Question

It rained three days last week and most of the weekend. With each day of steady rain, my mood grew worse than the day before, until I had no energy left and just wanted to lie down. My brother Jose bounces around the house with a smile on his face and tells me, “Snap out of it!” but his cheeriness only deepens my gloom. I am sorry, but gray days give me the blues.


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Why does rain have this effect? It can’t just be me, no matter what Jose says. Even the weather forecasters talk about lovely weather when it’s going to be sunny and look grim when they announce more rain. After doing a little research and putting it together with my own experience, I came up with three reasons why day after day of rain leaves me—and others like me—feeling downright cranky.


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First, it puts a damper on most outdoor activities. This past weekend I planned to play soccer, go for a hike, and ride my bicycle along the new river trail. Those are all things I was looking forward to, and none of them work well in the rain.


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Second, when I stay indoors, I am less active physically, even if I am doing something I enjoy, like reading or playing a quiet game. Many science articles say that physical exercise elevates the mood. It increases the flow of blood to the brain and causes the body to release chemicals called endorphins. These chemicals reduce pain and depression; they make us feel good. Exercise also causes the body to release serotonin, a neurotransmitter that lifts the spirits.


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Third, the lack of sunlight on a rainy day has a direct effect on brain chemistry regardless of what I am doing. The brain responds to darkness and light, letting the body know when to sleep and when to wake up. If the world grows dark around us, a tiny part of the brain releases melatonin, which tends to make us sleepy. Exposure to bright light has the opposite effect; the brain produces less melatonin and more serotonin, which helps us wake up. Small wonder we feel happier and wider awake on sunny days than on dull, gray, rainy days.


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Having found three good reasons for my feelings makes me feel better. Now if it would just stop raining, I could go out in the sunshine and use all that brain chemistry to feel really great!




Marvelous Moisture


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Rain puts a bounce in my step and a smile on my face, especially gentle, steady rain like we have enjoyed the last few days. My brother Carlos mopes around the house, complaining about his canceled soccer game, but I am grateful for every drop. It turns the grass bright green and brings the wilting garden back to life. All living things depend on water.


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Water falling from clouds has shaped human lives for thousands of years. In ancient Egypt, which received very little rainfall, agriculture depended on the annual flooding of the Nile River. The floods were very predictable. They started in August or September and lasted about two months. Rich minerals in the floodwater stayed behind, making the soil This question has two parts. Answer Part A, and then answer Part B.
Part A

How does the author's inclusion of the bar graph comparing rainfall and drought across time periods in "Marvelous Moisture" contribute to the author's purpose?

It is meant to entertain readers by summarizing facts through pictures instead of words.

It provides a timeline of historical events that are unrelated to the author’s central idea about rainfall.

It distracts from the author’s argument by focusing too much on ancient Egypt and not modern times.

It visually shows how rainfall has helped and harmed human life, supporting the author’s point that water shapes civilization.

Answer 1

It visually shows how rainfall has helped and harmed human life, supporting the author’s point that water shapes civilization.

Explanation: The graph reinforces the author’s central idea by illustrating the impact of varying rainfall (abundance vs. drought) over time, showing how water availability influenced agriculture and societies like ancient Egypt.