The Hidden Power of Friendship Reading Answers

Jan 24, 2025

The Hidden Power of Friendship is an IELTS Reading Answers which contains 14 questions and needs to be completed within 10 minutes. This reading answer also helps you to prepare for your IELTS exam. The Hidden Power of Friendship consists of questions like: Which paragraph contains the following information, Choose no more than 2 words for each, and Choose the correct letter. Participants should go through the IELTS Reading passage to recognize synonyms, identify keywords, and answer the questions. Also, this The Hidden Power of Friendship, says about the power of friendship. Candidates can use IELTS reading practice questions and answers to enhance their performance in the reading section.

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Topic:

The Hidden Power of Friendship

A. In the hustle of life, when love affairs often take center stage, the significance of friendships can sometimes be overshadowed. Yet, research in psychology underscores the indispensable role of stable, healthy friendships in shaping our well-being and longevity. In particular, Thalia Wheatley, PhD, a professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Dartmouth College, advocates for a deeper understanding of friendships. "Friendship is something we really need to understand. There's been this preoccupation with romantic relationships, but many of our close relationships are with friends.", she states.

B. There have been many studies analyzing the impact of friendships on one's physical well-being. A meta-analytic review led by Julianne Holt-Lunstad from the Department of Psychology at Brigham Young University looks at 148 prospective studies to find the link between the number and quality of social ties and people's health problems and deaths. According to the thorough study, people with strong social connections have a 50% higher chance of survival than people with weaker relationships. Notably, the negative influence of social relationships on mortality is found to be on par with well-established risk factors such as smoking and alcohol consumption, surpassing the impact of physical inactivity and obesity.

C. Building on these findings, Choi's study in The American Journal of Psychiatry reinforces the correlation between having friends and enhanced life satisfaction. Choi's comprehensive review of 38 studies further revealed that adult friendships, especially those providing social support significantly, can be used as a predictor of an individual's well being, or as a protection against mental health issues such as depression and anxiety throughout one's life. "In the face of life's challenges, having a close friend to turn to seems to be a buffer or protective factor against some of the negative outcomes we might otherwise see," said Catherine Bagwell, PhD, a professor of psychology at Davidson College in North Carolina.

D. Delving into the physiological responses to friendships adds another layer to the importance of these bonds. Holt-Lunstad's study (2007) reveals that individuals experience lower blood pressure reactivity when conversing with a supportive friend rather than an ambivalent one. To be more specific, the study involved 107 healthy adults examining the effects of the quality of a friendship on cardiovascular reactivity when discussing positive or negative life events with an ambivalent or supportive friend. During this study, participants underwent a two session testing procedure. In the first session, participants rated their social network using the Social Relationships Index (SRI) and later brought in a specific friend selected by the experimenter based on random assignment to a relationship condition (supportive or ambivalent). Approximately two weeks later, participants and their friends entered the second session in a laboratory, where cardiovascular measures were taken during a 12-minute resting period and discussions about past events. Results indicated heightened systolic blood pressure reactivity when discussing negative events with ambivalent friends, suggesting potential health consequences related to the quality of social relationships.

E. Another study conducted by Kamarck et al. (1990) sheds light on the impact of social support during challenging tasks. Thirty-nine college age females participated in the experiment, appearing either accompanied by a friend ("Friend" condition) or alone ("Alone" condition) in a laboratory setting. In the Friend condition, participants were supported by partners during two tasks, with efforts made to minimize evaluative potential. In the Friend condition, systolic blood pressure showed reduced intensity during a task. Simultaneously, diastolic blood pressure exhibited a diminished rise without companionship. These findings indicate interpersonal support may mitigate cardiovascular reactivity to stress, providing insights into the link between social relationships and cardiovascular risk.

F. Beyond the physiological realm, neuroscience offers fascinating insights. A recent study on brain structure of Becht Al (2021) reinforces the significance of mentalizing processes - our ability to understand others' thoughts and feelings - in friendships. The research finding suggests that the way our brains process social interactions, specifically in areas like the temporoparietal and medial prefrontal regions, is linked to friendships. Specifically, studies on adults and children from Western European backgrounds revealed that individuals who share the same neural processing patterns tend to have closer social relationships within their friend circles. These findings hint mentalizing processes may influence how we form and maintain friendships. Over time, positive friendship experiences could also shape our brain structure and function, potentially influencing our behavior towards others.

G. Given the obvious advantages of friendship, psychologists suggest fostering social connections throughout society, including in schools, workplaces, and public spaces. While researchers continue to explore how social connections support health and well-being, funding is being directed to studies on interactions between two people. New efforts include collecting fMRI data on friends communicating to unravel the magic behind these interactions that keep us healthy and sane. "What we know is that if we don't interact regularly, things go really bad remarkably fast. But what is the magic in these interactions that's keeping us healthy and sane?" Wheatley wondered. "More and more researchers are saying there's this huge part of human behavior we know very little about. Let's change that*

Questions 27-31

The Reading Passage 3 has seven paragraphs, A-G. Which paragraph contains the following information? Write the correct letter, A-G.

27. a statistic illustrating the benefits of relationships for longevity

Answer: B

Supporting statement: "People with strong social connections have a 50% higher chance of survival than people with weaker relationships."

Keywords: relationships, connections

Keyword Location: para B, line 3-4

Explanation: Paragraph B provides statistical evidence from a meta-analytic review by Julianne Holt-Lunstad, emphasizing how strong social ties improve longevity. This directly answers the question with a clear and quantified benefit.

28. a specific comparison to highlight the role of close friends in difficult times

Answer: C

Supporting statement: "In the face of life's challenges, having a close friend to turn to seems to be a buffer or protective factor against some of the negative outcomes we might otherwise see."

Keywords: close friend, life's challenges

Keyword Location: para C, line 5-6

Explanation: This statement underscores the protective role of close friendships during life's difficulties, as highlighted by Catherine Bagwell. The comparison is implicit in contrasting outcomes with or without close friends.

29. a reference to common attitudes toward the two types of relationship

Answer: A

Supporting statement: "There's been this preoccupation with romantic relationships, but many of our close relationships are with friends."

Keywords: relationships, friends

Keyword Location: para A, line 4-5

Explanation: Paragraph A addresses the societal focus on romantic relationships and contrasts this with the undervalued importance of friendships, making a clear reference to attitudes toward the two relationship types.

30. a correlation between a specific cognitive factor and social relationship

Answer: F

Supporting statement: "The research finding suggests that the way our brains process social interactions, specifically in areas like the temporoparietal and medial prefrontal regions, is linked to friendships."

Keywords: social interactions, friendships

Keyword Location: para F, line 3-4

Explanation: Paragraph F highlights how mentalizing processes—our ability to understand others' thoughts and feelings—are correlated with friendships, pointing to specific brain areas involved in social interactions.

31. a contrast in the body's responses when interacting with different groups of people.

Answer: D

Supporting statement: "Results indicated heightened systolic blood pressure reactivity when discussing negative events with ambivalent friends, suggesting potential health consequences related to the quality of social relationships."

Keywords: blood pressure, relationships

Keyword Location: para D, line 11-12

Explanation: This section contrasts the physiological reactions (blood pressure) to supportive versus ambivalent friends, illustrating how different types of relationships affect the body differently.

Questions 32-35

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each.

Research on the physiological effects of friendships A 2007 study by Holt-Lunstad et al. examines how friendship quality impacts cardiovascular reactivity. In the first session, participants engaged with a friend with randomly assigned 32…

Answer: Relationship condition

Supporting statement: "Participants rated their social network using the Social Relationships Index (SRI) and later brought in a specific friend selected by the experimenter based on random assignment to a relationship condition (supportive or ambivalent)."

Keywords: relationship, friend

Keyword Location: para D, line 8-10

Explanation: The study used random assignments to categorize friendships as supportive or ambivalent, which was central to analyzing the cardiovascular reactivity effects.

Two weeks later, in a laboratory setting, participants and their friends discussed past events, with 33.

Answer: Cardiovascular measures

Supporting statement: "Approximately two weeks later, participants and their friends entered the second session in a laboratory, where cardiovascular measures were taken during a 12-minute resting period and discussions about past events."

Keywords: laboratory, friend

Keyword Location: para D, line 10-12

Explanation: The laboratory setting involved measuring cardiovascular responses during discussions about life events, emphasizing how friendships impact health.

applied during breaks. Results show that discussing negatives with ambivalent friends hints at health consequences. Another study by Kamarck et al. (1990) investigates how social support affects individuals during difficult activities. With friends' support, 34…

Answer: Reduced intensity

Supporting statement: "In the Friend condition, systolic blood pressure showed reduced intensity during a task."

Keywords: blood pressure, friend

Keyword Location: para E, line 4-5

Explanation: The study indicated that the presence of a friend reduced the intensity of systolic blood pressure during challenging tasks, highlighting the calming effect of social support.

Was recorded in systolic blood pressure, while in a solitary interview where 35..

Answer: Companionship

Supporting statement: "Simultaneously, diastolic blood pressure exhibited a diminished rise without companionship."

Keywords: blood pressure, companionship

Keyword Location: para E, line 6-7

Explanation: The study contrasts the effects of social support (with a friend) versus the lack of companionship, illustrating how solitude influences physiological stress responses.

.... was unavailable, diastolic blood pressure showed a diminished increase.

Questions 36-40

Choose the correct letters.

36. In the first paragraph, love affairs are mentioned to illustrate

A. the need to understand human relationship

B. the need for further research on friendship

C. the potential neglect of friendships' significance

D. the indispensable role of healthy relationship

Answer: C. the potential neglect of friendships' significance

Supporting statement: "Yet, research in psychology underscores the indispensable role of stable, healthy friendships in shaping our well-being and longevity."

Keywords: friendships, psychology

Keyword Location: para A, line 3

Explanation: The mention of love affairs highlights how romantic relationships often take precedence in people's lives, overshadowing the importance of friendships, which is the primary point of this statement. The research stresses that friendships are equally important for well-being and longevity, suggesting that they might be neglected in comparison.

37. What information is mentioned in the review of Holt-Lunstad in paragraph B?

A. Social connections are the primary psychological factor influencing survival rates.

B. Negative social relationships might lead to smoking and alcohol consumption, increasing the risk of mortality.

C. The impact of physical inactivity and obesity may be heightened by negative social relationships.

D. The review aims to explore how the quantity and quality of social relationships relate to people's health problems and mortality.

Answer: D. The review aims to explore how the quantity and quality of social relationships relate to people's health problems and mortality.

Supporting statement: "A meta-analytic review led by Julianne Holt-Lunstad... looks at 148 prospective studies to find the link between the number and quality of social ties and people's health problems and deaths."

Keywords: health, relationships

Keyword Location: para B, line 1-2

Explanation: The review by Holt-Lunstad examines the connection between the quantity and quality of social relationships and how these factors influence health outcomes, particularly mortality rates.

38. Choi's study in The American Journal of

Psychiatry identified

A. the limitation of 38 studies about adult friendships.

B. further elements of life satisfaction beyond friendship

C. effective measures for addressing mental health problems

D. the role of supportive adult friendships toward individual's well-being

Answer: D. the role of supportive adult friendships toward individual's well-being

Supporting statement: "Choi's comprehensive review of 38 studies further revealed that adult friendships, especially those providing social support significantly, can be used as a predictor of an individual's well being."

Keywords: studies , friendships

Keyword Location: para C, line 3-4

Explanation: Choi’s study emphasized the positive impact of supportive adult friendships on life satisfaction and well-being, particularly in helping to protect against mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.

39. What neuroscience discovery about friendship is mentioned in the passage?

A. The processing of social interactions in certain brain areas is connected to friendships.

B. There is a strong relation between the positive friendship experiences and changes in brain structure and function.

C. Social interactions are processed in the temporoparietal and medial prefrontal regions.

D. Other people' thoughts and feelings about us may influence how we form and maintain friendships.

Answer: A. The processing of social interactions in certain brain areas is connected to friendships.

Supporting statement: "A recent study on brain structure of Becht Al (2021)... individuals who share the same neural processing patterns tend to have closer social relationships within their friend circles."

Keywords: relationships, friend circles

Keyword Location: para F, line 2-3

Explanation: The passage refers to research indicating that the way we process social interactions in specific brain areas, such as the temporoparietal and medial prefrontal regions, is related to the strength of friendships.

40. In the last paragraph, what information is provided about the current and future research on friendship?

A. The magical benefits of friendship have been unraveled, thanks to the collected fMRI data.

B. More discoveries should focus on how individuals'

C. Psychologists recommend the promotion of social connections across diverse areas.

D. More investment should be directed towards studies on interactions between two individuals.

Answer: D. More investment should be directed towards studies on interactions between two individuals.

Supporting statement: "New efforts include collecting fMRI data on friends communicating to unravel the magic behind these interactions that keep us healthy and sane."

Keywords: interactions, friends

Keyword Location: para G, line 5-6

Explanation: The passage suggests that future research will focus more on the specific interactions between individuals, using tools like fMRI, to better understand the beneficial effects of friendships on health and well-being.

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