The Growth of Intelligence IELTS Academic Reading Sample with Explanation
IELTS Academic Reading section contains three passages and forty questions. There are different types of questions found in each IELTS academic reading passage. This IELTS reading sample - The growth of intelligence is an IELTS Academic topic. The passage contains the following question types from IELTS Academic Reading Question Types:
- Choose the correct option
- Complete the summary
- Yes/No/ Not- Given
There are similar topics found in IELTS reading practice papers from which candidates can prepare.
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Section 1
Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions
The growth of intelligence IELTS Academic Reading Sample
No one doubts that intelligence develops as children grow older. Yet the concept of intelligence has proved both quite difficult to define in unambiguous terms and unexpectedly controversial in some respects. Although, at one level, there seem to be almost as many definitions of intelligence as people who have tried to define it, there is broad agreement on two key features. That is, intelligence involves the capacity not only to learn from experience but also to adapt to one’s environment. However, we cannot leave the concept there. Before turning to what is known about the development of intelligence, it is necessary to consider whether we are considering the growth of one or many skills. That question has been tackled in rather different ways by psychometricians and by developmentalists.
The former group has examined the issue by determining how children’s abilities on a wide range of tasks intercorrelate, or go together. Statistical techniques have been used to find out whether the pa Hems are best explained by one broad underlying capacity’, general intelligence, or by a set of multiple, relatively separate, special skills in domains such as verbal and visuospatial ability’. While it cannot be claimed that everyone agrees on what the results mean, most people now accept that for practical purposes it is reasonable 10 suppose that both are involved. In brief, the evidence in favour of some kind of general intellectual capacity is that people who are superior (or inferior) on one type of task tend also to be superior (or inferior) on others. Moreover, general measures of intelligence tend to have considerable powers to predict a person’s performance on a wide range of tasks requiring special skills. Nevertheless, it is plain that it is not at all uncommon for individuals to be very’ good at some sons of task and yet quite poor at some others. Furthermore the influences that affect verbal skills are not quite the same as those that affect other skills.
This approach to investigating intelligence is based on the nature of the task involved but studies of age-related changes show that this is not the only, or necessarily the most important, approach. For instance, some decades ago, Horn and Cattell argued fora differentiation between what they termed ‘fluid’ and ‘crystallized’ intelligence. Fluid abilities are best assessed by tests that require mental manipulation of abstract symbols. Crystallized abilities, by contrast, reflect knowledge of the environment in which we live and past experience of similar tasks; they may be assessed by tests of comprehension and information. It scents that fluid abilities peak in early adult life, whereas crystallized abilities increase up to advanced old age.
Developmental studies also show that the interconnection’s between different skills vary with age. Titus in the first year of life an interest in perceptual patterns is a major contributor to cognitive abilities, whereas verbal abilities are more important later on. These findings seemed to suggest a substantial lack of continuity between infancy and middle childhood. However, it is important to realize that the apparent discontinuity will vary according to which of the cognitive skills were assessed in infancy. It has been found that tests of coping with novelty do predict later intelligence. These findings reinforce the view that voting children’s intellectual performance needs to be assessed from their interest in and curiosity about the environment, and the extent to which this is applied to new situations, as well as by standardized intelligence testing.
These psychometric approaches have focused on children’s increase in cognitive skills as they grow older. Piaget brought about a revolution in the approach to cognitive development through his arguments (backed up by observations) that the focus should be on the thinking processes involved rather than on levels of cognitive achievement. These ideas of Piaget gave rise to an immense body of research and it would be true to say that subsequent thinking has been heavily dependent on his genius in opening up new ways of thinking about cognitive development. Nevertheless, most of his concepts have had to be so radically revised, or rejected, that his theory’ no longer provides an appropriate basis for thinking about cognitive development. To appreciate why that is so, we need to focus on some rather different elements of Piaget s theorizing.
The first element, which has stood the test of time, is his view that the child is an active agent of learning and of the importance of this activity in cognitive development. Numerous studies have shown how infants actively scan their environment; how they prefer patterned to non-patterned objects, how they choose novel over familiar stimuli, and how they explore their environment as if to see how it works. Children’s questions and comments vividly illustrate the ways in which they are constantly constructing schemes of what they know and trying out their ideas of how to fit new knowledge into those schemes or deciding that the schemes need modification. Moreover, a variety’ of studies have shown that active experiences have a greater effect on learning than comparable passive experiences. However, a second element concerns the notion that development proceeds through a scries of separate stages that have to he gone through step-by-step, in a set order, each of which is characterized by a particular cognitive structure. That has tinned out to be a rather misleading way of thinking about cognitive development, although it is not wholly wrong.
Section 2
Solution With Explanation
Questions 27-30 : Choose the correct letter A, B, C, D.
(Guide: Candidates need to answer by selecting the correct answer choice from A to D)
- Most researchers accept that one feature of intelligence is the ability to __________
- change our behaviour according to our situation.
- react to others’ behaviour patterns.
- experiment with environmental features.
- cope with unexpected setbacks.
Answer: A
Supporting sentence: Although, at one level, there seem to be almost as many definitions of intelligence as people who have tried to define it, there is broad agreement on two key features. That is, intelligence involves the capacity not only to learn from experience but also to adapt to one’s environment.
Keywords: Broad agreement, adapt to one’s environment.
Keyword location: First paragraph line number 2-3
Explanation: The job of defining concepts particularly rests with experts or researchers and there is broad agreement that is considerable acceptance about the capacity of intelligence. Then it is also shown in the passage that one of the capacities of intelligence is to adapt to the environment. Hence the answer is A.
Read More IELTS Reading Samples
- What have psychometricians used statistics for?
- to find out if cooperative tasks are a useful tool In measuring certain skills
- to explore whether soveral abilities are involved in the development of intelligence
- to demonstrate that mathematical models can predict test results for different skills
- to discover whether common sense is fundamental to developing children’s abilities
Answer: B
Supporting sentence: Statistical techniques have been used to find out whether the pa Hems are best explained by one broad underlying capacity’, general intelligence, or by a set of multiple, relatively separate, special skills in domains such as verbal and visuospatial ability’.
Keywords: multiple, relatively separate, special skills
Keyword location: Second paragraph line 2
Explanation: Statistical methods have been primarily used for measuring whether separate skills are required for intelligence. Hence the right answer is B.
- Why are Horn and Cattell mentioned?
- They disagreed about the interpretation of different intelligence tests.
- They research concerned both linguistic and mathematical abilities.
- They were the first to prove that intelligence can be measured by testing a range of special skills.
- Their work was an example of research into how people’s cognitive skills vary with age.
Answer: D
Supporting sentence: For instance, some decades ago, Horn and Cattell argued fora differentiation between what they termed ‘fluid’ and ‘crystallized’ intelligence. Fluid abilities are best assessed by tests that require mental manipulation of abstract symbols. Crystallized abilities, by contrast, reflect knowledge of the environment in which we live and past experience of similar tasks; they may be assessed by tests of comprehension and information. It scents that fluid abilities peak in early adult life, whereas crystallized abilities increase up to advanced old age.
Keywords: Horn and Cattell, Peak in early adult life, advanced old age.
Keyword location: Third paragraph.
Explanation: Horn and Cattell found the difference between fluid and crystallized intelligence. The passage also mentions that their studies show that fluid abilities peak in early adult life and on the other hand crystallized abilities increase up to advanced old age (as opposed to fluid). Therefore, the answer is D.
- What was innovative about Piaget’s research?
- He refused to accept that children developed according to a set pattern.
- He emphasised the way children thought more than how well they did in tests.
- He used visually appealing materials instead of traditional intelligence tests.
- He studied children of all ages and levels of intelligence.
Answer: B
Supporting sentence: Piaget brought about a revolution in the approach to cognitive development through his arguments (backed up by observations) that the focus should be on the thinking processes involved rather than on levels of cognitive achievement.
Keywords: revolution, thinking process, cognitive achievement.
Keyword location: Fifth paragraph, line 2.
Explanation: Piaget did something innovative (revolutionary) and focused more on how children think than their performance in intelligence tests (cognitive achievement). Thus, B is the right answer.
Section 3
Questions 31-36: Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Reading Passage 3?
YES – if the statements agree
NO - if they don’t agree
NOT GIVEN - if the statement cannot be determined or it is out of context.
(Guide: Candidates need to answer the questions by selecting ‘True’ or ‘False’ or ‘Not Given’)
- A surprising number of academics have come to the same conclusion about what the term intelligence means.
Answer: NO
Supporting sentence: Although, at one level, there seem to be almost as many definitions of intelligence as people who have tried to define it, there is broad agreement on two key features. That is, intelligence involves the capacity not only to learn from experience but also to adapt to one’s environment.
Keywords: Broad agreement, people who have tried to define it.
Keyword location: First paragraph line number 2-3
Explanation: People tasked with defining or assessing certain concepts are generally academics and researchers. Hence the author confirms that even though there exist debates, there is only a broad consensus, not a solid unanimity. Hence the statement is contradicted by the information in the passage.
- A general test of intelligence is unlikely to indicate the level of performance in every type of task.
Answer: NO
Supporting sentence: In brief, the evidence in favour of some kind of general intellectual capacity is that people who are superior (or inferior) on one type of task tend also to be superior (or inferior) on others. Moreover, general measures of intelligence tend to have considerable powers to predict a person’s performance on a wide range of tasks requiring special skills.
Keywords: general intellectual capacity, one type of task, superior (or inferior) on others.
Keyword location: Second paragraph, lines 4-5.
Explanation: The author asserts that general intelligence or general intellectual capacity gives a view of how an individual will perform in many types of tasks. Hence the given statement contradicts the view of the author and therefore, the answer is NO.
- The elderly perform less well on comprehension tests than young adults.
Answer: NO
Supporting sentence: Fluid abilities are best assessed by tests that require mental manipulation of abstract symbols. Crystallized abilities, by contrast, reflect knowledge of the environment in which we live and past experience of similar tasks; they may be assessed by tests of comprehension and information. It scents that fluid abilities peak in early adult life, whereas crystallized abilities increase up to advanced old age.
Keywords: early adult life, old age.
Keyword location: Third paragraph, line 2.
Explanation: While there is mention of difference between young adults (early adult life) and the elderly (advanced old age), there is also mention of difference in their ability to solve comprehension tests. The old with crystallized abilities can be assessed with comprehension tests. Hence the given statement contradicts, what is given in the passage.
- We must take into account which skills are tested when comparing intelligence at different ages.
Answer: YES
Supporting sentence: Developmental studies also show that the interconnections between different skills vary with age. Titus in the first year of life an interest in perceptual patterns is a major contributor to cognitive abilities, whereas verbal abilities are more important later on. These findings seemed to suggest a substantial lack of continuity between infancy and middle childhood.
Keywords: different skills vary with age, substantial lack of continuity, infancy and middle childhood.
Keyword location: Fourth paragraph, Line 1-2.
Explanation: The given statement directly supports the view of the author that there is a lack of continuity, and hence difference in intelligence for similar tasks at different ages.
- Piaget’s work influenced theoretical studies more than practical research.
Answer: NOT GIVEN
Supporting sentence: These ideas of Piaget gave rise to an immense body of research and it would be true to say that subsequent thinking has been heavily dependent on his genius in opening up new ways of thinking about cognitive development.
Keywords: immense body of research
Keyword location: Fifth paragraph, line 3.
Explanation: There is no mention of how much there was contribution to theory than practical.
- Piaget’s emphasis on active learning has been discredited by later researchers.
Answer: NO
Supporting sentence: Nevertheless, most of his concepts have had to be so radically revised, or rejected, that his theory’ no longer provides an appropriate basis for thinking about cognitive development.
Keywords: radically revised, rejected, theory no longer provides appropriate basis for thinking.
Keyword location: Fifth paragraph, line 6.
Explanation: It has been clearly mentioned in the passage that many of his findings have been rejected. But the keyword is ‘most’ which shows some of it has been retained and modified.
Section 4
Questions 37-40 : Complete the summary using the list of words, A-I given below the following question.
Researchers investigating the development of intelligence have shown that 37…………………………………………. skills become more significant with age.
One good predictor of 38………………………………………….. intelligence is the degree to which small children are 39……………………………. about their surroundings and how much interest they show on finding themselves in an 40 …………………………………setting.
- adult
- practical
- verbal
- spatial
- inquisitive
- uncertain
- academic
- plentiful
- unfamiliar
(Guide: Candidates need to answer the following questions by selecting the correct answer choices from the list)
Question 37.
Answer: C - verbal
Supporting Sentence: ‘verbal abilities are more important later on’
Keyword: verbal abilities
Keyword location: Para 4
Explanation: According to the researchers in the given passage, verbal abilities develop more with age.
Question 38.
Answer: A - adult
Supporting Sentence: ‘It has been found that tests of coping with novelty do predict later intelligence’
Keyword: later intelligence
Keyword location: Para 4
Explanation: The passage doesn’t contain any direct references to adult intelligence. It is through this sentence that we can trace adult intelligence.
Question 39.
Answer: E - inquisitive
Supporting Sentence: ‘their interest in and curiosity about the environment’
Keyword: curiosity
Keyword location: Para 5
Explanation: The passage states that adult intelligence can be predicted by how small children are curious about the environment.
Question 40:
Answer: I - unfamiliar
Supporting Sentence: ‘the extent to which this is applied to new situations’
Keyword: new situations
Keyword location: Para 5
Explanation: The answer selection is correct as is evident from the supporting sentence stating how children show interest while finding themselves in unfamiliar situations.
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