Question

If you've ever had a sleepless night, you know that a lack of sleep can make you feel sluggish. Yet failing to get a good night's sleep can also have more serious consequences. Sleep plays an important role in the process of learning new information. A lack of sleep reduces a person's ability to pay attention and concentrate, which makes learning more difficult. In addition, sleep is necessary for remembering information. In 2009, researchers discovered that brain patterns called sharp wave–ripple complexes consolidate memories—that is, fix them in the brain—and transfer them to long-term storage. These brain waves happen most often during the deepest phases of sleep. Thus, you may have a hard time remembering what you learned during the day if you don't get enough sleep.

What is the main idea of the passage?

A. Sharp-wave ripple complexes, which often occur during deep sleep, are important for long-term storage of memories

B. Without enough sleep, a person may have a hard time learning and remembering information

Answer 1

Answer: B. Without enough sleep, a person may have a hard time learning and remembering information

Step-by-step explanation:

Your main point of the paragraph serves the purpose of informing the reader about the effects of sleepless nights. The passage mentions the 2009 study by researchers into sharp wave-ripple complexes, but only as a supporting detail to the argument made.

Answer A focuses specifically on the supporting detail regarding the 2009 research survey, instead of summarizing the main idea of the passage provided, whilst answer B is the main idea of the entire article.