SAT OwlQuestion bank / Central Ideas and Details
Many people decide to start a new habit on January 1, but behavioral scientist Kiran Desai found that the new year is only one of many such moments. Analyzing visits to a university gym, Desai's team found that attendance rose not only in early January but also at the start of each week, at the start of each month, and just after students' birthdays. The researchers suggest that such dates act as "fresh starts" that make people feel separated from their past failures and more willing to pursue their goals.
According to the text, what did Desai's team find?
Gym attendance rose at several kinds of new beginnings, not only at the start of the year.
Gym attendance was higher in January than at any other time of year.
Students were less likely to visit the gym in the weeks after their birthdays.
People who began exercising on January 1 kept exercising longer than people who began at other times.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A
The team found that attendance rose in early January and also at the start of each week, each month, and just after birthdays. That pattern of increases at many new beginnings is choice A.
Choice B is tempting because January is mentioned first, but the text never says January had the highest attendance.
Why the other choices are wrong
- B. January is one of several times attendance rose. The text never ranks it above the others.
- C. This reverses the finding. Attendance rose just after students' birthdays.
- D. The text says nothing about how long people kept exercising after they started.
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