Music Therapy For Surgical Patients - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From Cambridge IELTS 21 Academic Listening Test 4 · Part 4 · Questions 31–40
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Questions
Questions 31–40 Note Completion
Complete the notes below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
Music therapy for surgical patients
Background
- Surgery impacts patients because they may experience discomfort or unwelcome changes to their 31.
- Current post-surgical strategies focus mainly on pain relief.
Recent research
- A study reviewed data from about 100 32 and found that listening to music
- improved hospital patients' sense of wellbeing.
- reduced the length of their stay.
- The patients in the study all listened to music with a 33 effect.
- The music was mostly played through music 34.
- Patients reported an absence or low levels of 35.
- Medical records confirmed that patients who were played music in hospital needed less 36 than those who weren't played music.
- The best results were achieved when patients were played music while they were 37.
- The study concluded that playing music was effective because it served as a 38.
- The researchers recommend playing either music or sounds from 39 to all surgical patients.
- A future study will investigate the best 40 for the music.
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q31 | routine | They may also be negatively affected by having their routine disturbed, you know, like if they can't do the things they normally do, or have to devote a lot of time to appointments such as physiotherapy, to aid their recovery | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that patients are unhappy when their usual daily habits are changed or when they can no longer do the things they typically do because of their medical recovery. Answer Explanation: The answer "routine" means the regular pattern of activities that a person does every day. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "routine" because the text mentions that surgery can make patients feel bad not just because of physical pain, but also because their normal daily life is interrupted. The transcript specifically uses the phrase "routine disturbed," which matches the idea of "unwelcome changes" mentioned in the notes. |
| Q32 | trials | They identified nearly a hundred trials involving a total of seven thousand patients who were played recorded music as part of their post-operative care | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that the researchers found almost 100 scientific studies (trials) involving thousands of people who were given music to listen to after having an operation. Answer Explanation: The answer "trials" refers to the organized medical tests or scientific research studies used to check if a treatment helps patients. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "trials" because the text explains that the researchers gathered information from about 100 scientific tests. These medical experiments, often called clinical trials, involve groups of patients to see how a treatment—like music therapy—affects them after surgery. |
| Q33 | calming | However, a common factor was that the chosen music had a calming quality | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that even though patients chose many different types of music, every choice shared a single special trait: the music was quiet and helped the patients feel peaceful. Answer Explanation: The answer "calming" refers to music that makes a person feel peaceful, quiet, and relaxed. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is based on a section of the transcript where the speaker discusses the types of music patients chose to listen to. While the patients picked many different styles of music, the researchers noticed one specific shared characteristic: the music they picked helped them feel relaxed. In English, when something has a "quality," it means it has a specific feature or characteristic. "Calming" is the specific word used to describe that common feature. |
| Q34 | pillows | More often though, the mode of delivery was by what are known as music pillows | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that the most common way for patients to hear the music was by using things called music pillows. Answer Explanation: The answer "pillows" refers to the soft objects that people rest their heads on in bed, which in this case were used to play music for the patients. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "pillows" because the speaker discusses how the music reached the patients. While some used headphones, the text says that more often, the "mode of delivery" (meaning the way the music was given) was through "music pillows." These pillows are special because only the person lying on them can hear the sound. |
| Q35 | anxiety | When asked to report their experience of listening to music, surgical patients said that either they had no feelings of anxiety at any point, or those feelings were only slight | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that when patients talked about hearing music, they said they did not feel worried at all, or they only felt a tiny bit worried. Answer Explanation: The answer "anxiety" means a feeling of worry or nervousness about what might happen. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is correct because the text describes how patients felt while listening to music. It says they had "no feelings" of worry (an absence) or only "slight" feelings (low levels). These descriptions directly match the gaps in the notes that ask for what patients did not feel or felt very little of. |
| Q36 | medication | And in every case, those who were given music to listen to didn't need as much medication to ease their pain as those patients who weren't played music | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that in every situation, the patients who were allowed to listen to music did not need as much medicine (medication) to help with their pain compared to the patients who did not hear any music. Answer Explanation: The answer "medication" refers to drugs or pills that doctors give to people to help stop pain or make them feel better. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "medication" because the transcript explains that doctors checked the medical notes and found that patients who listened to music required less medicine to help with their pain. Keywords to look for are "didn't need as much," which is a synonym for needing "less." |
| Q37 | awake | And it even worked when patients were played music under general anaesthetic, although the positive effects were greater when patients were awake | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that music is helpful even when doctors use medicine to make patients sleep deep, but the benefits are better when the patients are awake. Answer Explanation: The answer 'awake' means that the patients were conscious and eyes open, not asleep or under deep medical sedation. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is awake because the researchers found that music helped patients in different states, but it was most successful when they were conscious. The text compares the results of music played while patients were under strong medicine to make them sleep with the results when they were awake. It notes that the positive effects were stronger or greater during the time they were awake. |
| Q38 | distraction | A lot of people listen to music in daily life as a way to relax and forget their problems, but the researchers came to the conclusion that it worked on patients by distraction | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that researchers found music is helpful for patients because it acts as a distraction, even though most people just use it to relax in their normal lives. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the music helped patients by taking their attention away from their pain or worries. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is correct because the transcript specifically mentions that the researchers identified 'distraction' as the reason music worked for the patients. While many people use music to relax, the study found its primary benefit in a hospital setting was to focus the patient's mind on something else. Synonyms for distraction in this context include something that helps you focus on something other than your problems. |
| Q39 | nature | They say patients should be able to choose what they'd like to listen to, and if they prefer, recordings taken from nature can be just as good as music | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that patients can pick their own listening material and that recordings from the natural world are just as effective as music for their health. Answer Explanation: The answer 'nature' refers to the natural world, such as sounds from birds, forests, or the ocean, which can be played for patients instead of regular music. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'nature' because the transcript states that the research team suggests giving patients a choice in what they hear. The speaker mentions that sounds recorded from the natural world are a good alternative to music for helping patients during their recovery. This matches the sentence in the notes which talks about recommending either music or sounds from this source. |
| Q40 | volume | Clearly, there's more to learn about this area, and the team now plan to focus their next research on the most appropriate volume to play the music at | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that there is still more to study, so the researchers will do a new study to find the best sound level for the music. Answer Explanation: The answer 'volume' refers to how loud or quiet a sound is. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'volume' because the speaker mentions that the research team is planning future work. Specifically, the lecture states that the team will focus their next research on finding the most appropriate level of loudness (volume) for the music to be effective. |
Transcript
Today's lecture is about studies that look at how music therapy can be used to help patients who undergo surgery. Now, most people undergo a surgical procedure at some point in their lives. And more than fifty-one million operations are performed annually in the USA. But there's no escaping the fact that most patients feel uncomfortable following surgery. They may have difficulty mobilising, and even sitting up in bed can feel too much. They may also be negatively affected by having their routine disturbed, you know, like if they can't do the things they normally do, or have to devote a lot of time to appointments such as physiotherapy, to aid their recovery.
Currently, the main strategy for improving recovery is medication to control pain, and this can be administered to patients in the short, medium or longer term, depending on the extent of their surgery. But music is still not an everyday part of the post-surgical phase, despite a wealth of relevant studies supporting its potential in recovery.
Earlier this year, a research team set out to assess all the available evidence so that they could highlight the potential for music in surgical recovery. They identified nearly a hundred trials involving a total of seven thousand patients who were played recorded music as part of their post-operative care. The researchers then looked at what impact the music had on the patients. They discovered that patients who had been played music reported feeling happier and more satisfied in the post-operative phase, and the length of their stay was shorter than for patients who had not listened to any music.
The researchers also explored the patients' choice of music, and their findings showed that a wide variety of music styles was evident. However, a common factor was that the chosen music had a calming quality. Some of the patients listened to music with headphones, but it was quiet enough not to prevent them from being able to communicate with nurses and other staff. More often though, the mode of delivery was by what are known as music pillows. These broadcast sound that is only audible to the person lying on them. The research involved testing music before, during or after operations or a combination. Some patients listened to the music just once a day, while others had several episodes a day.
When asked to report their experience of listening to music, surgical patients said that either they had no feelings of anxiety at any point, or those feelings were only slight. Patients who hadn't listened to music, on the other hand, reported higher levels of dissatisfaction. This feedback from all of the patients was then cross-checked against their medical notes. And in every case, those who were given music to listen to didn't need as much medication to ease their pain as those patients who weren't played music. The type of music, patient choice and timing, before, during or after the surgery didn't make much difference. And it even worked when patients were played music under general anaesthetic, although the positive effects were greater when patients were awake.
All the evidence suggests that music has a positive effect on post-operative patients, but it's not entirely clear how or why this is the case. A lot of people listen to music in daily life as a way to relax and forget their problems, but the researchers came to the conclusion that it worked on patients by distraction. I suppose it was something familiar and gave them something they could control.
The researchers say there is now sufficient research to demonstrate that music should be available to all patients undergoing operations. They say patients should be able to choose what they'd like to listen to, and if they prefer, recordings taken from nature can be just as good as music. Surgical teams may prefer patients to listen to music before the procedure or as soon as they arrive back onto the ward. Clearly, there's more to learn about this area, and the team now plan to focus their next research on the most appropriate volume to play the music at. And I look forward to reading the results of their study.
It will be interesting to see ...