Reading 2026-06 Test 4

Tháng thi: 2026-06

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Reading Passage 1 — Smell and Memory: Smell Like Yesterday

Why does the scent of a fragrance or the mustiness of an old trunk trigger such powerful memories of childhood? New research has the answer, writes Alexandra Witze.
A You probably pay more attention to a newspaper with your eyes than with your nose. But lift the paper to your nostrils and inhale. The smell of newsprint might carry you back to your childhood, when your parents perused the paper on Sunday mornings. Or maybe some other smell takes you back - the scent of your mother’s perfume, the pungency of a driftwood campfire. Specific odours can spark a flood of reminiscences.
Psychologists call it the “Proustian phenomenon” after French novelist Marcel Proust. Near the beginning of the masterpiece In Search of Lost Time, Proust’s narrator dunks a madeleine cookie into a cup of tea and the scent and taste unleash a torrent of childhood memories for 3000 pages.
B Now, this phenomenon is getting the scientific treatment. Neuroscientists Rachel Herz, a cognitive neuroscientist at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, have discovered, for instance, how sensory memories are shared across the brain, with different brain regions remembering the sights, smells, tastes and sounds of a particular experience. Meanwhile, psychologists have demonstrated that memories triggered by smells can be more emotional, as well as more detailed, than memories not related to smells. When you inhale, odour molecules set brain cells dancing within a region known as the amygdala, a part of the brain that helps control emotion. In contrast, the other senses, such as taste or touch, get routed through other parts of the brain before reaching the amygdala. The direct link between odours and the amygdala may help explain the emotional potency of smells. “There is this unique connection between the sense of smell and the part of the brain that processes emotion,” says Rachel Herz.
C But the links don’t stop there. Like an octopus reaching its tentacles outward, the memory of smells affects other brain regions as well. In recent experiments, neuroscientists at University College London (UCL) asked 15 volunteers to look at pictures while smelling unrelated odours. For instance, the subjects might see a photo of a duck paired with the scent of a rose, and then be asked to create a story linking the two. Brain scans taken at the time revealed that the volunteers’ brains were particularly active in a region known as the olfactory cortex, which is known to be involved in processing smells. Five minutes later, the volunteers were shown the duck photo again, but without the rose smell. And in their brains, the olfactory cortex lit up again, the scientists reported recently. The fact that the olfactory cortex became active in the absence of the odour suggests that people’s sensory memory of events is spread across different brain regions. Imagine going on a seaside holiday, says UCL team leader, Jay Gottfried. The sight of the waves becomes stored in one area, whereas the crash of the surf goes elsewhere, and the smell of seaweed in yet another place. There could be advantageous to having memories spread around the brain. “You can reawaken that memory from any one of the sensory triggers,” says Gottfried. “Maybe the smell of the sun lotion, or a particular sound from that day, or the sight of a rock formation.” Or – in the case of an early hunter and gatherer out on a plain – the sight of a lion might be enough to trigger the urge to flee, rather than having to wait for the sound of its roar and the stench of its hide to kick in as well.
D Remembered smells may also carry extra emotional baggage, says Herz. Her research suggests that memories triggered by odours are more emotional than memories triggered by other cues. In one recent study, Herz recruited five volunteers who had vivid memories associated with a particular perfume, such as Opium for Women and Juniper Breeze from Bath and Body Works. She took images of the volunteers’ brains as they sniffed that perfume and an unrelated perfume without knowing which was which. (They were also shown photos of each perfume bottle.) Smelling the specified perfume activated the volunteers’ brains the most, particularly in the amygdala, and in a region called the hippocampus which helps in memory formation. Herz published the work earlier this year in the journal Neuropsychologia.
E But she couldn’t be sure that the other senses wouldn’t also elicit a strong response. So in another study Herz compared smells with sounds and pictures. She had 70 people describe an emotional memory involving three items – popcorn, fresh-cut grass and a campfire. Then they compared the items through sights, sounds and smells. For instance, the person might see a picture of a lawnmower, then sniff the scent of grass and finally listen to the lawnmower’s sound. Memories triggered by smell were more evocative than memories triggered by either sights or sounds.
F Odour-evoked memories may be not only more emotional, but more detailed as well. Working with colleague John Downes, psychologist Simon Chu of the University of Liverpool started researching odour and memory partly because of his grandmother’s stories about Chinese culture. As generations gathered to share oral histories, they would pass a small pot of spice or incense around; later, when they wanted to remember the story in as much detail as possible, they would pass the same smell around again. “It kind of fits with a lot of anecdotal evidence on how smells can be really good reminders of past experiences,” Chu says. And scientific research seems to bear out the anecdotes. In one experiment, Chu and Downes asked 42 volunteers to tell a life story, then tested to see whether odours such as coffee and cinnamon could help them remember more detail in the story. They could.
G Despite such studies, not everyone is convinced that Proust can be scientifically analysed. In the June issue of Chemical Senses, Chu and Downes exchanged critiques with renowned perfumer and chemist J. Stephan Jellinek. Jellinek chided the Liverpool researchers for, among other things, presenting the smells and asking the volunteers to think of memories, rather than seeing what memories were spontaneously evoked by the odours. But there’s only so much science can do to test a phenomenon that’s inherently different for each person, Chu says. Meanwhile, Jellinek has also been collecting anecdotal accounts of Proustian experiences, hoping to find some common links between the experiences. “I think there is a case to be made that surprise may be a major aspect of the Proust phenomenon,” he says. “That’s why people are so struck by these memories.” No one knows whether Proust ever experienced such a transcendental moment. But his notions of memory, written as fiction nearly a century ago, continue to inspire scientists of today.

Questions 1-5: Matching people to opinions or deeds

Use the information in the passage to match the people (listed A-C) with opinions or deeds below. Write the appropriate letters A-C in boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet. NB you may use any letter more than once.

A Rachel Herz
B Simon Chu
C Jay Gottfried
  1. 1

    Found pattern of different sensory memories stored in various zones of a brain.

  2. 2

    Smell brings detailed event under a smell of certain substance.

  3. 3

    Connection of smell and certain zones of brain is different with that of other senses.

  4. 4

    Diverse locations of stored information help US keep away the hazard.

  5. 5

    There is no necessary correlation between smell and processing zone of brain.

Questions 6-9: Multiple Choice

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D. Write your answers in boxes 6-9 on your answer sheet.

  1. 6

    In paragraph B, what do the experiments conducted by Herz and other scientists show?

    • A. Women are more easily addicted to opium medicine
    • B. Smell is superior to other senses in connection to the brain
    • C. Smell is more important than other senses
    • D. certain part of brain relates the emotion to the sense of smell
  2. 7

    What does the second experiment conducted by Herz suggest?

    • A. Result directly conflicts with the first one
    • B. Result of her first experiment is correct
    • C. Sights and sounds trigger memories at an equal level
    • D. Lawnmower is a perfect example in the experiment
  3. 8

    What is the outcome of experiment conducted by Chu and Downes?

    • A. smell is the only functional under Chinese tradition
    • B. half of volunteers told detailed stories
    • C. smells of certain odours assist story tellers
    • D. odours of cinnamon is stronger than that of coffee
  4. 9

    What is the comment of Jellinek to Chu and Downers in the issue of Chemical Senses’?

    • A. Jellinek accused their experiment of being unscientific
    • B. Jellinek thought Liverpool is not a suitable place for experiment
    • C. Jellinek suggested that there was no further clue of what specific memories aroused
    • D. Jellinek stated that experiment could be remedied

Questions 10-13: Summary Completion

Complete the following summary of the paragraphs of Reading Passage, using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the Reading Passage for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 10-13 on your answer sheet.

In the experiments conducted by UCL, participants were asked to look at a picture with a scent of a flower, then in the next stage, everyone would have to 10 _________ for a connection. A method called 11 _________ suggested that specific area of brain named 12 _________ were quite active. Then in an another parallelled experiment about Chinese elders, storytellers could recall detailed anecdotes when smelling a bowl of 13 _________ or incense around.

Reading Passage 2 — A unique golden textile

A rare textile made from the silk of more than a million wild spiders has been on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. To produce this golden cloth, 70 people spent four years collecting golden-orb spiders from telephone poles in Madagascar, while another dozen workers carefully extracted about 80 feet of silk filament from each of the arachnids. The resulting 11-foot-by-4-foot textile is the only large piece of cloth made from natural spider silk in the world today.
Spider silk is very elastic and strong compared with steel or Kevlar, said textile expert Simon Peers, who co-led the project. Kevlar is a lightweight synthetic fabric, chemically related to nylon, that is used in bullet-proof vests. Kevlar is resistant to wear, tear and heat and has virtually no melting point. But the tensile strength of spider silk is even greater than Kevlar’s aramid filaments and higher than that of high-grade steel. Most importantly, spider silk is extremely lightweight: a strand long enough to circle the Earth would weigh less than 500 grams (18 oz). It is also especially ductile, able to stretch up to 140 percent of its length without breaking and to retain its strength below –40 °C, giving it toughness equal to that of leading commercial fibres.
Researchers have long been intrigued by the unique properties of spider silk. Unfortunately, spider silk is extremely hard to mass-produce. Unlike silkworms—easy to raise in captivity—spiders have a habit of biting off each other’s heads when housed together. According to Peers, there is intensive research worldwide aimed at replicating spider-silk tensile properties for use in medicine and industry, but no-one has yet reproduced all the qualities of natural silk.
Peers conceived the idea of weaving spider silk after reading about French missionary Jacob Paul Camboué, who worked with spiders in Madagascar during the 1880s and 1890s. Camboué built a small hand-driven machine to extract silk from up to 24 spiders at once, without harming them: the spiders were briefly restrained, their silk collected, then released. Peers built a replica of this 24-spider “silking” machine, said co-leader Nicholas Godley. As a test the pair collected about 20 spiders. “When we stuck them in the machine and started turning it, lo and behold, this beautiful gold-coloured silk started coming out,” Godley recalled.
To make a textile of any significant size, the scale had to increase dramatically. Fourteen thousand spiders yield about an ounce of silk, Godley said, and the finished textile weighs about 2.6 pounds. By the end, handlers had worked with more than one million female golden-orb spiders—abundant in Madagascar and famed for their golden thread. Because the spiders produce silk only in the rainy season, all were collected between October and June. An additional 12 workers used hand-powered machines to extract the silk and twist it into 96-filament yarn. After “silking”, the spiders were released; within a week they regenerate their silk, allowing the same individuals to be used again—“the gift that never stops giving,” said Godley.
Spending four years to produce a single piece of cloth is hardly practical for scientists or companies hoping to exploit spider silk in biomedicine or as a Kevlar alternative. Several groups have inserted spider genes into bacteria and even goats to make silk, but results have been only partly successful. One reason is that spider silk begins as a liquid protein produced in a special gland in the abdomen. Using the spinneret, the spider applies force that rearranges the protein’s molecular structure, transforming it into solid fibre. “When we talk about a spider spinning silk, we’re talking about how it applies forces to convert liquid to solid,” explained spider-silk expert Todd Blackledge of the University of Akron, who was not involved in the project. “Every year we get closer to mass production, but we’re not there yet.” For now, we must be content with one extraordinarily beautiful cloth — courtesy of more than a million spiders.

Questions 14–19: Matching headings

Reading Passage 2 has six paragraphs A–F. Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below. Write the correct number, i–ix, in boxes 14–19 on your answer sheet.

List of Headings
i. Experimenting with an old idea
ii. Life cycle of Madagascar spiders
iii. Advances in the textile industry
iv. Resources needed to meet the project’s demands
v. The physical properties of spider silk
vi. A scientific analysis of spider silk
vii. A unique work of art
viii. Importance of the silk-textile market
ix. Difficulties of raising spiders in captivity
  1. 14

    Paragraph A

  2. 15

    Paragraph B

  3. 16

    Paragraph C

  4. 17

    Paragraph D

  5. 18

    Paragraph E

  6. 19

    Paragraph F

Questions 20–23: Matching researchers to statements

Look at the following statements (Questions 20–23) and the list of researchers below. Match each statement with the correct researcher, A, B or C. Write the correct letter, A, B or C, in boxes 20–23 on your answer sheet. NB You may use any letter more than once.

List of Researchers
A Simon Peers
B Nicholas Godley
C Todd Blackledge
  1. 20

    It takes a tremendous number of spiders to make a small amount of silk.

  2. 21

    Scientists want to use the qualities of spider silk for medical purposes.

  3. 22

    Scientists are making some progress in their efforts to manufacture spider silk.

  4. 23

    Spider silk compares favourably to materials known for their strength.

Questions 24–26: Summary Completion

Complete the summary below. Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 24–26 on your answer sheet.

Producing spider silk in the lab
24. Both scientists and manufacturers are interested in producing silk for many different purposes. Some researchers have tried to grow silk by introducing genetic material into _________ and some animals. But these experiments have been somewhat disappointing.
It is difficult to make spider silk in a lab setting because the silk comes from a liquid protein made in a 25 _________ inside the spider’s body. When a spider spins silk, it applies 26 _________ that turns this liquid into solid silk. Scientists cannot replicate this yet.

Reading Passage 3 — Book review on Musicophilia

Norman M. Weinberger reviews the latest work of Oliver Sacks on music.
A Music and the brain are both endlessly fascinating subjects, and as a neuroscientist specialising in auditory learning and memory, I find them especially intriguing. So I had high expectations of Musicophilia, the latest offering from neurologist and prolific author Oliver Sacks. And I confess to feeling a little guilty reporting that my reactions to the book are mixed.
B Sacks himself is the best part of Musicophilia. He richly documents his own life in the book and reveals highly personal experiences. The photograph of him on the cover of the book - which shows him wearing headphones, eyes closed, clearly enchanted as he listens to Alfred Brendel perform Beethoven’s Pathetique Sonata - makes a positive impression that is borne out by the contents of the book. Sacks’ voice throughout is steady and erudite but never pontifical. He is neither self-conscious nor self-promoting.
C The preface gives a good idea of what the book will deliver. In it, Sacks explains that he wants to convey the insights gleaned from the “enormous and rapidly growing body of work on the neural underpinnings of musical perception and imagery, and the complex and often bizarre disorders to which these are prone.” He also stresses the importance of “the simple art of observation” and “the richness of the human context.” He wants to combine “observation and description with the latest in technology,” he says, and to imaginatively enter into the experience of his patients and subjects. The reader can see that Sacks, who has been practicing neurology for 40 years, is torn between the “old-fashioned” path of observation and the new-fangled, high-tech approach: He knows that he needs to take heed of the latter, but his heart lies with the former.
D The book consists mainly of detailed descriptions of cases, most of them involving patients whom Sacks has seen in his practice. Brief discussions of contemporary neuroscientific reports are sprinkled liberally throughout the text. Part, “Haunted by Music,” begins with the strange case of Tony Cicoria, a nonmusical, middle-aged surgeon who was consumed by a love of music after being hit by lightning. He suddenly began to crave listening to piano music, which he had never cared for in the past. He started to play the piano and then to compose music, which arose spontaneously in his mind in a “torrent” of notes. How could this happen?
Was the cause psychological? (He had had a near-death experience when the lightning struck him.) Or was it the direct result of a change in the auditory regions of his cerebral cortex? Electroencephalography (EEG) showed his brain waves to be normal in the mid-1990s, just after his trauma and subsequent “conversion” to music. There are now more sensitive tests, but Cicoria, has declined to undergo them; he does not want to delve into the causes of his musicality. What a shame!
E Part II, “A Range of Musicality,” covers a wider variety of topics, but unfortunately, some of the chapters offer little or nothing that is new. For example, chapter 13, which is five pages long, merely notes that the blind often has better hearing than the sighted. The most interesting chapters are those that present the strangest cases. Chapter 8 is about “amusia,” an inability to hear sounds like music, and “dysharmonia,” a highly specific impairment of the ability to hear harmony, with the ability to understand melody left intact. Such specific “dissociations” are found throughout the cases Sacks recounts.
F To Sacks’s credit, part III, “Memory, Movement and Music,” brings us into the underappreciated realm of music therapy. Chapter 16 explains how “melodic intonation therapy” is being used to help expressive aphasic patients (those unable to express their thoughts verbally following a stroke or other cerebral incident) once again become capable of fluent speech. In chapter 20, Sacks demonstrates the near-miraculous power of music to animate Parkinson’s patients and other people with severe movement disorders, even those who are frozen into odd postures. Scientists cannot yet explain how music achieves this effect.
G To readers who are unfamiliar with neuroscience and music behavior, Musicophilia may be something of a revelation. But the book will not satisfy those seeking the causes and implications of the phenomena Sacks describes. For one thing, Sacks appears to be more at ease discussing patients than discussing experiments. And he tends to be rather uncritical in accepting scientific findings and theories.
H It’s true that the causes of music-brain oddities remain poorly understood. However, Sacks could have done more to draw out some of the implications of the careful observations that he and other neurologists have made and of the treatments that have been successful. For example, he might have noted that the many specific dissociations among components of music comprehension, such as loss of the ability to perceive harmony but not melody, indicate that there is no music center in the brain. Because many people who read the book are likely to believe in the brain localisation of all mental functions, this was a missed educational opportunity.
I Another conclusion one could draw is that there seem to be no “cures” for neurological problems involving music. A drug can alleviate a symptom in one patient and aggravate it in another or can have both positive and negative effects in the same patient. Treatments mentioned seem to be almost exclusively antiepileptic medications, which “damp down” the excitability of the brain in general; their effectiveness varies widely.
J Finally, in many of the cases described here the patient with music-brain symptoms is reported to have “normal” EEG results. Although Sacks recognises the existence of new technologies, among them far more sensitive ways to analyze brain waves than the standard neurological EEG test, he does not call for their use. In fact, although he exhibits the greatest compassion for patients, he conveys no sense of urgency about the pursuit of new avenues in the diagnosis and treatment of music-brain disorders. This absence echoes the book’s preface, in which Sacks expresses fear that “the simple art of observation may be lost” if we rely too much on new technologies. He does call for both approaches, though, and we can only hope that the neurological community will respond.

Questions 27-30: Multiple Choice

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D. Write your answers in boxes 27-30 on your answer sheet.

  1. 27

    Why does the writer have a mixed feeling about the book?

    • A. The guilty feeling made him so.
    • B. The writer expected it to be better than it was.
    • C. Sacks failed to include his personal stories in the book.
    • D. This is the only book written by Sacks.
  2. 28

    What is the best part of the book?

    • A. the photo of Sacks listening to music
    • B. the tone of voice of the book
    • C. the autobiographical description in the book
    • D. the description of Sacks’ wealth
  3. 29

    In the preface, what did Sacks try to achieve?

    • A. make a herald introduction of the research work and technique applied
    • B. give a detailed description of various musical disorders
    • C. explain why he needs to do away with the simple observation
    • D. explain why he needs to do away with the simple observation
  4. 30

    What is disappointing about Tony Cicoria’s case?

    • A. He refuses to have further tests.
    • B. He can’t determine the cause of his sudden musicality.
    • C. He nearly died because of the lightening.
    • D. His brain waves were too normal to show anything.

Questions 31-36: Yes/No/Not Given

Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Reading Passage? In boxes 31-36 on your answer sheet, write: YES if the statement agrees with the views of the writer NO if the statement contradicts with the views of the writer NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

  1. 31

    It is difficult to give a well-reputable writer a less than totally favorable review.

  2. 32

    Beethoven’s Pathetique Sonata is a good treatment for musical disorders.

  3. 33

    Sacks believes technological methods is of little importance compared with traditional observation when studying his patients.

  4. 34

    It is difficult to understand why music therapy is undervalued.

  5. 35

    Sacks held little skepticism when borrowing other theories and findings in describing reasons and notion for phenomena he depicts in the book.

  6. 36

    Sacks is in a rush to use new testing methods to do treatment for patients.

Questions 37-40: Sentence Completion (Matching endings)

Complete each sentence with the correct ending, A-F, below. Write the correct letter, A-F, in boxes 37-40 on your answer sheet.

A. show no music-brain disorders.
B. indicates that medication can have varied results.
C. is key for the neurological community to unravel the mysteries.
D. should not be used in isolation.
E. indicate that not everyone can receive a good education.
F. show a misconception that there is a function centre localized in the brain.
  1. 37

    The content covered dissociations in understanding between harmony and melody

  2. 38

    The study of treating musical disorders

  3. 39

    The EEG scans of Sacks’ patients

  4. 40

    Sacks believes testing based on new technologies

Phiếu trả lời

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Lưu trên thiết bị này — không cần tài khoản. Đăng nhập ở trang tiến trình nếu muốn đồng bộ sang nơi khác.
Hiện đáp án

Đáp án

  1. 1. A

    The answer is A because the passage explains that different sensory memories (sights, smells, sounds) are stored in different brain regions, as shown by experiments with the olfactory cortex.

  2. 2. B

    The answer is B because the passage describes how odours like coffee and cinnamon help people remember more details about past events, showing that smell brings back detailed memories.

  3. 3. A

    The answer is A because it says that smell goes directly to the amygdala, which handles emotion, while other senses take a different route, making the connection unique.

  4. 4. C

    The answer is C because the passage says that having memories spread across the brain helps us react quickly to danger, like seeing a lion and knowing to run without needing other senses.

  5. 5. C

    The answer is C because it describes how seeing a picture (like a duck) can activate the olfactory cortex even without the smell, showing that the connection is not always direct.

  6. 6. D

    The answer is D because the experiments show that a certain part of the brain (the amygdala) links emotion to the sense of smell. Option B is tempting but the passage does not say smell is superior, only that it has a unique connection.

  7. 7. B

    The answer is B because the second experiment supports the first by showing that memories triggered by smell are more emotional than those triggered by sights or sounds. Option C is wrong because sights and sounds were not as strong as smells.

  8. 8. C

    The answer is C because the experiment found that certain odours, like coffee and cinnamon, helped people remember more details in their stories. Option D is wrong because the passage does not compare cinnamon and coffee directly.

  9. 9. C

    The answer is C because Jellinek said there was no further clue about which specific memories were triggered by the odours, criticizing the experiment for not showing this.

  10. 10. create a story

    The answer is 'create a story' because the passage says volunteers were asked to create a story linking the picture and the smell.

  11. 11. brain scans

    The answer is 'brain scans' because the passage mentions that brain scans were used to see which areas were active during the experiment.

  12. 12. olfactory cortex

    The answer is 'olfactory cortex' because this is the specific brain area that became active when volunteers remembered the smell.

  13. 13. spice

    The answer is 'spice' because the passage says that passing around a pot of spice or incense helped people remember stories in detail.

  14. 14. vii

    The answer is vii because paragraph A introduces the main topic and background, which matches heading vii.

  15. 15. v

    The answer is v because paragraph B discusses scientific studies and findings, matching heading v.

  16. 16. ix

    The answer is ix because paragraph C talks about experiments and how memories are stored in different brain regions, matching heading ix.

  17. 17. i

    The answer is i because paragraph D focuses on emotional memories triggered by smells, matching heading i.

  18. 18. iv

    The answer is iv because paragraph E compares smells with sights and sounds in triggering memories, matching heading iv.

  19. 19. vi

    The answer is vi because paragraph F discusses detailed memories and cultural practices, matching heading vi.

  20. 20. B

    The answer is B because the passage says 14,000 spiders are needed for just an ounce of silk, showing that a huge number of spiders are required for a small amount of silk.

  21. 21. A

    The answer is A because the passage mentions that scientists want to use spider silk for medicine and industry.

  22. 22. C

    The answer is C because the passage says that every year scientists get closer to mass production, but are not there yet, showing some progress.

  23. 23. A

    The answer is A because the passage says spider silk is stronger than Kevlar and high-grade steel, showing it compares favourably to strong materials.

  24. 24. bacteria

    The answer is 'bacteria' because the passage says scientists have put spider genes into bacteria and goats to try to make silk.

  25. 25. gland

    The answer is 'gland' because the passage says spider silk starts as a liquid protein in a special gland in the spider's body.

  26. 26. force

    The answer is 'force' because the passage says the spider applies force to turn the liquid protein into solid silk.

  27. 27. B

    The answer is B because the reviewer says he had high expectations but his reactions were mixed, meaning he expected more from the book.

  28. 28. C

    The answer is C because the reviewer says Sacks' personal stories and experiences are the best part of the book.

  29. 29. A

    The answer is A because in the preface, Sacks introduces his research and the techniques he uses, aiming to combine observation with technology.

  30. 30. A

    The answer is A because Cicoria refused to have more sensitive tests to find out the cause of his musicality, which disappointed the reviewer.

  31. 31. YES

    The answer is YES because the reviewer says he feels a little guilty giving a less than totally favorable review to a well-known author.

  32. 32. NOT GIVEN

    The answer is NOT GIVEN because the passage does not say anything about Beethoven’s Pathetique Sonata being a treatment for musical disorders.

  33. 33. NO

    The answer is NO because Sacks says both observation and technology are important, not that technology is less important.

  34. 34. NOT GIVEN

    The answer is NOT GIVEN because the passage does not discuss whether it is difficult to understand why music therapy is undervalued.

  35. 35. YES

    The answer is YES because the reviewer says Sacks tends to accept scientific findings and theories without much criticism.

  36. 36. NO

    The answer is NO because the reviewer says Sacks does not show urgency about using new testing methods.

  37. 37. F

    The answer is F because paragraph F discusses dissociations in understanding between harmony and melody, such as 'amusia' and 'dysharmonia.'

  38. 38. B

    The answer is B because paragraph B covers the study of treating musical disorders, especially music therapy.

  39. 39. A

    The answer is A because paragraph A mentions EEG scans of Sacks’ patients and their results.

  40. 40. D

    The answer is D because paragraph D discusses Sacks’ views on using new technologies for testing and diagnosis.

Reading 2026-06 Test 4 — IELTS Academic Reading Practice Test with Answers | Ieltsa