Mapping the Mind
Read Mapping the Mind and check the IELTS Reading answers. The often used phrase ‘I’ll believe it when I see it’ betrays a very intimate fact of human nature. We are visual creatures and we rely on sight to serve as a judge of what is real and what is not. When discussing the intricacies of the hum…
Passage preview
The often used phrase ‘I’ll believe it when I see it’ betrays a very intimate fact of human nature. We are visual creatures and we rely on sight to serve as a judge of what is real and what is not. When discussing the intricacies of the human mind, for most of society’s existence things have not been visible; we have for the most part relied on intangible concepts, metaphors, and words to explore our inner psyche. I have no idea what my ego looks like. I must have one because it can be hurt or appeased by how others treat me. But how do I know it really exists? Recent progress in brain research and neuroimaging are changing all of this. With our modern technology of functional imaging, we can now look at the brain as it is working, and attribute activation in certain areas of the brain to behaviours, thoughts, and feelings. In essence, our new tools are prompting new thoughts on who we are and how we are organized. Rita Carter’s book, Mapping the Mind, explores these issues and exploits science’s ability to look into our heads as a tool to examine who we are.
Vocabulary from this passage
12 words worth learning before you sit the test, each with the sentence it appears in.
- appease verb
To calm or satisfy someone by giving in to their demands or soothing their negative feelings
The company offered refunds in an attempt to appease customers angered by the delay.
- circumvent verb
To find a way around a problem or obstacle, often by using an indirect or clever method
Some manufacturers circumvent strict regulations by relocating production to countries with weaker environmental laws.
- enigma noun
A person, thing or situation that is mysterious and difficult to understand or explain fully
The origin of consciousness remains an enigma that continues to puzzle philosophers and neuroscientists.
- exploit verb
To make full use of a resource, opportunity or ability, especially in order to gain an advantage
The study seeks to exploit recent advances in imaging to track how memories form.
- functional imaging noun
Scanning methods that show which parts of the brain are active while a person performs a particular task
Functional imaging revealed increased activity in the language centres as participants read aloud.
- incongruity noun
A lack of harmony or consistency between things, especially when they are expected to match
The incongruity between his confident words and nervous gestures made listeners doubt his sincerity.
- inhibition noun
The process of restraining or reducing an action, impulse or biological process, often by the brain
Damage to the frontal lobes can weaken inhibition and lead to impulsive behaviour.
- intangible adjective
Impossible to touch or measure physically, yet still real, such as a quality, feeling or idea
Goodwill is an intangible asset that can strongly affect a company's value.
- lurk verb
To exist unseen as a hidden or potential danger that may become apparent later
Hidden costs often lurk in contracts that appear generous and straightforward at first glance.
- neuroimaging noun
Techniques that produce pictures of the structure or activity of the brain, used in research and diagnosis
Neuroimaging has allowed scientists to observe which brain regions respond when people recall childhood memories.
- nuance noun
A subtle difference in meaning, expression or feeling that is easy to overlook without close attention
Translators must capture every nuance of the original text to preserve the author's intended tone.
- scientific credibility noun
The quality of being trusted as accurate and reliable by experts because of rigorous methods and evidence
Exaggerated headlines can damage the scientific credibility of otherwise careful and well-designed research.
Answers with explanations
- 27. NO
The statement claims our sense of **what is real** is **independent** of **sight**. The opening paragraph states the opposite: humans are **visual creatures** who **rely on sight to serve as a judge** of what is real. Independence and reliance are incompatible, so the writer's view is a direct contradiction of the claim. The answer is NO, not NOT GIVEN, because the writer states a clear opinion that opposes the statement.
- 28. YES
The statement says the ego **must exist** because its **reaction** can be felt. The writer says **I must have one because it can be hurt or appeased by how others treat me**, which links existence to emotional reactions. Scan the opening paragraph for the ego. The next question about whether it really exists is a rhetorical setup for brain imaging, not a retraction. The reasoning is the writer's own, so the answer is YES.
- 29. NOT GIVEN
The statement says the illustrations are in **vibrant colours**. The third paragraph praises the **beautifully** rendered **artwork** and its aesthetic value, and the first paragraph calls the images **three-dimensional**, but the writer never mentions colour or how bright the images are. Beauty and colour are different qualities, so the claim cannot be confirmed or contradicted. Because the writer expresses no view on this detail, the answer is NOT GIVEN.
- 30. YES
The statement says people **prefer** to learn facts presented **visually**. The second paragraph says the book's style **acknowledges our natural bias** towards **learning information visually**. **Prefer** paraphrases bias towards, and presented visually matches learning information visually. The writer states this as a general fact about people and not only about the book, so the claim is fully supported and the answer is YES.
- 31. NO
The statement calls the book **primarily decorative**. The third paragraph says it **walks a pleasing line** between a **college textbook** and a **coffee table art book**, covering perception, emotions and memory, and is **best read**. This balance of science and art means decoration is not its main purpose. The writer's view contradicts the word primarily, so the answer is NO rather than NOT GIVEN.
- 32. YES
The statement says the book **leaves the readers to interpret** the facts. The fourth paragraph says the author presents the science in an **engaging yet factual manner**, **allowing people to draw their own conclusions**. **Interpret** paraphrases **draw their own conclusions**, and leaves paraphrases allowing. Scan the final sentence of the paragraph about the author's approach. The writer clearly endorses this, so the answer is YES.
- 33. C
The question asks what the author's **journalism background** means. The fourth paragraph says she **uses her background as a journalist to keep the reader engaged** in the science, so her **writing style maintains the reader's interest**. Scan for the word journalist. The distractors fail: access to sources is never mentioned, the claim that she cannot explain medical ideas is contradicted by her clear explanations, and unsuitability for newspapers is never suggested.
- 34. B
The question asks what Carter does when discussing the **brain** and **anger**. The fourth paragraph says she **uses familiar situations**, such as **suppressing anger** after an insult, to **illustrate** the neuroscience, so she uses examples readers can relate to. Parental guidance is never given, adults' control is merely described rather than admired, and children's tantrums are explained scientifically rather than criticised.
- 35. D
The question asks how the writer feels about the **way neuroscience is presented**. The fifth paragraph says the book aims at the **general reader** who wants to know more about a specific area, so it **appeals to readers with no knowledge** of the topic. New information is plainly offered, doubt about claims is prevented by scientists' essays, and encouraging more people to study neuroscience is never claimed.
- 36. A
The question asks why the writer **especially likes** the **optical illusions**. The sixth paragraph says that as a teacher the writer wants to **make information relevant to the reader**, and the illusions do this by illustrating how the brain processes information. That is the idea of helping people **relate** to the topic. The mystery is not described as long-standing, the eye is not the focus, and novelty in books is never claimed.
- 37. A
The question asks why the book acts as a **kiosk map**. The final paragraph explains that it says **you are here** with a **big red dot** and shows us **where we are** by giving a snapshot of how we work. This means it reveals our **current position** in what we know about the brain. The neo-cortex is mentioned elsewhere, other textbooks are not described as confusing, and illustrations are not discussed here.
- 38. D
The sentence begins with a book using terms like **anterior cingulate cortex**. The second paragraph says such a name would **put most readers to sleep** while their brains **struggled** to understand it, which means it **bores and confuses** people. Scan for the technical term. Another ending about checking data relates to the idea of a reference guide in the next paragraph, and the one requiring scientific background is not stated.
- 39. F
The sentence concerns **three-dimensional illustrations**. The second paragraph says showing a three-dimensionally oriented area **grounds the anatomical vocabulary** in something everyone can understand. The ending about the **difficulty of negative reactions to technical language** paraphrases this: the images solve the problem of readers being put off by **anatomical terms**. Scan for three-dimensionally. Interest in the field and research promotion are never mentioned for the illustrations.
- 40. B
The sentence concerns **essays** by **research scientists**. The fifth paragraph warns that writing for a general audience risks sacrificing **scientific credibility**, and says Carter **circumvents this problem** by including scientists' contributions. This is the idea of adding **academic integrity** to a popular approach. The ending about generating interest and promoting research is not mentioned, and a lack of clear purpose contradicts the passage.