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Neuroaesthetics Reading Answers: IELTS Reading Practice Test

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Updated on Jul 02, 2024, 11:57

In the IELTS Reading section, your reading comprehension skills undergo rigorous evaluation. Lasting for 60 minutes, this segment consists of three passages, each followed by a series of questions in various formats such as multiple choice, matching headings, and True/False/Not Given. Success in this section hinges on your ability to grasp key information, discern main ideas, and infer meaning from context.
 

To excel in the IELTS Reading section, it's crucial to adopt effective reading strategies like skimming for main ideas and scanning for specific details. Regular practice with sample questions and exposure to different question types will sharpen your skills for the test day.

 

Prepare for an enlightening exploration of "Neuroaesthetics," a captivating delve into the factors that fuel creativity and innovation within organisations. Explore the psychological mechanisms, challenges, and strategies that cultivate an innovative environment through engaging passages and accompanying questions, enriching your comprehension of how innovation can be nurtured and sustained.

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1. Neuroaesthetics Reading Passage

You should spend approximately 20 minutes answering Questions 1 - 14 based on the Reading Passage below. This approach can help manage time effectively during a reading comprehension activity or exam. 

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2. Neuroaesthetics Reading Question & Answers

Discover exciting and informative IELTS reading answers about Neuroaesthetics

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1.

Neuroaesthetics Reading Passage

General Information

  • Read Instructions: Understand each question before answering.
  • Manage Time: Spend about 20 minutes per passage.
  • Skim and Scan: Quickly get the main idea and find specific information.
  • Highlight Key Info: Underline essential words or phrases.
  • Answer All Questions: Attempt every question; no penalty for wrong answers.
  • Stay Focused: Avoid distractions and keep your attention on the task.
  • Check Spelling: Ensure correct spelling and grammar.
  • Transfer Answers Clearly: Write answers neatly on the answer sheet.
  • Don’t Dwell: Move on if stuck and return later.
  • Review: If time allows, review your answers.

 

 

 

 

Neuroaesthetics Reading Passage


 

 

Paragraph A 

Neuroaesthetics is an emerging discipline seeking to bring scientific objectivity to the study of art, and has already given us a better understanding of many masterpieces. For instance the brain's amygdala seems to be stimulated by the blurred imagery of impressionist paintings. That finding might explain why many people find these pieces so moving since the amygdala plays a crucial role in our feelings. 

 

Paragraph B
Could the same approach also shed light on abstract 20th century pieces, from Pollock's seemingly haphazard arrangements of splashed paint on canvas to Mondrian's geometrical blocks of colour? Sceptics believe that because they are famous people claim to like such works. We always have an inclination to follow the crowd. When asked to make simple perceptual decisions, for example matching a shape to its rotated image, people often choose the wrong answer if they see others choosing it. It is easy to imagine that this behaviour would have even more effect on a fuzzy concept where there is no right or wrong answer, like art appreciation.

 

Paragraph C
Angelina Hawley-Dolan, of Boston College, Massachusetts, asked volunteers to view pairs of paintings - either the doodles of chimps, infants and elephants or the creations of famous abstract artists. They then had to tell which they liked. No captions were given to one-third of the paintings, while many were labelled incorrectly. Volunteers were actually seeing an acclaimed masterpiece but they thought they were seeing a chimp's messy brush strokes. In each set of trials, even when they believed it was by an animal or a child, volunteers generally preferred the work of renowned artists. Even if they can't explain why, it seems that the viewer can sense the artist's vision in paintings.

 

Paragraph D
Artist Robert Pepperell from Cardiff University creates ambiguous works that are neither clearly representational nor entirely abstract. Pepperell and his collaborators in a study asked volunteers to tell how authoritative they felt an artwork to be, and whether they viewed anything familiar in the work. The longer they took to answer these questions, the greater their neural activity and the more highly they rated the piece under scrutiny. It looked like the brain sees these images as puzzles. The harder it is to decipher the meaning, the more rewarding the moment of recognition.

 

Paragraph E
And what about artists such as Mondrian, whose paintings are created exclusively of vertical and horizontal lines enclosing blocks of colour? Mondrian's works are deceptively simple, but eye-tracking studies confirm that they are carefully composed, and that simply rotating a piece radically changes the way we see it. With the altered versions they would flit across a piece more rapidly but with the originals, volunteers' eyes stayed longer on certain places in the image. As a result, when they later rated the work, the volunteers considered the altered versions less pleasurable.

 

Paragraph F
Oshin Vartanian of Toronto University in a similar study, asked volunteers to compare original paintings with ones which he had altered by moving objects around within the frame. Whether it was a Van Gogh still life or an abstract by Miro, he found that almost everyone preferred the original work. Vartanian also found that when the composition of the paintings changed it reduced activation in those brain areas linked with meaning and interpretation.

 

Paragraph G
Analysing the visual intricacy of different pieces of art, Alex Forsythe of the University of Liverpool, suggested that many artists use a key level of detail to please the brain. Too much detail makes it kind of a 'perceptual overload' but too little detail is boring, according to Forsythe. Appealing pieces both representational and abstract, show signs of 'fractals' - repeated motifs keep repeating in different scales, fractals are common throughout nature, for example in the branches of trees or shapes of mountain peaks. It is possible that our visual system finds it easier to process such patterns, which evolved in the great outdoors. 

 

Paragraph H
Like replaying the writer's moment of creation, the brain appears to process movement when we see a handwritten letter. Because the brain reconstructs the energetic actions the artist used as he painted it led some to wonder whether Pollock's works feel so dynamic. This may be because of our brain's 'mirror neurons', which mimic others' actions. It might even be the case that we could use neuroaesthetic studies to understand the longevity of some pieces of artwork, however the hypothesis will need to be tested thoroughly. Works best suited to our visual system may be the most likely to linger once the trends of previous generations have been forgotten while the fashions of the time might shape what is currently popular.

 

Paragraph I
These studies are probably only a taste of what is to come and is still early days for the field of neuroaesthetics. However it would be stupid to reduce art appreciation to a set of scientific laws. We shouldn't underestimate the importance of the artistic environment, the style of a particular artist, and their place in history. Abstract art offers both the freedom and a challenge to play with different interpretations. Like science in some ways, we keep decoding meaning and looking for systems so that we can view and appreciate the world in a new way. 

2.

Neuroaesthetics Reading Question & Answers

Discover exciting and informative IELTS reading answers about Neuroaesthetics

Questions and Answers 1-6
  • Complete the flow chart below
  • Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.

 

 

 

 

Neuroaesthetics Reading Answers with Explanations (1-6)

 

Question Type:  Flow Chart

 

Flowchart completion tasks require you to fill in missing information on a flowchart based on the information provided in the passage. Typically, the passage describes a process, such as a manufacturing procedure, a historical sequence of events, or a natural phenomenon. Your task is to identify the missing steps or elements and accurately place them in the flowchart based on the order or sequence indicated in the passage.
 

How to best answer the question:

 

  • Carefully read the passage and understand the sequence of events or steps described. 
  • Pay close attention to any transitional words or phrases that indicate the order of actions. 
  • Use skimming and scanning techniques effectively to locate the relevant information quickly.
  • When completing the flowchart, ensure that the information you provide fits logically into the sequence described in the passage.

 

 

1. art

 

Reference:

 

Paragraph A
Neuroaesthetics is an emerging discipline seeking to bring scientific objectivity to the study of art, and has already given us a better understanding of many masterpieces.
 

Explanation

The term "art" in the flowchart corresponds to the subject of study in neuroaesthetics, as mentioned in Paragraph A.


 

2. Psychology

 

Reference:

 

Paragraph A

Neuroaesthetics is a branch of psychology that seeks to bring scientific objectivity to the study of art.
 

Explanation

The flowchart requires the branch of science related to the study of art, which is psychology, as indicated in Paragraph A.


 

3. emotional influence

 

Reference:

 

Paragraph A

For instance, the brain's amygdala seems to be stimulated by the blurred imagery of impressionist paintings.

 

Explanation

The concept of emotional influence is discussed in Paragraph A in relation to how impressionist paintings stimulate the brain's amygdala.


 

4. art appreciation

 

Reference:

 

Paragraph C
It's easy to imagine that this behavior would have even more effect on a fuzzy concept where there is no right or wrong answer, like art appreciation.

 

Explanation

The flowchart mentions a nebulous idea where there are no right or wrong answers, which aligns with the concept of art appreciation discussed in Paragraph C.


 

5. paintings

 

Reference:

 

Paragraph C

No captions were given to one-third of the paintings, while many were labelled incorrectly.

 

Explanation

The term "paintings" refers to the artworks used in the study mentioned in Paragraph C, where volunteers had to compare different types of paintings.


 

6. paintings

 

Reference:

 

Paragraph C

Volunteers were actually seeing an acclaimed masterpiece but they thought they were seeing a chimp's messy brush strokes.
 

Explanation

The flowchart indicates that volunteers preferred the work of famous artists even when they believed it was made by an animal or a child, as described in Paragraph C.

Questions and Answers 7-10
  • Look at the following Questions 1-4 and the list of the statements below.
  • Match each statement with the correct one
  • Write the correct letter A-E on your answer sheet.
Note: You may use any letter more than once.

 

 

7. Made volunteers see pairs of paintings - either the doodles of chimps, infants and elephants or the creations of famous abstract artists. 

8. Created ambiguous works that are neither clearly representational nor entirely abstract. 

9. Asked volunteers to compare original paintings with ones which he had altered by moving objects around within the frame. 

10. Suggested that many artists use a key level of detail to please the brain. 

 

A. Angelina Hawley-Dolan
B. Oshin Vartanian 
C. Robert Pepperell
D. Mondrian
E. Alex Forsythe 

 

Neuroaesthetics Reading Answers with Explanations (7-10)

 

Question Type: Matching Information

 

In the Matching Information question type, you are typically presented with a list of items, statements, or options, and you are required to match them to the corresponding information provided in the passage. This question type assesses your ability to locate specific details, identify relevant information, and make connections between the information presented in the passage and the options given.

 

How to best answer this question:

 

  • Carefully read both the passage and the options provided. 
  • Look for keywords, phrases, or distinctive information in the passage that corresponds to the options given. 
  • Pay attention to context, tone, and the overall structure of the passage to ensure accurate matching.


 

7. A. Angelina Hawley-Dolan

 

Reference:

 

Paragraph C

Angelina Hawley-Dolan, of Boston College, Massachusetts, asked volunteers to view pairs of paintings - either the doodles of chimps, infants and elephants or the creations of famous abstract artists. 
 

Explanation

Angelina Hawley-Dolan conducted the study mentioned in this paragraph, where volunteers were presented with pairs of paintings, including doodles of chimps, infants, and elephants, as well as creations of famous abstract artists.


 

8. C. Robert Pepperell

 

Reference:

 

Paragraph D
Artist Robert Pepperell from Cardiff University creates ambiguous works that are neither clearly representational nor entirely abstract. 

 

Explanation
Robert Pepperell, an artist from Cardiff University, creates ambiguous works that are neither clearly representational nor entirely abstract, as described in this paragraph.


 

9. B. Oshin Vartanian

 

Reference:

 

Paragraph F

Oshin Vartanian of Toronto University in a similar study, asked volunteers to compare original paintings with ones which he had altered by moving objects around within the frame. 
 

Explanation
Oshin Vartanian, from Toronto University, conducted the study mentioned in this paragraph, where volunteers were asked to compare original paintings with altered versions by moving objects within the frame.


 

10. E. Alex Forsythe

 

Reference:

 

Paragraph G

Analy sing the visual intricacy of different pieces of art, Alex Forsythe of the University of Liverpool, suggested that many artists use a key level of detail to please the brain.

 

Explanation
Alex Forsythe, from the University of Liverpool, suggested in this paragraph that many artists use a key level of detail to please the brain, indicating a connection between the visual intricacy of art and neurological responses.

Questions and Answers 11-14
  • Complete the sentences below.
  • Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBERS from the passage for each answer.

 

 

11. Neuroaesthetics is an emerging discipline seeking to bring scientific objectivity to the study of art and has already given us a better understanding of many ________. 

12. Mondrian's works are deceptively simple, but ________ studies confirm that they are carefully composed and that simply rotating a piece radically changes the way we see it. 

13. Like replaying the writer's moment of creation, the brain appears to process movement when we see a ________.

14. We shouldn't underestimate the importance of the ________, the style of a particular artist, and their place in history. 

 

 

Neuroaesthetics Reading Answers with Explanations (11-14)

 

Type of question: Sentence Completion

 

To answer sentence completion questions accurately, read the given sentence carefully and identify the missing word or phrase. Then, consider the context to determine the most suitable answer option that completes the sentence appropriately. Choosing the option that best fits the context will help you answer sentence completion questions accurately.

 

How to best answer the question

 

  • Carefully read the incomplete sentence and try to understand what information is missing.
  • Pay attention to the context and any clues provided in the sentence or the surrounding text.
  • Choose the option that best completes the sentence based on the information from the reading passage.

 

 

11. Masterpieces

 

Reference:

 

Paragraph A

Neuroaesthetics is an emerging discipline seeking to bring scientific objectivity to the study of art, and has already given us a better understanding of many masterpieces. 


Explanation
The passage states that neuroaesthetics seeks to bring scientific objectivity to the study of art and has already provided a better understanding of many masterpieces.


 

12. Eye-tracking

 

Reference:

 

Paragraph E

Mondrian's works are deceptively simple, but eye-tracking studies confirm that they are carefully composed and that simply rotating a piece radically changes the way we see it. 
 

Explanation

The paragraph discusses Mondrian's works, stating that eye-tracking studies confirm they are carefully composed and that rotating them alters how they are perceived.


 

13. handwritten letter

 

Reference:

 

Paragraph H

Like replaying the writer's moment of creation, the brain appears to process movement when we see a handwritten letter.

 

Explanation

 The paragraph describes how the brain processes movement when seeing a handwritten letter, akin to replaying the moment of creation.


 

14. artistic environment

 

Reference:

 

Paragraph I
We shouldn't underestimate the importance of the artistic environment, the style of a particular artist, and their place in history. 
 

Explanation

The passage emphasizes not underestimating the importance of the artistic environment, the style of an artist, and their historical context in art appreciation.

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FAQs

Q. Is there a specific order in which I should answer the questions?

Ans. No, you can choose the order in which you answer the questions. Some test-takers prefer to start with the questions they find easiest, while others prefer to tackle them sequentially.

Q. What score do I need to achieve in the IELTS Reading test?

Ans. The score you need depends on the requirements of the institution or organisation you are applying to. Scores range from band 1 (Non-user) to band 9 (Expert user), with most institutions requiring a score of at least 6.5 or 7 for admission or immigration purposes.

Q. What is the format of the IELTS Reading test?

Ans. The IELTS Reading test consists of three passages with increasing levels of difficulty. Each passage is followed by a set of questions. The test duration is 60 minutes.