Cambridge IELTS 8 Test 2 Reading Passage 3 The Meaning and Power of Smell, Solution With Answer Key

IELTS Reading Passage Solution with Answer Keys. Cambridge IELTS 8 Test 2 Passage 3 The Meaning and Power of Smell step by step Explanation of all the questions with Tips and Strategies. This post is for educational purpose only. If you find difficulties in reading passage to find the right answer in the exam, just read the post carefully. Tips and strategies will help you find the right answer.

Cambridge IELTS 8 Test 2 Reading Passage 3 The Meaning and Power of Smell – Explanation

 

Detail Explanation of IELTS Cambridge 8 Test 2  Academic Reading Module, Reading Passage 3

 

PASSAGE 3: The Meaning and Power of Smell (View Full Passage Here)

Questions 27-32 (List of headings)
** Tips (link details): How To Solve List of Heading in IELTS Reading Passage

General Idea: Skimming is the best reading technique. You need not understand every word here. Just try to gather the gist of the sentences. That’s all. Read quickly and don’t stop until you finish each sentence.

Question 27: Paragraph A
Now, the third and last lines of paragraph A, Third line: “… It became apparent that smell can evoke strong emotional responses.”
Last lines: “. . . The perception of smell, therefore, consists not only of the sensation of the odours themselves, but of the experiences and emotions associated with them”.
Here, strong emotional responses and experiences and emotions = feelings, associated with them = relationship,
Answer: viii (The relationship between smell and feelings)

Question 28: Paragraph B
Now, in lines 1-4, “Odours are also essential cues in social bonding. One respondent to the survey believed that there is no true emotional bonding without touching and smelling a loved one. In fact, infants recognise the odours of their mothers soon after birth and adults can often identify their children or spouses by scent.. . .. .. . .”
Here, infants recognise the odours of their mothers soon after birth = personal relationship;
Answer: ii (The role of smell in personal relationship)

Question 29: Paragraph C
Now, in the first few lines of Paragraph C, “In spite of its importance to our emotional and sensory lives, smell is probably the most undervalued sense in many cultures. The reason often given for the low regard in which smell is held is that, in comparison with its importance among animals, the human sense of smell is feeble and undeveloped.”
Here, smell is probably the most undervalued sense = sense of smell is not appreciated;
Answer: vi (Why our sense of smell is not appreciated)

Question 30: Paragraph D
Now, he first few lines of paragraph D, “Odours, unlike colours, for instance, cannot be named in many languages because the specific vocabulary simply doesn’t exist.”

The lines suggest that there are difficulties to describe smell verbally.
Here, the specific vocabulary simply doesn’t exist = difficulties of talking about smells;
Answer: i (The difficulties of talking about smells)

Question 31: Paragraph E
Now, in the lines 3-5 of paragraph E, “ . . . .. but many fundamental questions have yet to be answered. Researchers have still to decide whether smell is one sense or two – one responding to odours proper and the other registering odourless chemicals in the air.”
Here, Researchers have still to decide = Future studies;
Answer: iii (Future studies into smell)

Question 32: Paragraph F
Now, in paragraph F, we can find out that the author provides a link between cultures and smell in lines 8-9, “Importantly, our commonly held feelings about smells can help distinguish us from other cultures”.

This line suggests that smell or odour can be exercised as a factor to define one person/culture from another.
Here, define = distinguish, groups = other cultures,
Answer: v (The interpretation of smells as a factor in defining groups)

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Questions 33-36: Multiple choice questions

** Tips (link details): How To Solve Multiple Choice Questions in IELTS Reading Module?

Question 33: According to the introduction, we become aware of the importance of smell when –
Keywords: introduction, aware, importance of smell, when,
Now, the last lines of the introduction give us the answer for this question, “It is only when the faculty of smell is impaired for some reason that we begin to realise the essential role the sense of smell plays in our sense of well-being.”

This means we become aware of the importance of smell when this faculty is impaired or damaged.
Answer: C (our ability to smell is damaged)

Question 34: The experiment described in paragraph B –
Keywords: experiment, paragraph B,
Now, read the last half part of paragraph B, “ . .. In one well-known test, women and men were able to distinguish by smell alone clothing worn by their marriage partners from similar clothing worn by other people. Most of the subjects would probably never have given much thought to odour as a cue for identifying family members before being involved in the test, but as the experiment revealed, even when not consciously considered, smells register.”

This means the experiment shows how our sense of smell is in use even though we don’t realise it.
Answer: A (shows how we make use of smell without realising it)

Question 35: What is the writer doing in paragraph C?
Keywords: writer doing, paragraph C,
Now, the common belief is given in lines 1-4, “.. . .. . smell is probably the most undervalued sense in many cultures. The reason often given for the low regard in which smell is held is that, in comparison with its importance among animals, the human sense of smell is feeble and undeveloped.” This means smell is extremely undervalued.

Then, in the next few lines, “.. . .. While it is true that the olfactory powers of humans are nothing like as fine as those possessed by certain animals, they are still remarkably acute. Our noses are able to recognise thousands of smells, and to perceive odours which are present only in extremely small quantities.” Here, the writer discards the common belief about the undervalued sense of smell.
Answer: C (rejecting a common belief)

Question 36: What does the writer suggest about the study of smell in the atmosphere in paragraph E?
Keywords: writer suggest, study of smell, atmosphere, paragraph E,
Now, in lines 3-4, “ . . . but many fundamental questions have yet to be answered. Researchers have still to decide whether smell is one sense or two – . . ..”

This means the definition of smell is yet to come to light.
Answer: D (Smell is yet to be defined)

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Questions 37-40 (Completing sentences with ONE WORD ONLY)

** Tips (link details): How to Solve Sentence Completion Questions in IELTS Reading Module?

Question 37: Tests have shown that odours can help people recognise the _______ belonging to their husbands and wives.
Keywords: can help, recognise, belonging to, husbands and wives,
Now, in paragraph B, take a look at lines, “In one well-known test, women and men were able to distinguish by smell alone clothing worn by their marriage partners from similar clothing worn by other people”. This means that the special smell in clothing worn by husbands or wives can be used to recognize their marriage partners.
Here, odours = smell, recognize = distinguish, their husbands and wives = their marriage partners,
Answer: clothing

Question 38: Certain linguistic groups may have difficulty describing smell because they lack the appropriate __________.
Keywords: Certain linguistic groups, have difficulty, describing smell, lack, appropriate,
Now, in paragraph D, lines 1-4, “Odours, unlike colors, for instance, cannot be named in many languages because the specific vocabulary simply does not exist. “It smells like . . .” we have to say when describing an odour, struggling to express our olfactory experience”.
The lines suggest that it is quite hard for people to talk about smells because of the lack of specific vocabulary in their languages.
Here, linguistic groups = languages, lack = does not exist,
Answer: vocabulary

Question 39: The sense of smell may involve response to _________ which do not smell, in addition to obvious odours.
Keywords: sense of smell, involve, and do not smell,
Now, in paragraph E, lines 4-5, “Researchers have still to decide whether smell is one sense or two – one responding to odours proper and the other registering odourless chemicals in the air.”
Therefore, it can be understood that chemicals are the things which do not smell in the air.
Here, do not smell = odourless,
Answer: chemicals

Question 40: Odours regarded as unpleasant in certain ________ are not regarded as unpleasant in others.
Keywords: unpleasant, regarded as, not unpleasant in others,
Now, in paragraph F, read the following lines, “Odours are invested with cultural values: smells that are considered to be offensive in some cultures may be perfectly acceptable in others”.
The lines suggest that certain smells may be acceptable in some cultures, but in other cultures they are not acceptable.
Here, unpleasant = offensive, regarded as = considered, not unpleasant = acceptable,
Answer: cultures 

 

 

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Cambridge IELTS 8 Test 2 Reading Passage 3 Answer Keys

 

The Meaning and Power of Smell Reading Passage Answers Keys

Passage 3

 

 

 

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