Lunar Cycles and Sleep Reading Answers

Mar 8, 2024

Lunar Cycles and Sleep Reading Answers is an academic reading topic. Lunar Cycles and Sleep Reading Answers have a total of 5 IELTS questions in total. The specified topic generates 1 question type: Choose the correct heading. Candidates should read the IELTS Reading passage thoroughly to recognize synonyms, identify keywords, and answer the questions below. IELTS Reading practice papers, which feature topics such as Lunar Cycles and Sleep Reading Answers. Candidates can use IELTS reading practice questions and answers to enhance their performance in the reading section.

Check: Get 10 Free IELTS Sample Papers
Check: Register for IELTS Coaching - Join for Free Trial Class Now

Section 1

Read the Text Below and Answer Questions

Lunar Cycles and Sleep

Sleep specialist Professor Wiseman recently set out to determine if sound could affect dream content. However, he also ended up uncovering an uncanny correlation between lunar cycles and sleep processes.
Volunteers in his study were played a variety of sounds ranging from bird song to traffic. If sensors detected the subject was sleeping, shortly before the alarm was set to go off, the sounds were played. The reasoning behind this was that sleepers recall dreams more accurately just after waking and so would still remember sound-induced dreams.
Whilst the content of dreams was found to remain constant with the seasons or the days of the week, it showed considerable variation with the full moon. Dreams became increasingly bizarre, bearing little relation to the usual pedestrian dreams we normally have about being late for work or losing personal items. In some cases, subjects became superheroes such as Batman or Superman.
The findings build on research that had previously demonstrated a link between lunar cycles and duration and quality of sleep rather than content. These earlier findings revealed a more fitful sleep in subjects during the full moon and difficulty initially falling asleep.
Biologically, an inability to sleep soundly during a full moon is probably attributable to low levels of the sleep hormone melatonin. The waxing and waning of the moon can directly affect melatonin levels and hence sleep quality. F Wiseman believes that the evolutionary advantage conferred on our predecessors by such sensitivity to lunar rhythms was incalculable. Sleeping lightly at the full moon would have heightened our awareness of predators. In addition, a full moon may have been the optimum conditions for our ancestors to go hunting by. This accounts for the lunar influence on our sleeping habits today.
Sensitivity to the moon's rhythms and concurrent lack of good quality sleep is likely, however, to be seen as a source of irritation to most. This is because contemporary Man is unlikely to derive the same benefit from moon-induced sleep changes compared to his ancestors.

Section 2

Solution and Explanation

Questions 15-21

The text on the next page has seven sections, A-G. Choose the correct heading for each section from the list of headings below. Write the correct number, i-x, in boxes 15-21 on your answer sheet.

List of Headings

A previously proven correlation
An unwelcome inheritance
Old habits die hard
A modern advantage
A departure from the mundane
A physical interaction
An unexpected finding
Fantasies become reality
A theory is disproved
Theory is put into practice

Section A

Answer: vii
Supporting statement: “......... However, he also ended up uncovering an uncanny correlation between lunar cycles and sleep processes.........”
Keywords: correlation, cycles
Keyword Location: para A,line 2
Explanation: It is given that the scientists have discovered a unique correlation between lunar cycles and sleep processes. It was all an unexpected finding.

Section B

Answer: x
Supporting statement: “.........Volunteers in his study played a variety of sounds ranging from bird song to traffic.........”
Keywords: variety, traffic
Keyword Location: para B, line 1
Explanation: It is given that the scientist actually tried playing different type of sounds to test the hypothesis.

Section C

Answer: v
Supporting statement: “........Dreams became increasingly bizarre, bearing little relation to the usual pedestrian dreams we normally have about being late for work or losing personal items. In some cases, subjects became superheroes such as Batman or Superman.........”
Keywords: personal, cases
Keyword Location:para C, line 3
Explanation: It is given that the dreams of people started to become odd and different from normal dreams. Sometimes subjects also became superheroes.

Section D

Answer: i
Supporting statement: “........The findings build on research that had previously demonstrated a link between lunar cycles and duration and quality of sleep rather than content.........”
Keywords: demonstrated, content
Keyword Location: para D, line 1
Explanation: It is given that the scientists have proved this already that lunar cycles have a relation with the quality of sleep.

Section E

Answer: vi
Supporting statement: “........The waxing and waning of the moon can directly affect melatonin levels and hence sleep quality..........”
Keywords: melatonin, sleep
Keyword Location: para E, line 2
Explanation: It is given that the people are affected by the waxing and waning of the moon. It leads to change in the melatonin levels and affects the sleep quality.

Section F

Answer: iii
Supporting statement: “....... In addition, a full moon may have been the optimum conditions for our ancestors to go hunting by. This accounts for the lunar influence on our sleeping habits today...........”
Keywords: addition, influence
Keyword Location: para F,line 3
Explanation: It is given that the ancestors were going to hunt at the time of the full moon. And these habits have been carried on by us. Hence our sleeping habits are affected.

Section G

Answer: ії
Supporting statement: “......... This is because contemporary Man is unlikely to derive the same benefit from moon-induced sleep changes compared to his ancestors.........”
Keywords: benefit, compared
Keyword Location: para G, line 2
Explanation: It is given that the people nowadays are unable to get the same benefits from mood as their ancestors used to get.

IELTS Reading Related Articles