Fill in the blanks with the appropriate form of the verb. Choose your answers from the given options.

Some scientists …………1………. (look / are looking / have looked) at kids’ brains to see how video games might …………2………….. (affect / affects / affected) their behavior. In one recent study, researchers from the Indiana University (IU) School of Medicine in Indianapolis …………3………….. (assigned / have assigned / assign) 22 teenagers to play a violent game for 30 minutes. Another 22 kids …………4…………. (played / have played / play) a nonviolent, exciting game.

Brains scans …………5……….. (shows / shows / are showing) that the brains of teens playing nonviolent games (left) and those of teens playing violent games (right) …………6……….. (have / had / having) different patterns of activity. Those who …………7………. (played / have played / play) violent games showed greater activity in a region of the brain associated with strong emotions and less activity in a region …………8……… (associating /associated) with planning, focus, and self-control.

Answers

1. are looking (The present continuous is used to talk about an ongoing action or situation)

2. affect (Bare infinitives are used after modals.)

3. assigned

4. played

5. show (The simple present is used to talk about facts)

6. have

7. played

8. associated