Doesn’t that Sound Terribly Yellow to You? Reading Answers

Dec 9, 2022

Doesn’t that Sound Terribly Yellow to You? Reading Answers contains five passages 12 different types of questions. Candidates will be shown various question types with clear instructions in this IELTS Section. Reading Answers comprises three types of questions: Matching heading, sentence completion, and Choose the correct option. For the Matching heading, candidates need to thoroughly go through each passage. For sentence completion, candidates need to skim the passage for keywords and understand the concept. To choose the correct option, candidates must read the IELTS Reading passage and understand the statement provided.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

Doesn't That Sound Terribly Yellow to You? Reading Answers

“I can’t say. I’m colour blind”, was my flatmate’s response. And that was that for another twenty-odd years when by chance I came across an article in a newspaper on research into synaesthesia at a London hospital. At last, I understood my interpretation of the world through colour. Synaesthesia is the subjective sensation of a sense other than the one being stimulated. For example, the sight of a word may evoke sensations of colour or the sound of music may also have a similar effect, as may the taste. Or, to put it simply, synaesthetes, i.e. people with synaesthesia, have their senses hooked together so that they experience several senses simultaneously. To those not already aware of it, synaesthesia seems a new phenomenon. Yet, it is far from new.
In 1690, John Locke, the philosopher, wrote of a blind man with synaesthetic capabilities. The first reference in the medical field was in 1710, by Thomas Woodhouse, an English ophthalmologist. In his Theory of Colour, the German writer, Goethe, talked about colour and the senses. The poet, Arthur Rimbaud, wrote about synaesthesia in his 1871 poem Voyelles, as did another French poet Baudelaire, in Correspondence. So, synaesthesia has a respectable history. Synaesthesia is understandably met with a certain degree of scepticism since it is something beyond the ken of the vast majority of people. Son et lumière shows in the 19th century were an attempt at combining the senses in a public display, but such displays were not capable of conveying the sensations experienced by involuntary synaesthesia, as the ability which a synaesthete’s experience is called.
There has been a number of well-documented synaesthetes. Alexander Scriabin, the Russian composer, (1871-1915) tried to express his own synaesthetic abilities in his symphony Prometheus, the Poem of Fire (1922). And another Russian, Rimsky-Korsakov, noted the colour associations musical keys possessed. For example, Scriabin saw C major as red, while to Rimsky-Korsakov it was white. Arthur Bliss, an English composer, based his 1922 Colour Symphony on the concept of synaesthesia. He did not claim to be a synaesthete; his colour choices were arbitrary and the project an intellectual exercise. In the field of the visual arts, probably the best-known artist with synaesthetic capabilities is the Russian artist, Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944), credited with being the founder of abstract painting.
It is said he experienced “sensory fusion” at a performance of Wagner’s Lohengrin, with the music producing colours before his eyes. He did not see colours solely in terms of objects but associated them with sounds. He even composed an opera, Der GelbeKlang (The Yellow Sound), which was a mixture of colour, light, dance and sound. For many people with synaesthesia, knowing that what they have been experiencing has both a name and a history and that they are among a number of notable sufferers is a revelation. Initially, they often feel that there is something wrong psychologically or mentally, or that everyone feeds that way. Then they realise with a thud that other people do not. Suppression is an option, but unwittingly some people have managed to make use of the ability to their advantage.
While the condition of synaesthesia may hamper many people because of its disorienting effects, It can also open up a range of new skills, it is not unusual for people who have synaesthesia to be creative and imaginative, as many studies have shown, memory is based to some extent on the association. Synacsthctes find they are able to remember certain things with great ease. The person who associates the shape of a word with colour is quite often able to remember a long sequence of words, and the same goes for other areas where memory needs to be used. Cutting this condition, like all gifts, has its drawbacks. Some people see words as colours; others even individual letters and syllables so that a word becomes a kaleidoscope of colour. Beautiful though such a reading experience may be, synaesthesia can cause problems with both reading and writing. Reading can take longer because one has to wade through all the colours, as well as the words! And, because the colour sequences, as well as the words, have to fit together, writing is then equally difficult.

Section 2

Solution With Explanation
Question 1-4
Do the statements below agree with the information given in the Reading Passage?
In Boxes 1-4 on your answer sheets, write:

Yes, if the statement agrees with the passage
No, if the statement is contradictory to the passage
Not Given, if no information regarding the topic is mentioned in the passage.

[Guide: Candidates need to read the passage, and mark the questions Yes/No/Not Given based on the statements]

Question 1. Synaesthetes experience several senses at the same time.

Answer: Yes
Supporting Sentence: Son et lumière shows in the 19th century were an attempt at combining the senses in a public display, but such displays were not capable of conveying the sensations experienced by involuntary synaesthesia, as the ability which a synaesthete’s experience is called.
Keywords: Son et lumière, involuntary synaesthesia, Synaesthetes
Keyword Location: Last sentence of paragraph B
Explanation: This is the right response since synaesthetes simultaneously experience a variety of senses. For instance, some people perceive words as colors, while others do so even for individual letters and syllables, turning a word into a kaleidoscope of hues. When it comes to unintentional synaesthesia, everyone experiences it differently.

Question 2. Newspaper articles and TV news reports about synaesthesia are appearing with monotonous regularity nowadays.

Answer: Not Given.
Explanation: Due to Synaesthetes' extensive sensory experience, there is no relevant information in the paragraph related to the question

Question 3. Mention of synaesthesia can be traced back to the 17th century.

Answer: Yes.
Supporting Sentence: There have been several well-documented synaesthetes. Alexander Scriabin, the Russian composer, (1871-1915) tried to express his own synaesthetic abilities in his symphony Prometheus, the Poem of Fire (1922). And another Russian, Rimsky-Korsakov, noted the colour associations musical keys possessed.
Keywords: Synaesthetes, symphony Prometheus, colour associations
Keyword Location: the beginning of paragraph C
Explanation: This response is accurate since it is based on a number of well-known historical figures' actual, well-documented cases.

Question 4. It is strange that many people are sceptical about synaesthesia.

Answer: No.
Supporting Sentence: For many people with synaesthesia, knowing that what they have been experiencing has both a name and a history and that they are among several notable sufferers is a revelation, Initially, they often feel that there is something wrong psychologically or mentally, or that everyone feds that way. Then they realise with a thud that other people do not. Suppression is an option, but unwittingly some people have managed to make use of the ability to their advantage.
Keywords: notable sufferers, revelation, psychologically, Suppression.
Keyword Location: Second half of paragraph D
Explanation: The right response is this. It's not odd, yet it makes sense that many are skeptical of synesthesia. Only those who have actually experienced it can attest to it; otherwise, it seems strange and out of the ordinary.

Question 5 – 8

Choose the appropriate letter A-D and write the theme in Boxes 5-8 on your answer sheet.

[Guide: There are 4 questions that needs to be matched with the correct theme listed from A to D]

Question 5. Son et Lumière shows …
A. attempted to combine public senses
B. were frequent in the 19′th century
C. were both public and involuntary
D. did not reproduce the experiences of Synaesthetes.

Answer: A
Supporting Sentence: Son et lumière shows in the 19th century were an attempt at combining the senses in a public display, but such displays were not capable of conveying the sensations experienced by involuntary synaesthesia, as the ability which a synaesthete’s experience is called.
Keywords: synaesthete, involuntary synaesthesia
Keyword Location: Paragraph B
Explanation: B is erroneous because frequency is not mentioned in the passage.
Answer C is incorrect Because the word "involuntary" doesn't have the same connotation as it does in the passage.
D is erroneous because the passage does not use the phrase "reproduce the experiences," which does not match its meaning.

Question 6. Both Alexander Scriabin and Rimsky-Korsakov …
A. wanted to have synaesthetic abilities
B. created a lot of documents
C. linked music to colour
D. agreed with Bliss in 1922

Answer: C
Supporting Sentence: Alexander Scriabin, the Russian composer, (1871-1915) tried to express his own synaesthetic abilities in his symphony Prometheus, the Poem of Fire (1922). And another Russian, Rimsky-Korsakov, noted the colour associations musical keys possessed. For example, Scriabin saw C major as red, while to Rimsky-Korsakov it was white.
Keywords: symphony Prometheus, colour associations
Keyword Location: Paragraph C.
Explanation: These are credible accounts that don't require any more justification.
A is inaccurate because it is stated in the passage that they possessed these skills.
B is erroneous because the definition of "well-documented" is specifically stated.
D is inaccurate since the text does not make mention of any agreements.

Question 7. The Russian artist, Wassily Kandinsky, …
A. performed Wagner’s Lohengrin
B. found abstract painting
C. also composed music
D. saw objects

Answer: B
Supporting Sentence: In the field of the visual arts, probably the best-known artist with synaesthetic capabilities is the Russian artist, Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944), credited with being the founder of abstract painting
Keywords: visual arts, abstract painting
Keyword Location: Paragraph C
Explanation: He wasn't in a performance; therefore, answer A is untrue.
B is incorrect because found and founded don't mean the same thing. D is flawed because it lacks completion.

Question 8. At first, “sufferers” of synaesthesia believe that …
A. other people have similar experiences or there is something wrong with them
B. they are a revelation
C. they are psychologically or mentally superior
D. they are unique

Answer: A
Supporting Sentence: For many people with synaesthesia, knowing that what they have been experiencing has both a name and a history and that they are among several notable sufferers is a revelation, Initially, they often feel that there is something wrong psychologically or mentally, or that everyone feds that way. Then they realise with a thud that other people do not.
Keywords: notable sufferers, revelation
Keyword Location: Paragraph D
Explanation:B is erroneous because knowledge, not people, is what is a revelation.
C is incorrect because neither inferiority nor superiority are mentioned.
D is incorrect because this isn't mentioned, hence it's not true.

Questions 9-12
According to the reading passage, which of the following statements are true about synaesthetes? Write the appropriate letters in Boxes 9-12 on your answer sheet.
[Guide: Candidates need to read the passages carefully and choose the correct ones form the given statements]

Some synaesthetes are disoriented by their abilities.
Unusually, some synaesthetes have great creativity.
Memory is heightened by synaesthesia.
Synaesthetes have gilts and drawbacks.
Some synaesthetes use their ability to help themselves.
Their ability can be an obstacle to them.
Some synaesthetes write in colour.

Answer: A, C, E, F.
Supporting Sentence: While the condition of synaesthesia may hamper many people because of its disorienting effects, It can also open up a range of new skills, it is not unusual for people who have synaesthesia to be creative and imaginative, as many studies have shown, memory is based to some extent on the association. Synaesthetes find they can remember certain things with great ease. The person who associates the shape of a word with colour is quite often able to remember a long sequence of words, and the same goes for other areas where memory needs to be used.
Keywords: disorienting effects, creative and imaginative
Keyword Location: Paragraph E
Explanation:B is false because it states that it's common for those who have synaesthesia to be innovative in paragraph E.
D is erroneous because the problem, not the people, is what causes the problems (see paragraph E).
G is incorrect because, as the final phrase of paragraph E states, there is no actual connection between color and writing.

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