MUET MARCH-2017 READING-Exercise 4 (Question)

Questions 22 to 29 are based on the following passage.

Being plugged into an iPod is a hallmark of adolescence, but a new study suggests that teens who spend too much time listening to music may be at higher risk of depression.

The study, led by Dr. Brian Primack, an assistant professor of medicine and paediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, found that teens who reported listening to music more often — rather than using other types of media like TV and books — were at higher risk of having major depressive disorder (MDD), compared with teens who listened to music less frequently. With each level increase in music use, teens had an 80 percent higher risk of depression, the study found

The study did not measure total listening times, but based on previous data, the study authors estimated that teens in the highest-use group were likely listening to music for at least four or five hours a day. "At this point, it is not clear whether depressed people begin to listen to more music to escape, or whether listening to large amounts of music can lead to depression or both," said Primack in a statement.

By contrast, researchers found that reading books had the opposite association: With each level increase in time spent reading, teens' risk of depression dropped 50 percent. "This is worth emphasizing because overall in the US, reading books is decreasing, while nearly all other forms of media use are increasing," Primack said.

Of all the media reported, only music showed significant associations with increased depression risk, after researchers controlled for factors like age, sex, and ethnicity. But that does not necessarily mean that music causes depression — for some depressed teens, music may even help. The authors explain that sadness is a common theme in popular music, and it may be that individuals with depression turn to these messages to make themselves feel less alone in their sadness. Conversely, it may also be that individuals with MDD turn to happy music to "tune out" their negative moods or to elevate their moods. Other researchers have suggested that heavy exposure to the sometimes dark themes of popular music may contribute to the development of conditions such as MDD.

Past research has also found links between depression and other forms of media like TV and video games. A seven-year study published in 2009, also led by Primack, showed that teens who watched more TV were more likely to become depressed in adulthood, compared with teens who watched less. So the researchers were surprised to find no such association in the current study, but suggest that further research is necessary to clarify potential links.

Previous longitudinal research has also found that reading may have a mentally protective effect: Teens who read more are less likely to become depressed as adults. The current study suggests that being depressed may also preclude time spent reading. "We sort of thought to ourselves that when you have depression, your brain is not working properly. So it's much harder to sit down to a book and have to use a lot of the frontal lobe of your brain to create the story and the characters in your head, whereas, it should be quite easy to flop down in front of a TV and turn on whatever's there," Primack said.

Although the connections between depression and various forms of media are significant, more research is needed to understand them better, especially considering the conflicting information.

But for now, Primack said the findings may be a way for parents to spot a potentially troubled teen. "It may be valuable for people to help pick up cues for common behaviors like listening to music," he said.

Questions:

22 The word hallmark (line 1) means

A. a common habit

B. an unusual behaviour

C. the most typical feature

23 The findings regarding reading will be useful in

A. stopping the decline in reading

B. preventing depression among teenagers

C. discouraging teenagers from listening to music

24 Primark's comment This is worth emphasizing (line 19) suggests that

A. teenagers should read more

B.depression among teenagers will increase

C. teenagers should not be exposed to many forms of media

25 Which of the following is true of paragraph 5?

A. People who listen to popular music are usually happy.

B. When people are depressed, they listen to music.

C. Music may or may not cause depression.

26 What can be concluded from the 2009 and the current study? 

A. The findings are contradictory.

B.The findings discourage listening to music.

C. The findings identify watching television as a cause of depression.

27 preclude time spent reading (line 41) means the depressed 

A. find reading difficult

B. are discouraged from reading

C. claim that reading worsens their 

28 The passage ends with

A. an advice for parents of teenagers

B. a caution on the use of the findings

C. a possible application of the findings  

29 From the passage. we can conclude that

A. reading is the recommended action for depressed teenagers

B. it is true that different media will affect teenagers differently

C. further research on the link between depression and various media forms is needed