# The Nature of Genius: answers and explanations

Cambridge IELTS 8, Test 3, Reading Passage 2

Source: Passage, questions and answer key from Cambridge IELTS 8, Test 3, 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, C, F, H, J | that prodigies burn too brightly too soon and burn out |
| 15 | B, C, F, H, J | that people with gifts have a responsibility to use them |
| 16 | B, C, F, H, J | that genius runs in families |
| 17 | B, C, F, H, J | that genius goes unrecognised and unrewarded |
| 18 | B, C, F, H, J | that adversity makes men wise |
| 19 | TRUE | they are not what we would today call norm-referenced ... we must also take into account information from other historical sources about how common or exceptional these were at the time |
| 20 | TRUE | that studies could be carried out on a more objective, if still not always very scientific, basis |
| 21 | FALSE | We may disagree with the 'general', for we doubt if all musicians of genius could have become scientists of genius or vice versa |
| 22 | TRUE | skills or abilities which are similar to, but so much superior to, our own ... that their minds are not different from our own |
| 23 | TRUE | become the commonplace knowledge of schoolchildren ... This does not minimise the supremacy of their achievements |
| 24 | NOT GIVEN | Genius and giftedness are relative descriptive terms of no real substance. |
| 25 | TRUE | we should also recognise the price they may have paid in terms of perseverance, single-mindedness, dedication |
| 26 | NOT GIVEN | We may envy their achievements and fame |

## Why these answers are right

**14. B, C, F, H, J.** One belief the writer reports is B. Paragraph B lists popular myths about giftedness, including the idea that prodigies burn too brightly too soon and burn out, which is another way of saying their talents are soon exhausted.

**15. B, C, F, H, J.** Another reported belief is C. The last item in the list of popular myths in paragraph B is that people with gifts have a responsibility to use them, which matches the idea that gifted people should use their gifts.

**16. B, C, F, H, J.** Option F is also correct. Among the beliefs in paragraph B, the writer reports the common idea that genius runs in families, and something that runs in families is passed down through generations, so it is inherited.

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

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