concerning") is too wordy and awkward. Option B ("new approach to") is formal, concise, and maintains the essay's tone while accurately describing the MIT researchers' method for brain research.

Answer:

B. new approach to