Children’s General Perception IELTS Reading Answers

Aug 23, 2023

Children’s General Perception IELTS Reading Answers is a topic of the IELTS academic reading topic which includes 13 questions. The specified IELTS topic generates 2 types of questions: true/ false/ not given, and chooses the correct headings from the given points type of questions. Candidates should read the IELTS Reading passage thoroughly in order to recognize synonyms, identify keywords, and answer the questions below. Candidates can further enhance their reading skills by going through IELTS reading practice papers available on the website. Candidates can use IELTS reading topics like Children’s General Perception IELTS Reading Answers to enhance their performance in the reading section.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

Children’s General Perception IELTS Reading Answers

Children's food promotion is dominated by television advertising, and the great majority of this promotes the so-called 'Big Four' of presugared breakfast cereals, soft drinks, confectionery and savory snacks. In the last ten years advertising for fast food outlets have rapidly increased. There is some evidence that the dominance of television has recently begun to wane.

The importance of strong, global branding reinforces a need for multi-faceted communications combining television with merchandising, 'tie-ins' and point of sale activity. The advertised diet contrasts sharply with that recommended by public health advisors, and themes of fun and fantasy or taste, rather than health and nutrition, are used to promote it to children. Meanwhile, the recommended diet gets little promotional support.

There is plenty of evidence that children notice and enjoy food promotion. However, establishing whether this actually influences them is a complex problem. The review tackled it by looking at studies that had examined possible effects on what children know about food, their food preferences, their actual food behavior (both buying and eating), and their health outcomes (eg. Obesity or cholesterol levels). The majority of studies examined food advertising, but a few examined other forms of food promotion. In terms of nutritional knowledge, food advertising seems to have little influence on children's general perceptions of what constitutes a healthy diet, but, in certain contexts, it does not have an effect on more specific types of nutritional knowledge. For example, seeing soft drink and cereal adverts reduced primary aged children's ability to determine correctly whether or not certain products contained real fruit.

The review also found evidence that food promotion influences children's food preferences and purchase behavior. A study of primary school children, for instance, found that exposure to advertising influenced which foods they claimed to like; and another showed that labeling and signage on a vending machine had an effect on what was bought by secondary school pupils. A number of studies have also shown that food advertising can influence what children eat. One, for example, showed that advertising influenced a primary class's choice of daily snack at playtime.

The next step, of trying to establish whether or not a link exists between food promotion and diet or obesity, is extremely difficult as it requires research to be done in real-world settings. A number of studies have attempted this by using the amount of television viewing as a proxy for exposure to television advertising.

They have established a clear link between television viewing and diet, obesity, and cholesterol levels. It is impossible to say, however, whether this effect is caused by the advertising, the sedentary nature of television viewing or snacking that might take place whilst viewing. One study resolved this problem by taking a detailed diary of children's viewing habits. This showed that the more food adverts they saw, the more snacks and calories they consumed.

Thus the literature does suggest food promotion is influencing children's diet in a number of ways. This does not amount to proof; as noted above with this kind of research, incontrovertible proof simply isn't attainable. Nor do all studies point to this conclusion; several have not found an effect. In addition, very few studies have attempted to measure how strong these effects are relative to other factors influencing children's food choices.

Nonetheless many studies have found clear effects and they have used sophisticated methodology that make it possible to determine that i) this effects are not just due to chance; ii) they are independent of other factors that influence diets such as parents eating habits or attitude; and iii) they occur at a brand and category level.

Furthermore, two factors suggest that these findings actually downplay the effect that food promotion has on children. First, the literature focuses principally on television advertising; the cumulative effect of this combined with other forms of promotion and marketing is likely to be significantly greater. Second, the studies have looked at the direct effects of individual children, and understate indirect influences. For example, promotion for fast food outlets may not only influence the child but also encourage parents to take them for meals and reinforce the idea that this is normal and desirable behavior.

This does not amount to proof of an effect, but in our view does provide sufficient evidence to conclude that an effect exists. The debate should now shift to what action is needed, and specifically to how the power of commercial marketing can be used to bring about improvements in young people's eating.

Section 2

Solution and Explanation
Questions 1 - 7

Reading Passage 1 has seven paragraphs, A-G.
Choose the most suitable heading for paragraphs A-G from the list of headings below.
Write the appropriate number, i-x, in boxes 1-7 on your answer sheet.
List of Headings

i General points of agreements and disagreements of researchers
ii How much children really know about food
iii Need to take action
iv Advertising effects of the "Big Four"
v Connection of advertising and children's weight problems
vi Evidence that advertising affects what children buy to eat
vii How parents influence children's eating habits
viii Advertising's focus on unhealthy options
ix Children often buy what they want
x Underestimating the effects advertising has on children

Question 1: Paragraph A

Answer: viii
Supporting statement: “...Children's food promotion is dominated by television advertising, and the great majority of this promotes the so-called 'Big Four'…”
Keywords: Children's, food, promotion, television, advertising, majority, promotes, Big Four
Keyword Location: para A, line 1
Explanation: According to the writer, children's food promotion is dominated by television advertising, and the great majority of this promotes the so-called 'Big Four' of presugared breakfast cereals, soft drinks, confectionery and savory snacks.

Question 2: Paragraph B

Answer: ii
Supporting statement: “...The review tackled it by looking at studies that had examined possible effects on what children know about food, their food preferences, their actual food behavior…”
Keywords: tackled, children, food, food preferences, actual food, behavior
Keyword Location: para B, line 3
Explanation: According to the writer, the review tackled this problem by looking at studies that had examined possible effects on what children know about food, their food preferences, their actual food behavior (both buying and eating), and their health outcomes (eg. Obesity or cholesterol levels). The majority of studies examined food advertising, but a few examined other forms of food promotion.

Question 3: Paragraph C

Answer: vi
Supporting statement: “...The review also found evidence that food promotion influences children's food preferences and purchase behavior…”
Keywords: evidence, food promotion, children’s, food preferences, purchase, behavior
Keyword Location: para C, line 1
Explanation: According to the writer, the review found evidence that food promotion influences children's food preferences and purchase behavior. A study of primary school children, for instance, found that exposure to advertising influenced which foods they claimed to like

Question 4: Paragraph D

Answer: v
Supporting statement: “...They have established a clear link between television viewing and diet, obesity, and cholesterol levels…”
Keywords: television, link, viewing, diet, obesity, cholesterol, levels
Keyword Location: para D, line 3
Explanation: According to the writer, they have established a clear link between television viewing and diet, obesity, and cholesterol levels. It is impossible to say, however, whether this effect is caused by the advertising, the sedentary nature of television viewing or snacking that might take place whilst viewing.

Question 5: Paragraph E

Answer: i
Supporting statement: “...Thus the literature does suggest food promotion is influencing children's diet in a number of ways…”
Keywords: literature, suggest, food promotion, influencing, children’s, diet
Keyword Location: para E, line 1
Explanation: According to the writer, the literature does suggest food promotion is influencing children's diet in a number of ways. Nor do all studies point to this conclusion; several have not found an effect. In addition, very few studies have attempted to measure how strong these effects are relative to other factors influencing children's food choices.

Question 6: Paragraph F

Answer: x
Supporting statement: “...two factors suggest that these findings actually downplay the effect that food promotion has on children…”
Keywords: factors, suggest, findings, downplay, effect, food promotion, children
Keyword Location: para F, line 1
Explanation: According to the writer, two factors suggest that these findings actually downplay the effect that food promotion has on children. The promotion for fast food outlets may not only influence the child but also encourage parents to take them for meals and reinforce the idea that this is normal and desirable behavior.

Question 7: Paragraph G

Answer: iii
Supporting statement: “...The debate should now shift to what action is needed, and specifically to how the power of commercial marketing can be used to bring about improvements in young people's eating.…”
Keywords: debate, shift, action, commercial, marketing, improvements, young, people’s, eating
Keyword Location: para G, line 2
Explanation: According to the writer, the debate should now shift to what action is needed, and specifically to how the power of commercial marketing can be used to bring about improvements in young people's eating.

Questions 8 - 13

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?
In boxes 8-13 on you answer sheet, write

TRUE- if the statement is true
FALSE- if the statement is false
NOT GIVEN- if the information is not given in the passage

Question 8: There is little difference between the healthy diet recommended by advisors and diet prompted in food advertisements.

Answer: no
Supporting statement: “...The advertised diet contrasts sharply with that recommended by public health advisors, and themes of fun and fantasy or taste, rather than health and nutrition…”
Keywords: advertised, diet, recommended, public, health, advisors, themes, fun, fantasy, taste, health, nutrition
Keyword Location: para A, line 5
Explanation: According to the writer, the advertised diet contrasts sharply with that recommended by public health advisors, and themes of fun and fantasy or taste, rather than health and nutrition, are used to promote it to children. Meanwhile, the recommended diet gets little promotional support.

Question 9: TV advertising has successfully taught children nutritional knowledge about vitamins and others.

Answer: no
Supporting statement: “...In terms of nutritional knowledge, food advertising seems to have little influence on children's general perceptions of what constitutes a healthy diet, but, in certain contexts, it does not have an effect on more specific types of nutritional knowledge…”
Keywords: nutritional, knowledge, food, advertising, influence, children’s, perceptions, healthy, diet
Keyword Location: para B, line 5
Explanation: According to the writer, food advertising seems to have little influence on children's general perceptions of what constitutes a healthy diet, but, in certain contexts, it does not have an effect on more specific types of nutritional knowledge

Question 10: It is hard to decide which aspect accompanied by TV viewing has caused weight problems or other detrimental effects on children.

Answer: yes
Supporting statement: “...It is impossible to say, however, whether this effect is caused by the advertising, the sedentary nature of television viewing or snacking that might take place whilst viewing.…”
Keywords: advertising, sedentary, nature, television, snacking, whilst viewing
Keyword Location: para D, line 4
Explanation: According to the writer, many people have established a clear link between television viewing and diet, obesity, and cholesterol levels. It is impossible to say, however, whether this effect is caused by the advertising, the sedentary nature of television viewing or snacking that might take place whilst viewing.

Question 11: The preference of food for children is affected by their age and gender.

Answer: not given
Explanation: No relevant information has been provided in the passage in order to support the said statement. Therefore, we can clearly conclude the statement as an invalid one.

Question 12: The investigation primarily for food promotion on TV advertising tend to be partial and incomplete.

Answer: yes

Question 13: Wealthy parents tend to buy more "sensible food" for their children.

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