The Politics of Pessimism Reading Answers

Dec 9, 2022

The Politics of Pessimism Reading Answers examines the candidate’s understanding capacity through passages and questions. There are various types of IELTS reading questions. This is an IELTS Academic reading topic. In this IELTS reading sample answer - The Politics of Pessimism Reading Answers, there are three question types:

Accurate Summary
One-three word answer
Yes/No/Not Given

Candidates need to go through the passage and remember the important points. This will help them answer questions accordingly. Candidates get a wide range of topics in IELTS reading practice papers.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

The Politics of Pessimism IELTS Reading Sample

Newspaper headlines and TV or radio news bulletins would have us believe erroneously that a new age has come upon us, the Age of Cassandra. People are assailed not just with contemporary doom, or past gloom, but with prophecies of disasters about to befall. The dawn of the new millennium has now passed; the earth is still intact, and the fin de siècle Jeremiahs have now gone off to configure a new date for the apocalypse.

It can, I believe, be said with some certainty that the doom-mongers will never run out of business. Human nature has an inclination for pessimism and anxiety, with each age having its demagogues, foretelling doom or dragging it in their wake. But what makes the modern age so different is that the catastrophes are more “in your face”, Their assault on our senses is relentless. Whether it be subconscious or not, this is a situation not lost on politicians. They play upon people’s propensity for unease, turning it into a very effective political tool.

Deluding the general public

All too often, when politicians want to change the status quo, they take advantage of people’s fears of the unknown and their uncertainties about the future. For example, details about a new policy may be leaked to the press. Of course, the worst-case scenario is presented in all its depressing detail. When the general public reacts in horror, the government appears to cave in. And then accepting some of the suggestions from their critics, ministers water down their proposals. This allows the government to get what It wants, while at the same time fooling the public into believing that they have got one over on the government. Or even that they have some say in the making of policy.,

There are several principles at play here. And both are rather simple: unsettle people and then play on their fears; and second, people must be given an opportunity to make a contribution, however insignificant, in a given situation; otherwise, they become dissatisfied, not fearful or anxious.

A similar ruse, at a local level, will further illustrate how easily people’s base fears are exploited. A common practice is to give people a number of options, say in a housing development, ranging from no change to a radical transformation of an area. The aim is to persuade people to agree on significant modifications, which may involve disruption to their lives, and possibly extra expenditure. The individuals, fearful of the worst possible outcome, plump for the middle course. And this, incidentally, Is Invariably the option favoured by the authorities. Everything is achieved under the guise of market research, But It is obviously a blatant exercise in the manipulation of people’s fears.

Fear and survival

Fear and anxieties about the future affect us till. People are wracked with self-doubt and low self-esteem. In the struggle to exist and advance in life, a seemingly endless string of obstacles is encountered, so ninny, in fact, that any accomplishment seems surprising. liven when people do suicide they are still nagged by uncertainty,

Not surprisingly, feelings like doubt, fear, anxiety and pessimism are usually associated with failure. Yet, If properly harnessed, they are the driving force behind success, the very engines of genius.

if things turn out well for a long time, there is further anxiety: that of constantly waiting for something to go wrong. People then find themselves propitiating the gods: not walking on lines on the pavements, performing before public performances, wearing a sort of particular clothes and colours so that they can blame the ritual not themselves when things go wrong,

But surely the real terror comes when success continues uninterrupted for such a long period of time that we forget what failure Is like.

We crave for and are fed a daily diet of anxiety, horror films and disaster movies have an increasing appeal. Nostradamus pops his head up now and again, And other would-be prophets make a brief appearance, predicting the demise of humankind. Perhaps this is all just a vestige of the hardships of early man – our attempt to recreate the struggles of a past age, as it becomes more and more comfortable.

Mankind cannot live by a content mind alone. And so, a world awash with atheism and pessimism has been created. Being optimistic is a struggle. But survival dictates that mankind remains ever sanguine.

Section 2

Solution With Explanation

Question 1-5:

Choose one phrase (A-K) from the list of phrases to complete each keypoint below. Write the appropriate letters (A-K) in Boxes 1-5 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-K) than sentences, so you will not need to use them all. You may use each phrase once only.

List of phrases:

A: are not as threatening as In the past
B: tell the truth
C: blame them
D: try to make us believe mistakenly that we are In a new era
E: calm people down
F: are uncertain about the future
G: are less comfortable
H: are natural pessimists and worriers
I: are more Immediate
J: get what they want by deceiving the public
K: is something they can make use of

Question 1: Newspaper headlines and TV or radio news bulletins

Answer: D - try to make us believe mistakenly that we are in a new era.
Supporting Sentence: Newspaper headlines and TV or radio news bulletins would have us believe erroneously that a new age has come upon us, the Age of Cassandra.
Keywords: Newspaper, headlines, TV, radio, news bulletins
Keyword Location: Section A, 1st paragraph, 1st line
Explanation: The first line of the passage has the answer to the question. As per the passage, the news headlines and the news bulletins that we heard on TV and radio have made humans believe that we have entered a new era. They try to make us believe that we are in a new era. This makes D the correct answer.

Question 2: Doom-mongers are popular because people

Answer: H - are natural pessimists and worriers
Supporting Sentence: It can, I believe, be said with certainty that the doom-mongers will never run out of business.
Keyword: Doom-mongers
Keyword Location: Section A, 2nd paragraph, 1st line
Explanation: The author in the paragraph states that we humans have an inclination for pessimism and anxiety. A doom-monger is a person who predicts disasters. In today's world, they are using people's pessimism and anxiety to grow their popularity. They will hence never run out of business. This makes H, the correct answer.

Question 3: Today, catastrophes

Answer: I - are more immediate
Supporting Sentence: But what makes the modern age so different is that the catastrophes are more “in your face”.
Keyword: catastrophes
Keyword Location: Section A, 2nd paragraph, 3rd line
Explanation: The author directly states that today catastrophes are more “in your face”. In the modern era, disasters and catastrophes are happening more frequently as compared to older times. In your face means more immediate. Hence, “are more immediate” is the correct answer.

Question 4: To politicians, people's inclination for fear

Answer: K - is something they can make use of
Supporting Sentence: All too often, when politicians want to change the status quo, they take advantage of people’s fears of the unknown and their uncertainties about the future.
Keywords: politicians, people, fear
Keyword Location: Section B, 1st paragraph, 1st & 2nd line
Explanation: As per the passage, politicians are quick to play upon people's fears, to turn the situation in their favor. Hence, they can make use of people’s inclination for fear.

Question 5: The government

Answer: J - get what they want by deceiving the public
Supporting Sentence: This allows the government to get what It wants, while at the same time fooling the public into believing that they have got one over on the government.
Keyword: government
Keyword Location: Section B, 1st paragraph, 5th line
Explanation: The passage tells us that government does not stop fooling the public if they have something to gain. The government always thinks of its benefit, even if it requires fooling the public into believing something that's not true at all. Hence, “J” is the correct answer.

Questions 6-9:
Choose the appropriate letters A-D and write them in boxes 6-9 on your answer sheet.

Question 6: The housing development example shows that people

are not that easily deceived
like market research
lead their fears
are easy to delude

Answer: A - are not that easily deceived
Supporting Sentence: A common practice is to give people a number of options, say in a housing development, ranging from no change to radical transformation of an area.
Keyword: housing development
Keyword Location: Section B, 3rd paragraph, 2nd line
Explanation: In a housing development example, where the choice ranges from no change to a radical transformation of the area, people go for the middle course. This is also what authorities want them to do. This choice made by the people is based on their fear of the worst possible outcome.

Question 7: Which one of the following statements is true, according to the passage?

Market research uses people’s fears for their own good
People are scared by market research techniques
Market research techniques are used as a means of taking advantage of people’s fears
Market research makes people happy

Answer: C - Market research techniques are used as a means of taking advantage of people’s fears
Supporting Sentence: Everything is achieved under the guise of market research, But it is obviously a blatant exercise in the manipulation of people’s fears.
Keywords: market research, people's fears
Keyword Location: Section B, 3rd paragraph, 6th line
Explanation: Authorities use market research as an excuse to take advantage of people's fears.

Question 8: The engines of genius are

properly harnessed
the driving force behind success
driven by feelings like fear
usually associated with failure

Answer: C - driven by feelings like fear
Supporting Sentence: Not surprisingly, feelings like doubt, fear, anxiety and pessimism are usually associated with failure. Yet, if properly harnessed, they are the driving force behind success, the very engines of genius.
Keywords: engines, genius
Keyword Location: Section C, 2nd paragraph, 2nd line
Explanation: The passage says that feelings like fear, and anxiety are driving forces behind success. They are the engines of geniuses. The feelings like doubt, fear, and pessimism do not always result in failure. These feelings can also be used as motivation to achieve success.

Question 9: Continual success

makes people arrogant
worries people
does not have any negative effects on people
increases people’s self-esteem

Answer: B - worries people
Supporting Sentence: But surely the real terror comes when success continues uninterrupted for such a long period of time that we forget what failure is like.
Keywords: success, continues
Keyword Location: Section C, 4th paragraph, 1st line
Explanation: People tend to forget and it is human nature. If someone is continuously getting success, they tend to forget what failure is. As much as people love success, they become anxious when success goes on for a long period. What people love is what terrorizes them the most. Hence, it worries people.

Questions 10-13

Do the statements below agree with the information in Reading Passage 1?
In Boxes 10-13, 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

Question 10: The complex relationship between failure and success needs to be addressed carefully.

Answer: Not Given
Explanation: We do not get to know any information related to failure and success that needs to be addressed carefully. Hence, the answer is Not given.

Question 11: People perform certain rituals to try to avoid failure.

Answer: Yes
Supporting Sentence: People then find themselves propitiating the gods: not walking on lines on the pavements, performing rituals before public performances, wearing particular clothes and colours so that they can blame the ritual not themselves when things go wrong.
Keyword: rituals
Keyword Location: Section C, 3rd paragraph, 2nd line
Explanation: To avoid failure, people turn to gods and do all kinds of weird rituals. Ironically, when things don't work and they encounter failure, they blame it on rituals and gods.

Question 12: Anxiety in daily life is what we want.

Answer: Yes
Supporting Sentence: We crave for and are fed a daily diet of anxiety.
Keywords: anxiety, daily
Keyword Location: Section C, 5th paragraph, 1st line
Explanation: The author states that no matter how much people want to get rid of anxiety, it is still what they crave the most. Everyone wants to be successful but they also want anxiety in their life. Hence, the statement is correct and matches the author’s thoughts.

Question 13: The writer believes that Nostradamus and certain other prophets are right about their predictions for the end of the human race.

Answer: Not Given
Explanation: There is no such information in the passage. Hence, the answer is not Given.

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