Read the passage and answer the questions:
Habits, scientists say, emerge because the brain is constantly looking for ways to save effort. Left to its own devices, the brain will try to make almost any routine into a habit, because habits allow our minds to ramp down more often. This effort-saving instinct is a huge advantage. An efficient brain requires less room, which makes for a smaller head, which makes childbirth easier, and therefore makes survival more likely.
But conserving mental effort is only part of the story. Habits also have a powerful impact on our behaviors because once they are formed, they operate automatically. Even more importantly, habits can be changed, replaced, or ignored—but only if we understand how they work.
At the core of every habit is a neurological loop that consists of three parts: a cue, a routine, and a reward. This loop is the foundation of all habitual behaviors. The cue is the trigger that tells your brain to go into automatic mode, the routine is the behavior itself, and the reward is what helps your brain remember the loop in the future.
Understanding this loop is the first step in taking control of habits, whether you want to break a bad habit or create a new one.
According to the passage, why does the brain try to turn routines into habits?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
Correct Answer
Because habits help conserve mental effort, making survival easier.
Explanation
The answer is directly stated in the first paragraph of the passage. The text explicitly mentions that "habits, scientists say, emerge because the brain is constantly looking for ways to save effort." It further connects this effort-saving instinct to an evolutionary advantage: an efficient brain requires less room, leading to a smaller head, which makes childbirth easier, and "therefore makes survival more likely." The other options are incorrect because:
The passage states that an efficient brain requires less room, not that it grows larger.
The passage explicitly says habits allow the brain to operate automatically, rather than preventing it.
The passage never mentions that habits completely eliminate the need to learn new things.
Key Points
Core Cause: The brain naturally seeks to minimize effort and ramp down.
Survival Link: Saving mental energy increases the biological efficiency and survival chances of humans.