# An inquiry into the existence of the gifted child: answers and explanations

Cambridge IELTS 19, Test 2, Reading Passage 3

Source: Passage, questions and answer key from Cambridge IELTS 19, 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 | H | She was the only woman to win the Fields Medal |
| 28 | A | maths wasn't her interest - reading was |
| 29 | C | He shared a famous maths problem from a magazine that fascinated her |
| 30 | B | resolute in the face of setbacks |
| 31 | J | the most rewarding part is the 'Aha' moment |
| 32 | I | That trail took her to the heights of original research into mathematics. |
| 33 | YES | Most Nobel prize winners were unexceptional in childhood. |
| 34 | NOT GIVEN | He failed the general part of the entry test to Zurich Polytechnic |
| 35 | YES | the jury is out on giftedness being innate |
| 36 | NOT GIVEN | Most people say it is the intellect which makes a great scientist. |
| 37 | NO | it's just that I stay with problems longer |
| 38 | C | develop the attributes of high performers - curiosity, persistence and hard work, for example |
| 39 | B | he doesn't think unique and innate talents are at the heart of performance |
| 40 | D | an adult or adults in the child's life who valued and supported education |

## Why these answers are right

**27. H.** Mirzakhani 'was the only woman to win the Fields Medal'. Being the only one of your kind means being unique, so H completes 'regarded as ... in the field of mathematics' and agrees with 'the only female holder' later in the sentence.

**28. A.** At school, 'maths wasn't her interest - reading was'. If something is not of interest to you it has little appeal, so A fits the phrase 'held little ... for her as a child'.

**29. C.** Her brother shared 'a famous maths problem from a magazine that fascinated her'. To be fascinated by something is to be intrigued by it, and the maths problem is the difficult puzzle, so the answer is C.

The why and the trap for questions 30 onwards are free with an account on the [answers page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/an-inquiry-into-the-existence-of-the-gifted-child/answers).

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