Question #N381
A recent study found that people are more likely to remember information when they have a personal connection to it. In other words, the more meaningful the information is to someone, the more likely they are to recall it. For instance, people are more likely to remember the name of their first pet than they are to remember the names of all the U.S. presidents. This is because they have a personal connection to the names of their pets, but they do not have a personal connection to the names of all the U.S. presidents. This suggests that meaningfulness plays a role in memory.
Which of the following revisions to the underlined portion of the passage would be most effective in improving the clarity and conciseness of the passage?Correct Answer is: A
Choice A is the best answer because it most effectively improves the clarity and conciseness of the passage. The original sentence is somewhat redundant, as it simply restates the idea that meaningfulness plays a role in memory. Choice A eliminates this redundancy by using a dash to introduce a brief explanation of this idea, which makes the sentence more concise and easier to understand. Choices B, C, and D are less effective because they are not as concise or clear as Choice A. Choice B uses a comma and a participial phrase, which makes the sentence more complex and less concise. Choice C uses a comma and a prepositional phrase, which is also less concise than Choice A. Choice D uses a comma and a coordinating conjunction, which is not as concise or clear as Choice A.