Who looks after the children in today's Britain?
Read Who looks after the children in today's Britain? and check the IELTS Reading answers. When Simon Baron-Cohen recently published a book, *The Essential Difference*, in which he claimed that the female brain is predominantly hard-wired for empathy, the male brain is predominantly hard-wired for…
Passage preview
When Simon Baron-Cohen recently published a book, *The Essential Difference*, in which he claimed that the female brain is predominantly hard-wired for empathy, the male brain is predominantly hard-wired for understanding and building systems, he caught the mood of the moment. His team's experiments on day-old babies, and the finding that the male babies looked for longer at a hanging toy and the female babies longer at a face, has been repeatedly cited in the press since his book's publication. However, Elizabeth Spelke is one expert who is sceptical about whether this experiment deserves such attention. This is one isolated experiment, she says. 'Its findings fly in the face of dozens of studies on similar aspects of cognition carried out on young babies over decades. It is astonishing how much this one study has been cited, when the many studies that show no difference between the sexes, or a difference in the other direction, are ignored.'
Vocabulary from this passage
6 words worth learning before you sit the test, each with the sentence it appears in.
- fatalism noun
The belief that events are predetermined by forces beyond human control and cannot be altered.
Widespread fatalism among voters led to record low turnout during the recent local elections.
- fly in the face of phrase
To completely oppose, contradict, or challenge established facts, common beliefs, or general rules.
Cutting public transport subsidies flies in the face of government commitments to reduce emissions.
- learned behaviour noun
An action or habit developed through experience, training, or observation rather than biological instinct.
Financial discipline is largely a learned behaviour that children acquire by observing their parents' habits.
- paltry adjective
Extremely small, meager, or shockingly inadequate in amount, value, or importance.
Workers rejected the contract offer because the proposed wage increase was a paltry sum.
- stall verb
To stop making progress, developing, or moving forward, often unexpectedly or temporarily.
Peace negotiations stalled after both sides refused to compromise on border security protocols.
- testify to verb
To serve as evidence of something or confirm that an assertion is accurate.
Archaeological discoveries testify to the sophistication of ancient engineering long before industrial machines existed.
Answers with explanations
- 27. D
The question asks for a paragraph explaining why young males may underachieve academically. In paragraph D, the text references educationalists who suggest boys worry about appearing **feminine**, which may **hold back educational achievement** because studying is viewed as girlish. The phrase **hold back educational achievement** is a direct semantic link to **poor academic performance**. Paragraph E discusses status loss in adult fatherhood rather than school achievement, confirming that paragraph D contains the specific argument regarding boys' education.
- 28. F
The prompt targets a comparative analysis of how each parent responds to infant needs. In paragraph F, Steven Pinker is cited noting that women **respond more readily** to their children's cries than men do, followed by an explanation that fathers returning immediately to work cannot remain as alert to infant demands as mothers at home. The contrast in responsiveness to cries directly represents a **comparison between fathers' and mothers' reactions**. Paragraph A contrasts baby reactions, not parental ones, making paragraph F the correct choice.
- 29. D
The question requires locating evidence of shifting female attitudes towards partners' finances. Scanning paragraph D shows that as women achieve greater workplace equality, they **care less** about the **economic status** of prospective mates. The phrase **care less about the economic status** is a clear keyword bridge to a **change in women's interest in men's earning power**. Paragraph C details work-life pressures on mothers, but paragraph D alone discusses partner selection and financial attraction.
- 30. A
The statement seeks a reference to experimental research on newborns. Paragraph A describes Baron-Cohen's experiments on **day-old babies**, which observed differences in how long male and female infants gazed at a hanging toy versus a human face. The phrase **experiments on day-old babies** matches the target **study on infant behaviour**. While paragraph F mentions a study involving teenagers reacting to a crying baby, paragraph A specifically describes an investigation conducted directly on the infants themselves.
- 31. G
The statement requires finding a forecast about increasing paternal childcare participation. In paragraph G, the author analyzes time-use trends, calculating that if fathers' childcare time continues multiplying at past rates, **equal partnership would become a reality** for their grandchildren. The hypothetical projection of reaching an equal partnership represents a clear **prediction** of greater male domestic involvement. Other paragraphs discuss current obstacles or survey attitudes, but only paragraph G projects this future mathematical trend.
- 32. B
The prompt targets research based on widely known self-reporting tools. In paragraph B, the author discusses Baron-Cohen's research involving **questionnaires completed by adults on their own behaviour**, likening them to the **sort of quiz well known to readers of magazines**. The phrase **quiz well known to readers** matches a **popular self-assessment method**. While paragraph A examines laboratory gaze tracking, paragraph B specifically focuses on the popular questionnaire methodology.
- 33. F
The statement asks for experimental findings involving teenage responses to infants. Paragraph F reports on an experiment conducted with **teenagers** who were left alone with a crying infant; despite girls professing greater fondness for children, their actual **responses were no different** from those of boys. The term **teenagers** bridges directly to **adolescents**, and their identical behavior provides the **results** mentioned in the prompt. This distinguishes paragraph F from paragraph A, which tested infants rather than adolescents.
- 34. C
The question asks about Spelke's perspective on the infant study. In paragraph A, Spelke is described as **sceptical about whether this experiment deserves such attention**, finding it astonishing that one isolated study is widely cited while dozens showing no sex differences are ignored. This directly supports the option about being **doubtful whether it merits the notice** received. The option concerning surprise at conflicting research is wrong because she knows dozens of studies already contradict it. The claim about future research is unmentioned, and she never expresses disappointment regarding infant age.
- 35. A
The question explores why mothers prioritize family over professional advancement. In paragraph C, the author explains that a mother faces heavy constraints, notably the **work schedule of their male partner** and employer expectations that it **should be maintained**, forcing women to give paid work lower priority. This confirms the option stating that **few allowances are made for fathers to reduce their working hours**. The distractor regarding unwilling employers misattributes the partner's workplace pressure to the mother's employer. Disillusionment with workplace competition is not mentioned for mothers, nor is state welfare support.
- 36. B
The question asks about the author's portrayal of maternal competence in paragraph F. The writer concludes that parenting is a **tricky, complicated process** and **not always a natural, easy role**, having earlier attributed maternal responsiveness to **practice and socialisation**. This supports the option stating that mothers must **work at mastering the skills** of parenting. Distractors asserting that women are naturally suited, have naturally attuned hearing, or possess an inherent desire to stay home are contradicted, as the author explicitly rejects innate biological determinism in favor of learned experience.
- 37. status
The gap follows the conjunction 'and in' and requires a **singular noun** parallel to 'pay'. Candidates should scan paragraph E for the consequences of men shifting to domestic life. The text explains that while women gained status and income, a parallel movement for men involves **losing status and income**. The noun **status** is extracted verbatim from the passage, fits the meaning of a decline alongside earnings, and conforms to the **NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS** instruction. Other words like 'revolution' describe the broader movement rather than the personal loss.
- 38. empathetic
The gap sits between 'not as' and 'as' and requires an **adjective** describing personal disposition. Candidates should scan paragraph E for fatalism or resignation among fathers. The passage points to the pervasive belief that men are **naturally less empathetic**, which triggers feelings of fatalism. The comparative phrase 'not as empathetic as' directly paraphrases **less empathetic**. The adjective **empathetic** is lifted directly from the text, fits the two-word limit, and completes the summary syntax. Nouns like 'fatalism' describe the emotional outcome rather than the underlying trait.
- 39. paternity leave
The gap follows the preposition 'for' and requires a **noun phrase** identifying the type of statutory leave. Scanning paragraph G for survey results among young British men identifies poll findings regarding leave allowances. Three-quarters of respondents report that time off after childbirth, termed **paternity leave**, is **too short in Britain**. The phrase 'too short' matches 'inadequate'. The compound noun **paternity leave** is lifted verbatim from the passage, satisfies the **NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS** constraint, and fits the gap's grammatical requirements.
- 40. government
The gap follows the definite article 'the' and requires a **singular noun** naming the governing authority receiving pressure. Candidates should scan paragraph G for policy responses to public opinion. The passage notes that the **government** is proposing revised parental leave policies because public **pressure is still forwards**. The noun **government** is lifted verbatim from the source, obeys the two-word limit, and accurately identifies the body responding to societal influence. Words like 'policies' denote the legislation being amended rather than the institution being influenced.