The writer argues that high achievers are made more than born. Maryam Mirzakhani was weak at maths until a puzzle hooked her, and Einstein was a slow starter. Research from Eyre, Ericsson and Bloom points to taught habits, deliberate practice and supportive adults, and even disadvantaged children succeed when someone values their education.
The summary (27-32) covers the first two paragraphs. YES / NO / NOT GIVEN (33-37) runs from the third paragraph to Einstein's closing quote. The multiple choice (38-40) takes Eyre, Ericsson and the second-to-last paragraph in that order.
Summary completion (word list A-K)
Questions 27-32
How to attack this block: Decide what kind of word each gap needs before you look at the list: gap 27 needs an adjective, 28 a noun after 'little', 29 a past participle after 'was'. Several options fit the grammar but not the meaning ('single' vs 'unique', 'devoted' vs 'determined'), so check each one against what the passage says about her.
Question 27
Answer: HParagraph 1, second sentence
How was Mirzakhani seen in maths because she was the only woman with the Fields Medal?
She was the only woman to win the Fields Medal - the mathematical equivalent of a Nobel prize.
Question says → Passage says
the only female holderthe only woman to win
the prestigious Fields Medalthe mathematical equivalent of a Nobel prize
Why: Being the only woman to win the prize makes her one of a kind, and 'unique' means exactly that. 'Regarded as ___' needs an adjective that describes her, and H fits.
The trap: D, 'single', also suggests 'only one', but 'regarded as single' means unmarried. 'Achievement' (E) is a noun and doesn't describe a person.
Question 28
Answer: AParagraph 1, middle
What did maths have little of for her as a child?
She went to a highly selective girls' school but maths wasn't her interest - reading was.
Question says → Passage says
maths held little ___ for hermaths wasn't her interest
as a childgirls' school / middle school
Why: 'Held little appeal' is a set phrase meaning it didn't attract or interest her. That matches 'maths wasn't her interest'. Reading was what she loved.
The trap: J, 'satisfaction', looks possible after 'held little', but satisfaction is used later for her adult discoveries, and the passage is talking about interest, not reward.
Question 29
Answer: CParagraph 1, last sentence
What happened to her when her brother showed her a hard maths problem?
He shared a famous maths problem from a magazine that fascinated her - and she was hooked.
Question says → Passage says
a difficult puzzlea famous maths problem
one of her siblingsher elder brother
she was ___ byfascinated her / she was hooked
Why: The problem fascinated her. In the passive ('she was ___ by a puzzle'), the word you need means fascinated, and 'intrigued' is the closest.
The trap: G, 'involved', and F, 'devoted', both make a grammatical sentence, but you aren't 'devoted by' a puzzle, and 'involved by' says nothing about fascination.
Question 30
Answer: BParagraph 2, first sentence
What kind of person was she when things went wrong?
she was curious, excited by what she did and also resolute in the face of setbacks
Question says → Passage says
an inquiring mindcurious
determinedresolute
when things did not go smoothlyin the face of setbacks
Why: 'Resolute' means firmly determined, and 'setbacks' are times when things don't go smoothly. The gap follows 'proved herself to be', so an adjective is needed: 'determined'.
The trap: K, 'intent', looks similar in meaning, but it needs 'on' after it ('intent on succeeding'). F, 'devoted', is about loyalty or love, not keeping going after failure.
Question 31
Answer: JParagraph 2, quoted comment
What did she get most of from making new discoveries?
the most rewarding part is the Aha moment, the excitement of discovery and enjoyment of understanding something new
Question says → Passage says
got the greatest ___ fromthe most rewarding part is
making ground-breaking discoveriesthe excitement of discovery
Why: If something is 'the most rewarding part', it gives you the greatest satisfaction. The gap needs a noun after 'the greatest', and J fits.
The trap: E, 'achievement', is about discoveries too, but you don't 'get the greatest achievement from' something. The quote is about how it felt to her, which is satisfaction.
Question 32
Answer: IParagraph 2, last sentence
What sort of mathematical studies was she responsible for?
That trail took her to the heights of original research into mathematics.
Question says → Passage says
extremely ___ mathematical studiesthe heights of original research
Why: 'Original research' means new ideas nobody had before, which is 'innovative'. 'The heights' gives you 'extremely'. The gap needs an adjective before 'mathematical studies'.
The trap: H, 'unique', is close to 'original', but it's already used in gap 27 and the summary pairs 'extremely' with a quality of the work, not one-of-a-kind status.
YES / NO / NOT GIVEN
Questions 33-37
How to attack this block: These test the writer's claims, not facts. Two are NOT GIVEN because the writer describes Einstein's early failures and his quote without explaining the cause or mentioning the public. The single NO is his own words: he credits staying with problems longer, not speed.
Question 33
Answer: YESParagraph 3, beginning
Were many winners of top intellectual prizes only average as children?
Is her background unusual? Apparently not. Most Nobel prize winners were unexceptional in childhood.
Question says → Passage says
Many people who ended up winning prestigious intellectual prizesMost Nobel prize winners
only reached an average standard when youngwere unexceptional in childhood
Why: 'Unexceptional' means nothing special, so average. 'In childhood' = 'when young'. The writer states this as fact, so it agrees with the claim.
The trap: 'Most' versus 'many' worries some people, but if most did, then many did. That's agreement, not a contradiction.
Question 34
Answer: NOT GIVENParagraph 3
Does the writer say Einstein's early failures came from low confidence?
He failed the general part of the entry test to Zurich Polytechnic… He struggled at work initially, but he kept plugging away
Question says → Passage says
Einstein's failures as a young manHe failed the general part of the entry test / He struggled at work initially
Why: The writer lists Einstein's early failures but never gives a reason for them. Confidence isn't mentioned anywhere, so the cause in the statement can't be checked.
The trap: Because he 'kept plugging away', you might think he was confident and choose NO. Persistence isn't the same as confidence, and the writer doesn't explain the failures.
Question 35
Answer: YESParagraph 5
Does the writer say it's hard to agree on whether children are born gifted?
While the jury is out on giftedness being innate and other factors potentially making the difference
Question says → Passage says
It is difficult to reach agreementthe jury is out
actually born giftedgiftedness being innate
Why: 'The jury is out' is an idiom: no decision has been reached yet. 'Innate' means present from birth. So it's still undecided whether giftedness is inborn, which matches the statement.
The trap: If you don't know the idiom, you might read it as a firm no and pick NO. It means the question is still open.
Question 36
Answer: NOT GIVENLast paragraph
Was Einstein upset by what the public thought of his work?
He struggled against rejection in early life but was undeterred.
Question says → Passage says
EinsteinEinstein, the epitome of genius
Why: The writer mentions rejection in early life, but not public opinion of his work or how he felt about it. 'Undeterred' only tells you rejection didn't stop him.
The trap: 'Rejection' sounds like public criticism, and 'undeterred' sounds like 'not upset', so people go for NO. Neither the public's view nor his feelings about it are in the passage.
Question 37
Answer: NOLast paragraph, Einstein's quote
Did Einstein say he succeeded because he dealt with problems fast?
It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer.
Question says → Passage says
put his success down toit's just that
the speed at which he dealt with questionsI stay with problems longer
Why: Einstein credits staying with problems longer, which is the opposite of handling them quickly. He also says character, not intellect, makes a great scientist. The statement contradicts him, so NO.
The trap: Some read 'not that I'm so smart' as modesty and decide the reason isn't given. But he does give one, and it's persistence, not speed.
Multiple choice
Questions 38-40
How to attack this block: Each question names its source, so go straight to Eyre, Ericsson, or the paragraph on disadvantaged children. The wrong options borrow real details (memory training, the 10,000 hours, free school meals) and stretch them into claims the passage doesn't make.
Question 38
Answer: CParagraph 6
According to Eyre, what do children need to reach gifted levels?
they must be taught the right attitudes and approaches to their learning and develop the attributes of high performers - curiosity, persistence and hard work
Question says → Passage says
the development ofdevelop the attributes
a spirit of inquiry towards their studiescuriosity… the right attitudes and approaches to their learning
Why: Eyre says children need the right attitudes to learning and the qualities of high performers, starting with curiosity. 'A spirit of inquiry' is curiosity, so C.
The trap: D picks up 'persistence and hard work', but nothing says children must try to beat everyone else. A and B are wrong: support should come from home and school, not strict discipline or classmates.
Question 39
Answer: BParagraph 7
What did Ericsson's research find?
he doesn't think unique and innate talents are at the heart of performance
Question says → Passage says
Being born with a special giftunique and innate talents
is not the key factordoesn't think… are at the heart of
becoming expertperformance / Expertise
Why: 'Innate' = 'born with', and 'at the heart of' = 'the key factor'. Ericsson says deliberate practice matters most, not inborn talent, so B.
The trap: D quotes the 10,000 hours, but the passage says straight after that 'It's not a magic number', so practice doesn't guarantee a genius. A is the reverse of the memory study, where ordinary students beat the 'gifted'.
Question 40
Answer: DParagraph 9, second half
In the penultimate paragraph, what helped the deprived children succeed?
Interviews uncovered strong evidence of an adult or adults in the child's life who valued and supported education
Question says → Passage says
the guidance of someonean adult or adults in the child's life
who recognises the benefits of learningwho valued and supported education
Why: The common factor was an adult who valued and supported education. Valuing education means recognising its benefits, so D.
The trap: B is the reverse of the facts: more than half lived with a single parent. C mentions the 'wider community', but only as a place the supportive adult might be, not well-funded facilities. A twists the free school meals detail.
D. The interviews found an adult who valued education. Free meals point to poverty, and most of these children had only one parent, so A and B contradict the text.
Words from this passage worth keeping
resolute(Paragraph 2)
firmly determined
setbacks(Paragraph 2)
problems that slow your progress
plugging away(Paragraph 3)
continuing to work hard at something difficult
the jury is out(Paragraph 5)
no decision has been reached yet
innate(Paragraph 5)
present from birth
replicable(Paragraph 5)
able to be repeated or copied
eminent(Paragraph 7)
famous and respected in a field
epitome(Paragraph 10)
the perfect example of something
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The full Cambridge 19 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 19, 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.
