AP English Language and Composition Quiz
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REASONING AND ORGANIZATION: WRITING
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Read the student essay below, then answer the question.
Student essay (approx. 370 words):
Schools should adopt later start times for teenagers. A later start would improve academic performance, reduce dangerous driving, and support mental health.
Teenagers' sleep cycles shift later, meaning they naturally fall asleep and wake up later than younger children. When schools start at 7:20 a.m., many students function on too little sleep. Sleep affects memory and attention, so a schedule that ignores biology makes learning harder than it needs to be.
Later starts can also make roads safer. Drowsy driving is similar to distracted driving: reaction times slow and judgment worsens. If teens are less exhausted, they will be more alert behind the wheel, especially during dark winter mornings.
Some critics argue that moving the schedule would disrupt sports and after-school jobs. But sports are not the point of school, and students can always adjust. Since academics matter most, the inconvenience is worth it.
Finally, later start times support mental health. Chronic sleep deprivation increases anxiety and irritability. When students are constantly tired, small problems feel bigger, and conflicts escalate. A later start is not therapy, but it removes a daily stressor that schools control.
Which aspect most weakens the author's line of reasoning?
(Identify the issue that most harms the argument's development.)
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