How to Make Wise Decisions Reading Answers

Jan 2, 2023

How to Make Wise Decisions Reading Answers contains sample answers about. How to Make Wise Decisions Reading Answers comprising 13 questions. IELTS How to Make Wise Decisions Reading Answers contains three types of questions: choose the correct letter, complete the summary and true/false/not given. Candidates are supposed to choose the correct letter from the given option to answer the statements. Candidates are required to complete the summary of the IELTS Reading passage by choosing the words given in the list. candidates need to thoroughly go through each passage. To decide whether the given statement is true, false or not given in the passage, candidates are required to read the passage efficiently. To gain proficiency, candidates can practise from the IELTS Reading practice papers.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

How to Make Wise Decisions Reading Answers

Across cultures, wisdom has been considered one of the most revered human qualities. Although the truly wise may seem few and far between, empirical research examining wisdom suggests that it isn’t an exceptional trait possessed by a small handful of bearded philosophers after all – in fact, the latest studies suggest that most of us have the ability to make wise decisions, given the right context.

‘It appears that experiential, situational, and cultural factors are even more powerful in shaping wisdom than previously imagined,’ says Associate Professor Igor Grossmann of the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. ‘Recent empirical findings from cognitive, developmental, social, and personality psychology cumulatively suggest that people’s ability to reason wisely varies dramatically across experiential and situational contexts. Understanding the role of such contextual factors offers unique insights into understanding wisdom in daily life, as well as how it can be enhanced and taught.’

It seems that it’s not so much that some people simply possess wisdom and others lack it, but that our ability to reason wisely depends on a variety of external factors. ‘It is impossible to characterise thought processes attributed to wisdom without considering the role of contextual factors,’ explains Grossmann. ‘In other words, wisdom is not solely an “inner quality” but rather unfolds as a function of situations people happen to be in. Some situations are more likely to promote wisdom than others.’

Coming up with a definition of wisdom is challenging, but Grossmann and his colleagues have identified four key characteristics as part of a framework of wise reasoning. One is intellectual humility or recognition of the limits of our own knowledge, and another is appreciation of perspectives wider than the issue at hand. Sensitivity to the possibility of change in social relations is also key, along with compromise or integration of different attitudes and beliefs.

Grossmann and his colleagues have also found that one of the most reliable ways to support wisdom in our own day-to-day decisions is to look at scenarios from a third-party perspective, as though giving advice to a friend. Research suggests that when adopting a first-person viewpoint we focus on ‘the focal features of the environment’ and when we adopt a third-person, ‘observer’ viewpoint we reason more broadly and focus more on interpersonal and moral ideals such as justice and impartiality. Looking at problems from this more expansive viewpoint appears to foster cognitive processes related to wise decisions.

What are we to do, then, when confronted with situations like a disagreement with a spouse or negotiating a contract at work, that require us to take a personal stake? Grossmann argues that even when we aren’t able to change the situation, we can still evaluate these experiences from different perspectives.

For example, in one experiment that took place during the peak of a recent economic recession, graduating college seniors were asked to reflect on their job prospects. The students were instructed to imagine their career either ‘as if you were a distant observer’ or ‘before your own eyes as if you were right there’. Participants in the group assigned to the ‘distant observer’ role displayed more wisdom-related reasoning (intellectual humility and recognition of change) than did participants in the control group.

In another study, couples in long-term romantic relationships were instructed to visualise an unresolved relationship conflict either through the eyes of an outsider or from their own perspective. Participants then discussed the incident with their partner for 10 minutes, after which they wrote down their thoughts about it. Couples in the ‘other’s eyes’ condition were significantly more likely to rely on wise reasoning – recognizing others’ perspectives and searching for a compromise – compared to the couples in the egocentric condition.

‘Ego-decentering promotes greater focus on others and enables a bigger picture, conceptual view of the experience, affording recognition of intellectual humility and change,’ says Grossmann.

We might associate wisdom with intelligence or particular personality traits, but research shows only a small positive relationship between wise thinking and crystallised intelligence and the personality traits of openness and agreeableness. ‘It is remarkable how much people can vary in their wisdom from one situation to the next, and how much stronger such contextual effects are for understanding the relationship between wise judgement and its social and affective outcomes as compared to the generalised “traits”,’ Grossmann explains. ‘That is, knowing how wisely a person behaves in a given situation is more informative for understanding their emotions or likelihood to forgive [or] retaliate as compared to knowing whether the person may be wise “in general”.’

Section 2

Solution With Explanation
Questions 27 – 30
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Write the correct letter in boxes 27-30 on your answer sheet.

What point does the writer make in the first paragraph?

A Wisdom appears to be unique to the human race.
B A basic assumption about wisdom may be wrong.
C Concepts of wisdom may depend on the society we belong to.
D There is still much to be discovered about the nature of wisdom.

Answer: B
Supporting Sentence: the latest studies suggest that most of us have the ability to make wise decisions
Keywords: studies, decision, ability, wise
Keyword Location: Paragraph 1, line 3-4
Explanation: Beginning to end, the first line of the first paragraph. Despite how rare they may appear, the truly wise exist. The author explained that wisdom is not something people assume it to be; rather, it is something else. The phrases are intended to convey that only a select few people appear to possess wisdom (assumption). However, the majority of us are capable of making sensible decisions. Therefore, the assumption regarding wisdom could not be accurate.

What does Igor Grossmann suggest about the ability to make wise decisions?

A It can vary greatly from one person to another.
B Earlier research into it was based on unreliable data.
C The importance of certain influences on it was underestimated.
D Various branches of psychology define it according to their own criteria.

Answer: C
Supporting Sentence: It appears that experiential, situational, and cultural factors are even more powerful in shaping wisdom than previously imagined
Keywords: experiential, situational, factors, shaping
Keyword Location: Paragraph 2, line 1
Explanation: Its significance was overstated in relation to several factors. The first line of the second paragraph. It seems that experiential, contextual, and cultural elements have a stronger influence on wisdom than previously thought. Associate Professor Igor Grossmann has reportedly said...". According to Igor Grossmann, some aspects are more potent than previously thought. As a result, their significance was overlooked.

According to the third paragraph, Grossmann claims that the level of wisdom an individual shows

A can be greater than they think it is.
B will be different in different circumstances.
C may be determined by particular aspects of their personality.
D should develop over time as a result of their life experiences.

Answer: B
Supporting Sentence: Some situations are more likely to promote wisdom than others.
Keywords: situations, promote, wisdom
Keyword Location: Paragraph 3, last line
Explanation: Last line of the third paragraph. "Some circumstances are more likely than others to foster wisdom." It follows that it is a given that wisdom varies depending on the circumstance. Grossmann makes this assertion.

What is described in the fifth paragraph?

A a difficulty encountered when attempting to reason wisely
B an example of the type of person who is likely to reason wisely
C a controversial view about the benefits of reasoning wisely
D a recommended strategy that can help people to reason wisely

Answer: D
Supporting Sentence: the focal features of the environment’ and when we adopt a third-person, ‘observer’ viewpoint we reason more broadly
Keywords: environment, observer, broadly
Keyword Location: Paragraph 5, line 4
Explanation: From the third line of the fifth paragraph through the end of this paragraph. According to research, when... connected to sensible decisions. The author discussed a study that contends that if we view the scenario through the eyes of an observer, we can learn a lot. Then, we make broader judgments. To make sensible decisions, the idea is to take the perspective of a third party rather than the first.

Questions 31 – 35
Complete the summary using the list of words, A-J, below.
Write the correct letter, A-J, in boxes 31-35 on your answer sheet.

The characteristics of wise reasoning

Igor Grossmann and colleagues have established four characteristics which enable us to make wise decisions. It is important to have a certain degree of 31 ………………….. regarding the extent of our knowledge, and to take into account 32 ………………….. which may not be the same as our own. We should also be able to take a broad 33 ………………….. of any situation. Another key characteristic is being aware of the likelihood of alterations in the way that people relate to each other.

Grossmann also believes that it is better to regard scenarios with 34 ………………….. . By avoiding the first-person perspective, we focus more on 35 ………………….. and on other moral ideals, which in turn leads to wiser decision-making.

A opinions B confidence C view

D modesty E problems F objectivity

G fairness H experiences I range

J reasons

Question 31:

Answer: Modesty
Supporting Sentence: intellectual humility or recognition of the limits of our own knowledge
Keywords: humility, recognition, knowledge
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, line 3
Explanation: The answer is in the fourth paragraph, third line. It claims that the most important quality is intellectual humility, or the understanding of our own knowledge's limitations.

Question 32:

Answer: opinion
Supporting Sentence: change in social relations is also key, along with compromise or integration of different attitudes and beliefs.
Keywords: change, social relation, integration, attitude, belief
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, last line
Explanation: The solution is in the fourth paragraph's last sentence. It states that we should take into account various points of view in order to integrate various attitudes and beliefs.

Question 33:

Answer: view
Supporting Sentence: to look at scenarios from a third-party perspective, as though giving advice to a friend
Keywords: scenario, perspective, third-party, advice
Keyword Location: Paragraph 5, line 2 and 3
Explanation: According to the fifth paragraph, viewing situations from the viewpoint of a third party is one of the most trustworthy ways. Especially when it comes to supporting wisdom in our own day-to-day decisions.

Question 34:

Answer: objectivity
Supporting Sentence: to look at scenarios from a third-party perspective, as though giving advice to a friend
Keywords: scenario, perspective, third-party, advice
Keyword Location: Paragraph 5, line 2 and 3
Explanation: According to the fifth paragraph, viewing situations from the viewpoint of a third party is one of the most trustworthy ways. Especially when it comes to support wisdom in our own day-to-day decisions. This can help us be objective.

Question 35:

Answer: Fairness
Supporting Sentence: to look at scenarios from a third-party perspective, as though giving advice to a friend
Keywords: scenario, perspective, third-party, advice
Keyword Location: Paragraph 5, line 2 and 3
Explanation: By ignoring the first-person viewpoint, we can concentrate more on other moral principles, which helps us make better decisions. The fifth paragraph states that one of the most reliable methods is to look at things from the perspective of a third person.

Questions 36 – 40

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading Passage?
In boxes 36-40 on your answer sheet, write -

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

Students participating in the job prospects experiment could choose one of two perspectives to take.

Answer: False
Supporting Sentence: assigned to the ‘distant observer’ role displayed more wisdom-related reasoning
Keywords: distant, observer, role, reasoning, wisdom
Keyword Location: Paragraph 7, last 3 lines
Explanation: By abandoning the first-person viewpoint, we can concentrate more on other moral principles, which results in better decision-making. The fifth paragraph suggests that one of the most reliable approaches is to look at problems from the perspective of a third person. Thus, the answer is false.

Participants in the couples experiment were aware that they were taking part in a study about wise reasoning.

Answer: Not Given
Explanation: The passage neglects any information relevant to the question.

In the couples experiments, the length of the couples’ relationships had an impact on the results.

Answer: Not Given
Explanation: The passage neglects any information relevant to the question.

In both experiments, the participants who looked at the situation from a more detached viewpoint tended to make wiser decisions.

Answer: True
Supporting Sentence: Couples in the ‘other’s eyes’ condition were significantly more likely to rely on wise reasoning. Recognizing others’ perspectives and searching for a compromise
Keywords: condition, perspective, reasoning
Keyword Location: Paragraph 8, last 3 lines
Explanation: In paragraph 8, it was said that couples in the "other's eyes" condition were more prone to rely on sound judgement. Thereby appreciating other people's viewpoints and trying to reach a consensus. As a result, the answer is true.

Grossmann believes that a person’s wisdom is determined by their intelligence to only a very limited extent.

Answer: True
Supporting Sentence: We might associate wisdom with intelligence or particular personality traits.
Keywords: associate, wisdom, personality trait
Keyword Location: Last paragraph, line 1
Explanation: The final paragraph has the answer. It claims that we may equate wisdom with mental prowess or specific behavioural attributes. However, there is only a slight correlation, according to study. Between wise reasoning, intelligence that has been crystallised, and the open-minded and amiable personality qualities.

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