Cambridge 12 Reading Test 3 - Answers With Explanation

1. First paragraph: "Every part of the tree has been put to use." TRUE.

2. Second paragraph: "genetic studies published in recent decades suggest that human activity has played the dominant role" in spreading coconuts — not universal agreement on the seawater theory — FALSE.

3. Second paragraph: "two distinct populations — one originating in the Pacific and one in the Indian Ocean — having been carried and cultivated by seafaring peoples." TRUE.

4. Third paragraph: "Critics... point out that coconut oil contains more saturated fat by weight than butter, and that the evidence for the claimed health benefits... is weak and inconsistent" — no universal agreement — FALSE.

5. The passage names these three as the largest producers but never gives a combined production share — NOT GIVEN.

6. Fifth paragraph: coir's "natural resistance to saltwater degradation made it particularly valuable in maritime contexts." TRUE.

7. The passage says the beetle was introduced to the Pacific "accidentally" but never states where it originated — NOT GIVEN.

8. First paragraph: the coconut palm "has been called 'the tree of life.'"

9. Third paragraph: coconut flesh is "rich in medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs)."

10. Fourth paragraph: market growth was "driven partly by health trends in North America and Europe."

11. Fifth paragraph: coir is "the fibrous material extracted from the husk of the coconut."

12. Fifth paragraph: the coir industry "is centred in the state of Kerala in India."

13. Sixth paragraph: lethal yellowing disease is "transmitted by insect vectors."

14. Paragraph A: "The earliest manufactured glass objects so far identified by archaeologists... date to around 3500 BCE."

15. Paragraph B: glassblowing's spread "through the Roman Empire transformed glass from a luxury material into a commodity" — how the craft improved and spread.

16. Paragraph C: Venetian glassmakers created "intricate decorative glass using coloured rods and canes" — an artistic application.

17. Paragraph D: "The importance of glass to the development of modern science can scarcely be overstated," covering the telescope and microscope.

18. Paragraph E: "Specialised glass products developed for industrial purposes include borosilicate glass... and laminated safety glass."

19. Paragraph F: "Contemporary architecture has embraced glass not merely as a material for windows but as a fundamental structural and expressive element."

20. Paragraph A: the earliest glass objects "date to around 3500 BCE."

21. Paragraph B: glassblowing was "invented in the region of present-day Syria around the first century BCE."

22. Paragraph C: Venetian craftsmen developed "cristallo — a nearly colourless, highly transparent glass."

23. Paragraph C: authorities "ordered all glassmakers to work exclusively on the island of Murano."

24. Paragraph E: the float glass process works "by floating molten glass on a bath of molten tin."

25. Paragraph F: "electrochromic glass... changes its transparency in response to an electrical signal."

26. Paragraph E: borosilicate glass is prized "for its resistance to thermal shock."

27. Paragraph C offers explanations for why sad music is enjoyable, including "a kind of emotional distancing" and the activation of "social bonding mechanisms."

28. Paragraph B: 'thrilling' music "is associated with the release of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens and the caudate nucleus."

29. Paragraph E: some theorists argue emotional responses to music "are psychological projections rather than something genuinely 'in' the music" — created by the listener.

30. Paragraph F: the theory that "the emotional power of music may be closely related to its ability to create and violate expectations."

31. Paragraph D: ragas are "associated with particular times of day, seasons, and emotional states... largely inaccessible to listeners without relevant cultural knowledge."

32. First paragraph: "the neuroscience of music is a young and rapidly evolving field" — the opposite of well-established with a long history — NO.

33. Paragraph B: dopamine release occurred "not just during the peak emotional moments... but in anticipation of those moments" — not only at the peak — NO.

34. The passage discusses why people enjoy sad music but never links this to general emotional sensitivity — NOT GIVEN.

35. Paragraph D: major-key music is perceived as happy "even among listeners with no exposure to Western tonal music" — cross-cultural agreement — YES.

36. The writer presents both sides of the debate in Paragraph E without stating a personal position — NOT GIVEN.

37. Paragraph B: dopamine release happened "in anticipation of" the emotional peaks, not just during them — the surprising finding.

38. Paragraph C: sad music may activate "the social bonding mechanisms that would normally be triggered by witnessing another person's distress."

39. Paragraph F: pleasure comes from "the dynamic relationship between the sounds and the listener's predictive model of how the music 'should' go."

40. Paragraph A: "in every culture music is bound up with emotion — used to mark rites of passage, to express grief, to celebrate joy."