# Procrastination: answers and explanations

Cambridge IELTS 20, Test 2, Reading Passage 2

Source: Passage, questions and answer key from Cambridge IELTS 20, Test 2, Reading Passage 2. © Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Used for educational practice. Explanations and evidence notes are written by Testmigo.

## Answer key

| Q | Answer | Proof |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 14 | B | Contrary to popular belief, procrastination is not due to laziness or poor time management. |
| 15 | F | We should remind ourselves that we're not the first person to procrastinate, nor the last. |
| 16 | B | Research involving brain imaging has found that areas of the brain linked to detection of threats and emotion regulation |
| 17 | laziness | procrastination is not due to laziness or poor time management. |
| 18 | anxious | If just thinking about the task threatens our sense of self-worth or makes us anxious |
| 19 | threats | Research involving brain imaging has found that areas of the brain linked to detection of threats and emotion regulation are actually different in people who chronically procrastinate compared to those who don't procrastinate frequently. |
| 20 | exams | such as preparing for exams |
| 21 | perfectionists | Another group of people who tend to procrastinate are perfectionists |
| 22 | guilt | people tend to be left with a sense of guilt that not only increases their negative mood |
| 23 | A, C | participants who said they regularly procrastinated had less annual income |
| 24 | A, C | and less employment stability |
| 25 | A, E | We should admit that we feel bad, but not be overly critical of ourselves. |
| 26 | A, E | evidence-based strategies that can help us fend off distractions |

## Why these answers are right

**14. B.** Paragraph B opens by saying that, contrary to popular belief, procrastination is not caused by laziness or poor time management. A popular belief the writer rejects is a false assumption about the cause, so the answer is B.

**15. F.** Paragraph F advises us to remind ourselves that we are not the first person to procrastinate, nor the last. Recognizing that plenty of other people do the same thing is the realization the question describes, so the answer is F.

**16. B.** Paragraph B describes brain imaging research showing that areas linked to threat detection and emotion regulation differ in chronic procrastinators. Brain imaging is neurological evidence, and emotion regulation provides the link to emotion, so B is correct again.

The why and the trap for questions 17 onwards are free with an account on the [answers page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/procrastination/answers).

[Practice Procrastination](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/procrastination)