IELTS Secrets - EXPLANATION

READING 1: THE LIFE OF SIR ISAAC NEWTON

Q1: Paragraph B
Answer: vi
Key word(s): "criticism," "defense of his work," "academic disputes"
Cited Sentence: “His methods were heavily criticized by established Society member Robert Hooke… Newton engaged in heated correspondence with Hooke…”
Explanation: This paragraph focuses on Newton’s controversies with Robert Hooke over his work, emphasizing academic disputes and Newton's defense of his ideas, which aligns with the heading.

Q2: Paragraph C
Answer: viii
Key word(s): "Principia Mathematica," "laws of motion and universal gravity"
Cited Sentence: “The result was the 1687 publication of Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica... which established the three laws of motion and the law of universal gravity.”
Explanation: The paragraph discusses Newton’s crowning scientific achievement: the publication of Principia Mathematica, earning him lasting fame.

Q3: Paragraph D
Answer: vii
Key word(s): "Royal Mint," "pound sterling," "gold standard"
Cited Sentence: “Newton moved to London permanently after being named warden of the Royal Mint… moved the pound sterling from the silver to the gold standard.”
Explanation: This paragraph outlines Newton’s new role at the Royal Mint, describing his efforts to improve the currency system.

Q4: Paragraph E
Answer: i
Key word(s): "experiments," "Opticks," "color spectrum"
Cited Sentence: “The following year he published his second major work, Opticks, composed largely from his earlier notes on the subject.”
Explanation: This paragraph emphasizes Newton's continued research breakthroughs, particularly in optics and the color spectrum.

Q5: Paragraph F
Answer: ii
Key word(s): "debate," "calculus," "claims to originality"
Cited Sentence: “Around this time, the debate over Newton’s claims to originating the field of calculus… exploded into a nasty dispute.”
Explanation: The paragraph highlights the dispute between Newton and Leibniz over the originality of their calculus concepts.

Q6: Paragraph G
Answer: iv
Key word(s): "legacy," "transform understanding," "foundation stone"
Cited Sentence: “Newton is remembered as an extraordinary scholar… his work remains the foundation stone of modern physics.”
Explanation: This paragraph discusses Newton’s long-lasting impact on science and his contributions to the scientific method, cementing his legacy.

Q7: With which scientific organization was Newton associated for much of his career?
Answer: royal society
Key word(s): "elected to the prestigious Society," "president of the Royal Society"
Cited Sentence: “The death of Hooke in 1703 allowed Newton to take over as president of the Royal Society…”
Explanation: Newton was closely associated with the Royal Society, where he contributed significantly and served as its president.

Q8: With whom did Newton live as he got older?
Answer: niece / his niece
Key word(s): "later years," "living with his niece"
Cited Sentence: “Newton spent his later years living with his niece at Cranbury Park…”
Explanation: This detail about his living arrangements in old age directly answers the question.

Q9: Created first reflecting ________, subsequently made a professor at Cambridge at the age of 25.
Answer: telescope
Key word(s): "reflecting telescope," "professor of Mathematics"
Cited Sentence: “He constructed the first reflecting telescope in 1668, and the following year he… took over as Cambridge’s Professor of Mathematics.”
Explanation: The sentence explains how constructing the telescope led to his academic appointment.

Q10: Helped develop the scientific method with his experiments in _________, the study of light; showed that it is _________, not waves, that constitute light.
Answer (10): optics
Answer (11): particles
Key word(s): "optics," "study of light," "particles instead of waves"
Cited Sentence: “He published his notes on optics for his peers… asserted that light was composed of particles instead of waves.”
Explanation: Newton’s work in optics and his assertion about the nature of light address the question directly.

Q12: Worked out the laws of the movement of bodies in space (planets etc.), published Principia Mathematica with laws of gravity and ________.
Answer: motion
Key word(s): "laws of motion," "Principia Mathematica"
Cited Sentence: “Principia Mathematica… established the three laws of motion and the law of universal gravity.”
Explanation: The text specifies that the Principia Mathematica contains Newton's laws of motion.

Q13: Joint founder (with Leibniz) of _________, a new branch of mathematics.
Answer: calculus
Key word(s): "calculus," "mathematical concept"
Cited Sentence: “Newton had developed his mathematical concept of ‘fluxions’… debate over Newton’s claims to originating the field of calculus.”
Explanation: The paragraph describes Newton’s contributions to calculus alongside Leibniz.

READING 2: THE GEOGRAPHY OF ANTARCTICA

Q14: Antarctica’s location far from other continents means that it is very
Answer: remote
Key word(s): "Antarctica", "far from other continents"
Cited Sentence: "The continent of Antarctica makes up most of the Antarctic region. The Antarctic is a cold, remote area in the Southern Hemisphere..."
Explanation: The word "remote" is directly used in the passage to describe Antarctica's location in the Southern Hemisphere, far from other continents.

Q15: Antarctica is alone among the continents in having no
Answer: native population
Key word(s): "native population", "Antarctica"
Cited Sentence: "It is unique in that it does not have a native population."
Explanation: The sentence explicitly states that Antarctica is unique for having no native population, which is the correct answer to this question.

Q16: The Antarctic ice sheet holds the record as the largest
Answer: single
Key word(s): "largest", "ice sheet", "Antarctic"
Cited Sentence: "The Antarctic Ice Sheet dominates the region. It is the single piece of ice on Earth covering the greatest area."
Explanation: The word "single" is used to describe the Antarctic Ice Sheet, emphasizing that it is the largest piece of ice on Earth.

Q17: ______________ are blocks of ice connected to the Antarctic ice sheet.
Answer: ice shelves
Key word(s): "blocks of ice", "connected", "Antarctic ice sheet"
Cited Sentence: "Ice shelves are floating sheets of ice that are connected to the continent."
Explanation: "Ice shelves" are explicitly described as floating blocks of ice connected to the Antarctic Ice Sheet.

Q18: Some of Antarctica’s mountains are popular with climbers.
Answer: NOT GIVEN
Key word(s): "mountains", "climbers", "Antarctica"
Cited Sentence: No sentence mentions whether Antarctica’s mountains are popular with climbers.
Explanation: The text describes Antarctica's mountains and their heights but does not mention if they are popular for climbing, making this statement "Not Given."

Q19: The temperature in Antarctica never rises above 0°C.
Answer: FALSE
Key word(s): "temperature", "never rises above", "0°C"
Cited Sentence: "During the summer, coastal areas hover around 0°C (32°F) but can reach temperatures as high as 9°C (48°F)."
Explanation: The text explicitly mentions that temperatures can rise above 0°C in coastal areas during summer, making the statement false.

Q20: Antarctica constitutes around one-fifth of the southern half of the world.
Answer: TRUE
Key word(s): "constitutes", "one-fifth", "southern half"
Cited Sentence: "The whole Antarctic region covers approximately 20 percent of the Southern Hemisphere."
Explanation: The sentence directly confirms that Antarctica covers about 20 percent of the Southern Hemisphere, which is approximately one-fifth.

Q21: Rain in Antarctica is rare but falls occasionally.
Answer: FALSE
Key word(s): "rain", "rare", "falls occasionally"
Cited Sentence: "Precipitation in the Antarctic is hard to measure. It always falls as snow."
Explanation: The passage states that precipitation always falls as snow, not rain, making this statement false.

Q22: Antarctica plays an important role in regulating the Earth’s climate through the process of
Answer: E
Key word(s): "regulating", "Earth's climate", "process"
Cited Sentence: "Antarctica has an important role in global climate processes."
Explanation: The text mentions that Antarctica plays an important role in global climate processes, which matches the answer "heat balance" (E).

Q23: ____________ is diverted away from the Earth by the huge Antarctic ice sheet.
Answer: C
Key word(s): "diverted", "away", "Antarctic ice sheet"
Cited Sentence: "The massive Antarctic Ice Sheet reflects a large amount of solar radiation away from Earth’s surface."
Explanation: The text describes how the Antarctic Ice Sheet reflects solar radiation, making "solar radiation" (C) the correct answer.

Q24: As the size and ___________ of the ice sheet have decreased,
Answer: A
Key word(s): "size", "decreased", "ice sheet"
Cited Sentence: "As global ice cover (ice sheets and glaciers) decreases, the reflectivity of Earth’s surface also diminishes."
Explanation: The passage talks about the decreasing size and reflectivity of the ice sheet, making "reflectivity" (A) the correct answer.

Q25: ____________ has caused melting in some parts of the continent.
Answer: G
Key word(s): "caused", "melting", "continent"
Cited Sentence: "As global ice cover (ice sheets and glaciers) decreases, the reflectivity of Earth’s surface also diminishes."
Explanation: This is linked to "global warming" (G), which causes melting in some parts of Antarctica as stated in the text.

Q26: However, other areas of Antarctica have experienced falling temperatures in recent years, due to
Answer: D
Key word(s): "falling temperatures", "recent years", "due to"
Cited Sentence: "These kinds of polar winds lower temperatures in the Antarctic and have been building in strength in recent decades..."
Explanation: The passage attributes the falling temperatures in some areas to the "polar vortex winds" (D).

READING 3: THINKING, FAST AND SLOW

Q27: The dual-process model of the brain is
Answer: D
Key word(s): dual-process model, two different ways
Cited Sentence: "We now know that we apprehend the world in two radically opposed ways, employing two fundamentally different modes of thought: ‘System 1’ and ‘System 2’."
Explanation: The dual-process model explains that the brain operates using two distinct systems of thought. System 1 is fast and intuitive, while System 2 is slow and deliberate. This sentence directly aligns with the idea that the brain processes information in two different ways, making D the correct choice.

Q28: System 2 takes charge of decision-making when
Answer: B
Key word(s): System 2, decision-making, more mental effort
Cited Sentence: "System 2 takes over, rather unwillingly, when things get tricky."
Explanation: The cited sentence indicates that System 2 is engaged when things are difficult or require more thought, which correlates with the need for mental effort. Therefore, B is the correct answer.

Q29: ‘Confirmation bias’ is an example of
Answer: A
Key word(s): confirmation bias, System 1
Cited Sentence: "It jumps wildly to conclusions and it's subject to a fantastic range of irrational cognitive biases and interference effects, such as confirmation bias and hindsight bias."
Explanation: The text connects confirmation bias to System 1 by describing how System 1 makes irrational, biased decisions, such as confirmation bias. Hence, A is correct.

Q30: The main conclusion of the phone booth experiment was that
Answer: B
Key word(s): phone booth experiment, environment, help
Cited Sentence: "People are more responsive to their environment than they realize."
Explanation: The experiment shows how people's actions are influenced by the presence of a dime in the phone booth. This demonstrates that people's behavior is more affected by their environment than they realize. Thus, B is the correct answer.

Q31: The ‘anchoring effect’ is the process by which
Answer: B
Key word(s): anchoring effect, decision-making, subconscious
Cited Sentence: "All were unaware of the anchoring effect."
Explanation: The anchoring effect occurs when decisions are influenced by irrelevant numbers, as shown in the experiment with judges. The participants were unaware of this effect, indicating it is a subconscious influence. Therefore, B is correct.

Q32: In general, humans have become less rational over the last 100 years.
Answer: NOT GIVEN
Key word(s): less rational, 100 years
Cited Sentence: There is no direct reference to the general rationality of humans over the past 100 years in the passage.
Explanation: The passage discusses irrational biases but does not specifically state that humans have become less rational over the last 100 years, making this statement NOT GIVEN.

Q33: Most people lack a clear sense of their own personal identity.
Answer: TRUE
Key word(s): lack sense of identity, unaware
Cited Sentence: "We don't know who we are or what we're like, we don't know what we're really doing and we don't know why we're doing it."
Explanation: The cited sentence directly supports the claim that people lack a clear sense of their personal identity, as it states that individuals don't truly understand who they are.

Q34: A person can train themselves to use System 2 most of the time.
Answer: NO
Key word(s): train themselves, System 2
Cited Sentence: "System 2 is slothful, and tires easily (a process called ‘ego depletion’) – so it usually accepts what System 1 tells it."
Explanation: The passage explains that System 2 tires easily and tends to defer to System 1, which means it’s not feasible to use System 2 constantly, making the statement incorrect.

Q35: People who make important decisions should be made aware of the dual-process model.
Answer: NOT GIVEN
Key word(s): important decisions, dual-process model
Cited Sentence: There is no direct mention in the passage of people who make important decisions needing to be aware of the dual-process model.
Explanation: While the passage discusses biases in decision-making, it does not specifically recommend that decision-makers be made aware of the dual-process model, so this statement is NOT GIVEN.

Q36: In most everyday situations, people are capable of making calm and rational decisions.
Answer: NO
Key word(s): everyday situations, rational decisions
Cited Sentence: "System 1 loves to simplify, to assume WYSIATI (‘what you see is all there is’). It's hopelessly bad at the kind of statistical thinking often required for good decisions, it jumps wildly to conclusions and it's subject to a fantastic range of irrational cognitive biases."
Explanation: The passage emphasizes how System 1 leads to irrational decision-making, which contradicts the idea that people make calm and rational decisions in most situations.

Q37: In the course of evolutionary history System 1 has served humans well because
Answer: D
Key word(s): evolutionary history, System 1, served well
Cited Sentence: "Being sensitive to one's surroundings is a useful survival skill."
Explanation: The passage suggests that System 1, which is sensitive to environmental cues, has been useful for survival, making D the correct choice.

Q38: Low blood sugar or tiredness may be factors in decision making because
Answer: C
Key word(s): low blood sugar, decision-making
Cited Sentence: "It turns out (to simplify only slightly) that it is their blood-sugar levels really sitting in judgment."
Explanation: The passage directly connects low blood sugar to decision-making, stating that it can affect judges' decisions, supporting answer C.

Q39: The ‘peak-end rule’ shows us that
Answer: A
Key word(s): peak-end rule, experience, memory
Cited Sentence: "The ‘peak-end rule’ shows us that feeling a certain way at the conclusion of an experience decides how we remember it."
Explanation: The peak-end rule refers to how the final stages of an experience, especially how it ends, influence how we remember the entire experience, making A the correct answer.

Q40: What is the writer’s primary purpose in writing this article?
Answer: B
Key word(s): primary purpose, article
Cited Sentence: "Daniel Kahneman's alarming, intellectually stimulating book Thinking, Fast and Slow."
Explanation: The passage summarizes Daniel Kahneman’s book "Thinking, Fast and Slow" and discusses the dual-process model of decision-making, indicating that the writer's purpose is to summarize and review this book, making B the correct answer.