Ouch! You’ve Got Some Nerve! Reading Answers

Dec 28, 2023

Ouch! You’ve Got Some Nerve! Reading Answers is a general reading topic. Ouch! You’ve Got Some Nerve! Reading Answers have a total of 13 IELTS questions in total. The specified topic generates 2 question types: no more than 2 words, and true, false, or not given. Candidates should read the IELTS Reading passage thoroughly in order to recognize synonyms, identify keywords, and answer the questions below. IELTS reading practice papers, which feature topics such as Ouch! You’ve Got Some Nerve! Reading Answers. Candidates can use IELTS reading answers to enhance their performance in the reading section.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Questions below.

Ouch! You’ve Got Some Nerve! Reading Answers

OUCH! YOU'VE GOT SOME NERVE!

Serious pain starts with the stimulation of one or more of the body's many special sensors, called nociceptors, in the skin or internal organs. These special sensors receive information about intense heat, extreme pressure, sharp pricks or cuts, or other events that can cause body damage. Two types of nerve fibers carry this information from the nociceptors to the spinal cord: A-delta fibers, which transmit information quickly and appear to be responsible for sudden and sharp feelings of pain; and C-type fibers, which transmit pain impulses more slowly and may be the cause of a nagging sense of pain.

At the spinal cord, messages from nociceptors may be modified by other spinal nerves that enhance or, more frequently, diminish the intensity of the pain. The pain impulse then travels to several parts of the brain. Some brain areas determine where the pain is and what is causing it, while other areas combine the sensory information with the total state of the body and produce the emotional sensation called pain. These same brain centers can activate long nerve fibers that descend to the place in the spinal cord where the pain signal originates and decrease the signal.

In the mid-1970s, researchers showed that many nerve fibers that hold back pain messages in the spinal cord release a neurotransmitter called enkephalin. Some areas of the brain that process pain messages produce a related chemical called endorphin. Although the exact roles of these two substances in pain perception is not yet clear, scientists hope that studies of these chemicals may eventually give rise to better types of pain treatment.

The complex nature of pain is illustrated by the stories of soldiers who are severely wounded and do not complain of pain, or of athletes who are injured but do not experience pain until the contest is over. In some cultures, an operation can be performed on the skull without an anesthetic (anti-pain drug). On the other hand, scientists have recently shown that the expectation of pain can actually intensify the experience, perhaps by inducing anxiety. The emotional component of pain is also illustrated by the words frequently used to describe its nature, such as "vicious", "nauseating", and "nagging".

Acute or severe pain-such as that produced by physical injury, burns or surgery is most often treated with anti pain drugs, which can range from simple ones, like aspirin, to more powerful drugs, like morphine. In the terminal stages of cancer, combinations of powerful pain killing drugs may be used, including mood-altering drugs, like tranquilizers or anti- depressants. In some patients who have had surgery, pain is effectively relieved by a nerve block: the injection of an anesthetic into the regional nerve center through which the nerves from the surgery site pass. With certain types of back pain, surgery can correct the problem causing the pain.

Beginning about 1965, physicians came to appreciate the uniqueness of the condition called. "chronic pain." In this syndrome (bodily condition), patients may complain of pain for years, without having any apparent or detectable injury or cause. Researchers suggest that chronic pain is a behavior state, initiated by a real injury, in which the pain has lasted so long that it has itself become the disease. Of the many millions of Americans who suffer from chronic pain, one-third have back pain and another third arthritis (swelling between the bone joints), Many of these patients are dependent on strong painkilling medicines, and they usually have fallen into a Cycle of pain, depression, and inactivity.

A number of special clinics have been formed to treat people who suffer from chronic pain. Such clinics emphasize reduction of drug dosages, along with exercise, activity therapy, and mental relaxation techniques such as hypnosis and biofeedback. Some include psychological counseling, and many attempt to change learned pain behaviors by enlisting the patient's family. In other cases, patients are helped by an electronic nerve-stimulating device, called T.E.N.S. that can be used to send electricity into the nerves and up the spinal cord. Exactly how and why this device works is not known, but it may stimulate the brain to send pain-inhibiting impulses down the spine.

Section 2

Answer and Explanation

Questions 26 - 28
Choose the appropriate letter, A-D.

"Chronic pain"
A. causes many patients to become dependent on strong pain killing medicines.
B. is long-term pain that may lack any observable injury or cause.
C. is believed by researchers to be a behavior state initiated by a real injury.
D. is all of the above.

Answer: D
Supporting statement: “......Many of these patients are dependent on strong pain killing medicines, and they usually have fallen into a Cycle of pain, depression, and inactivity.......”
Keywords: painkilling, fallen
Keyword Location: para 6, line 7
Explanation: It is given in the passage that patients suffering from chronic pain become dependent on painkillers. It may not be occurring due to injury or any cause. It is though initiated by an injury.

A person's perception of pain is intensified by
A. the body's release of enkephalin in the spinal cord.
B. anticipation and anxiety.
C. the release of morphine by the brain.
D. a nerve block.

Answer: B
Supporting statement: “.....scientists have recently shown that the expectation of pain can actually intensify the experience, perhaps by inducing anxiety. .......”
Keywords: expectation, intensify
Keyword Location: para 4, line 5
Explanation: It is given that the person’s pain is often affected by the anticipation and the anxiety felt by the person. If the person tries to calm them their pain may not intensify.

C-type fibers are responsible for
A. carrying information from the spinal cord to the Nociceptors,
B. transmitting quick pain impulses.
C. creating chronic pain.
D. probably causing a sense of nagging pain.

Answer: D
Supporting statement: “.....and C-type fibers, which transmit pain impulses more slowly and may be the cause of a nagging sense of pain........”
Keywords: fibres, nagging
Keyword Location: para 1, line 7
Explanation: It is given that the C type fibers are the fibers which are very slow in transmitting the pain impulse. Hence it can be used to cause a nagging type of pain.

Questions 29-34
Do the following statements agree with the information in Reading Passage 3
In boxes 29-34 on your answer sheet, write
TRUE - if the statement is true according to the passage
FALSE - if the statement is false according to the passage
NOT GIVEN - if the information is not given in the passage

Mood-modifying drugs are used to treat pain in the late stages of cancer.

Answer: TRUE
Supporting statement: “..... In the terminal stages of cancer, combinations of powerful pain killing drugs may be used, including mood-altering drugs, like tranquilizers or anti-depressants........”
Keywords: cancer, drugs
Keyword Location: para 5, line 3
Explanation: it is given that, in the late stages of cancers when it cannot be treated, the patients are given mood altering drugs. It changes their mood to calm and gives a sense of relief.

T.E.N.S. is an effective drug therapy that blocks pain impulses from reaching the brain.

Answer: FALSE
Supporting statement: “...... In other cases, patients are helped by an electronic nerve-stimulating device, called T.E.N.S......”
Keywords: nerve, simulating
Keyword Location: para 7, line 4
Explanation: It is given that T.E.N.S is a nerve-stimulating device. It is used to send electrical impulse down to the nerve. It does not block any pain impulses reaching the brain.

Some experts suggest that sensitivity to pain is a good sign of healthy nerves.

Answer: NOT GIVEN
Explanation: There has been no instance in the passage that the sensitivity of pain is a good sign of nerves. Hence it cannot be concluded.

Researchers suggest that chronic pain is a behavior state, initiated by an imaginary injury.

Answer: FALSE
Supporting statement: “......Researchers suggest that chronic pain is a behavior state, initiated by a real injury......”
Keywords: chronic, injury
Keyword Location: para 6, line 3
Explanation: It is given that the researchers suggest that chronic pain is always initiated by some kind of real injury. Hence the given statement is false because it mentions imaginary injury.

Most painkillers have detrimental side effects.

Answer: NOT GIVEN
Explanation: There has been no instance in the passage that says that the painkillers have detrimental side effects.

In some cultures, a skull operation can be performed without an anesthetic.

Answer: TRUE
Supporting statement: “...... In some cultures, an operation can be performed on the skull without an anesthetic (anti-pain drug). ......”
Keywords: cultures, anesthetic
Keyword Location: para 4, line 3
Explanation: It is given that sometimes people perform skull operations without any anesthetics.

Questions 35-37
According to the text, which THREE of the following have been used to reduce the effects of pain in humans?
Choose THREE letters, A-G, and write them in boxes 35-37 on your answer sheet.
According to the text, which THREE of the following have been used to reduce the effects of pain in humans?

encephalin
arthritis
morphine
skull surgery
tranquilizers
music
biofeedback

Q.35

Answer: C
Supporting statement: “.....anti pain drugs, which can range from simple ones, like aspirin, to more powerful drugs, like morphine......”
Keywords: anti pain, drug
Keyword Location: para 5, line 2
Explanation: It is given that morphine is an anti pain drug and hence it can reduce pain.

Q.36

Answer: E
Supporting statement: “.....powerful pain killing drugs may be used, including mood-altering drugs, like tranquilizers or anti-depressants. ......”
Keywords: altering, tranquilizers
Keyword Location: para 5, line 4
Explanation: It is given that tranquilizers are also pain killing drugs.

Q.37

Answer: G
Supporting statement: “.....clinics emphasize reduction of drug dosages, along with exercise, activity therapy, and mental relaxation techniques such as hypnosis and biofeedback......”
Keywords: reduction, therapy
Keyword Location: para 7, line 2
Explanation: It is given that the clinics emphasize on reduction of drug doses for reducing pain and hence use techniques like biofeedback.

Questions 38-40
Complete each of the following statements with the best ending from the box below. Write the appropriate letter, A-G, in boxes 38-40 on your answer sheet.

endorphins
anxiety
terminal cancer
hypnosis
chronic pain
nerve blocks
A-delta fibers

A number of special clinics have been formed to treat people who suffer from …

Answer: E
Supporting statement: “...... physicians came to appreciate the uniqueness of the condition called. "chronic pain."......”
Keywords: uniqueness, chronic
Keyword Location: para 6, line 1
Explanation: It is given that there are a number of special clinics to treat chronic pain.

Sudden and sharp feelings of pain are transmitted by ...

Answer: G
Supporting statement: “...... Two types of nerve fibers carry this information from the nociceptors to the spinal cord: A-delta fibers, which transmit information quickly and appear to be responsible for sudden and sharp feelings of pain;......”
Keywords: transmit, feelings
Keyword Location: para 1, line 4
Explanation: It is given that there is a type of nerve fibre called A delta fibres which are the reason behind sudden and sharp feelings.

Expectation of pain can actually intensify the experience, perhaps by inducing ...

Answer: B
Supporting statement: “.....scientists have recently shown that the expectation of pain can actually intensify the experience, perhaps by inducing anxiety. T.......”
Keywords: expectation, intensify
Keyword Location: para 4, line 5
Explanation: It is given that the expectation of pain can be intensified due to anxiety.

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