When Conversations Flow IELTS Reading Answers

Oct 6, 2024

When Conversations Flow IELTS Reading Answers is an academic reading answers topic. When Conversations Flow IELTS Reading Answers has a total of 14 IELTS questions in total. Questions 27-32 you have to write yes or no according to the question, 33-40 you have to fill the blanks with the correct word from the passage.

Candidates should read the IELTS Reading passage thoroughly to recognize synonyms, identify keywords, and answer the questions below. IELTS Reading practice papers feature topics such as When Conversations Flow – IELTS Reading Answers. Candidates can use IELTS reading practice questions and answers to enhance their performance in the reading section.

When Conversations Flow

We spend a large part of our daily life talking with other people and, consequently, we are very accustomed to the art of conversing. But why do we feel comfortable in conversations that have flow, but get nervous and distressed when a conversation is interrupted by unexpected silences? To answer this question we will first look at some of the effects of conversational flow. Then we will explain how flow can serve different social needs.

The positive consequences of conversational flow show some similarities with the effects of ‘processing fluency’. Research has shown that processing fluency — the ease with which people process information — influences people’s judgments across a broad range of social dimensions. For instance, people feel that when something is easily processed, it is more true or accurate.

Moreover, they have more confidence in their judgments regarding information that came to them fluently, and they like things that are easy to process more than things that are difficult to process. Research indicates that a speaker is judged to be more knowledgeable when they answer questions instantly; responding with disfluent speech markers such as ‘uh’ or ‘urn or simply remaining silent for a moment too long can destroy that positive image.

One of the social needs addressed by conversational flow is the human need for ‘synchrony’ — to be ‘in sync’ or in harmony with one another. Many studies have shown how people attempt to synchronise with their partners, by coordinating their behaviour. This interpersonal coordination underlies a wide array of human activities, ranging from more complicated ones like ballroom dancing to simply walking or talking with friends.

In conversations, interpersonal coordination is found when people adjust the duration of their utterances and their speech rate to one another so that they can enable turn-taking to occur, without talking over each other or experiencing awkward silences. Since people are very well-trained in having conversations, they are often able to take turns within milliseconds, resulting in a conversational flow of smoothly meshed behaviours. A lack of flow is characterised by interruptions, simultaneous speech or mutual silences. Avoiding these features is important for defining and maintaining interpersonal relationships.

The need to belong has been identified as one of the most basic of human motivations and plays a role in many human behaviours. That conversational flow is related to belonging may be most easily illustrated by the consequences of flow disruptions. What happens when the positive experience of flow is disrupted by, for instance, a brief silence? We all know that silences can be pretty awkward, and research shows that even short disruptions in conversational flow can lead to a sharp rise in distress levels .

In movies, silences are often used to signal non-compliance or confrontation (Piazza, 2006). Some researchers even argue that ‘silencing someone’ is one of the most serious forms of exclusion. Group membership is of elementary importance to our wellbeing and because humans are very sensitive to signals of exclusion, a silence is generally taken as a sign of rejection. In this way, a lack of flow in a conversation may signal that our relationship is not as solid as we thought it was.

Another aspect of synchrony is that people often try to validate their opinions to those of others. That is, people like to see others as having similar ideas or worldviews as they have themselves, because this informs people that they are correct and their worldviews are justified. One way in which people can justify their worldviews is by assuming that, as long as their conversations run smoothly, their interaction partners probably agree with them. This idea was tested by researchers using video observations.

Participants imagined being one out of three people in a video clip who had either a fluent conversation or a conversation in which flow was disrupted by a brief silence. Except for the silence, the videos were identical. After watching the video, participants were asked to what extent the people in the video agreed with each other. Participants who watched the fluent conversation rated agreement to be higher than participants watching the conversation that was disrupted by a silence, even though participants were not consciously aware of the disruption. It appears that the subjective feeling of being out of sync informs people of possible disagreements, regardless of the content of the conversation.

Because people are generally so well- trained in having smooth conversations, any disruption of this flow indicates that something is wrong, either interpersonally or within the group as a whole.Consequently, people who do not talk very easily may be incorrectly understood as being less agreeable than those who have no difficulty keeping up a conversation.

On a societal level, one could even imagine that a lack of conversational flow may hamper the integration of immigrants who have not completely mastered the language of their new country yet. In a similar sense, the ever- increasing number of online conversations may be disrupted by misinterpretations and anxiety that are produced by insuperable delays in the Internet connection. Keeping in mind the effects of conversational flow for feelings of belonging and validation may help one to be prepared to avoid such misunderstandings in future conversations.

Questions 27 – 32

Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in the text?

YES – if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer

NO – if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer

NOT GIVEN – if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

27 Conversations occupy much of our time.

Answer: Yes

Supporting statement: We spend a large part of our daily life talking with other people and, consequently, we are very accustomed to the art of conversing.

Keyword: spend, large part, coversing

Keyword location: 1st paragraph, 1st line

Explanation: The sentence states that we spend a large part of our daily life talking with other people and, consequently, we are very accustomed to the art of conversing. This means that conversations take up or occupy most of our times.

28 People assess information according to how readily they can understand it.

Answer: Yes

Supporting statement: Research has shown that processing fluency — the ease with which people process information — influences people’s judgments across a broad range of social dimensions. For instance, people feel that when something is easily processed, it is more true or accurate.

Keyword: fluency, accurate

Keyword location: 2nd paragraph, 2nd line

Explanation: The positive consequences of conversational flow show some similarities with the effects of ‘processing fluency’. As per the sentence, Research has shown that processing fluency — the ease with which people process information — influences people’s judgments across a broad range of social dimensions. This means that people access information as per how they can understand it.

29 A quick response to a question is thought to show lack of knowledge.

Answer: No

Supporting statement: Research indicates that a speaker is judged to be more knowledgeable when they answer questions instantly; responding with disfluent speech markers such as ‘uh’ or ‘urn or simply remaining silent for a moment too long can destroy that positive image.

Keyword: knowledgeable, instantly

Keyword location: 3rd paragraph, 2nd line

Explanation: The sentence indicates that a speaker is judged to be more knowledgeable when they answer questions instantly; responding with disfluent speech markers such as ‘uh’ or ‘urn or simply remaining silent for a moment too long can destroy that positive image. Destroying positive image means lack of knowledge.

30 Video observations have often been used to assess conversational flow.

Answer: Not given

Explanation: Not given in the passage

31 People who talk less often have clearer ideas than those who talk a lot.

Answer: Not given

Explanation: Not given in the passage

32 Delays in online chat fail to have the same negative effect as disruptions that occur in natural conversation.

Answer: No

Supporting statement: In a similar sense, the ever- increasing number of online conversations may be disrupted by misinterpretations and anxiety that are produced by insuperable delays in the Internet connection.

Keyword: misinterpretations, anxiety

Keyword location: 11 th paragraph, 4th line

Explanation: In a similar sense, the ever- increasing number of online conversations may be disrupted by misinterpretations and anxiety that are produced by insuperable delays in the Internet connection. This proves that the delays in online chat have the negative effect as disruptions that occur in natural conversation.

Questions 33 – 40

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the text for each answer.

There is a human desire to coordinate 33 ______________ in an effort to be ‘in harmony’.

Answer: (their) behavior/activities

Supporting statement: Many studies have shown how people attempt to synchronize with their partners, by coordinating their behavior.

Keyword: synchronize, behavior

Keyword location: paragraph 4, 2nd line

Explanation: Many studies have shown how people attempt to synchronize with their partners, by coordinating their behavior. Thus the correct word is behaviour.

This coordination can be seen in conversations when speakers alter the speed and extent of their speech in order to facilitate 34 ______________.

Answer: turn-taking

Supporting statement: In conversations, interpersonal coordination is found when people adjust the duration of their utterances and their speech rate to one another so that they can enable turn-taking to occur, without talking over each other or experiencing awkward silences.

Keyword: interpersonal, turn-taking, awkward

Keyword location: paragraph 5, 1st line

Explanation: The supporting sentence clearly states that coordination in conversations when people adjust their speech to ensure turn talking. Hence, turn talking is the correct answer.

This is often achieved within milliseconds: only tiny pauses take place when a conversation flows; when it doesn’t, there are 35 _____________ and silences, or people talk at the same time.

Answer: interruptions

Supporting statement: A lack of flow is characterised by interruptions, simultaneous speech or mutual silences. Avoiding these features is important for defining and maintaining interpersonal relationships.

Keyword: behavior, interruptions, silences

Keyword location: paragraph 5, 3rd line

Explanation: The passage states that since people are very well-trained in having conversations, they are often able to take turns within milliseconds, resulting in a conversational flow of smoothly meshed behaviours. If there is a lack of flow, it causes interruptions. Thus the correct word is interruptions.

Our desire to 36 _____________ is also an important element of conversation flow.

Answer: belong

Supporting statement: The need to belong has been identified as one of the most basic of human motivations and plays a role in many human behaviors.

Keyword: belong, human behaviours

Keyword location: 6th paragraph, 1st line

Explanation: The supporting sentence clearly states that the need to belong has been identified as one of the most basic of human motivations and plays a role in many human behaviors. Thus the correct word is belong.

According to research, our 37 _____________ increase even if silences are brief.

Answer: distress levels

Supporting statement: We all know that silences can be pretty awkward, and research shows that even short disruptions in conversational flow can lead to a sharp rise in distress levels .

Keyword: short disruptions, distress levels

Keyword location: paragraph 6, last line

Explanation: The supporting sentence states that silences can be pretty awkward, and research shows that even short disruptions in conversational flow can lead to a sharp rise in distress levels . Thus the correct word is distress levels.

Humans have a basic need to be part of a group, and they experience a sense of 38 _____________ if silences exclude them.

Answer: rejection

Supporting statement: Group membership is of elementary importance to our wellbeing and because humans are very sensitive to signals of exclusion, a silence is generally taken as a sign of rejection.

Keyword: membership, exclusion, rejection

Keyword location: paragraph 7, 2nd line

Explanation: We can clearly see that humans are very sensitive to signals of exclusion, a silence is generally taken as a sign of rejection. Thus the correct word is rejection.

People also attempt to coordinate their opinions in conversation. In an experiment, participants’ judgement of the overall 39 _____________ among speakers was tested using videos of fluency and a slightly disrupted conversation.

Answer: agreement

Supporting statement: Participants who watched the fluent conversation rated agreement to be higher than participants watching the conversation that was disrupted by silence, even though participants were not consciously aware of the disruption.

Keyword: participants, conversation, agreement

Keyword location: 9th paragraph, 3rd line

Explanation: Participants who watched the fluent conversation rated agreement to be higher than participants watching the conversation that was disrupted by silence, even though participants were not consciously aware of the disruption. Thus the correct word is agreement.

The results showed that the 40 _____________ of the speakers’ discussions was less important than the perceived synchrony of the speakers.

Answer: content

Supporting statement: It appears that the subjective feeling of being out of sync informs people of possible disagreements, regardless of the content of the conversation.

Keyword: content, conversation

Keyword location: 9th paragraph, last line

Explanation: Here the word subject means the content of the discussion. It appears that the subjective feeling of being out of sync informs people of possible disagreements, regardless of the content of the conversation. Thus the correct word is content.

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