The importance of being playful
Read The importance of being playful and check the IELTS Reading answers. While it has long been recognized that play affords benefits that last through adulthood, psychologists in the US are now becoming concerned that lack of play could actually be harming their country's kids. In the past, few c…
Passage preview
While it has long been recognized that play affords benefits that last through adulthood, psychologists in the US are now becoming concerned that lack of play could actually be harming their country's kids. In the past, few children grew up without ample free-play time. But youngsters' leisure hours are now filled with structured activities such as music lessons and sports. Kids play soccer, Scrabble and saxophone so why are experts worried that these activities are eating into free play? Most games are fun and sources of learning experiences - fostering group cohesion, for instance, says educational psychologist Anthony Pellegrini. But, Pellegrini explains, 'games have predetermined rules - set up in advance and followed. Play, on the other hand, does not have rules, so affords more creative responses. Children initiate and create free play, and use their imagination to try out new activities and roles.
Vocabulary from this passage
10 words worth learning before you sit the test, each with the sentence it appears in.
- accommodate verb
To provide what is needed or desired; to fit in or adjust to someone's requirements
The school modified its schedule to accommodate the needs of students participating in elite sports.
- adept adjective
Very skilled or proficient at something that is often difficult or requires specific training
The technician is extremely adept at repairing complex electronic equipment using very specialized tools.
- constraint noun
A limitation or restriction that prevents someone from acting freely or doing what they want
Budgetary constraints forced the researchers to limit the scope of their international field study.
- foster verb
To encourage the development or growth of something, such as an idea, feeling, or skill
Open communication between parents and teachers helps to foster a supportive learning environment for children.
- group cohesion noun
The internal processes that keep members of a social unit united and working toward common goals
Effective team building activities are designed to improve group cohesion within the modern workplace environment.
- impede verb
To delay or prevent someone or something by obstructing them; to hinder progress or movement
The lack of adequate funding could seriously impede the development of the new regional hospital.
- initiate verb
To cause a process or action to begin; to set something in motion formally
The university plans to initiate a new research project focusing on sustainable urban development.
- neuron noun
A specialized cell transmitting nerve impulses; a fundamental building block of the nervous system
The study examined how the formation of new neurons in the brain is affected by exercise.
- neuroscientist noun
A scientist who specializes in the study of the structure and function of the nervous system
The neuroscientist published a groundbreaking paper on the relationship between sleep and memory consolidation.
- predetermined adjective
Established or decided in advance; having an outcome fixed by previous events or specific logic
The experiment was conducted according to a predetermined set of rules to ensure scientific accuracy.
Answers with explanations
- 14. B
The question asks for a reference to how play develops **verbal skills**. Paragraph B provides exactly this, discussing how keeping things friendly requires **communication** and stating that children use **more sophisticated language** during peer play. This directly connects play with verbal development.
- 15. A
The question looks for mention of a **change in the amount** of free play. Paragraph A contrasts the **past**, when children had ample free play, with **now**, where their leisure time is eaten up by structured activities like music and sports. This historical shift is the change required.
- 16. G
We need research indicating free play stimulates **creativity**. Paragraph G describes an experiment (research) where preschoolers played freely with objects. The result showed these kids came up with **three times as many nonstandard, creative uses** compared to others, explicitly proving the link to creativity.
- 17. C
The prompt asks for a link between **antisocial behaviour** and a **lack of free play**. Paragraph C details a Michigan study showing that children from play-free preschools are more likely to exhibit severe antisocial behaviors, specifically noting they are more likely to **commit a felony**.
- 18. A
The question seeks a **comparison** between free play and other play forms. Paragraph A contrasts standard **games** (like soccer or Scrabble), which have predetermined rules, with true **free play**, which lacks rules and allows for more imagination and creative responses.
- 19. A
We must match the finding about taking **other people's wishes into account** to a researcher. Anthony Pellegrini explicitly notes that kids will 'go the extra mile' to **accommodate their playmates' desires** to keep a game going, perfectly matching this finding to researcher A.
- 20. C
The finding is about play serving to **relieve stress**. Stephen Siviy conducted an experiment where an anxious rat was introduced to a playful peer. He concluded that the rat relaxing and becoming calm suggested that play helped **lessen its anxiety** (stress). This matches researcher C.
- 21. D
The finding mentions preparing children for **unpredictable situations**. Marc Bekoff states that play encourages flexibility which can be advantageous in **unexpected situations** or new environments. The concept of unpredictable precisely matches Bekoff's phrase 'unexpected situations'. This matches researcher D.
- 22. A
The finding notes that play is **less useful** when adults are involved. Anthony Pellegrini explains that peer play is most vital because children actually use more **sophisticated language** and develop better communication skills when playing with other kids compared to when they play with adults. This matches researcher A.
- 23. brains
The blank requires a noun related to the physical location of protein levels in rats. The text states that researchers examined the rats and found higher levels of a protein (BDNF) specifically within their **brains**. The word fits grammatically and matches the source fact perfectly.
- 24. cat
The summary requires the source of a smell that distressed the rats. The passage describes Siviy's experiment where rats were made anxious by a collar that had been previously worn by a **cat**. The scent of the cat is what caused the distress.
- 25. anxiety
The blank requires a noun describing what was reduced in the distressed rats. Siviy observed that the first rat relaxed after playing, concluding that play helped lessen its **anxiety**. 'Anxiety' is the direct synonym for the distress levels mentioned in the text.
- 26. ball
The summary describes rats moving an object to get a reward. The passage explains an experiment where rats had to either pull or push a rubber **ball** to reach a food treat. 'Ball' is the exact object they needed to move to solve the problem.