Alcohol is a depressant, which means that even small amounts of alcohol slow down the actions of parts of the brain, so alcohol lengthens the time you take to respond to a stimulus. Different people react differently to alcohol. In some people, it increases their feelings of aggression, and releases their inhibitions so that they are more likely to be violent or commit other crimes. An alcoholic needs to drink quite large quantities of alcohol regularly. This causes many parts of the body to be damaged, because alcohol is poisonous to cells. Probably, there are many factors which decide whether or not a person becomes alcoholic. Over a long period of time, it can cause loss of memory and confusion. One way in which the damage is done is that alcohol in the body fluids draws water out of cells by osmosis.
Alcohol lengthens the time one takes to respond to a stimulus. This occurs due to
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Slow down of neuronal action
The passage says alcohol is a depressant: it slows down the actions of parts of the brain, so a person takes longer to respond.
Option (1) Slowed metabolism — Incorrect. The passage links the delay to the brain, not to metabolism.
Option (2) Increased aggression — Incorrect. Aggression is a separate effect in some people; it does not delay responses.
Option (3) Increased metabolism — Incorrect. The passage calls alcohol a depressant: it slows down parts of the brain. Increased metabolism would mean faster activity, and the passage does not link the slower response to metabolism at all.
Option (4) Slow down of neuronal action — Correct. Alcohol is a depressant; it slows down the action of nerve cells in the brain. So signals pass more slowly and the person takes longer to respond to a stimulus.