Question

which of the following best describes the short-term effects that alcohol has on the nervous system? a. alcohol affects one’s movement, speech, and vision and causes one’s breathing to speed up and become irregular. b. alcohol dulls concentration, impairs coordination, and causes one’s thought process to be disorganized. c. alcohol impairs hearing and speech and causes one’s memory to be heightened. d. alcohol affects one’s memory, impairs sensory processing, and causes one’s blood pressure to increase.

Explanation:

1. Option A is incorrect: alcohol slows (not speeds up) breathing at typical recreational doses before potentially stopping breathing at very high doses.
2. Option C is incorrect: alcohol impairs (not heightens) memory, and does not primarily target hearing as a core short-term nervous system effect.
3. Option D is incorrect: while blood pressure may initially rise, this is a cardiovascular effect, not a primary direct nervous system effect asked in the question.
4. Option B correctly describes the primary short-term depressant effects of alcohol on the central nervous system: it reduces focus, worsens motor coordination, and disrupts logical, ordered thinking.

Answer:

B. Alcohol dulls concentration, impairs coordination, and causes one's thought process to be disorganized.