This Academic IELTS Reading post focuses on solutions to IELTS Cambridge 6 Reading Test 3 Reading Passage 3 entitled ‘The Search for the Anti-aging Pill’. This is a targeted post for IELTS candidates who have big problems finding out and understanding Reading Answers in the AC module. This post can guide you the best to understand every Reading answer without much trouble. Finding out IELTS Reading answers is a steady process, and this post will assist you in this respect.

IELTS Cambridge 6 Test 3: AC Reading Module

Reading Passage 3: Questions 28-40

The headline of the passage: The Search for the Anti-aging Pill

Questions 27-32: YES, NO, NOT GIVEN:

[In this type of question, candidates are asked to find out whether:

The statement in the question matches with the claim of the writer in the text- YES
The statement in the question contradicts with the claim of the writer in the text- NO
The statement in the question has no clear connection with the account in the text- NOT GIVEN

[TIPS: For this type of question, you can divide each statement into three independent pieces and make your way through with the answer.]

Question no. 28: Studies show drugs available today can delay the process of growing old.

Keywords for the question: studies show, drugs available today, delay, process, growing old,

Take a look at the first sentence of the first paragraph where the writer says, “As researchers on aging noted recently, no treatment on the market today has been proved to slow human aging . .. . .”

Here, no treatment = drugs available, slow human aging = delay to process of growing old,

So, the answer is: NO

Question no. 29: There is scientific evidence that eating fewer calories may extend human life.

Keywords for the question: scientific evidence, eating fewer calories, may extend, human life,

In the first paragraph, the writer says in lines 3-5, “ . .. . But one intervention, consumption of a low-calorie* yet nutritionally balanced diet, works incredibly well in a broad range of animals, increasing longevity and prolonging good health. … .. .”

Here, consumption of a low-calorie .. .. .. balanced diet = eating fewer calories, prolonging good health = may extend human life,

So, the answer is: YES

Question no. 30: Not many people are likely to find a caloric-restricted diet attractive.

Keywords for the question: not many people, likely, find, caloric-restricted diet, attractive,

Lines 2-3 of paragraph no. 2 says, “ . .. . . Few mortals could stick to that harsh a regimen, especially for years on end.. . .. .”

Here, Few mortals = not many people, that harsh a regimen = calorie-restricted diet, could stick = likely to find . .. attractive,

So, the answer is: YES

Question no. 31: Diet-related diseases are common in older people.

Keywords for the question: diet-related diseases, common, older people,

Lines 6-7 talks about some common diet-related diseases, “ . .. . . age-related disorders (such as diabetes, arteriosclerosis, heart disease and cancer) …. . .”

However, we don’t find any comment on whether diet-related diseases are common in older people.

So, the answer is: NOT GIVEN

Question no. 32: In experiments, rats who ate what they wanted, led shorter lives than rats on a low-calorie diet.

Keywords for the question: experiments, rats, ate, what they wanted, led, shorter lives, than, low-calorie-diet,

Have a look at paragraph no. 3 (in the The benefits of caloric restriction section) where the author talks about the results of the experiment done on rats, “ . .. . they found that rats fed a low-calorie diet lived longer on average than free-feeding rats and also had a reduced incidence of conditions that become increasingly common in old age. .. .. .”

Here, rats fed a low-calorie diet lived longer = rats which ate what they wanted did not live longer compared to rats which ate a low-calorie diet, 

So, the answer is: YES

Questions 33-37: Classifying groups

[This type of question asks candidates to classify information from the given reading text. Candidates are given some groups from the text, and a list of options, which are listed as A, B, C etc. They must match the correct groups with the correct options.

N.B.: This question doesn’t follow any sequence. So, they should be answered after all other questions in the passage.]

Question no. 33: Monkeys were less likely to become diabetic.

Keywords for the question: monkeys, less likely, become diabetic,  

Paragraphs no. 5 and 6 talk about experiments on monkeys. Here, in paragraph no. 6, the writer says in lines 3-4, “The calorie-restricted animals .  .. . .. .. .. .. they have more normal blood glucose levels (pointing to a reduced risk for diabetes, which is marked by unusually high blood glucose levels). .. .. ..”

Here, pointing to a reduced risk for diabetes = less likely to become diabetic,

So, the answer is: A (caloric-restricted monkeys)

Question no. 34: Monkeys experienced more chronic disease.

Keywords for the question: monkeys, more, chronic disease,     

The writer says in paragraph no. 6 in lines 4-6, “.. .. … . it has recently been shown that rhesus monkeys kept on caloric-restricted diets for an extended time (nearly 15 years) have less chronic disease. … .. .”

The lines suggest that monkeys kept on calorie-restricted diet experienced less chronic disease compared to control monkeys.

So, the answer is: B (control monkeys)

Question no. 35: Monkeys have been shown to experience a longer than average life span.

Keywords for the question: monkeys, shown to experience, longer, than average life span,

The writer says in paragraph no. in lines 6-8, “. .. .. They and the other monkeys must be followed still longer, however, to know whether low-calorie intake can increase both average and maximum life spans in monkeys.. .. .. .”

Here, must be followed still longer = result is pending, maximum life spans = longer than average life span,

So, the answer is: C (neither caloric-restricted monkeys nor control monkeys)

Question no. 36: Monkeys enjoyed a reduced chance of heart disease.

Keywords for the question: monkeys, enjoyed, reduced chance, heart disease,    

The answer can be found at the beginning of paragraph no. 6. The writer says here, “The caloric-restricted animals also look better on indicators of risk for age-related diseases. For example, they have lower blood pressure and triglyceride levels (signifying a decreased likelihood of heart disease) . .”

Here, a decreased likelihood of heart disease = a reduced chance of heart disease,

So, the answer is: A (caloric-restricted monkeys)

Question no. 37: Monkeys produced greater quantities of insulin. 

Keywords for the question: monkeys, produced, greater quantities, insulin,   

In paragraph no. 5, the author mentions, “. . .. calorie-restricted monkeys have lower body temperatures and levels of the pancreatic hormone insulin. … … .”

This means the level of insulin is greater in control monkeys.

So, the answer is: B (control monkeys)

Questions 38-40: Completing FLOW-CHART with NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS:

In this type of question, candidates are asked to write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS to complete some notes on the given flow-chart. For this type of question, first, skim the passage to find the keywords in the paragraph concerned with the answer, and then scan to find the exact word.

[TIPS: Here, scanning technique will come in handy. Target the keywords of the questions to find the answers. Remember to focus on Proper nouns, random Capital letters, numbers, special characters of text etc.]

Title of the flow-chart: How a calorie-restriction mimetic works

All the answers are found in the last section (How a prototype caloric-restriction mimetic works).

Question no. 38:

CR mimetic

↓

less __________ is processed

Keywords for the question: CR mimetic, less, processed,     

The answer can be found in paragraph no. 8 in lines 2-3. The writer says here, “. . .. calorie restriction minimizes the amount of glucose entering cells and decreases ATP generation. .. . .”

Here, minimizes the amount of glucose = less glucose is processed,  

So, the answer is: glucose

Question no. 39 & 40:

production of ATP is decreased
↙	↘
Theory 1:	Theory 2:
cells less damaged by disease because          fewer __________ are emitted	cells focus on ____________         because food is in short supply

Keywords for the question: production of ATP, decreased, Theory 1, cells, damaged, disease, fewer, omitted, Theory 2, cells, focus on, food, short supply,   

The answers can be found in paragraph no.6.

The writer says first in lines 7-9, “. . .. One possibility relates to the ATP-making machinery’s emission of free radicals, which are thought to contribute to aging and to such age-related diseases as cancer by damaging cells. Reduced operation of the machinery should limit their production and thereby constrain the damage… . .”

Here, One possibility = theory 1, Reduced operation of the machinery = fewer free radicals are emitted,

So, the answer for q. 39 is free radicals.

Then, the writer says, “ . .. .. Another hypothesis suggests that decreased processing of glucose could indicate to cells that food is scarce (even if it isn’t) and induce them to shift into an anti-aging mode that emphasizes preservation of the organism over such ‘luxuries’ as growth and reproduction.”

Here, Another hypothesis = theory 2, food is scarce = food is in short supply, emphasizes = focus on,

So, the answer for q. 40 is preservation.

 So, the answers are:

39. free radicals
40. preservation

Click here for solutions to Cambridge 6 AC Test 3 Reading Passage 1

Click here for solutions to Cambridge 6 AC Test 3 Reading Passage 2