The Secret of the Yawn Reading Answers

Dec 13, 2022

The Secret of Yawn Reading Answers has ten questions to be answered. The Secret of Yawn Reading Answers consists of questions like yes/no/not given answers. Candidates must skim the paragraph for keywords, understand the topic, and state whether the given statement is true, false, or not given in the Yes/No/Not Given section. Candidates must read the IELTS reading passage, identify keywords, and recognize synonyms to answer the question.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

The Secret of Yawn Reading Answers

When a scientist began to study yawning in the 1980s, it was difficult to convince some of his research students of the merits of “yawning science.” Although it may appear quirky, his decision to study yawning was a logical extension to human beings of my research in developmental neuroscience, reported in such papers as “Wing-flapping during Development and Evolution.” As a neurobehavioral problem, there is not much difference between the wing-flapping of birds and the face – and body-flapping of human yawners.

Yawning is an ancient, primitive act. Humans do it even before they are born, opening wide in the womb. Some snakes unhinge their jaws to do it. One species of penguins yawns as part of mating. Only now are researchers beginning to understand why we yawn, when we yawn and why we yawn back. A professor of cognitive neuroscience at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Steven Platek, studies the act of contagious yawning, something done only by people and other primates.

In his first experiment, he used a psychological test to rank people on their empathic feelings. He found that participants who did not score high on compassion did not yawn back. “We literally had people saying, ‘Why am I looking at people yawning?’” Professor Platek said. “It just had no effect.”

For his second experiment, he put 10 students in a magnetic resonance imaging machine as they watched video tapes of people yawning. When the students watched the videos, the part of the brain which reacted was the part scientists believe controls empathy – the posterior cingulate, in the brain’s middle rear.” I don’t know if it’s necessarily that nice people yawn more, but I think it’s a good indicator of a state of mind,” said Professor Platek. “It’s also a good indicator if you’re empathizing with me and paying attention.”

His third experiment is studying yawning in those with brain disorders, such as autism and schizophrenia, in which victims have difficulty connecting emotionally with others. A psychology professor at the University of Maryland, Robert Provine, is one of the few other researchers into yawning. He found the basic yawn lasts about six seconds and they come in bouts with an interval of about 68 seconds. Men and women yawn or half-yawn equally often, but men are significantly less likely to cover their mouths which may indicate complex distinction in genders.” A watched yawner never yawns,” Professor Provine said. However, the physical root of yawning remains a mystery. Some researchers say it’s coordinated within the hypothalamus of the brain, the area that also controls breathing.

Yawning and stretching also share properties and may be performed together as parts of a global motor complex. But they do not always co-occur – people usually yawn when we stretch, but we don’t always stretch when we yawn, especially before bedtime. Studies by J.I.P, G.H.A. Visser and H.F. Prechtl in the early 1980s, charting movement in the developing fetus using ultrasound, observed not just yawning but a link between yawning and stretching as early as the end of the first prenatal trimester.

The most extraordinary demonstration of the yawn-stretch linkage occurs in many people paralyzed on one side of their body because of brain damage caused by a stroke. The prominent British neurologist Sir Francis Walshe noted in 1923 what when these hemiplegics yawn, they are startled and mystified to observe that their otherwise paralyzed arm rises and flexes automatically in what neurologists term an “associated response.” Yawning apparently activates undamaged, unconsciously controlled connections between the brain and the cord motor system innervating the paralyzed limb. It is not known whether the associated response is a positive prognosis for recovery, nor whether yawning is therapeutic for reinnervation or prevention of muscular atrophy.

Clinical neurology offers other surprises. Some patients with “locked-in” syndrome, who are almost totally deprived of the ability to move voluntarily, can yawn normally. The neural circuits for spontaneous yawning must exist in the brain stem near other respiratory and vasomotor centers, because yawning is performed by anencephalic who possess only the medulla oblongata. The multiplicity of stimuli of contagious yawning, by contrast, implicates many higher brain regions.

Section 2

Solution and Explanation

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage? Write

YES if the statement agrees with the information
NO if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

Question 1: Professor Platek believes that yawning is a sign of happiness.

Answer: Yes
Supporting Sentence: I don’t know if it’s necessarily that nice people yawn more, but I think it’s a good indicator of a state of mind
Keyword: yawn, nice, more
Keyword Location: Paragraph D lines 2-4
Explanation: I don’t know if it’s necessarily that nice people yawn more, but I think it’s a good indicator of a state of mind,” said Professor Platek. According to this people who are happy tend to yawn more.

Question 2: Compassion-filled individuals always tend to yawn back than others.

Answer: Yes
Supporting Sentence: He found that participants who did not score high on compassion did not yawn back.
Keyword: compassion, yawn
Keyword Location: Paragraph C, 2nd line
Explanation: Professor Platek concluded in paragraph C that persons who are not empathetic do not yawn back, but rather ask him, "Why am I looking at people yawning?". This shows they were unaffected by seeing other people yawn.

Question 3: Centuries ago, people believed that you should cover your mouth during a yawn to prevent your soul from leaving the body.

Answer: Not given
Supporting Sentence: Men and women yawn or half-yawn equally often, but men are significantly less likely to cover their mouths which may indicate complex distinction in genders.
Keyword: mouth, yawn
Keyword Location: Paragraph E, line 4
Explanation: In the passage, it is said that men are more likely to cover the mouth. However, it is nowhere stated that centuries ago, people believed that you should cover your mouth during a yawn to prevent your soul from leaving the body.

Question 4: The act of contagious yawning is only done by Human beings when they are tired or feel sleepy.

Answer: No
Supporting Sentence: A professor of cognitive neuroscience at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Steven Platek, studies the act of contagious yawning, something done only by people and other primates.
Keyword: contagious, yawning
Keyword Location: Paragraph B, line 2
Explanation: Paragraph B, line 2 says that a professor of cognitive neuroscience at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Steven Platek, studies the act of contagious yawning. This is something done only by people and other primates. This concludes that not only human beings but other species or animals also yawn.

Question 5: People tend to yawn because they are oxygen- starved.

Answer: Not given
Supporting Sentence: The neural circuits for spontaneous yawning must exist in the brain stem near other respiratory and vasomotor centers, because yawning is performed by anencephalic who possess only the medulla oblongata.
Keyword: yawn, respiratory
Keyword Location: Paragraph H, 2nd last line
Explanation: In the whole passage, there is nothing mentioned about People tend to yawn because they need oxygen. Hence, the information is Not Given.

Question 6: Yawning and stretching are somewhat inter-related. And may be performed together as parts of a global motor complex

Answer: Yes
Supporting Sentence: Yawning and stretching also share properties and may be performed together as parts of a global motor complex.
Keyword: Global motor complex, yawning, streaching
Keyword Location: Paragraph F, lines 4
Explanation: In the early 1980s, studies by J.I.P, G.H.A. Visser, and H.F. Prechtl, used ultrasonography to monitor movement in the developing baby. He discovered not just yawning but also a link between yawning and stretching as early as the end of the first prenatal trimester.

Question 7: Yawning appears to activate healthy, unconscious connections between the brain and the paralyzed limb's cord motor system.

Answer: Yes
Supporting Sentence: The prominent British neurologist Sir Francis Walshe noted in 1923 what when these hemiplegics yawn, they are startled and mystified to observe that their otherwise paralyzed arm rises and flexes automatically
Keyword: paralyzed, arm
Keyword Location: In paragraph G, lines 2
Explanation: While explaining the linkage between yawn and stretch it is said that when these hemiplegics yawn, they are startled and mystified. They observe that their otherwise paralyzed arm rises and flexes. But it is unknown whether it is a positive sign for recovery or not.

Question 8: Some patients with “locked-in” syndrome, who are almost totally deprived of the ability to move voluntarily, are not capable to yawn.

Answer: No
Supporting Sentence: Some patients with “locked-in” syndrome, who are almost totally deprived of the ability to move voluntarily, can yawn normally.
Keyword: locked-in
Keyword Location: Paragraph H, line 4
Explanation: In paragraph H, lines 1-4, it is explained that people, who are incapable to move without any help can also yawn normally like others do.

Question 9: Several students in Platek's study were perplexed as to why their tutor had asked them to yawn back.

Answer: Not given
Supporting Sentence: We literally had people saying, ‘Why am I looking at people yawning?’” Professor Platek said.
Keyword: Platek
Keyword Location: Paragraph C, 3rd line
Explanation: In paragraph B, C and D, there are multiple instances where studies had confirmed yawning. However, it is not mentioned that several students in Platek's study were perplexed as to why their tutor had asked them to yawn back.

Question 10: Yawning has been shown to help people recover from brain damage caused by a stroke.

Answer: No
Supporting Sentence: The most extraordinary demonstration of the yawn-stretch linkage occurs in many people paralyzed on one side of their body because of brain damage caused by a stroke.
Keyword: stroke, brain
Keyword Location: Paragraph G, 1st line
Explanation: The most extraordinary demonstration of the yawn-stretch link, according to paragraph G, happens in many persons who are paralysed on one side of their body due to brain damage caused by a stroke. These lines show that many persons who are immobile on one side of their body owing to brain damage induced by a stroke can demonstrate the yawn-stretch relationship. As a result the statement contradicts the information.

Question 11: The average yawn lasts approximately 6 seconds.

Answer: Yes
Supporting Sentence: He found the basic yawn lasts about six seconds and they come in bouts with an interval of about 68 seconds.
Keyword: seconds, yawn
Keyword Location: Paragraph E, 3rd line
Explanation: In paragraph E, Robert Provine, a psychology professor at the University of Maryland, is one of the few other yawning researchers. He discovered that the fundamental yawn lasts around six seconds and occurs in bouts of roughly 68 seconds.

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