The Flavour of Pleasure Reading Answers

The IELTS Reading test has three parts and a total of forty questions. The passages in the test are taken from everyday materials such as guidelines, brochures, newspapers, and company handbooks. The table given below provides a detailed description of the IELTS Reading Test.

IELTS Reading Test Overview

Total Duration	18 – 20 minutes
Number of questions	13
Types of questions	Sentence Completion, Table completion & Short Answer question
Band Score Range	0-9

This test suits people starting a job or moving to a new country. It assesses how quickly you can read and understand practical information, follow written directions, and pay attention to details in everyday situations.

Try practising with the Flavour of Pleasure reading passage to enhance your reading, language, and vocabulary skills for the IELTS test. This blog provides the complete passage, various question types, and the Flavour of Pleasure reading answers.

Explore the blog for more IELTS reading question types, such as sentence completion, table completion, and short answer questions. This resource will aid you in developing your reading skills as a student.

About the Passage – the Flavour of Pleasure

Let’s explore the importance of the reading passage – the Flavour of Pleasure.

• This passage is part of the IELTS reading test, designed to evaluate how well you can focus, manage your time, read quickly, and understand what you read.

• It’s selected because it tests your abilities in handling information and applying your knowledge.

• Practising with this passage is beneficial because it makes you familiar with different question types and enhances your skill in choosing the correct answers.

If you’re looking for answers to the questions related to the Flavour of Pleasure, you can find them in this blog, along with explanations to check if your answers are correct.

This exercise is valuable as it helps you understand where you’re doing well and where you can improve. The answers with explanations provide a clear picture of your performance.

Reading Passage

Reading the paragraphs given below will help you figure out all the answers. You can also check your results by reading the explanations that follow.

The Flavour of Pleasure

Paragraph 1

In order to really appreciate a flavour, our mouth, tongue, and nose must all work together, regardless matter how much we chat about how much we love our favourite flavours. Most people pay scrutiny to the way food tastes, feels, and looks, but scientists term this “retronasal smell,” a little burst of the air we get as we’re chewing it. 

Paragraph 2

Assuredly, taste buds are positioned in our mouths and tongues, where the five primary taste receptors can be found: sweet, salty, sour, bitter and savour, which is mostly specified as umami. However, we’ve noticed certain irregularities in our taste buds when it comes to food. For quick identification of toxins, which are frequently bitter or acidic in nature, they developed only a few basic tastes.

Paragraph 3

Everything about flavour’s depth, refinement, and gratification is dependent on the nose’s secondary sense of smell. When we inhale and exhale the aromas of our meal, a type of alchemy takes place. Unlike the hound’s skull, which developed expressly to detect exterior odours, human nostrils evolved to sense interior odours. Primates are experts at savouring the millions of flavour combinations that they can concoct for their tongues.

Paragraph 4

Recognising flavours lacking retronasal scent is difficult. Recently, headed by Yale University’s Gordon Shepherd, neuroscience has begun to shed light on the workings of the sense of smell, which has been the least known of the five. Shepherd coined the term ‘neurogastronomy’ to connect the discipline of food science, neurology, psychology, and anthropology with the savoury aspects of eating, one of the most cherished human experiences.

Paragraph 5

In many respects, he is realising that smelling is akin to recognising faces. Patterns of light and dark are detected by the visual system, and the brain builds a spatial map based on previous experiences. People and locations can be identified by analysing the patterns and drawing inferences based on their interrelationships. Patterns and ratios help us distinguish between new and old tastes in the same manner. The air molecules in our food are detected by specialised receptors at the back of the nose when we chew. The brain interprets odours as complicated spatial patterns based on data received from the receptors. It develops the concept of distinct flavours using these as well as information from the other senses.

Paragraph 6

This ability to enjoy certain fragrances turns out to be fundamental to the pleasure we derive from eating, similar to how our ability to distinguish persons is fundamental to the pleasures of social life. The process is so deeply ingrained in our brains that our sense of smell is essential to our overall enjoyment of life. Recent studies show that people who lose their social anxiety and their general sense of well-being take a nosedive.

Paragraph 7

Food scientists, psychologists, and cooks remarkably similar are interested in discovering the function of scent in flavour. Particularly, the relatively new field of molecular gastronomy focuses on knowing the mechanics of fragrance in order to alter flavour for optimal effect. In this field, chefs employ their knowledge of the chemical reactions that occur during cooking to create “extraordinary” culinary delights.

Paragraph 8

But while molecular gastronomy is mostly interested in the molecules of the food or “smell,” neurogastronomy is more interested in the molecules of the receptors and the brain’s spatial image of the smell. Shepherd calls the memories we remember when we smell them “odour objects,” and this has a direct link to how we feel. The brain makes pictures of smells it doesn’t know by comparing them to smells it does know. Back in the day, when visual clues were few and far between, we turned to our ability to smell to help us identify potential prey, much like most animals do today.

Paragraph 9

Thus, the flavour-recognition system of the brain is a very complicated perceptual process that engages all five senses in varied combinations. Visual and auditory clues, such as crunching, and tactile sensations, such as the texture and feel of food on our lips and in our mouths, all play a role. Inhalation activates the taste receptors, followed by the olfactory receptors. Imagining some of the diverse facial expressions evoked by various cuisines – many of which are hardwired into our brains from birth – is a simple way to convey the emotional engagement of humans. Consider the reaction to the acidity of the lemon and compare it to the face that welcomes the smooth marvel of chocolate.

Paragraph 10

The flavour-sensing system, every receptive to new combinations, helps us to keep our brains active and flexible. In addition to this, it can mould our aspirations and, eventually, our bodies. The potential for neuro-gastronomy to have a positive impact in the form of beneficial applications, such as the manipulation of flavour to control appetites, is on the horizon.

The Flavour of Pleasure Reading Questions & Answers

The questions are below, along with the Flavour of Pleasure IELTS reading answers.

Questions 1-5

Complete the sentences below.

Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage.

1. According to the scientists, the term ……………… characteristics the most critical factor is appreciating flavour.

2. ‘Savoury’ is a better-known word for …………….

3. The tongue was originally developed to recognise the unpleasant taste of ………………

4. Human nasal cavities recognise ……………. much better than external ones.

5. Gordon Shepherd uses the word ‘neuro-gastronomy’ to draw together a number of ……………. related to the enjoyment of eating.

Answers with explanation (1 – 5)

1. (retronasal) smell

Reference

Paragraph 1: Most people pay scrutiny to the way food tastes, feels, and looks, but scientists term this “retronasal smell,” a little burst of the air we get as we’re chewing it.

Explanation

The paragraph states that most people scrutinise how food tastes, feels, and looks. It also specifies that the scientists term this “retronasal smell,” a little burst of the air we get as we’re chewing it.

2. Umami

Reference

Paragraph 2: Assuredly, taste buds are positioned in our mouths and tongues, where the five primary taste receptors could be found: sweet, salty, sour, bitter and savour, which is mostly specified as umami.

Explanation

The paragraph mentions that taste buds are positioned in our mouths and tongues, where the five primary taste receptors can be found: sweet, salty, sour, bitter and savour, primarily specified as umami.

3. Toxins

Reference

Paragraph 2: For quick identification of toxins, which are frequently bitter or acidic in nature, they developed only a few basic tastes.

Explanation

The paragraph mentions that they developed only a few basic tastes to identify toxins quickly. It also specifies that the toxins are frequently bitter or acidic.

4. Internal scents/smells

Reference

Paragraph 3: When we inhale and exhale the aromas of our meal, a type of alchemy takes place. Unlike the hound’s skull, which developed expressly to detect exterior odours, human nostrils evolved to sense interior odours.

Explanation

The paragraph explains that alchemy occurs when we inhale and exhale the aromas of our meal. It further specifies that unlike the hound’s skull, which developed expressly to detect exterior odours, human nostrils evolved to sense interior odours.

5. Disciplines

Reference

Paragraph 4: Shepherd coined the term ‘neuro-gastronomy’ to connect the discipline of food science, neurology, psychology, and anthropology with the savoury aspects of eating, one of the most cherished human experiences.

Explanation 

The paragraph mentions that the shepherd coined the term ‘neuro-gastronomy’ to connect the discipline of food science, neurology, psychology, and anthropology with the savoury aspects of eating, one of the most cherished human experiences.

Questions 6-9

Complete the table below. 

Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage.

Face recognition	Patterns of dark and light are used to put together a 6………..	The brain identifies faces	Facial recognition is key to our enjoyment of 7……………
Smell	Receptors recognise the 8………….. in food	The brain identifies certain 9…………….	Smell is the key to our enjoyment of food

Answers with explanation (6 – 9)

6. Spatial map

Reference

Paragraph 5: Patterns of light and dark are detected by the visual system, and the brain builds a spatial map based on previous experiences.

Explanation

The paragraph mentions that the visual system detects the patterns of light and dark, and the brain builds a spatial map based on previous experiences.

7. Social life

Reference

Paragraph 6: This ability to enjoy certain fragrances turns out to be fundamental to the pleasure we derive from eating, similar to how our ability to distinguish persons is fundamental to the pleasures of social life.

Explanation 

The paragraph mentions that the ability to enjoy certain fragrances is fundamental to the pleasure we derive from eating. It also specifies that it is similar to our ability to distinguish persons, which is essential to the joys of social life.

8. Air (molecules)

Reference

Paragraph 5: Patterns and ratios help us distinguish between new and old tastes in the same manner. The air molecules in our food are detected by specialised receptors at the back of the nose when we chew.

Explanation 

The paragraph states that patterns and ratios help us distinguish between new and old tastes similarly. It also mentions that the air molecules in our food are detected by specialised receptors at the back of the nose when we chew.

9. Flavours

Reference

Paragraph 5: The brain interprets odours as complicated spatial patterns based on data received from the receptors. It develops the concept of distinct flavours using these as well as information from the other senses.

Explanation

The paragraph explains that the brain interprets odours as complicated spatial patterns based on data received from the receptors. It further specifies that the brain develops the concept of distinct flavours using these and information from the other senses.

Questions 10-13

Answer the questions below.

Choose NO MORE THAN ONE WORD from the text for each answer.

10. In what form does the brain store ‘odour objects’?

11. When seeing was difficult, what did we use our sense of smell to find?

12. Which food item illustrates how flavour and positive emotion are linked?

13. What could be controlled in the future through flavour manipulation?

Answers with explanation (10 – 13)

10. Memories

Reference

Paragraph 8: Shepherd calls the memories we remember when we smell them “odour objects,” and this has a direct link to how we feel. The brain makes pictures of smells it doesn’t know by comparing them to smells it does know.

Explanation

The paragraph explains that the shepherd calls the memories we remember when we smell them “odour objects,” which is directly linked to our feelings. It also specifies that the brain makes pictures of smells it doesn’t know by comparing them to smells it does know.

11. Prey

Reference

Paragraph 8: Back in the day, when visual clues were few and far between, we turned to our ability to smell to help us identify potential prey, much like most animals do today.

Explanation 

The paragraph mentions that back in the day, when visual clues were few and far between, we turned to our ability to smell to help us identify potential prey, much like most animals do today.

12. Chocolate 

Reference

Paragraph 9: Consider the reaction to the acidity of the lemon and compare it to the face that welcomes the smooth marvel of chocolate.

Explanation

The paragraph specifies that chocolate is a food linked to positivity or positive emotions. It also mentions that chocolate improves a person’s mood instantly.

13. Appetites

Reference

Paragraph 10: The potential for neuro-gastronomy to have a positive impact in the form of beneficial applications, such as the manipulation of flavour to control appetites, is on the horizon.

Explanation

The paragraph mentions the potential for neuro-gastronomy to impact beneficial applications positively. It further states that applications such as manipulating flavour to control appetites are on the horizon.

Expert Tips for the IELTS Reading Test

Below are some expert tips to help you improve your overall performance in the IELTS reading test.

1. Preview the Questions: Before reading the passage, quickly go through the questions. It helps you understand what information you need to find while reading.

2. Time Management: Keep an eye on the clock. Don’t spend too much time on one question. If you get stuck, move on to the next one and return later if you have time.

3. Skim the Passage: Start by skimming the passage to get a general idea of the topic. Look at headings, subheadings, and any bold or italicised text. It helps you understand the structure.

4. Highlight Keywords: When you find a question, underline or highlight keywords. Scan the passage for these keywords to locate the relevant information quickly.

5. Don’t Panic if You Don’t Know a Word: If you encounter a word you don’t know, don’t panic. Try understanding its meaning based on the surrounding words or rereading the sentence.

6. Focus on Paraphrasing: Questions may not use the exact words as the passage. Be ready for paraphrasing. If the question asks about “hobbies,” the passage may discuss “leisure activities.”

7. True, False, Not Given: Pay close attention to the differences between “True,” “False,” and “Not Given” answers. “Not Given” means the information is not in the passage.

8. Practice Skimming and Scanning: Practice skimming for the main idea and scanning for specific details. Skimming helps you understand the meaning while scanning lets you find details.

9. Check Your Spelling: Make sure your answers are spelled correctly. Spelling mistakes can cost you points. If you’re unsure of a word’s spelling, use simpler synonyms.

10. Review Your Answers: If time allows, go back and review your answers. Check if you’ve filled in all the blanks, and make sure your responses make sense in the passage’s context.

Conclusion

The IELTS Reading test requires a good understanding of various text types and the ability to find information quickly. Practising regularly, improving vocabulary, and developing efficient reading strategies are essential. 

Remember to carefully read the instructions and manage your time wisely during the test. Additionally, don’t be afraid to guess answers if you’re unsure, as you won’t lose marks for wrong answers.

Counselling advice for IELTS Reading success includes setting a study schedule, focusing on weak areas, and practising with various texts. Use resources like sample tests and study guides to familiarise yourself with the test format. 

Work on enhancing your skimming and scanning skills to identify critical information swiftly. Remember, practice and preparation are vital to boosting your confidence and achieving a successful outcome in the IELTS Reading test. 

If you want to learn more about the IELTS Reading Test, contact Leap Scholar Counsellors now.

Good luck!

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