# The persistence and peril of misinformation: answers and explanations

Cambridge IELTS 19, Test 1, Reading Passage 3

Source: Passage, questions and answer key from Cambridge IELTS 19, Test 1, 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 | D | Deceiving others can offer an apparent opportunity to gain strategic advantage, to motivate others to action, or even to protect interpersonal bonds. |
| 28 | A | the means to correct misinformation might, over time, be found in those same patterns of mass communication |
| 29 | C | At least three observations related to misinformation in the contemporary mass-media environment warrant the attention |
| 30 | D | Such programs, although laudable and useful, do not keep false advertising off the airwaves. |
| 31 | G | it is fairly routine for individuals to come across information that is false |
| 32 | J | with conflicting predictions that only recently have been empirically tested in robust ways |
| 33 | H | then subsequently verify or reject it through a separate cognitive process |
| 34 | B | has supported Spinoza's account |
| 35 | E | even if only momentarily |
| 36 | C | physically reside in a different part of the brain |
| 37 | YES | For corrective campaigns to be persuasive, audiences need to be able to comprehend them |
| 38 | NOT GIVEN | suggests the utility of media literacy efforts as early as elementary school |
| 39 | NO | The journey forward undoubtedly will be a long and arduous one. |
| 40 | NOT GIVEN | Misinformation arises as a result of human fallibility and human information needs. |

## Why these answers are right

**27. D.** The first paragraph lists several motives for deceiving people (strategic advantage, motivating others, protecting relationships) and adds that inaccurate information is also shared by accident. Several different causes of misinformation is what option D describes.

**28. A.** After explaining that technology lets misinformation spread fast, the writer adds that 'the means to correct misinformation might, over time, be found' in the same mass communication. A possible future means of correction is a solution at some point, so A is right.

**29. C.** The fourth paragraph sets out 'three observations' about misinformation 'in the contemporary mass-media environment' that deserve attention. Listing the issues that matter in today's media is outlining which issues are significant today, which is option C.

The why and the trap for questions 30 onwards are free with an account on the [answers page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-persistence-and-peril-of-misinformation/answers).

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