An overview of research on children's play. It argues that play and learning shouldn't be separated, reviews how researchers define play, and explains guided play, where adults support learning while keeping the activity fun and child-centred.
The researcher matching (27-31) runs roughly in passage order from paragraph 4 to paragraph 9. The YES / NO / NOT GIVEN statements (32-36) go in order from the first paragraph to paragraph 8. The summary (37-40) is in the last two paragraphs.
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Questions 27-31 · Matching features (researchers A-G)
How to attack this block: There are seven names for five statements, so two are distractors. Elkind and Stuart Brown are mentioned but match nothing. Rubin et al. and Pellegrini are in the same paragraph, so separate the scale idea from the idea that some criteria matter more.
Question 27
Answer: BParagraph 4, second sentence
Which researchers divide play into separate types?
Definitions range from discrete descriptions of various types of play such as physical, construction, language, or symbolic play (Miller & Almon 2009)
Question says → Passage says
divided into a number of separate categoriesdiscrete descriptions of various types of play
Why: 'Discrete' means separate, and 'various types' are categories. The examples (physical, construction, language, symbolic) are the categories, and the citation is Miller & Almon.
The trap: Rubin et al. (C) are cited at the end of the same sentence, but for 'broad criteria' meant to cover all play, which is the opposite of splitting it up. Miller & Almon appear again in paragraph 5 with a different point, so match by the idea.
Question 28
Answer: GParagraph 9, last sentence
Which researchers say adults' goals affect the way they play with children?
The adult's role in play varies as a function of their educational goals and the child's developmental level (Hirsch-Pasek et al. 2009).
Question says → Passage says
Adults' intended goalstheir educational goals
affect how they play with childrenThe adult's role in play varies as a function of
Why: If the adult's role 'varies as a function of' their goals, the goals affect how they play. The citation after the sentence is Hirsch-Pasek et al.
The trap: Fisher et al. are cited in the sentence before about guided play, but they're not on the list. Don't let the nearby name pull you away from the one in brackets after the right idea.
Question 29
Answer: FParagraph 8
Who suggests mixing work and play may be the best way to learn?
Researcher Joan Goodman (1994) suggested that hybrid forms of work and play are not a detriment to learning; rather, they can provide optimal contexts for learning.
Question says → Passage says
Combining work with playhybrid forms of work and play
may be the best way for children to learncan provide optimal contexts for learning
Why: A 'hybrid' is a combination, and 'optimal' means best. Goodman says mixing work and play can give the best conditions for learning.
The trap: Pellegrini (E) is mentioned just before, also about play's purpose, but he says nothing about combining it with work.
Question 30
Answer: EParagraph 7, last sentence
Who suggests some features of play matter more than others?
other researchers have suggested that process orientation and a lack of obvious functional purpose may be the most important aspects of play (e. g. Pellegrini 2009)
Question says → Passage says
Certain elements of playprocess orientation and a lack of obvious functional purpose
are more significant than othersmay be the most important aspects of play
Why: Pellegrini picks out two aspects of play as 'the most important', which means they matter more than the rest.
The trap: Rubin et al. (C) are in the same sentence, but they 'did not assign greater weight to any one dimension'. That's the opposite view.
Question 31
Answer: CParagraphs 5 and 7
Who classifies activities on a scale of how playful they are?
Often, play is defined along a continuum as more or less playful using the following set of behavioral and dispositional criteria (e.g. Rubin et al. 1983)
Question says → Passage says
classified on a scale of playfulnessdefined along a continuum as more or less playful / can range in degree from 0% to 100% playful
Why: A 'continuum' is a scale, and 'more or less playful' is a degree of playfulness. Paragraph 7 confirms it's Rubin's view: behaviour can be 0% to 100% playful.
The trap: Stuart Brown (D) also defines play in paragraph 5, but with a single description, not a scale.
YES / NO / NOT GIVEN
Questions 32-36
How to attack this block: Two statements are NO because the passage says the opposite: children play without toys, and there is no agreed definition. The NOT GIVEN adds artistic talent to a list that only mentions creative problem-solving.
Question 32
Answer: NOParagraph 1, second sentence
Does the writer say children can't play without toys?
The drive to play is so intense that children will do so in any circumstances, for instance when they have no real toys
Question says → Passage says
Children need toys in order to playchildren will do so in any circumstances, for instance when they have no real toys
Why: NO. The writer says children will play in any circumstances, even with no real toys. So toys aren't needed.
The trap: Paragraph 2 mentions flashcards and educational 'toys', which might make you think toys matter. That's about parents' beliefs, not what play needs.
Question 33
Answer: YESParagraph 2, last sentence
Does the writer think it's wrong to treat play and learning as separate?
Our society has created a false dichotomy between play and learning.
Question says → Passage says
It is a mistakefalse
treat play and learning as separate types of activitiesdichotomy between play and learning
Why: YES. A dichotomy is a split into two opposing things, and calling it 'false' says the split is a mistake.
Question 34
Answer: NOT GIVENParagraph 3, first sentence
Does the writer say play develops children's artistic talent?
build a repertoire of creative problem-solving skills, and so much more
Question says → Passage says
Play helps children to developThrough play, children learn to
Why: NOT GIVEN. The list of benefits includes 'creative problem-solving skills', science, maths and social skills, but nothing about art.
The trap: 'Creative' feels like 'artistic', so people answer YES. Creative problem-solving is about finding solutions, not art. 'And so much more' doesn't tell you what else is included.
Question 35
Answer: NOParagraph 4, first sentence
Have researchers agreed on a definition of play?
Full consensus on a formal definition of play continues to elude the researchers and theorists who study it.
Question says → Passage says
Researchers have agreedFull consensus… continues to elude the researchers
a definition of playa formal definition of play
Why: NO. If consensus 'continues to elude' them, they haven't reached agreement. That contradicts the statement.
The trap: Paragraph 5 says 'a majority' of definitions share key criteria. Sharing criteria is not full agreement on one definition.
Question 36
Answer: YESParagraph 8, second sentence
Do work and play differ in whether they have a goal?
Unlike play, work is typically not viewed as enjoyable and it is extrinsically motivated (i.e. it is goal oriented).
Question says → Passage says
Work and play differUnlike play, work
whether or not they have a targetit is goal oriented / It has no extrinsically motivated function or goal
Why: YES. Work is 'goal oriented', while paragraph 6 says play 'has no extrinsically motivated function or goal'. 'Target' is 'goal', so that's a difference.
The trap: Goodman's example of a child doing a goal-directed task while still playful seems to blur the line. That's a hybrid, and the writer still separates work and play by goals.
Summary completion (ONE WORD ONLY)
Questions 37-40
How to attack this block: The summary paraphrases the last two paragraphs. Gap 37 needs an -ing form after 'by', gap 38 a noun after 'the child's', and gap 40 a past participle after 'can be'. Copy the passage's form of each word.
Question 37
Answer: encouragingParagraph 10
How can an adult co-player develop the play?
joining in the fun as a co-player, raising thoughtful questions, commenting on children's discoveries, or encouraging further exploration or new facets to the child's activity
Question says → Passage says
an adult can play with a childjoining in the fun as a co-player
the child to investigate different aspectsfurther exploration or new facets
Why: The summary needs an -ing word after 'by' that takes 'the child' as its object. 'Encouraging' fits, and 'investigate different aspects' paraphrases 'further exploration or new facets'.
The trap: 'Raising' and 'commenting' are also -ing forms in the list, but neither works with 'the child to investigate'.
Question 38
Answer: desireParagraph 10, last two sentences
Structured or not, play should come from the child's what?
Although playful learning can be somewhat structured, it must also be child-centered (Nicolopolou et al. 2006). Play should stem from the child's own desire.
Question says → Passage says
may make the activity rather structuredcan be somewhat structured
should still be based on the child'sshould stem from the child's own
Why: 'Stem from' becomes 'be based on', and the noun after 'the child's own' is 'desire'. The summary drops 'own', but the answer is the same word.
The trap: 'Child-centered' is the nearby phrase, but it isn't a noun that can follow 'the child's'.
Question 39
Answer: autonomyParagraph 11, second sentence
What does free play give children?
Intrinsically motivated free play provides the child with true autonomy
Question says → Passage says
Play without the intervention of adultsfree play
gives children realprovides the child with true
Why: 'Provides... with true' becomes 'gives... real'. Free play, the kind without adults, gives true autonomy.
The trap: 'Motivation' appears in the same sentence ('intrinsically motivated'), but it's what drives free play, not what it gives.
Question 40
Answer: targetedParagraph 11, second sentence
With adults involved, play can be aimed at what?
guided play is an avenue through which parents and educators can provide more targeted learning experiences
Question says → Passage says
with adultsguided play… parents and educators
play can be ___ at particular goalsmore targeted learning experiences
Why: The gap follows 'can be' and comes before 'at', so it needs a past participle: 'targeted'. Guided play lets adults target specific learning.
The trap: 'Guided' is tempting and also a past participle, but 'guided at particular goals' isn't natural English. 'Targeted at' is.
G (Hirsch-Pasek et al.). The adult's role 'varies as a function of their educational goals', which sits in brackets after the idea.
Words from this passage worth keeping
instrumental(Paragraph 1)
very important in making something happen
expound(Paragraph 2)
explain an idea in detail
dichotomy(Paragraph 2)
a division into two opposed parts
repertoire(Paragraph 3)
the full range of skills someone has
elude(Paragraph 4)
remain out of reach
intrinsic motivation(Paragraph 5)
doing something because you enjoy it, not for a reward
continuum(Paragraph 5)
a scale with gradual steps between two extremes
autonomy(Paragraph 11)
freedom to make your own choices
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The full Cambridge 14 Test 3 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 14, Test 3, 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.
