Olfactory remembrance happens when a smell triggers a memory so immediate and vital that it could feel like a person has gone back in time. Neuroscience tells us why this happens. Smells travel through the olfactory bulb in front of the brain, so it’s close to the organ that sends messages to the rest of the body. Additionally, scents have a fast path to places like the nearby amygdala and hippocampus, which are parts of the brain that deal with emotions and memory.

Question

An example: when I was a young girl, I sat on the ground behind the towering lilac bush that grew on the side of our modest ranch house in Illinois. I imagined the branches were tendrils of a giant sea creature, octopuslike and hulking; it would barrel me along from one adventure to another in oily depths of the ocean. Today, when I smell lilacs as an adult, I’m immediately thrust into the past, my childhood home and the lilac bush, where the day stretched before me like a dream that lasts and lasts.

Question
Use the passage to answer the question.

The sentence “Neuroscience tells us why this happens” displays what type of tone for the entire passage?

(1 point)
Responses which answer is correct and why

informal yet scientific
informal yet scientific

informal yet demanding
informal yet demanding

formal yet lighthearted
formal yet lighthearted

formal yet conversational
formal yet conversational
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Answer 1

The correct answer is formal yet conversational.

The tone is formal because it discusses concepts from neuroscience and makes references to specific brain structures, which implies a degree of professionalism and knowledge. However, it also maintains a conversational tone through personal anecdotes and relatable descriptions of memories associated with smells, making the passage accessible and engaging for the reader. The blend of scientific explanation and personal narrative exemplifies this tone.