Neuroaesthetics uses brain science to study why we like art, especially abstract art. Experiments show people can tell real artists from children and animals, enjoy decoding ambiguous images, and prefer original compositions, while appealing works hit the right level of detail and contain fractals. The writer warns against reducing art to scientific laws.
The multiple choice (27-30) moves through the studies in order. The summary (31-33) jumps from the first paragraph to Forsythe's study. The YES / NO / NOT GIVEN (34-39) runs from Forsythe to the last paragraph, and 40 covers the whole article.
Answer key and self-check
Type what you wrote and hit mark. Hide the key first if you haven't done the passage yet. Every question number jumps to its explanation.
How to attack this block: Each question is one study, and each study ends with the writer's conclusion ('It seems that…', 'It would seem that…'). Base your answer on that conclusion. Note that the questions count paragraphs after the short introductory line.
Question 27
Answer: CParagraph 2 (after the introduction), middle
Why does the writer bring up the test where people match a shape to its rotated version?
We certainly do have an inclination to follow the crowd. When asked to make simple perceptual decisions such as matching a shape to its rotated image, for example, people often choose a definitively wrong answer if they see others doing the same.
Question says → Passage says
our tendencyan inclination
to be influenced by the opinions of othersto follow the crowd / if they see others doing the same
Why: The test comes straight after 'we have an inclination to follow the crowd' and is introduced with 'for example'. People pick a wrong answer because others do, which is being influenced by others. C.
The trap: A (the subjective nature of art) picks up the next sentence, about art having 'no right or wrong answer'. That's where the writer applies the idea, not what the shape test illustrates. D sounds technical, but the problem isn't processing, it's copying others.
Question 28
Answer: DParagraph 3, last sentence
What do Hawley-Dolan's results show about people?
It seems that the viewer can sense the artist's vision in paintings, even if they can't explain why.
Question says → Passage says
have the ability to perceivecan sense
the intention behind works of artthe artist's vision
Why: Volunteers preferred the famous artists' work even when told a chimp or a child made it. The writer's conclusion is that viewers 'sense the artist's vision', which is perceiving the intention. D.
The trap: C (misled by expectations) is the opposite of the result: the wrong labels did not fool people. A fails too, because many paintings had no captions or wrong ones, so knowing the work wasn't the reason.
Question 29
Answer: BParagraph 4, last sentence
What do the Pepperell studies suggest about how people react to his paintings?
It would seem that the brain sees these images as puzzles, and the harder it is to decipher the meaning, the more rewarding is the moment of recognition.
Question says → Passage says
find it satisfyingthe more rewarding is the moment of recognition
work out what a painting representsdecipher the meaning
Why: The images work like puzzles, and solving one feels rewarding. 'Satisfying' = 'rewarding', and 'work out' = 'decipher'. B.
The trap: A (appreciate without understanding) is close, but the passage links the pleasure to the moment of recognition, which is understanding. C picks up the timing detail, but the study doesn't say how widely the times varied.
Question 30
Answer: AParagraph 5, second sentence
What do the eye-tracking experiments show about Mondrian's paintings?
Mondrian's works are deceptively simple, but eye-tracking studies confirm that they are meticulously composed
Question says → Passage says
more carefully put togethermeticulously composed
than they appeardeceptively simple
Why: 'Deceptively simple' means they look simpler than they are, and 'meticulously composed' means very carefully put together. Together, that's A.
The trap: B (interpreted in different ways) borrows from the rotated versions, which people looked at differently. But they liked those less, which shows the original arrangement matters, not that many readings are possible.
Summary completion (word list A-H)
Questions 31-33
How to attack this block: The box words are paraphrases, never the passage's own words: feelings becomes emotions, intricacy becomes complexity, motifs becomes images. Decide what the passage says first, then find its synonym.
Question 31
Answer: CParagraph 1 (after the introduction)
What do Impressionist paintings affect in our brains?
Since the amygdala plays a crucial role in our feelings, that finding might explain why many people find these pieces so moving.
Question says → Passage says
the impact which Impressionist paintings haveThe blurred imagery of Impressionist paintings seems to stimulate the brain's amygdala
our emotionsour feelings / so moving
Why: The paintings stimulate the amygdala, which controls our feelings. 'Feelings' becomes 'emotions' in the box, so C.
The trap: 'Images' (H) echoes 'imagery' in the same sentence, but the gap is about what the paintings have an impact on, not what they contain.
Question 32
Answer: BParagraph 7, first two sentences
What do artists get exactly right, according to Forsythe, to please the brain?
Alex Forsythe of the University of Liverpool analysed the visual intricacy of different pieces of art, and her results suggest that many artists use a key level of detail to please the brain.
Question says → Passage says
the precise degree ofa key level of
complexityvisual intricacy / detail
most appeals to the viewer's brainto please the brain
Why: Forsythe measured 'intricacy' and found a 'key level of detail': too little is boring, too much is overload. 'Intricacy' and 'detail' both mean complexity, so B.
The trap: 'Skill' (E) fits the grammar and sounds like what an artist has, but the passage is about how detailed the work is, not how talented the artist is.
Question 33
Answer: HParagraph 7, second half
What do pleasing works of art repeat, which is common in nature?
appealing pieces both abstract and representational, show signs of 'fractals' - repeated motifs recurring in different scales. Fractals are common throughout nature
Question says → Passage says
pleasing works of artappealing pieces
certain repeatedrepeated motifs recurring
occur frequently in the natural worldcommon throughout nature
Why: Fractals are 'repeated motifs', and a motif is a recurring image or pattern. Of the options in the box, 'images' (H) is the closest to 'motifs'.
The trap: 'Movements' (D) is tempting because the trees and mountains suggest natural shapes, and movement comes up later with Pollock. But motifs are visual elements, not movements.
YES / NO / NOT GIVEN
Questions 34-39
How to attack this block: These test the writer's opinions, mostly in the last two paragraphs. Strong words like 'entirely' and 'precise rules' clash with the writer's cautious view. Two statements make comparisons the writer never makes.
Question 34
Answer: NOT GIVENParagraph 7, second half
Did Forsythe's results go against earlier ideas about what fractals do in art?
appealing pieces both abstract and representational, show signs of 'fractals'
Question says → Passage says
Forsythe's findingsher results suggest
'fractals' in artshow signs of 'fractals'
Why: The writer reports what Forsythe found about fractals but never mentions any earlier beliefs about them. With nothing to contradict, it's NOT GIVEN.
The trap: People who know that research often overturns old ideas choose YES. The passage simply presents her findings with no 'previously it was thought'.
Question 35
Answer: YESParagraph 8, fourth sentence
Does the writer think the mirror-neuron idea still needs testing?
This may be down to our brain's 'mirror neurons', which are known to mimic others' actions. The hypothesis will need to be thoroughly tested, however.
Question says → Passage says
Certain ideasThe hypothesis
require further verificationwill need to be thoroughly tested
Why: The writer calls the mirror-neuron link a 'hypothesis' that 'will need to be thoroughly tested'. That's exactly 'requires further verification'. YES.
The trap: 'Are known to mimic' sounds certain, which makes some people say NO. What's known is how mirror neurons work; their link to Pollock is what still needs testing.
Question 36
Answer: NOParagraph 8, last sentence
Does our taste in paintings depend completely on the trends of the time?
While the fashions of the time might shape what is currently popular, works that are best adapted to our visual system may be the most likely to linger
Question says → Passage says
current artistic trends of the periodthe fashions of the time
depends entirelymight shape what is currently popular / works that are best adapted to our visual system
Why: The writer accepts that fashions shape what's popular now, but says works that suit our visual system last beyond the trends. So taste doesn't depend 'entirely' on trends. NO.
The trap: The first half of the sentence agrees with the statement, so people stop reading and say YES. 'Entirely' is the word to test, and the second half rules it out.
Question 37
Answer: NOParagraph 9, second sentence
Should scientists try to pin down exact rules for how people respond to art?
It would, however, be foolish to reduce art appreciation to a set of scientific laws.
Question says → Passage says
define the precise rulesreduce… to a set of scientific laws
people's reactions to works of artart appreciation
Why: The writer calls it 'foolish' to turn art appreciation into scientific laws. The statement says scientists should do exactly that, so NO.
The trap: The writer is clearly in favour of neuroaesthetics, and that general support tempts people into YES. Supporting the research is not the same as wanting fixed rules.
Question 38
Answer: YESParagraph 9, third sentence
Does the writer think you should always consider an artist's cultural setting?
We shouldn't underestimate the importance of the style of a particular artist, their place in history and the artistic environment of their time.
Question says → Passage says
taking into considerationWe shouldn't underestimate the importance of
the cultural context in which an artist workedtheir place in history and the artistic environment of their time
Why: 'Shouldn't underestimate the importance of' means it should be taken into account, and 'place in history' plus 'artistic environment of their time' is the cultural context. YES.
The trap: 'Always' makes people nervous and they choose NOT GIVEN. The writer's 'shouldn't underestimate' is a general rule, which supports 'always'.
Question 39
Answer: NOT GIVENParagraph 9, last sentence
Does the writer say meaning is easier to find in science than in art?
In some ways, it's not so different to science, where we are constantly looking for systems and decoding meaning
Question says → Passage says
the field of sciencescience
find meaningdecoding meaning
Why: The writer says art and science are similar, since both involve decoding meaning. There's no comparison of which is easier, so NOT GIVEN.
The trap: 'Not so different' tempts people into NO, as if it denied a difference in difficulty. The writer compares what we do in each field, not how hard it is.
Multiple choice
Question 40
How to attack this block: A subtitle has to cover the whole article. Every study measures viewers' brains responding to art, mostly abstract art, so reject options about artists' brains or about changing public opinion.
Question 40
Answer: AWhole passage (see the introduction and paragraph 2)
What is the best subtitle for the whole article?
An emerging discipline called neuroaesthetics is seeking to bring scientific objectivity to the study of art
how the brain responds to abstract artCould the same approach also shed light on abstract twentieth-century pieces
Why: The article runs through study after study on how viewers' brains react to abstract art: Hawley-Dolan, Pepperell, Mondrian, Forsythe, Pollock. A covers all of them.
The trap: B swaps viewers for artists: the studies measure the people looking at the art, not the artists' brains. C fails because the article never sets abstract and representational art side by side.
NO. The first half of the sentence agrees that fashions shape popularity, but the second half says the best-adapted works outlast trends, so not 'entirely'.
The shape test illustrates following the crowd. The 'no right or wrong answer' line after it tempts people to choose the subjective nature of art.
Words from this passage worth keeping
objectivity(Introduction)
judging based on facts rather than personal feelings
haphazard(Paragraph 2)
random, with no obvious plan
inclination(Paragraph 2)
a natural tendency to behave in a certain way
acclaimed(Paragraph 3)
publicly praised
decipher(Paragraph 4)
work out the meaning of something hard to understand
deceptively simple(Paragraph 5)
looking simpler than it really is
meticulously(Paragraph 5)
with great care and precision
longevity(Paragraph 8)
lasting a long time
Sit this test on Langujet, then come back
The full Cambridge 11 Test 2 reading paper: all three passages, 60 minutes, marked the second you finish with a review of every answer. Already done it? Take it again and see if the same traps still get you.
Cambridge IELTS 11, Test 2, Reading Passage 3. The passage and questions belong to Cambridge University Press and are not reproduced here. We quote short extracts only as evidence for our own commentary, and the answers are published for self-marking. Get the book for the full text, or sit the test on Langujet.
