Labyrinths - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From Cambridge IELTS 17 Academic Listening Test 1 · Part 4 · Questions 31–40
Audio
Questions
Questions 31–40 Note Completion
Complete the notes below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
Labyrinths
Definition
- a winding spiral path leading to a central area
Labyrinths compared with mazes
- Mazes are a type of 31
– 32 is needed to navigate through a maze
– the word ‘maze’ is derived from a word meaning a feeling of 33
- Labyrinths represent a journey through life
– they have frequently been used in 34 and prayer
Early examples of the labyrinth spiral
- Ancient carvings on 35 have been found across many cultures
- The Pima, a Native American tribe, wove the symbol on baskets
- Ancient Greeks used the symbol on 36
Walking labyrinths
- The largest surviving example of a turf labyrinth once had a big 37 at its centre
Labyrinths nowadays
- Believed to have a beneficial impact on mental and physical health, e.g., walking a maze can reduce a person’s 38 rate
- Used in medical and health and fitness settings and also prisons
- Popular with patients, visitors and staff in hospitals
– patients who can’t walk can use ‘finger labyrinths’ made from 39
– research has shown that Alzheimer’s sufferers experience less 40
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q31 | puzzle | A maze is quite different as it is a kind of puzzle with an intricate network of paths. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript mentions that a maze is like a kind of game with a complicated network of pathways to figure out. Answer Explanation: The answer 'puzzle' is a simple word that means a game or problem that you need to solve by thinking carefully. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'puzzle' because a maze, as described in the excerpt, is indeed a type of puzzle or game that challenges people to find their way through a complex set of paths. |
| Q32 | logic | Entering a maze usually involves getting lost a few times before using logic to work out the pattern and find your way to the centre and then out again. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript is saying that in a maze, you may initially become lost, but then you need to use your thinking skills, or 'logic', to figure out how to navigate the maze and reach the center and exit. Answer Explanation: The answer 'logic' refers to the ability to think clearly and solve problems in a sensible way. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'logic' because in the context provided, the excerpt mentions that in a maze, one needs to use logic to understand the pattern and find the way to the center and out again. This indicates that logic, which is the ability to reason and think systematically, is crucial in navigating a maze successfully. |
| Q33 | confusion | The word ‘maze’ is believed to come from a Scandinavian word for a state of confusion. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript suggests that the word 'maze' originated from a Scandinavian term that describes a state of confusion. Answer Explanation: The answer 'confusion' means a state of being unclear or not understanding something. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer 'confusion' aligns with the meaning derived from the excerpt, which mentions that the word 'maze' is linked to a feeling of confusion. This association implies that mazes can create a sense of uncertainty or disorientation, leading to the answer being correct. |
| Q34 | meditation | Labyrinths are thought to encourage a feeling of calm and have been used as a meditation and prayer tool in many cultures over many centuries. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript is saying that labyrinths help people feel relaxed and have been used for focusing the mind and connecting with one's spiritual beliefs. Answer Explanation: The answer 'meditation' means a practice where someone focuses their mind on something calm or peaceful. It involves deep thought, contemplation, or relaxation. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'meditation' because it fits the context of using labyrinths as a tool for calming the mind, focusing thoughts, and enabling a spiritual connection, which are key aspects of meditation. |
| Q35 | stone | The earliest examples of the labyrinth spiral pattern have been found carved into stone, from Sardinia to Scandinavia, from Arizona to India to Africa. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript mentions that the oldest examples of the spiral pattern of labyrinths were found carved into stone in various locations around the world. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to 'stone' as the material in which the earliest labyrinth spiral patterns were carved. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'stone' because it accurately reflects the material mentioned in the excerpt where it states that the labyrinth spirals were found carved into stone. This aligns with the specific reference to the carvings being on stone across different cultures. |
| Q36 | coins | In Ancient Greece, the labyrinth spiral was used on coins around four thousand years ago. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript talks about how the ancient Greeks used the labyrinth spiral design on their coins approximately four thousand years ago. Answer Explanation: The answer 'coins' refers to a form of money that the ancient Greeks used and upon which they depicted the labyrinth spiral design. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'coins' because the excerpt specifically mentions that the labyrinth spiral design was used on coins in Ancient Greece. This matches the information provided in the transcript, making it the correct and fitting answer. |
| Q37 | tree | Eleven examples of turf labyrinths survive today, including the largest one at Saffron Walden, England, which used to have a large tree in the middle of it. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript talks about there being eleven surviving turf labyrinths today, one of which is located in Saffron Walden, England. It mentions that this particular labyrinth used to have a big tree in its center. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to a 'tree,' which is a tall plant with a trunk and branches that grow leaves. Trees are commonly found in nature. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'tree' because the excerpt clearly states that the largest turf labyrinth in Saffron Walden, England, had a large tree at its center. This aligns perfectly with the information provided in the excerpt. |
| Q38 | breathing | there are those who believe in its emotional and physical benefits, which include slower breathing and a restored sense of balance and perspective. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript talks about people who believe that labyrinths have positive effects on emotions and the body. It mentions benefits like slower breathing and feeling more balanced and clear-headed. Answer Explanation: The answer 'breathing' refers to the process of taking air into and expelling it from the lungs, which affects how fast or slow someone breathes. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'breathing' because the excerpt specifically mentions slower breathing as one of the benefits believed to be provided by labyrinths. Slower breathing is seen as a positive effect that can be experienced when engaging with labyrinths, as mentioned in the excerpt provided. |
| Q39 | paper | In some hospitals, patients who can’t walk can have a paper ‘finger labyrinth’ brought to their bed. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript mentions that in some hospitals, patients who are unable to walk can use a paper 'finger labyrinth' while in bed. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to 'paper', which is a material that the 'finger labyrinth' is made from. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'paper' because it accurately describes the material from which the 'finger labyrinth' for patients unable to walk is made, as mentioned in the excerpt. |
| Q40 | anxiety | For example, one study found that walking a labyrinth provided ‘short-term calming, relaxation, and relief from anxiety’ for Alzheimer’s patients. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript talks about a study that discovered walking a labyrinth helped Alzheimer's patients feel calmer, more relaxed, and less anxious. Answer Explanation: The answer 'anxiety' refers to the feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease that walking a labyrinth can reduce in Alzheimer's patients. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'anxiety' because the provided excerpt specifically mentions that walking a labyrinth brings about relief from anxiety for Alzheimer's patients, which directly connects the feeling of anxiety to the positive impact of walking a labyrinth. |
Transcript
Labyrinths have existed for well over 4,000 years. Labyrinths and labyrinthine symbols have been found in regions as diverse as modern-day Turkey, Ireland, Greece, and India. There are various designs of labyrinth but what they all have in common is a winding spiral path which leads to a central area. There is one starting point at the entrance and the goal is to reach the central area. Finding your way through a labyrinth involves many twists and turns, but it’s not possible to get lost as there is only one single path.
In modern times, the word labyrinth has taken on a different meaning and is often used as a synonym for a maze. A maze is quite different as it is a kind of puzzle with an intricate network of paths. Mazes became fashionable in the 15th and 16th centuries in Europe, and can still be found in the gardens of great houses and palaces. The paths are usually surrounded by thick, high hedges so that it’s not possible to see over them. Entering a maze usually involves getting lost a few times before using logic to work out the pattern and find your way to the centre and then out again. There are lots of dead ends and paths which lead you back to where you started. The word ‘maze’ is believed to come from a Scandinavian word for a state of confusion. This is where the word ‘amazing’ comes from.
Labyrinths, on the other hand, have a very different function. Although people now often refer to things they find complicated as labyrinths, this is not how they were seen in the past. the winding spiral of the labyrinth has been used for centuries as a metaphor for life’s journey. It served as a spiritual reminder that there is purpose and meaning to our lives and helped to give people a sense of direction. Labyrinths are thought to encourage a feeling of calm and have been used as a meditation and prayer tool in many cultures over many centuries.
The earliest examples of the labyrinth spiral pattern have been found carved into stone, from Sardinia to Scandinavia, from Arizona to India to Africa. In Europe, these spiral carvings date from the late Bronze Age. The Native American Pima tribe wove baskets with a circular labyrinth design that depicted their own cosmology. In Ancient Greece, the labyrinth spiral was used on coins around four thousand years ago. Labyrinths made of mosaics were commonly found in bathhouses, villas and tombs throughout the Roman Empire.
In Northern Europe, there were actual physical labyrinths designed for walking on. These were cut into the turf or grass, usually in a circular pattern. The origin of these walking labyrinths remains unclear, but they were probably used for fertility rites which may date back thousands of years. Eleven examples of turf labyrinths survive today, including the largest one at Saffron Walden, England, which used to have a large tree in the middle of it.
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More recently labyrinths have experienced something of a revival. Some believe that walking a labyrinth promotes healing and mindfulness, and there are those who believe in its emotional and physical benefits, which include slower breathing and a restored sense of balance and perspective. This idea has become so popular that labyrinths have been laid into the floors of spas, wellness centres and even prisons in recent years.
A pamphlet at Colorado Children’s Hospital informs patients that ‘walking a labyrinth can often calm people in the midst of a crisis’. And apparently, it’s not only patients who benefit. Many visitors find walking a labyrinth less stressful than sitting in a corridor or waiting room. Some doctors even walk the labyrinth during their breaks. In some hospitals, patients who can’t walk can have a paper ‘finger labyrinth’ brought to their bed. The science behind the theory is a little sketchy, but there are dozens of small-scale studies which support claims about the benefits of labyrinths. For example, one study found that walking a labyrinth provided ‘short-term calming, relaxation, and relief from anxiety’ for Alzheimer’s patients.
So, what is it about labyrinths that makes their appeal so universal? Well …