Explanation
Correct answer: D.
Choice D is the best answer. The sentence presents the aim of the study, noting that the researchers sought to explore the relationship between the brain’s ability to process natural sounds and its ability to process music.
Why the other choices are wrong
Choice A
Choice A is incorrect. The researchers used the DNN to achieve their aim of exploring the relationship between the brain’s ability to process natural sounds and its ability to process music; evaluating the DNN itself was not their aim.
Choice B
Choice B is incorrect. The sentence misrepresents the researchers’ conclusion as their aim and also misrepresents that conclusion. The researchers’ aim was to explore the relationship between the brain’s ability to process natural sounds and its ability to process music; their conclusion was that the brain’s ability to process music arises as a by-product of natural sound processing, not the other way around.
Choice C
Choice C is incorrect. The sentence merely describes a finding from the study; it doesn’t present the aim of the study.