Investigations Into The Sense Of Taste - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From IELTS Trainer 1 Academic Listening Test 6 · Part 4 · Questions 31–40
Audio
Questions
Questions 31–40 Table Completion
Complete the table below.
Write NO MORE THAN ONE WORD for each answer.
| Procedure | Result | Cause |
|---|---|---|
| more yellow added to green colour of 31 | subjects believed extra 32 added to drink | brain influenced by product presentation |
| gum chewed until it is 33 then again with sugar | mint flavour 34 | sweetness necessary for mintiness |
| same drink tasted cold and at room temperature | 35 drink seems sweeter | temperature affects sweetness |
| crisps eaten in rooms which were 36 | with louder crunch, subjects believed crisps taste 37 | sound affects taste perceptions |
| variety of cheese sauces prepared | subjects believed some sauces tasted less strong | 38 affects taste perceptions |
| two different flavoured 39 tasted together | subjects still tasted 40 when no longer there | brain is filling the taste 'gap' |
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q31 | cans | The green colour of some cans was altered by the addition of yellow, so they were a brighter green | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that in a study for a soda company, they changed the green color of the metal drink containers (cans) by adding yellow to make the outside label look brighter. Answer Explanation: The answer "cans" refers to the metal containers used for the green-colored soft drink in the experiment. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "cans" because the lecturer describes a specific marketing experiment where the appearance of the drink's container was modified. By adding yellow to the green color of these cans, the company made the packaging look brighter to see if it changed how people thought the drink tasted. Keywords like "green colour" and "addition of yellow" from the task match the description of the cans in the transcript. |
| Q32 | lime | Then test subjects were asked what they thought about the flavour of the drink in the new-style cans, and they stated that there was more lime in the drink if it was in the ones with the new colour | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that when people were asked about the drink in the newly colored cans, they said it tasted like it had more lime in it. Answer Explanation: The answer is a type of citrus fruit flavor that people thought was stronger because the color of the drink's container was changed. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "lime" because the transcript describes a specific experiment where the color of a drink's can was made a brighter green. When people drank from these new cans, they claimed they could taste more lime. This experiment is used to show how the way a product looks (presentation) can change how we perceive its taste or flavor. |
| Q33 | tasteless | However, if you ask people to chew up to the point where it becomes tasteless, and then ask them to eat a little sugar and continue chewing, to most people's surprise, what happens is that the original mintiness actually returns because it is the sweetness which is needed to make the mintiness perceptible | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that people should chew the gum until it has no flavor (it becomes "tasteless"). At that point, they add sugar to see if the mint flavor returns. Answer Explanation: The answer "tasteless" means that the chewing gum does not have any flavor or taste at all. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "tasteless" because the lecturer describes a specific step in a chewing gum experiment. In this step, participants are instructed to chew the gum until they cannot taste the flavor anymore. The lecturer uses the exact word "tasteless" to describe this state. This matches the "Procedure" column in the table, which asks for the condition of the gum before sugar is added to it. |
| Q34 | returns | However, if you ask people to chew up to the point where it becomes tasteless, and then ask them to eat a little sugar and continue chewing, to most people's surprise, what happens is that the original mintiness actually returns because it is the sweetness which is needed to make the mintiness perceptible | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that if you add sugar to gum that has lost its flavor, the mint taste comes back because the brain needs sweetness to identify the mint. Answer Explanation: The answer "returns" means that the mint taste appears again or comes back. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is based on the lecturer's description of a chewing gum experiment. When participants chew gum until it loses its flavor (becomes tasteless) and then eat some sugar, they discover that they can taste the mint again. The lecturer specifically uses the word "returns" to describe the reappearance of the mint taste, explaining that the brain needs sweetness to notice or perceive the mint flavor. |
| Q35 | warm | The warm drink is too sweet to be refreshing | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript identifies the drink left at room temperature as a "warm drink" and notes that it tastes "too sweet." Answer Explanation: The answer "warm" refers to the temperature of a drink when it is not cold or chilled. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "warm" because the lecturer describes an experiment comparing a chilled drink to one left at room temperature. The lecturer explicitly states that the drink at this higher temperature (the "warm drink") is perceived as being "too sweet," which matches the result mentioned in the table. |
| Q36 | soundproofed / soundproof | Subjects were put into soundproof rooms and given batches of crisps to eat | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that the people in the experiment were placed inside rooms that block noise before they were given crisps to eat. Answer Explanation: The answer 'soundproof(ed)' refers to a room that is designed so that outside noises cannot be heard inside, and sounds from inside cannot be heard outside. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is correct because the lecturer describes an experiment where people ate crisps while researchers controlled the sounds they heard. To make sure no outside noise ruined the test, the people (referred to as 'subjects') were placed in rooms that block out all other sounds, which the transcript calls 'soundproof rooms'. |
| Q37 | fresher | Fascinatingly, if the sound level was louder or higher frequency they reported that the crisps were actually fresher | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that when the noise of eating was made louder, the people participating in the experiment said the food tasted more fresh/new. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the people eating the snacks thought the snacks were still very new and crunchy instead of old and soft. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is based on a study mentioned in the talk about how sound affects our sense of taste. People were given crisps (potato chips) to eat, and the sound of them chewing was played back to them. When the sound of the crunching was made louder, the people said the crisps tasted "fresher." This happened even though the crisps they were eating were exactly the same as before. Paying attention to keywords like "louder" and "reported" helps find this result. |
| Q38 | texture / thickness | It was clear that the thing that was influencing the subjects' judgement about the flavour of the sauces was the texture of each one | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that the people's opinion about the taste of the sauce was changed by its texture, which refers to how thick or thin the liquid was. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the way a food feels in your mouth—for example, if it is thick or thin—can change how strong you think the flavor is. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is correct because the lecturer describes an experiment where people tasted various cheese sauces. Some sauces were thick and some were thin, but the flavor was actually the same in all of them. The results showed that people thought the thicker sauce had a weaker flavor. The lecturer concludes that the "texture" (the physical feel of the sauce) was the cause or reason that changed how the people judged the taste. |
| Q39 | liquids | The subjects in this experiment stuck out their tongues so that the testers could drip two liquids onto them simultaneously, one strawberry flavoured and one sugar flavoured | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that during the test, scientists put two different flavored liquids on people's tongues at the same time to see how they would react. Answer Explanation: The answer 'liquids' refers to the wet substances that were dripped onto the tongues of the people taking part in the experiment. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'liquids' because the lecturer describes an experiment where researchers put two different flavored items on a person's tongue at the same time. The transcript uses the word 'liquids' to describe these substances (strawberry and sugar) that are tasted together. This experiment demonstrates how the brain fills in a taste 'gap' even when one of the substances is removed. |
| Q40 | strawberry | The subjects in this experiment stuck out their tongues so that the testers could drip two liquids onto them simultaneously, one strawberry flavoured and one sugar flavoured. The testers then took away each flavour in turn. When the sweetness was taken away, the subjects reported they could hardly taste anything, but they continued to think they could taste strawberry even after it was taken away | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript describes a study where people were given strawberry and sugar liquids at the same time. The participants reported that they could still taste the strawberry flavor even after the testers had stopped giving it to them. Answer Explanation: The answer is strawberry, which is the specific fruit flavor used in a taste test experiment. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is strawberry because the transcript explains an experiment where two distinct liquids (strawberry and sugar) were put on people's tongues. When the testers removed the strawberry liquid, the people in the test still believed they could taste it. This illustrates how the brain can continue to sense a flavor even after it has been removed. |
Transcript
[Pause the recording for 30 seconds.]
Now turn to section 4.
LISTENING SECTION 4
You will hear a lecturer describing some investigations into the sense of taste. First you have some time to look at questions 31 to 40.
[Pause the recording for one minute.]
Now listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 40.
Lecturer: This morning I'm going to describe for you a few of the kinds of experiments that have been used to investigate the sense of taste, which is now recognised as being a far more complex and important area of neurological science than was previously believed by most people. The results of some of these experiments can be quite fun and I shall suggest that you may want to choose one or two to try out in groups before having a go at designing a new experimental procedure of your own and trying to pinpoint the cause of your findings.
The first one concerns a marketing exercise by a soft drinks company. The green colour of some cans was altered by the addition of yellow, so they were a brighter green. Then test subjects were asked what they thought about the flavour of the drink in the new-style cans, and they stated that there was more lime in the drink if it was in the ones with the new colour. This was because the brain picks up cues from the way the product is presented, as well as the product itself, which trigger taste sensations. Before food was packaged, humans used colour to gauge the ripeness of fruit, for example.
Next there's the old problem with chewing gum. Everyone knows that after a few minutes' chewing it loses its minty flavour. However, if you ask people to chew up to the point where it becomes tasteless, and then ask them to eat a little sugar and continue chewing, to most people's surprise, what happens is that the original mintiness actually returns because it is the sweetness which is needed to make the mintiness perceptible. So combinations of flavours can be significant, as the brain needs one of them in order to recognise the other.
Another experiment demonstrates something we've all done. Drink half a fizzy drink straight from the fridge and then leave it at room temperature for a while. Take a sip and you may well decide you don't like it. The warm drink is too sweet to be refreshing. So put the rest back in the fridge until it's chilled again. Now try it. Much better. Of course the sweetness doesn't change, it is our perception, because how sweet it tastes depends on the temperature. The extent to which the drink is sweetened is less evident if the drink has been cooled.
Another interesting result has been derived from experiments with sound. One of these involved eating crisps. Subjects were put into soundproof rooms and given batches of crisps to eat. As they ate, the sound of crunching which they made as they ate the crisps was played back to them. This was adjusted so that they sometimes heard the crunching as louder, or, at other times, more high-frequency sounds were audible in the sound feedback that accompanied their eating. Fascinatingly, if the sound level was louder or higher frequency they reported that the crisps were actually fresher. Of course, the crisps were in fact the same every time! So, it was clear that the level and quality of what they were hearing was influencing their taste perceptions.
So, we've looked briefly at colour, at complementary flavours, at temperature and sound. It seems that all the senses are working together here, but what about the sense of touch? A number of experiments have been done in this area. If you take, for instance, cheese sauce and prepare different versions, some thicker and some thinner, but without any alteration in the strength of flavour, what do you think the subjects perceive? Yup, if the sauce is thicker, they'll say the cheesy flavour is less strong. It was clear that the thing that was influencing the subjects' judgement about the flavour of the sauces was the texture of each one. Now, this result is important for dietitians as well as marketing executives.
Lastly, another variation on the two flavours theme. This concerns the capacity of the brain for bridging a sensory gap. The subjects in this experiment stuck out their tongues so that the testers could drip two liquids onto them simultaneously, one strawberry flavoured and one sugar flavoured. The testers then took away each flavour in turn. When the sweetness was taken away, the subjects reported they could hardly taste anything, but they continued to think they could taste strawberry even after it was taken away! So that taste gap was filled.
Well, that's just a quick look at some of the examples in the current literature. The references will be in the handout you'll get at the end of the session. Now let's see about trying a few of them for ourselves.
That is the end of section 4. You now have half a minute to check your answers.
[Pause the recording for 30 seconds.]
That is the end of the listening test. In the IELTS test you would now have 10 minutes to transfer your answers to the Listening Answer sheet.