Facial Expression
Read Facial Expression and check the IELTS Reading answers. A facial expression is one or more motions or positions of the muscles in the skin. These movements convey the emotional state of the individual to observers. Facial expressions are a form of nonverbal communication. They are a primary mea…
Passage preview
A facial expression is one or more motions or positions of the muscles in the skin. These movements convey the emotional state of the individual to observers. Facial expressions are a form of nonverbal communication. They are a primary means of conveying social information among humans, but also occur in most other mammals and some other animal species. Facial expressions and their significance in the perceiver can, to some extent, vary between cultures with evidence from descriptions in the works of Charles Darwin.
Vocabulary from this passage
10 words worth learning before you sit the test, each with the sentence it appears in.
- contentment noun
A state of happiness and satisfaction; a positive emotional state reflected in relaxed facial muscles and soft eyes
Expressions of extreme contentment are easily interpreted by observers, regardless of the cultural background of the individual.
- culturally determined adjective
Developed or established by the specific beliefs, social practices, and environmental values of a particular human group
Twentieth-century anthropologists incorrectly believed that facial expressions were culturally determined rather than being biologically universal.
- involuntary adjective
Done without conscious control or intention; a natural or automatic reaction to an internal or external stimulus
Because they are tied to emotion, most facial expressions are involuntary and difficult for individuals to suppress.
- mainstream noun
The ideas, attitudes, or activities that are regarded as normal or conventional; the dominant trend in society
The study included isolated populations that had never been exposed to the cultural mainstream of the modern world.
- microexpression noun
A brief, fleeting, and involuntary facial expression that occurs when someone is attempting to conceal their true emotions
A microexpression of disgust may flicker across a face before the person can reassume a neutral social mask.
- minuscule adjective
Extremely small or tiny; requiring high sensitivity to detect or differentiate from surrounding information or features
Reading emotions accurately requires sensitivity to minuscule differences in the relative position of various facial features.
- nonverbal communication noun
The transmission of messages or signals through a non-spoken platform such as eye contact, gestures, or facial expressions
Facial expressions are a primary form of nonverbal communication used to convey social information across different species.
- phenomenon noun
A fact or situation that is observed to exist or happen, especially one whose cause is under investigation
The ability to influence one's own mood by voluntarily assuming an expression is a well-documented psychological phenomenon.
- preliminary evidence noun
Initial findings or data that suggest a particular conclusion but require further validation and rigorous research
There is preliminary evidence suggesting that the expression of contempt is recognized across diverse global cultures.
- schadenfreude noun
Pleasure derived by someone from another person's misfortune; a complex social emotion often analyzed in psychological studies
While basic emotions are universal, complex social components like schadenfreude may not have a definitive facial expression.
Answers with explanations
- 1. misidentified
The summary needs an adjective or past participle indicating what happened to fear and surprise. Paragraph G states that **fear and surprise** were constantly **misidentified**. This perfectly fits the grammar and meaning of the sentence.
- 2. emotions
The blank requires a noun that facial expressions correspond to. Paragraph G notes the study concluded that certain facial expressions correspond to particular **emotions**. Thus, 'emotions' is the exact word needed to fill the blank.
- 2-3: B
2: The blank requires a noun that facial expressions correspond to. Paragraph G notes the study concluded that certain facial expressions correspond to particular **emotions**. Thus, 'emotions' is the exact word needed to fill the blank.
3: The summary mentions it is impossible to cover these expressions despite something. Paragraph G says they cannot be covered **regardless of cultural background**. The noun phrase 'cultural background' completes the sentence meaningfully and grammatically.
- 3. cultural background
The summary mentions it is impossible to cover these expressions despite something. Paragraph G says they cannot be covered **regardless of cultural background**. The noun phrase 'cultural background' completes the sentence meaningfully and grammatically.
- 3-4: NOT GIVEN
3: The summary mentions it is impossible to cover these expressions despite something. Paragraph G says they cannot be covered **regardless of cultural background**. The noun phrase 'cultural background' completes the sentence meaningfully and grammatically.
4: The text requires an adjective describing the state of the culture. Paragraph G explicitly uses the word **isolated** in conjunction with whether the culture has been exposed to the mainstream. 'Isolated' fits the context perfectly.
- 4. isolated
The text requires an adjective describing the state of the culture. Paragraph G explicitly uses the word **isolated** in conjunction with whether the culture has been exposed to the mainstream. 'Isolated' fits the context perfectly.
- 5. exposed
The final blank asks for the alternative to being isolated from the mainstream. Paragraph G provides the phrase **exposed to the mainstream**. Therefore, 'exposed' is the exact word required to complete the summary.
- 6. C
We are looking for paragraph indicating the difficulty of identifying expression meanings. Paragraph C explicitly discusses how some expressions are **difficult to interpret**, using the example that **disgust and fear can be tough to tell apart**. This directly matches the idea of difficulty in identifying actual meanings.
- 7. A
The question asks where the importance of culture on facial expressions is initially described. Paragraph A introduces this concept right at the beginning of the passage, noting that significance can **vary between cultures**. The word 'initially' directs us to the very first mention in paragraph A.
- 8. D
We need the paragraph mentioning data collected on blinks and election success. Paragraph D details how Joe Tecce supports his data with **statistics on the relation** between **blink rates** of presidential candidates and their **success in their races**. This corresponds perfectly to the question.
- 9. H
The question asks about the social features of several facial expressions. Paragraph H discusses emotions that have a **definitive social component**, listing examples like **shame, pride, or schadenfreude**. This specifically addresses the sociality of certain facial expressions.
- 10. D
We are looking for an indicator reflecting an extent of nervousness. Paragraph D clearly states that the **blink rate** can reveal how **nervous or at ease** a person may be. This serves as a direct indicator of nervousness.
- 11. B
The question asks for the relation between emotion and facial expressions. Paragraph B discusses how expressions are **closely tied to emotion** and explicitly mentions the **close link between emotion and expression**. This paragraph focuses heavily on this bidirectional relationship.
- 12-13: BD
12: This corresponds to option B in the multiple-choice question. The text explicitly states that Ekman's findings suggest facial expressions are **largely related to the mind**. This validates the option claiming a potential relationship between facial expression and the state of mind exists.
13: This corresponds to option D in the multiple-choice question. The passage directly states that **each part on the face can express specific emotion**. This explicitly confirms the option that different areas on the face convey a certain state of mind, making it the second correct choice.