Three scientists win Nobel medicine prize for research on brain activity
Practice B1 English reading with 5 questions based on the Daily News article “Three scientists win Nobel medicine prize for research on brain activity”.
About this practice test
Practice B1 English reading with 5 questions based on the Daily News article “Three scientists win Nobel medicine prize for research on brain activity”.
What you’ll practice
Finding detail
Locate specific information and evidence.
Interpreting ideas
Connect main points and inferences.
Evaluating arguments
Assess claims, evidence, and limitations.
What to expect:
5 questions with explanations to review after submission.
Study the questions and tasks
Work through the material below, or start the interactive practice above to complete an attempt. Try the exercises before opening any answer or transcript sections, then use them to review your work.
- Practice level
- B1. Try this level if you can follow the instructions and understand most of the language; choose an earlier level if you need more support.
- Question formats
- Single choice
How to approach this practice
Read the passage for its main idea, then return to the relevant sentence or paragraph for each question. Base answers on the passage.
News lesson for this practice
Read the complete article and use its text or audio alongside these exercises: Three scientists win Nobel medicine prize for research on brain activity.
Three scientists win Nobel medicine prize for research on brain activity
Three scientists have won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for research into how the brain controls individual nerve cells. The winners are Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel. Their work focuses on light-gated ion channels and a research method called optogenetics. These areas help scientists study how nerve cells become active or stop being active. The prize was announced Monday, October 5, at the Karolinska Institute…
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Question 1 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
What is the main purpose of the article?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- To explain a new hospital treatment
- To report a science prize and its research
- To compare three universities
- To describe the Nobel Peace Prize
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- To report a science prize and its research
It reports the prize, the winners, their research, and later announcements.
Three scientists have won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for research into how the brain controls individual nerve cells.
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Question 2 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
What can readers infer about optogenetics?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- It is used only in Sweden
- It is mainly used for literature
- It has become widely useful in research
- It was created by the Nobel committee
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- It has become widely useful in research
Its worldwide laboratory use shows that the method has broad importance.
The Nobel committee said the method is now used in laboratories around the world to study the brain.
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Question 3 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
In the third paragraph, what does “their” refer to?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- The nerve cells
- The three winners
- The laboratories
- The Nobel committee members
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- The three winners
The paragraph lists the workplaces of the three scientists.
Deisseroth is based at Stanford University in California.
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Question 4 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
Why does the article mention the winners’ universities?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- To show where the scientists work
- To explain how universities award prizes
- To compare university buildings
- To name the next Nobel winners
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- To show where the scientists work
The information identifies where each scientist is based.
Hegemann works at Humboldt University in Berlin, and Nagel works at the University of Würzburg in Germany.
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Question 5 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
How is the final paragraph organized?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- By describing one experiment
- By giving events in time order
- By comparing two research methods
- By explaining a problem and solution
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- By giving events in time order
It presents the medicine prize, then lists the timing of other prizes.
The physics prize is scheduled to follow on Tuesday, with chemistry and literature announced later in the week.
What to review next
Find the words that support each answer. For a mistake, compare the question with the evidence and identify the detail or inference you missed.
A focused practice result shows how you did on these tasks. Use several activities across skills to decide what to study next; one practice score does not certify an overall CEFR level.
Before you practise: a worked example
Look for evidence in the text. Separate what the writer says from what you already know about the topic.
The library normally closes at six, but on Fridays it stays open until eight. When does it close on Friday?
The answer is eight. But introduces an exception to the normal closing time, so the first time mentioned is not the answer.
This teaching example is separate from the scored questions. After your test, compare any mistakes with the explanation and revisit the topic before trying again.