The benefits of learning an instrument
Read The benefits of learning an instrument and check the IELTS Reading answers. Are music lessons the way to get smarter? That's what a lot of parents and experts believe: studying an instrument gives children an advantage in the development of their intellectual, perceptual, and cognitive skills.…
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Are music lessons the way to get smarter? That's what a lot of parents and experts believe: studying an instrument gives children an advantage in the development of their intellectual, perceptual, and cognitive skills. This may, however, turn out to be wishful thinking. Two highly convincing trials carried out recently have found no evidence to support this idea. The IQs of pre-school children who attended several weeks of music classes as part of these studies did not differ significantly from the IQs of those who had not.
Vocabulary from this passage
11 words worth learning before you sit the test, each with the sentence it appears in.
- cognitive decline noun
The gradual loss of mental abilities, such as thinking and memory, often associated with aging
Learning music in childhood can provide an added defense against memory loss and cognitive decline.
- discern verb
To perceive or recognize something, often with difficulty, using the senses or the intellect
Aging often reduces the ability to accurately discern consonants, which is crucial for understanding conversation.
- facilitate verb
To make an action or process easier to achieve or more likely to happen
Enhanced auditory memory reinforces the capacity that facilitates verbal interaction in social settings.
- grey matter noun
The tissue in the brain and spinal cord that contains the cell bodies of neurons
Professional musicians were found to have a larger volume of grey matter than non-musicians.
- impaired adjective
Weakened, damaged, or functioning less effectively than is normal for a particular faculty
Musical training can help protect the brain against the effects of impaired hearing later in life.
- motor control noun
The process by which the nervous system coordinates muscle movements to perform a specific task
Practicing specific types of motor control during music lessons contributes to a long-term brain boost.
- perceptual adjective
Relating to the ability to interpret or become aware of something through the senses
Studying an instrument provides children with an advantage in developing their perceptual and cognitive skills.
- robust gains noun
Strong, substantial, or healthy improvements in a particular area of study or performance
Adults receiving piano lessons showed robust gains in verbal fluency and information processing speed.
- synthesize verb
To produce a sound, substance, or idea by combining different parts or using electronic means
Researchers measured the brain's electrical activity as subjects responded to a synthesized speech syllable.
- verbal fluency noun
The ability to retrieve and produce words quickly and efficiently within a specific category
The study demonstrated that elementary piano instruction can improve verbal fluency in older adults.
- visuo-spatial adjective
Relating to the ability to process visual information and understand the physical relationships between objects
Musicians scored significantly higher when tested in areas such as nonverbal and visuo-spatial memory.
Answers with explanations
- 27. NOT GIVEN
The text mentions that **parents and experts believe** music lessons give children an advantage. However, there is no mention of parents **indicating** that their children **struggle** to learn. The passage discusses parents' beliefs about benefits, not their observations of difficulty. Because this specific information is missing from the text, the answer is NOT GIVEN.
- 28. NO
The statement claims the findings are **unreliable**. However, the text describes the trials as **highly convincing**. This is a direct contradiction between the claim of unreliability and the text's description of the research as credible and persuasive. Therefore, the statement does not agree with the passage. Answer: NO.
- 29. NOT GIVEN
The text mentions **expressing yourself** and **having fun** as potential advantages, but it does not categorize them as the **main reasons** why people take up an instrument. There is no information regarding the primary motivations of learners, only the potential benefits of the activity. Answer: NOT GIVEN.
- 30. YES
The statement claims that **evidence** of **long-term advantages** is **increasing**. The passage confirms this by stating there is a **growing number of studies** showing that music training provides benefits **as we age**, specifically as a defense against decline later in life. This matches the statement perfectly. Answer: YES.
- 31. D
The first paragraph discusses trials that found **no evidence** to support the idea that music makes children smarter. Specifically, **IQs** did not differ significantly between those who took lessons and those who didn't. This **casts doubt** on the common belief that lessons increase intelligence. Other options incorrectly suggest the studies confirmed a link or presented misleading info. Answer: D.
- 32. A
The text explicitly states that benefits are possible even if one decides to start music in **mid-life or beyond**. This aligns with the option regarding **adulthood**. The text does not emphasize correct techniques, regular practice, or a range of instruments as the primary factor for these aging benefits in this section. Answer: A.
- 33. C
The phrase follows Alison Balbag's quote about music stimulating a broad swath of **brain regions** with **ripple effects through the decades**. Thus, 'this' refers to the **lasting impact on brain function**. It does not specifically refer to physical well-being, genetic features, or comparing adults to children in that context. Answer: C.
- 34. B
In Paragraph D, the first study divided people based on **years played**. The **follow-up study** added a new variable: **starting musical training before the age of nine**. This indicates the **age at which the person began** was the new aspect being tested to see if it impacted the results. Answer: B.
- 35. A
The passage states that those with the **lowest level of general education** showed the most significant difference in scores if they had musical training. Hanna-Pladdy suggests music **compensated for the lack of cognitive stimulation** academically. This supports the idea that music compensates for limited education. Answer: A.
- 36. D
Hanna-Pladdy is quoted in Paragraph B explaining that the **time spent learning** and **practicing motor control and coordination** (physical movements of fingers/mouth) leads to the brain boost. This matches the description of **acquiring physical skills** needed for an instrument. Answer: D.
- 37. A
Schlaug's research, mentioned in Paragraph C, specifically **compared** the brains of **professional musicians** (those who play for a living) with **non-musicians** (those who had never played). This direct comparison of these two specific groups is the focus of his study. Answer: A.
- 38. B
Alison Balbag states that playing an instrument is **unique** because it involves a **wide array of brain regions** and functions working **simultaneously**. This is a direct match for the concept of **activating many different parts of the brain at the same time**. Answer: B.
- 39. F
Nina Kraus found that adults responded faster if they had **trained the longest**, specifically citing a range of **four to fourteen years**. This links better hearing/response to having **played for a considerable length of time**, even if they stopped decades ago. Answer: F.
- 40. C
The text describes Bugos's study as giving **piano lessons** to adults aged **60 to 85**. This is a clear example of **teaching a group of older people** to play an instrument to observe the cognitive impacts. Answer: C.