‘Why being bored is stimulating-and useful, too’- Reading Answer Explanations – CAM -13
Here are explanations of the Questions of passage named ‘Why being bored is stimulating-and useful, too’ which is from the Cambridge 13 book. The Questions that have been asked are List of Headings, Finding author’s name and Blanks. You will find the locations of the Reading Answers, Keywords(highlighted and underlined) and justifications.
READING PASSAGE 2: Why being bored is stimulating- and useful, too
| Question | Answer |
| 14 | IV |
| 15 | VI |
| 16 | I |
| 17 | V |
| 18 | VIII |
| 19 | III |
| 20 | E |
| 21 | B |
| 22 | D |
| 23 | A |
| 24 | FOCUS |
| 25 | PLEASURE |
| 26 | CURIOSITY |
Reading Passage 2 has six paragraphs, A-F
Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number, i-viii, in boxes 14-19 on your answer sheet.
List of Headings
i The productive outcomes that may result from boredom
ii What teachers can do to prevent boredom
iii A new explanation and a new cure for boredom
iv Problems with a scientific approach to boredom
v A potential danger arising from boredom
vi Creating a system of classification for feelings of boredom
vii Age groups most affected by boredom
viii Identifying those most affected by boredom
14 Paragraph A
Location: A paragraph
Explanation: The answer to this question is in the second line of the paragraph. ‘But defining boredom so that it can be studied in the lab has proved difficult…’Here, ‘proved difficult’ means ‘problems with a scientific approach’. Thus, the answer is clear.
Answer: iv
‘Why being bored is stimulating-and useful, too’- Reading Answer Explanations – CAM -13
15 Paragraph B
Location: First three lines of the paragraph
Explanation: The writer says, ‘Thomas Goetz and his team at the University of Konstanz in Germany have recently identified five distinct types: indifferent, calibrating, searching, reactant and apathetic…’Here, ‘identified’ and ‘creating’ are synonyms. Moreover, ‘five distinct types’ refers to classification.
Answer: vi
16 Paragraph C
Location: Second line of C paragraph
Explanation: The answer to this question is in the second line of 2nd paragraph. Mann has found that being bored makes us more creative. ‘We’re all afraid of being bored but in actual fact it can lead to all kinds of amazing things…’Here, ‘makes us creative’ and ‘lead to…amazing things’ are the outcomes. Thus, this makes an answer very clear.
Answer: i
17 Paragraph D
Location: Fourth line of D paragraph
Explanation: The writer states, ‘But even if boredom has evolved to help us survive, it can still be toxic if allowed to fester.’ For Eastwood,…failure to put our ‘attention system’ into gear…’ Here, ‘it can still be toxic’ give reference to potential danger. Thus, the answer is v.
Answer: v
18 Paragraph E
Location: First line of E paragraph
Explanation: The writer says, ‘Eastwood’s team is now trying to explore why the attention system fails. It’s early days but they think that at least some of it comes down to personality. Boredom proneness has been linked with a variety of traits. Here, ‘proneness’ means ‘affected’. The scientists are exploring the people who are more affected by boredom. Thus, the answer is clear.
Answer: viii
‘Why being bored is stimulating-and useful, too’- Reading Answer Explanations – CAM -13
19 Paragraph F
Location: Last paragraph
Explanation: The answer to this question is in the first and last line of the paragraph. ‘That our over-connected lifestyles… a new source of boredom… perhaps we should leave our phones alone…Use boredom to motivate us to engage with the world in a more meaningful way.’ Here, first line states the new explanation of boredom. Moreover, ‘leave our phones…use boredom to motivate us…’ is the new cure.
Answer: iii
Questions 20-23
Look at the following people (Questions 20-23) and the list of ideas below.
Match each person with the correct idea, A-E.
Write the correct letter, A-E, in boxes 20-23 on your answer sheet.
20 Peter Toohey5
Location: A paragraph
Explanation: The location of the answer is in the last two lines of the paragraph. ‘Peter Toohey … compares it to disgust – an emotion that motivates us to stay away from certain situations…boredom may protect them from “infectious” social situations,’ he suggests. Here, ‘avoid’ means ‘stay away…’Furthermore, ‘infectious social situations…’ means ‘unpleasant experience’
Answer: E
‘Why being bored is stimulating-and useful, too’- Reading Answer Explanations – CAM -13
21 Thomas Goetz
Location: B paragraph
Explanation: Goetz has found …Of the five types, the most damaging is ‘reactant’ boredom with its explosive combination of high arousal and negative emotion…’Here, ‘one sort of boredom is worse’ means ‘the most damaging is reactant. Thus, the answer is B.
Answer: B
22 John Eastwood
Location: D paragraph
Explanation: The location of the answer is in the fifth line of the paragraph. ‘For Eastwood, the central feature of boredom is a failure to put our ‘attention system’ into gear. This causes an inability to focus on anything, which makes time seem to go painfully slowly.’ Here, ‘failure to put our ‘attention system’ in to gear means trying to cope with boredom. Moreover, ‘time seem to go painfully slowly’ is a negative effect.
Answer: D
23 Francoise Wemelsfelder
Location: F paragraph
Explanation: The answer to this question is in the first line of the paragraph. ‘Psychologist Francoise Wemelsfelder speculates that our over-connected lifestyles might even be a new source of boredom…’Here, Firstly, ‘lifestyles’ means the way we live today. Secondly, ‘encourage boredom’ has been paraphrased as ‘new source of boredom’
Answer: A
List of Ideas
A The way we live today may encourage boredom.
B One sort of boredom is worse than all the others.
C Levels of boredom may fall in the future.
D Trying to cope with boredom can increase its negative effects.
E Boredom may encourage us to avoid an unpleasant experience.
Questions 24-26
Complete the summary below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 24-26 on your answer sheet.
Responses to boredom
For John Eastwood, the central feature of boredom is that people cannot 24……………………………, due to a failure in what he calls the ‘attention system’, and as a result they become frustrated and irritable.
Location: D paragraph
Explanation: The main keyword ‘central feature’ is there in the fifth line of the paragraph. ‘For Eastwood, the central feature of boredom…This causes an inability to focus on anything, which makes time seem to go painfully slowly. Here, ‘inability to…’ and ‘cannot’ are synonyms.Thus, the answer is ‘Focus’.
Answer: Focus
His team suggests that those for whom 25……………………….. is an important aim in life may have problems in coping with boredom,
Location: E paragraph
Explanation: The answer to this question is in the second line of the paragraph. ‘People who are motivated by pleasure seem to suffer particularly badly…’Here, this statement means people whose aim is pleasure may have problems in coping with boredom.
Answer: Pleasure
whereas those who have the characteristic of 26……………………….. can generally cope with it.
Location: E paragraph
Explanation: The location of the answer is in the third line of the paragraph. ‘Other personality traits, such as curiosity, are associated with a high boredom threshold…’Here, ‘traits’ and ‘characteristics’ are synonyms. Moreover, ‘high boredom threshold’ means tendency to not get bored easily. Thus, the answer is very clear.
Answer: Curiosity
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