# A neuroscientist reveals how to think differently: answers and explanations

Cambridge IELTS 9, Test 2, Reading Passage 3

Source: Passage, questions and answer key from Cambridge IELTS 9, Test 2, Reading Passage 3. © Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Used for educational practice. Explanations and evidence notes are written by Testmigo.

## Answer key

| Q | Answer | Proof |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 27 | C | studies the brain's secrets to success in an economic environment that demands innovation |
| 28 | B | it is the brains that are different in three distinct ways |
| 29 | D | it will draw on both past experience and any other source of information |
| 30 | C | perception is a product of the brain |
| 31 | B | Their brains do not fall into efficiency pitfalls as much as the average person's brain. |
| 32 | YES | Novelty releases the perceptual process from the chains of past experience and forces the brain to make new judgments. |
| 33 | YES | Successful iconoclasts have an extraordinary willingness to be exposed to what is fresh and different. |
| 34 | NOT GIVEN | most people avoid things that are different |
| 35 | NO | Fear is a major impediment to thinking like an iconoclast |
| 36 | NOT GIVEN | fear of uncertainty and fear of public ridicule |
| 37 | NO | This makes it too common to be considered a mental disorder. |
| 38 | A | Understanding how perception becomes intertwined with social decision making shows why successful iconoclasts are so rare. |
| 39 | B | how the brain works when groups coordinate decision making |
| 40 | C | Iconoclasts create new opportunities in every area from artistic expression to technology to business. |

## Why these answers are right

**27. C.** The first paragraph says neuroeconomics studies the brain's secrets to success in an economic setting that demands innovation and doing things differently from competitors. Success among competitors is achievement in competitive fields, so C fits. Neuron firing patterns are earlier discoveries, not the field's aim.

**28. B.** The writer says iconoclasts seem different from other people, but more precisely it is their brains that differ in perception, fear response and social intelligence. That means their brains function differently, option B. Personality is raised only as a view of naysayers the writer rejects.

**29. D.** Paragraph three explains that the brain has a fixed energy budget, so it interprets what the eyes send as quickly as possible by drawing on past experience and what others say. Relying on past experience is relying on previous events, so the answer is D.

The why and the trap for questions 30 onwards are free with an account on the [answers page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/a-neuroscientist-reveals-how-to-think-differently/answers).

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