The Scientific Method: reading answers and analysis
Written for research students, the passage argues (with Medawar and Popper) that science is not inductive. There is no unbiased observation, and research starts from a hypothesis, a guess, which is then tested by deducing and checking predictions. The tidy step-by-step 'scientific method' in published papers describes how research is written up, not how it's actually done.
Questions 29-40 · 12 marks · 4 question blocks
Where the answers sit
The headings (29-33) cover C to G. The choose-TWO (34-35) asks which paragraphs address the reader directly. YES / NO / NOT GIVEN (36-39) and question 40 need the whole passage.
Questions 29-33
C explains the inductive myth, D the role of hypotheses (every observation starts from an expectation), and E how hypotheses are tested. F reassures you that anticipating results is normal. G contrasts how research is done with how it's reported (Watson's book versus the DNA papers).
| Question | Answer | Also accepted |
|---|---|---|
| 29 | iv | — |
| 30 | vii | — |
| 31 | iii | — |
| 32 | v | — |
| 33 | vi | — |
Questions 34-35
Look for 'you'. B tells you it's essential to understand the difference so you don't feel you're cheating. F tells you not to worry if you expect certain results.
| Question | Answer | Also accepted |
|---|---|---|
| 34-35 | B and F(in either order) | — |
Questions 36-39
Popper's view is stated in A (YES). A fulfilled prediction only supports a hypothesis 'until such time' as a test disproves it, so it isn't confirmed as true (NO). The last paragraph says scientific method is better seen as a way of writing up research (YES). The writer never says many people research in a mistaken way.
| Question | Answer | Also accepted |
|---|---|---|
| 36 | YES | — |
| 37 | NO | — |
| 38 | NOT GIVEN | — |
| 39 | YES | — |
Question 40
The passage speaks to 'you, as an intending researcher' and explains two conceptions of research so you don't lose heart. Cheating and guesswork appear only as details.
| Question | Answer | Also accepted |
|---|---|---|
| 40 | D | — |
The questions most people get wrong
NO. A correct prediction means the hypothesis is supported and kept only until a later test shows it wrong, so it's never confirmed as true.
NOT GIVEN. The writer calls induction a myth but never claims many researchers work the wrong way.
vi. G contrasts the tidy published papers with the messy real process (Watson's book about DNA). The Crick and Watson heading is only an example inside it.
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The full Cambridge 3 Test 1 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 3, Test 1, Reading Passage 3. The passage name belongs to Cambridge University Press. No passage text or question wording is reproduced on this page. The answers are published for self-marking, and the analysis is our own.