Researchers, Investigating the Link Between Daily Coffee Consumption and Learning

Reading Passage Question

Researchers, investigating the link between daily coffee consumption and learning, claim that subjects who consumed one cup of coffee a day for one week (the equivalent of 50 mg per day) exhibited improvements in declarative memory. Furthermore, the study revealed that such improvements were longer-lasting than those witnessed in a control group served decaffeinated coffee (decaffeinated contains negligible amounts of caffeine). After a week of learning a list of facts, the subjects who consumed one cup of coffee were able to recall these facts with significantly more accuracy.

While daily coffee consumption may aid in the process of forming a greater number of short-term memories, and increase the likelihood that these memories will be stored in long-term memory, the study glosses over an important fact. Many exhibit sensitivities to caffeine, including headaches (both migraine and non-migraine), sleeplessness, heightened anxiety and any number of factors that, when working either alone or in tandem, may actually lead to a decrease in the observed link between caffeine and learning. Nonetheless, despite the fact that the study represents a random sampling—and thus any number of subjects can exhibit any number of reactions to caffeine—if enough subjects continue to display signs of improvements in learning, then this result would not be inconsistent with the study’s findings.

Still, until the researchers either release more details of this study, or subsequent studies are conducted, the extent to which those with caffeine sensitivity influenced the observed link between coffee consumption and memory will not be fully known.

“Researchers, investigating the link between daily coffee consumption and learning”- is a GMAT reading comprehension passage with answers. Candidates need a strong knowledge of English GMAT reading comprehension.

This GMAT Reading Comprehension consists of 3 comprehension questions. The GMAT Reading Comprehension questions are designed for the purpose of testing candidates’ abilities in understanding, analyzing, and applying information or concepts. Candidates can actively prepare with the help of GMAT Reading Comprehension Practice Questions.

Solution and Explanation

1. Based on information in the passage, if a follow-up study had been conducted in which those with caffeine sensitivities were removed, such a study would most likely

1. be so inconclusive as to require scientists to conduct follow-up studies
2. uncover a connection between improvements in declarative memory and caffeine consumption
3. provide scientists little insight into the extent in which those with caffeine sensitivities affected the original study
4. show a more pronounced relationship between caffeine consumption and an improvement in declarative memory
5. need to determine if those without caffeine sensitivities have similar increases in long-term memory retention as they do in short-term memory retention

2. In describing the range of negative reactions of subjects with caffeine sensitivities, the author implies that

1. such subjects do not experience more than one caffeine-related side effect at the same time
2. that those who suffer migraines usually do not experience insomnia
3. none of these subjects, after consuming 50 mg worth of caffeine, will show improvements in memory
4. the negative effects some subjects experience after drinking caffeine are transient and unlikely to affect their performance on memory-related tests
5. the presence of any such reactions can negate the observed link between caffeine consumption and learning

3. According to the passage, the observed results of the study are not inconsistent with the fact that any number of subjects could exhibit caffeine sensitivities because

1. the findings from the study tend to be tentative and will only gain more credibility if scientists are able to replicate findings
2. even subjects who experience migraines after drinking coffee will exhibit improvements in memory
3. any such subjects would have no longer participated in the study, thereby skewing the results in favour of those without caffeine sensitivities
4. the same effect in improvements in declarative memory would be observed regardless of the number of subjects who displayed sensitivities to caffeine
5. as long as a majority of subjects display improved declarative memory, such improvements will likely negate the adverse effects exhibited by those with caffeine sensitivities

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