The Growth Of Intelligence - IELTS Reading Answers & Explanations
From IELTS Trainer 1 Academic Reading Test 4 · 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.
The growth of intelligence
No one doubts that intelligence develops as children grow older. Yet the concept of intelligence has proved both quite difficult to define in unambiguous terms and unexpectedly controversial in some respects. Although, at one level, there seem to be almost as many definitions of intelligence as people who have tried to define it, there is broad agreement on two key features. That is, intelligence involves the capacity not only to learn from experience but also to adapt to one's environment. However, we cannot leave the concept there. Before turning to what is known about the development of intelligence, it is necessary to consider whether we are considering the growth of one or many skills. That question has been tackled in rather different ways by psychometricians and by developmentalists.
The former group has examined the issue by determining how children's abilities on a wide range of tasks intercorrelate, or go together. Statistical techniques have been used to find out whether the patterns are best explained by one broad underlying capacity, general intelligence, or by a set of multiple, relatively separate, special skills in domains such as verbal and visuospatial ability. While it cannot be claimed that everyone agrees on what the results mean, most people now accept that for practical purposes it is reasonable to suppose that both are involved. In brief, the evidence in favour of some kind of general intellectual capacity is that people who are superior (or inferior) on one type of task tend also to be superior (or inferior) on others. Moreover, general measures of intelligence tend to have considerable powers to predict a person's performance on a wide range of tasks requiring special skills. Nevertheless, it is plain that it is not at all uncommon for individuals to be very good at some sorts of task and yet quite poor at some others.
Furthermore the influences that affect verbal skills are not quite the same as those that affect other skills. This approach to investigating intelligence is based on the nature of the task involved, but studies of age-related changes show that this is not the only, or necessarily the most important, approach. For instance, some decades ago, Horn and Cattell argued for a differentiation between what they termed 'fluid' and 'crystallised' intelligence. Fluid abilities are best assessed by tests that require mental manipulation of abstract symbols. Crystallised abilities, by contrast, reflect knowledge of the environment in which we live and past experience of similar tasks; they may be assessed by tests of comprehension and information. It seems that fluid abilities peak in early adult life, whereas crystallised abilities increase up to advanced old age.
Developmental studies also show that the interconnections between different skills vary with age. Thus in the first year of life an interest in perceptual patterns is a major contributor to cognitive abilities, whereas verbal abilities are more important later on. These findings seemed to suggest a substantial lack of continuity between infancy and middle childhood. However, it is important to realise that the apparent discontinuity will vary according to which of the cognitive skills were assessed in infancy. It has been found that tests of coping with novelty do predict later intelligence. These findings reinforce the view that young children's intellectual performance needs to be assessed from their interest in and curiosity about the environment, and the extent to which this is applied to new situations, as well as by standardised intelligence testing.
These psychometric approaches have focused on children's increase in cognitive skills as they grow older. Piaget brought about a revolution in the approach to cognitive development through his arguments (backed up by observations) that the focus should be on the thinking processes involved rather than on levels of cognitive achievement. These ideas of Piaget gave rise to an immense body of research and it would be true to say that subsequent thinking has been heavily dependent on his genius in opening up new ways of thinking about cognitive development. Nevertheless, most of his concepts have had to be so radically revised, or rejected, that his theory no longer provides an appropriate basis for thinking about cognitive development. To appreciate why that is so, we need to focus on some rather different elements of Piaget's theorising.
The first element, which has stood the test of time, is his view that the child is an active agent of learning and of the importance of this activity in cognitive development. Numerous studies have shown how infants actively scan their environment; how they prefer patterned to non-patterned objects, how they choose novel over familiar stimuli, and how they explore their environment as if to see how it works. Children's questions and comments vividly illustrate the ways in which they are constantly constructing schemes of what they know and trying out their ideas of how to fit new knowledge into those schemes or deciding that the schemes need modification. Moreover, a variety of studies have shown that active experiences have a greater effect on learning than comparable passive experiences. However, a second element concerns the notion that development proceeds through a series of separate stages that have to be gone through step-by-step, in a set order, each of which is characterised by a particular cognitive structure. That has turned out to be a rather misleading way of thinking about cognitive development, although it is not wholly wrong.
Questions
Questions 27–30 Multiple Choice (One Answer)
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Questions 31–36 Yes / No / Not Given
Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Reading Passage 3?
YES if the statement agrees with the views of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the views of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
Questions 37–40 Summary Completion
Complete the summary using the list of words, A-I, below.
A. adult | B. practical | C. verbal
D. spatial | E. inquisitive | F. uncertain
G. academic | H. plentiful | I. unfamiliar
Researchers investigating the development of intelligence have shown that 37 skills become more significant with age. One good predictor of 38 intelligence is the degree to which small children are 39 about their surroundings and how much interest they show on finding themselves in an 40 setting.
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q27 | A | That is, intelligence involves the capacity not only to learn from experience but also to adapt to one's environment | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that intelligence is about learning from the past and being able to change yourself to fit perfectly into the place and situation where you are now. Answer Explanation: The answer means that smart people can change what they do to match where they are or what is happening. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because the passage states that there is 'broad agreement' (meaning most researchers agree) on two main features of intelligence. One of these features is the 'capacity' (ability) to 'adapt to one's environment.' In English, to 'adapt' means to change your behavior or yourself so that you can fit into a specific 'situation' or place. |
| Q28 | B | Statistical techniques have been used to find out whether the patterns are best explained by one broad underlying capacity, general intelligence, or by a set of multiple, relatively separate, special skills in domains such as verbal and visuospatial ability | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that math was used to check if smartness is just one single power or a collection of many different, separate skills. Answer Explanation: The answer means that experts used math to see if being smart comes from one big ability or many different kinds of abilities. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because the text says psychometricians used statistical tools to see how well children did on various tasks. They used this data to check if intelligence is just one general ability or if it is made of many distinct skills, like talking or understanding shapes. Choice B mentions checking if 'several abilities' (more than one skill) are part of intelligence, which is exactly what the psychometricians were researching. |
| Q29 | D | This approach to investigating intelligence is based on the nature of the task involved, but studies of age-related changes show that this is not the only, or necessarily the most important, approach. For instance, some decades ago, Horn and Cattell argued for a differentiation between what they termed 'fluid' and 'crystallised' intelligence | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that measuring intelligence is not just about the type of task, but also about how it changes as people grow older. It mentions Horn and Cattell as an example of researchers who studied these changes over time. Answer Explanation: The answer means that Horn and Cattell are mentioned because their work serves as an example of how mental abilities change as a person gets older. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is D because the passage introduces Horn and Cattell within a section discussing "age-related changes" in intelligence. Their theory specifically highlights that different types of intelligence—fluid and crystallised—do not stay the same throughout life; one peaks in early adulthood while the other grows into old age. This directly supports the idea that their work is an example of research into how thinking skills vary (change) according to age. |
| Q30 | B | Piaget brought about a revolution in the approach to cognitive development through his arguments (backed up by observations) that the focus should be on the thinking processes involved rather than on levels of cognitive achievement | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that Piaget changed how we study children by focusing on how they think rather than how much they succeed or their test levels. Answer Explanation: The answer means Piaget focused on the way children used their minds instead of just looking at their test scores. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is supported by the passage, which says Piaget's new idea was to look at 'thinking processes' instead of just 'levels of cognitive achievement.' This means he cared more about how a child arrives at an answer than if they got the right answer or a high score on a test. The word 'revolution' shows that this was a new and innovative way of researching intelligence at the time. |
| Q31 | NO | Although, at one level, there seem to be almost as many definitions of intelligence as people who have tried to define it, there is broad agreement on two key features | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that while experts might agree on a few small parts of intelligence, there are nearly as many different definitions for the word as there are people trying to define it. This shows that experts do not have one single, shared conclusion. Answer Explanation: The answer is NO, which means the statement contradicts the views expressed by the writer in the passage. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is NO because the passage explicitly states that intelligence is difficult to define and that people have many different ideas about what it means. The author notes that there are almost as many definitions as there are people who have tried to create one. This directly opposes the idea that a large number of academics have reached the same conclusion or agreed on a single definition. |
| Q32 | YES | Nevertheless, it is plain that it is not at all uncommon for individuals to be very good at some sorts of task and yet quite poor at some others | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that it is very normal for some people to be excellent at some activities and very bad at others. Because of these differences in a person's abilities, one general test cannot correctly show their skill level for every single type of task. Answer Explanation: The answer YES means that a single test for general intelligence probably won't tell you exactly how well a person can do every specific activity. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is YES because the writer explains that even though general intelligence tests are good at predicting how people will do overall, they have limits. The passage points out that it is very common (not at all uncommon) for a person to be excellent at one thing but weak at another. Because people have these different levels of skill for different things, a general test is 'unlikely' to provide a correct score for every single individual task. Key words to notice are 'not at all uncommon,' which means it happens often. |
| Q33 | NO | Crystallised abilities, by contrast, reflect knowledge of the environment in which we live and past experience of similar tasks; they may be assessed by tests of comprehension and information. It seems that fluid abilities peak in early adult life, whereas crystallised abilities increase up to advanced old age | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that 'crystallised abilities' are checked using tests for 'comprehension.' It then states that while some skills stop growing in young adults, these specific skills (comprehension) keep growing (increase) until someone is an elderly person (advanced old age). Answer Explanation: The answer is NO because the text says that abilities measured by comprehension tests actually improve as a person gets older, rather than getting worse. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is NO because the author explains that 'crystallised abilities' are measured using comprehension tests. According to the passage, these specific abilities continue to grow or 'increase' until a person is very old. This directly contradicts the question's claim that the elderly (old people) perform 'less well' (worse) than young adults on these tests. In this context, 'increase' is a synonym for getting better or scoring higher. |
| Q34 | YES | However, it is important to realise that the apparent discontinuity will vary according to which of the cognitive skills were assessed in infancy | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that any visible difference or lack of connection between a baby's intelligence and their later intelligence depends on which specific skills were tested when they were a baby. Answer Explanation: The answer is YES because the writer states that the way we measure the connection between intelligence at different ages changes depending on the specific skills we choose to test. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is YES because the passage discusses how intelligence seems different at various ages (like infancy versus childhood). It points out that when comparing these ages, the results can change based on the specific tasks or abilities being measured. This means that to understand how intelligence grows over time, we must consider which skills are being tested. The word 'assessed' in the text refers to being 'tested' or 'measured,' and 'discontinuity' refers to the differences found when comparing these age groups. |
| Q35 | NOT GIVEN | These ideas of Piaget gave rise to an immense body of research and it would be true to say that subsequent thinking has been heavily dependent on his genius in opening up new ways of thinking about cognitive development | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that Piaget's ideas started a lot of new studies and significantly changed the way people think about how children's minds grow, but it does not say if his influence was greater on theory or on practice. Answer Explanation: The answer is NOT GIVEN because the passage does not provide enough information to determine if Piaget's work was more influential in the field of theory than in practical research. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is NOT GIVEN because while the passage clearly states that Piaget’s ideas led to a large amount of 'research' and changed 'thinking' about how children develop, it never compares the level of influence between theoretical and practical areas. The writer mentions his impact is great, but does not state that one area was influenced more than the other. |
| Q36 | NO | The first element, which has stood the test of time, is his view that the child is an active agent of learning and of the importance of this activity in cognitive development | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that Piaget’s belief that children are active in their own learning is a part of his theory that is still accepted today. This contradicts the question, which claims the idea has been discredited (proven wrong). Answer Explanation: The answer is NO, which means the statement in the question is false according to the writer. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is NO because the passage says Piaget's idea about children being an 'active agent of learning' has 'stood the test of time.' This phrase means that the idea has lasted a long time and is still believed to be true by experts. Even though the passage says some of Piaget's other ideas were rejected, it makes a special point to say that his focus on active learning was not one of them. |
| Q37 | C | Thus in the first year of life an interest in perceptual patterns is a major contributor to cognitive abilities, whereas verbal abilities are more important later on | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that when a baby is less than one year old, they focus on looking at shapes and patterns. However, as the child grows up, their ability to use words (verbal abilities) becomes more important for their intelligence. Answer Explanation: The answer means that skills related to words and speaking become more important as a person gets older. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is based on the part of the text that discusses how different skills connect at different ages. The passage explains that while very young babies focus on looking at patterns, 'verbal' skills become more 'significant' or 'important' as they grow 'later on' in life. |
| Q38 | A | It has been found that tests of coping with novelty do predict later intelligence | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that testing how well a child deals with new or unusual things helps experts understand how smart that person will be when they are older. Answer Explanation: The answer is "adult," which describes the stage of life when a person is fully grown and no longer a child. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "adult" because the text mentions that researchers have found ways to "predict later intelligence" by looking at how young children behave. In the context of child development, "later intelligence" refers to the level of intelligence a person will have when they grow up. Among the given choices, "adult" is the most appropriate word to describe this later stage of life. |
| Q39 | E | These findings reinforce the view that young children's intellectual performance needs to be assessed from their interest in and curiosity about the environment, and the extent to which this is applied to new situations, as well as by standardised intelligence testing | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that to find out how smart a young child is, we should look at how interested and curious they are about the world around them and how they act when they are in new places. Answer Explanation: The answer means being very interested in learning and asking many questions to understand the world. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer 'inquisitive' is used here to describe a child's natural urge to learn about their world. The passage mentions that a child's intelligence can be predicted by their 'interest in and curiosity about the environment.' Since 'inquisitive' means being curious and wanting to discover things, it fits perfectly with the idea of measuring intelligence through a child's natural interest in their surroundings. |
| Q40 | I | These findings reinforce the view that young children's intellectual performance needs to be assessed from their interest in and curiosity about the environment, and the extent to which this is applied to new situations, as well as by standardised intelligence testing | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that to understand how smart a young child is, we should look at how much they want to learn about the world and how they act when they are in 'new situations' (places or events they have not seen before). Answer Explanation: The answer 'unfamiliar' means something that is new to you or that you do not know about. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is chosen because the summary describes how children behave when they find themselves in a certain type of setting. The passage mentions that a child's intelligence can be measured by how they apply their curiosity to 'new situations'. In this context, 'unfamiliar' is the best synonym for 'new'. |