Pronunciation and Physiognomy Reading Answers

Dec 13, 2022

Pronunciation and Physiognomy Reading Answers contain 13 questions. The IELTS passage, Pronunciation and Physiognomy Reading Answers consists of three passages and forty questions. There are different types of questions found in each IELTS reading passage. It is crucial to read the passage carefully and take mental notes of important points in order to answer the questions quickly. Pronunciation and Physiognomy Reading Answers is an IELTS Academic topic. The pronunciation and Physiognomy Reading Answers passage contains the following question types from IELTS Reading Question Types:

Choose the correct answer
Yes/ No/ Not Given

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

Pronunciation and Physiognomy Reading Answers

Imagine the scene: you are sitting on the tube and on gets someone you instinctively feel is American. To make sure you ask them the time and fight, but how did you know?

When we say someone ‘looks American’, we take into consideration dress, mannerism, and physical appearance. However, since the Americans do not constitute one single race, what exactly is meant by ‘look’? In fact, one salient feature is a pronounced widening around the jaw – a well-documented phenomenon. Writer Arthur Koestler once remarked that friends of his, whom he had met thirty years after they’ emigrated to the United States, had acquired an ‘American physiognomy’, i.e. a broadened jaw, an appearance which is also prevalent in the indigenous population. An anthropologist friend of his attributed this to the increased use of the jaw musculature in American enunciation. This ‘change of countenance’ in immigrants had already been observed by the historian M. Fishberg in 1910.
To paraphrase the philosopher Emerson, certain national, social and religious groups, such as ageing actors, long-term convicts and celibate priests, to give just a few examples, develop a distinguishing ‘look’, which is not easily defined, but readily recognized. Their way of life affects their facial expression and physical features, giving the mistaken impression that these traits are of hereditary or ‘racial’ origin. All the factors mentioned above contribute, as well as heredity. But the question of appearance being affected by pronunciation – as in the case of American immigrants including those from other English speaking countries over the course of many years – is of great interest, and calls for further study into the science of voice production. This can only benefit those working in the field of speech therapy, elocution and the pronunciation of foreign languages, and help the student from a purely physiological point of view. Naturally, the numerous psychological and socio-linguistic factors that inhibit most adult learners of foreign languages from acquiring ‘good’ pronunciation constitute a completely different and no less important issue that requires a separate investigation.
The pronunciation of the various forms of English around the world today is affected by the voice being ‘placed’ indifferent, parts of the mouth. We use our Speech organs in certain ways to produce specific sounds, and these muscles have to practice to learn new phonemes. Non-Americans should look in the mirror while repeating ‘I really never heard of poor reward for valour’ with full use of tile USA retroflex/phoneme, and note what happens to their jawbones after three or four repetitions. Imagine the effect of these movements on the jaw muscles after twenty years! This phoneme is one of the most noticeable features of US English and one that non-Americans always exaggerate when mimicking the accent. Likewise, standard British RP is often parodied, and its whine of superiority mocked to the point of turning the end of one’s nose up as much as possible. Not only does this enhance the ‘performance’, but also begs the question of whether this look is the origin of the expression ‘stuck up’?
Once on a Birmingham bus, a friend pointed to a fellow passenger and said, ‘That man’s Brummie accent is written all over his face.’ This was from someone who would not normally make crass generalizations. The interesting thing would be to establish whether thin lips and a tense, prominent chin are a result of the way Midlands English is spoken, or its cause, or a mixture of both. Similarly, in the case of Liverpool, one could ask whether the distinctive ‘Scouse accent was a reason for or the frequency of high cheekbones in the local population.
When one learns another accent, as in the theatre, for example, voice coaches often resort to images to help their students acquire the distinctive sound of the target pronunciation. With ‘Scouse’, the mental aid employed is pushing your cheekbones up in a smile as high as they will go and you have got a very slack mouth full of cotton wool. The sound seems to spring off the sides of your face-outwards and upwards. For a Belfast accent, one has to tighten the sides of the jaws until there is maximum tension, and speak opening the lips as little as possible, This gives rise to the well-known ‘Ulster jaw’ phenomenon. Learning Australian involves imagining the ordeals of the first westerners transported to the other side of the world. When exposed to the merciless glare and unremitting heat of the southern sun, we instinctively screw up our eyes and grimace for protection.
Has this contributed to an Australian ‘look’, and affected the way ‘Aussies’ speak English or vice versa? It is a curious chicken and egg conundrum, but perhaps the answer is ultimately irrelevant. Of course, other factors affect the way people look and sound, and it would certainly be inaccurate to suggest that all those who speak one form of a language or dialect have a set physiognomy because of their pronunciation patterns. But a large enough number do, and that alone is worth investigating. What is important, however, is establishing pronunciation as one of the factors that determine physiognomy, and gaining a deeper insight into the origins and nature of the sounds of speech And of course, one wonders what ‘look’ one’s own group has!

Section 2

Solution and Explanation
Questions 1-3

Use the information in the text to match the People listed (1-3) with the Observations (1-vii).
Write the appropriate letter in Boxes 1-3 on your answer sheet.
Note that there are more Observations than people, so you will not use all of them.

You can use each Observation once only.

Americans use their jaw more to enunciate
Immigrants acquire physiognomical features common among the Indigenous population
Facial expression and physical features arc hereditary
Lifestyle affects physiognomy
Americans have a broadened jaw
The appearance of his friends had changed since they moved to the United States
The change of countenance was unremarkable

1) Koestler

Answer: vi
Supporting Sentence: The writer Arthur Hues tier onto remarked that friends of his, whom he met thirty years after they emigrated to the United States, had acquired an “American physiognomy”
Keywords: United States, Friends
Keyword Location: 1st Line, 3rd Paragraph
Explanation: The answer is in the third paragraph, first sentence, I is incorrect since it was remarked by an anthropology friend of Koestler, ii is incorrect because Koestler was talking about his friends rather than immigrants. In general; and v isn't mentioned as a general principle.

2) Fishborg

Answer: ii
Supporting Sentence: An anthropologist friend of his attributed this to the increased use of the jaw musculature In American enunciation. This “change of countenance” in immigrants had already been observed by the historian M. Fishberg in 1910.
Keywords: Immigrants, physiognomical features, Indigenous population
Keyword Location: 2nd Line, 3rd Paragraph
Explanation: The answer is in paragraph 3, in the last sentence, vi is inaccurate since Plshberg was referring to all immigrants, not only his buddies.

3) Emerson

Answer: iv
Supporting Sentence: Their way of life affects their facial expression and physical features.
Keywords: Lifestyle, physiognomy
Keyword Location: 2nd Line, 4th Paragraph
Explanation: The solution can be found in the fourth paragraph, second sentence. iii is improper, according to Emerson, because this is a misleading impression.

Observations

Questions 4-9:

Do the statements below agree with the Information in Rending Passage?
In Boxes 4-9, write;

Yes if the statement agrees with the Information In the passage
No if the statement contradicts the information in the passage
Not Given if there is no information about the statement in the passage

Example: Appearance is affected by pronunciation.
Answer: Yes.

4) Further study into the science of voice production will cost considerable sums of money.

Answer: NOT GIVEN

5) The psychological and socio-linguistic factors that make it difficult for adult learners of foreign languages to gain “good” pronunciation arc not as important as other factors.

Answer: NO
Supporting Sentence: Naturally, the numerous psychological and socio-linguistic factors that inhibit most adult learners of foreign languages from acquiring a “good” pronunciation constitute a completely different and no less important Issue that requires separate investigation.
Keywords: psychological factors, socio-linguistic factors, foreign languages, “good” pronunciation
Keyword Location: Last Line, 4th Paragraph, adult learners,
Explanation: The answer is in the last sentence of paragraph 4: a completely different and no less significant issue, which means, in effect, equally vital.

6) Speech organs are muscles.

Answer: YES
Supporting Sentence: We use dui- speech organs in certain ways to produce specific sounds, and these muscles have to practise to learn new phonemes.
Keywords: Speech organs, muscles
Keyword Location: 2nd Line, 5th Paragraph
Explanation: The solution is The word they is used again in the second phrase of paragraph 5.

7) New phonemes are difficult to learn

Answer: NOT GIVEN

8) People often make fun of standard British HP

Answer: YES
Supporting Sentence: Likewise, standard British Rl5 is often parodied, and its whine of superiority mocked to the point of turning the end of one’s nose up as much as possible.
Keywords: standard British HP
Keyword Location: 6th Line, 6th Paragraph
Explanation: The answer can be found towards the conclusion of paragraph 5. Make fun of is a synonym for parody and ridicule.

9) Facial features contribute to the incomprehensibility of Midlands English.

Answer: NOT GIVEN

Questions 10-13:

Choose one phrase (A-I) from the List of phrases to complete each Key point below. Write the appropriate letters (A-I) in Boxes 10-13 on your answer sheet.
The information in the completed sentences should be an accurate summary of the points made by the writer.
There are more phrases (A-I) than sentences, so you will not need to use them all. You may use each phrase once only.

List of Phrase

an be achieved by using a mental aid
is irrelevant
is worth investigating
use Images to assist students with the desired pronunciation
is a chicken and egg conundrum
get the target
can affect appearance
Is not as easy as a Belfast one
makes you smile

10) Voice coaches

Answer: D
Supporting Sentence: voice coaches often resort to images to help their students acquire the distinctive sound of the target pronunciation.
Keyword Location: 2nd Line, 7th Paragraph
Explanation: The solution is in paragraph 7, and it is a paraphrasing of how they might help their students learn the particular sound of the desired pronunciation. F is incorrect since it is insufficient.

11) The Scouse

Answer: A
Supporting Sentence: With “Scouse”, the mental aid employed is pushing your cheekbones up in a smile as high as they will go and imagining you’ve got a very slack mouth full of cotton wool.
Keyword Location: 3rd Line, 7th Paragraph
Explanation: This solution is also available. In the seventh sentence. It is said that a mental aid is being used. used. It is inaccurate since the cause and effect are reversed. H is incorrect since no mention is made of which of the two accents is simpler.

12) Whether the way we look affects the way we speak or the other way round …

Answer: E
Supporting Sentence: Has this contributed to an Australian “look”, and affected the way “Aussies” speak English, or vice versa? It is a curious chicken and egg conundrum.
Keyword Location: 1st Line, Last Paragraph
Explanation: The answer can be found in the first half of the last paragraph. B is incorrect because it is the question's answer that is deemed to be irrelevant.

13) It is Important to prove that pronunciation …

Answer: G
Supporting Sentence: But a large enough number do, and that alone is worth investigating. What is important, however, is establishing pronunciation as one of the factors that determine physiognomy.
Keyword Location: 2nd Line, Last Paragraph
Explanation: The answer can be found in the second half of the last paragraph. C is incorrect because it is the relationship between pronunciation and physiognomy that is worth investigating, not the pronunciation itself.

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