EDUCATING PSYCHE - IELTS Reading Answers & Explanations
From Cambridge IELTS 07 Academic Reading Test 1 · Part 3 · Questions 27–40
Reading Passage
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27–40, which are based on Reading Passage 3 below.
EDUCATING PSYCHE
Educating Psyche by Bernie Neville is a book which looks at radical new approaches to learning, describing the effects of emotion, imagination and the unconscious on learning. One theory discussed in the book is that proposed by George Lozanov, which focuses on the power of suggestion.
Lozanov's instructional technique is based on the evidence that the connections made in the brain through unconscious processing (which he calls non-specific mental reactivity) are more durable than those made through conscious processing. Besides the laboratory evidence for this, we know from our experience that we often remember what we have perceived peripherally, long after we have forgotten what we set out to learn. If we think of a book we studied months or years ago, we will find it easier to recall peripheral details - the colour, the binding, the typeface, the table at the library where we sat while studying it - than the content on which we were concentrating. If we think of a lecture we listened to with great concentration, we will recall the lecturer's appearance and mannerisms, our place in the auditorium, the failure of the air-conditioning, much more easily than the ideas we went to learn. Even if these peripheral details are a bit elusive, they come back readily in hypnosis or when we relive the event imaginatively, as in psychodrama. The details of the content of the lecture, on the other hand, seem to have gone forever.
This phenomenon can be partly attributed to the common counterproductive approach to study (making extreme efforts to memorise, tensing muscles, inducing fatigue), but it also simply reflects the way the brain functions. Lozanov therefore made indirect instruction (suggestion) central to his teaching system. In suggestopedia, as he called his method, consciousness is shifted away from the curriculum to focus on something peripheral. The curriculum then becomes peripheral and is dealt with by the reserve capacity of the brain.
The suggestopedic approach to foreign language learning provides a good illustration. In its most recent variant (1980), it consists of the reading of vocabulary and text while the class is listening to music. The first session is in two parts. In the first part, the music is classical (Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms) and the teacher reads the text slowly and solemnly, with attention to the dynamics of the music. The students follow the text in their books. This is followed by several minutes of silence. In the second part, they listen to baroque music (Bach, Corelli, Handel) while the teacher reads the text in a normal speaking voice. During this time they have their books closed. During the whole of this session, their attention is passive; they listen to the music but make no attempt to learn the material.
Beforehand, the students have been carefully prepared for the language learning experience. Through meeting with the staff and satisfied students they develop the expectation that learning will be easy and pleasant and that they will successfully learn several hundred words of the foreign language during the class. In a preliminary talk, the teacher introduces them to the material to be covered, but does not 'teach' it. Likewise, the students are instructed not to try to learn it during this introduction.
Some hours after the two-part session, there is a follow-up class at which the students are stimulated to recall the material presented. Once again the approach is indirect. The students do not focus their attention on trying to remember the vocabulary, but focus on using the language to communicate (e.g. through games or improvised dramatisations). Such methods are not unusual in language teaching. What is distinctive in the suggestopedic method is that they are devoted entirely to assisting recall. The 'learning' of the material is assumed to be automatic and effortless, accomplished while listening to music. The teacher's task is to assist the students to apply what they have learned paraconsciously, and in doing so to make it easily accessible to consciousness. Another difference from conventional teaching is the evidence that students can regularly learn 1000 new words of a foreign language during a suggestopedic session, as well as grammar and idiom.
Lozanov experimented with teaching by direct suggestion during sleep, hypnosis and trance states, but found such procedures unnecessary. Hypnosis, yoga, Silva mind-control, religious ceremonies and faith healing are all associated with successful suggestion, but none of their techniques seem to be essential to it. Such rituals may be seen as placebos. Lozanov acknowledges that the ritual surrounding suggestion in his own system is also a placebo, but maintains that without such a placebo people are unable or afraid to tap the reserve capacity of their brains. Like any placebo, it must be dispensed with authority to be effective. Just as a doctor calls on the full power of autocratic suggestion by insisting that the patient take precisely this white capsule precisely three times a day before meals, Lozanov is categoric in insisting that the suggestopedic session be conducted exactly in the manner designated, by trained and accredited suggestopedic teachers.
While suggestopedia has gained some notoriety through success in the teaching of modern languages, few teachers are able to emulate the spectacular results of Lozanov and his associates. We can, perhaps, attribute mediocre results to an inadequate placebo effect. The students have not developed the appropriate mind set. They are often not motivated to learn through this method. They do not have enough 'faith'. They do not see it as 'real teaching', especially as it does not seem to involve the 'work' they have learned to believe is essential to learning.
Questions
Questions 27–30 Multiple Choice (One Answer)
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Questions 31–36 True / False / Not Given
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 3?
Write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
Questions 37–40 Summary Completion
Complete the summary using the list of words, A-K, below.
A. spectacular | B. teaching | C. lesson
D. authoritarian | E. unpopular | F. ritual
G. unspectacular | H. placebo | I. involved
J. appropriate | K. well known
Suggestopedia uses a less direct method of suggestion than other techniques such as hypnosis. However, Lozanov admits that a certain amount of 37 is necessary in order to convince students, even if this is just a 38 . Furthermore, if the method is to succeed, teachers must follow a set procedure. Although Lozanov's method has become quite 39 , the results of most other teachers using this method have been 40 .
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q27 | D | Educating Psyche by Bernie Neville is a book which looks at radical new approaches to learning, describing the effects of emotion, imagination and the unconscious on learning | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says the book is about very different (radical) and fresh (new) ways to learn. It explains that these ways involve looking at how our feelings and our deep, hidden thoughts help us learn. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the book focuses on teaching and learning methods that are unusual and different from common, standard practices. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is D because the passage introduces the book by saying it looks at 'radical new approaches to learning.' The words 'radical' and 'new' in this context mean that these methods are not traditional. While the book mentions emotion, imagination, and 'suggestion' (Option A), these are listed as specific components or theories within the broader subject of these non-traditional learning styles. Therefore, Option D is the best summary for the whole book's focus. |
| Q28 | A | If we think of a book we studied months or years ago, we will find it easier to recall peripheral details - the colour, the binding, the typeface, the table at the library where we sat while studying it - than the content on which we were concentrating | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that when you remember a book from a long time ago, you usually remember small things like its color or where you were sitting better than the actual information inside the book. Answer Explanation: The answer means that we often remember small, less important things (like the color of a book) better than the actual lessons we tried to learn. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because George Lozanov's theory suggests that our brains are very good at remembering 'peripheral' information. These are the extra details around a subject rather than the main facts. The passage explains that when we try hard to learn something 'consciously' or with great concentration, we often forget it. However, our minds easily keep track of smaller, less important details that we noticed without trying. |
| Q29 | B | Lozanov's instructional technique is based on the evidence that the connections made in the brain through unconscious processing (which he calls non-specific mental reactivity) are more durable than those made through conscious processing. Besides the laboratory evidence for this, we know from our experience that we often remember what we have perceived peripherally, long after we have forgotten what we set out to learn. If we think of a book we studied months or years ago, we will find it easier to recall peripheral details - the colour, the binding, the typeface, the table at the library where we sat while studying it - than the content on which we were concentrating. If we think of a lecture we listened to with great concentration, we will recall the lecturer's appearance and mannerisms, our place in the auditorium, the failure of the air-conditioning, much more easily than the ideas we went to learn | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that our brains are very good at remembering background details even when we are not trying to memorize them. The author uses the book and lecture examples to illustrate that 'unconscious' learning is often stronger than 'conscious' learning, which matches the theory being discussed. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the author uses these examples to show that the teaching ideas mentioned in the text are correct and supported by real-life experience. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because the author uses the examples of the book and the lecture to support Lozanov’s theory. This theory claims that 'unconscious processing'—information the brain picks up without trying—is more 'durable' (lasting) than what we learn through hard study. By showing how we easily remember 'peripheral' details (background information like the color of a book or a teacher's habits) but forget the main content, the author provides evidence that this theory about learning is valid. |
| Q30 | C | In suggestopedia, as he called his method, consciousness is shifted away from the curriculum to focus on something peripheral | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that in this special teaching style, the student's awareness is moved away from the main school lesson to look at other details instead. Answer Explanation: The answer means that teachers should help students focus their minds on things that are not the main lesson material. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is C because Lozanov’s teaching method, known as suggestopedia, is based on the idea that we learn better when we are not trying too hard to focus on the main subject. In this method, the student's consciousness—or their main attention—is moved away from the curriculum (the main lesson) so they can focus on peripheral things (extra details on the side). This way, the brain uses its extra power to learn the main material automatically while the student is relaxed. |
| Q31 | FALSE | In the first part, the music is classical (Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms) and the teacher reads the text slowly and solemnly, with attention to the dynamics of the music. The students follow the text in their books. This is followed by several minutes of silence. In the second part, they listen to baroque music (Bach, Corelli, Handel) while the teacher reads the text in a normal speaking voice. During this time they have their books closed | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage shows that in the first part, the music is classical, the teacher talks slowly and seriously, and the students look at their books. In the second part, the music is baroque, the teacher talks normally, and the books are closed. This shows that the music, the voice, and the books all change, not just the music. Answer Explanation: The answer is FALSE because the statement is incorrect based on the text. More things than just the music change during the lesson. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is FALSE because the passage describes several differences between the first and second parts of the suggestopedic session. Along with the music changing from classical to baroque, the teacher’s reading style changes from 'slowly and solemnly' to a 'normal speaking voice,' and the students go from following the books to having them 'closed.' Because there are multiple changes (variables) occurring, the claim that music is the 'only' variable is untrue. |
| Q32 | FALSE | Through meeting with the staff and satisfied students they develop the expectation that learning will be easy and pleasant and that they will successfully learn several hundred words of the foreign language during the class | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that before the class starts, students talk to people and begin to think that learning the new language will be simple and enjoyable rather than hard work. Answer Explanation: The answer is FALSE because the information in the passage is the opposite of what the statement says. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is FALSE because the statement claims students are told the class will be 'demanding' (difficult and requiring a lot of effort). However, the passage states that students are prepared to expect that the learning will be 'easy and pleasant'. In English, 'easy' is the antonym (opposite) of 'demanding', so the statement contradicts the text. |
| Q33 | TRUE | Such methods are not unusual in language teaching | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that these ways of teaching are common and can be found in many other language classes. Answer Explanation: The answer is true because the activities used in the follow-up class, such as games and acting, are also common in regular language lessons. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is TRUE because the passage explains that the follow-up class uses games and acting to help students use the language. It then states that these teaching ways are 'not unusual.' In this context, 'not unusual' means they are normal or common. This shows that the activities in this special method are similar to what is used in regular or conventional language classes. |
| Q34 | NOT GIVEN | Another difference from conventional teaching is the evidence that students can regularly learn 1000 new words of a foreign language during a suggestopedic session, as well as grammar and idiom | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that students can learn 1,000 new words and grammar very quickly using this method. However, it does not mention anything about students' memory skills improving as an additional or indirect result. Answer Explanation: The answer 'NOT GIVEN' means the text does not tell us if students notice their memory getting better as a side effect. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'NOT GIVEN' because the passage talks about how students learn many words and grammar rules, but it never says that their general memory improves or that students noticed such a change. The text focuses on the success of learning specific language lessons, not on a general increase in memory power as an extra benefit. |
| Q35 | NOT GIVEN | While suggestopedia has gained some notoriety through success in the teaching of modern languages, few teachers are able to emulate the spectacular results of Lozanov and his associates | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage mentions that the method is famous and that some teachers use it, but they often do not get the same amazing results as the person who invented it. This sentence discusses the results teachers get, but it does not mention if the teachers actually like or prefer this method. Answer Explanation: The answer is NOT GIVEN because the text does not tell us whether teachers like this new method better than the usual ways of teaching. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is NOT GIVEN because the passage mentions teachers and their results, but it never mentions their personal opinions or preferences. While it explains that some teachers try the method and fail to get great results, it does not say if they like it more than traditional or standard teaching styles. We cannot know from this text if teachers prefer it or not. |
| Q36 | TRUE | Another difference from conventional teaching is the evidence that students can regularly learn 1000 new words of a foreign language during a suggestopedic session, as well as grammar and idiom | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that suggestopedia is different from regular teaching because students can learn 1,000 new words in just one lesson. This suggests their ability to remember words is higher than in normal classes. Answer Explanation: The answer means that students who learn using the suggestopedia method remember more new words than students who learn in normal, traditional classes. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is TRUE because the text compares suggestopedia to 'conventional teaching' (which means normal or ordinary classes). It points out that a major difference is that suggestopedia students can learn 1,000 words in a single session. This high number shows that they learn and remember more vocabulary than what is typical in a standard classroom setting. |
| Q37 | F | Lozanov acknowledges that the ritual surrounding suggestion in his own system is also a placebo, but maintains that without such a placebo people are unable or afraid to tap the reserve capacity of their brains | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that Lozanov agrees his teaching method includes a special procedure, or ritual. He says that without this ritual, people might feel scared or unable to use the extra power of their brains. Answer Explanation: The answer is ritual, which refers to a set of fixed actions or a special procedure performed in a specific way. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is F because the passage discusses how Lozanov uses specific procedures to help students learn. In the seventh paragraph, it mentions that various techniques like hypnosis or religious ceremonies involve 'rituals.' Lozanov admits that his method also uses a 'ritual.' He believes this ritual is necessary to convince or encourage students to use their brain's 'reserve capacity,' even though he views it as a 'placebo' (something that works because the person believes it will). |
| Q38 | H | Lozanov acknowledges that the ritual surrounding suggestion in his own system is also a placebo, but maintains that without such a placebo people are unable or afraid to tap the reserve capacity of their brains | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that Lozanov knows his teaching routines are like a 'placebo.' He believes that without this placebo effect, students would be too scared or unable to use their brain's full hidden potential. Answer Explanation: The answer 'H' refers to the word 'placebo', which describes something that works because the person using it believes it will work, rather than because of its own power. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is derived from the section of the passage where Lozanov discusses the 'ritual' or the specific routine he uses in his teaching. He admits that these routines are a 'placebo.' This means the routine itself isn't the magic key to learning, but it helps students feel confident enough to use their brain's 'reserve capacity.' In the summary, the word 'placebo' (H) fits perfectly to describe what Lozanov admits his methods rely on to convince students. |
| Q39 | K | While suggestopedia has gained some notoriety through success in the teaching of modern languages, few teachers are able to emulate the spectacular results of Lozanov and his associates | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that suggestopedia has become famous ('gained some notoriety') because it was successful for teaching languages. However, it also points out that most other teachers cannot get the same amazing ('spectacular') results that Lozanov and his team achieved. Answer Explanation: The answer K means 'well known'. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer K describes the level of fame or recognition the Lozanov method has reached. The passage uses the word 'notoriety' to show that many people know about suggestopedia because of its success in teaching languages. In English learning contexts, 'notoriety' and 'well known' are used as synonyms here to indicate that the method is famous. This part of the summary contrasts the method's high level of fame with the 'mediocre' or average results that most teachers actually achieve when using it. |
| Q40 | G | While suggestopedia has gained some notoriety through success in the teaching of modern languages, few teachers are able to emulate the spectacular results of Lozanov and his associates. We can, perhaps, attribute mediocre results to an inadequate placebo effect | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that although the method is well-known, most teachers can't achieve the same amazing ('spectacular') results as the people who created it. Instead, they get 'mediocre' results, which means their results are not very impressive or 'unspectacular'. Answer Explanation: The answer 'unspectacular' means that something is not very impressive, exciting, or special. In this context, it describes results that are just average or not very good. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is G because the passage compares the effects of the teaching method when used by different people. It mentions that only a 'few' people can achieve 'spectacular' (amazing) results like Lozanov. For most other teachers, the results are described as 'mediocre', which is a synonym for 'unspectacular'. This means their success is not nearly as great as the creator's success. |