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Cambridge 16 Academic Reading Test Two Passage Three
How to make wise decisions
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
27. What point does the writer make in the first paragraph?
The answer is B. > A basic assumption about wisdom may be wrong.
In paragraph one, although the truly wise may seem few and far between, empirical research examining wisdom suggests that it isn’t an exceptional trait possessed by a small handful of bearded philosophers after all, in fact, the latest studies suggest that most of us have the ability to make decisions, given the right context.
28. What does Igor Grossmann suggest about the ability to make decisions?
The answer is C. > The importance of certain influences on it was underestimated.
In paragraph two, it appears that experiential, situational, and cultural factors are even more powerful in shaping wisdom than previously imagined.
29. According to the third paragraph, Grossmann claims that the level of wisdom an individual shows
The answer is B. > will be different circumstances
In paragraph three, it is impossible to characterize thought processes attributed to wisdom without considering the role of contextual factors.
30. What is described in the fifth paragraph?
The answer is C. > a recommended strategy that can help people to reason wisely
In paragraph five, Grossmann and his colleagues have also found that one of the most reliable ways to support wisdom in our own day-to-day decisions is to look at scenarios from a third-party perspective, as though giving advice to a friend.
Complete the summary using the list of words, A–J.
The characteristics of wise reasoning
31 and 32. It is important to have a certain degree of ….. regarding the extent of our knowledge, and to take into account …… which may not be the same as our own.
31. The answer is D > MODESTY
32. The answer is A. > OPINIONS
In paragraph four, one is intellectual humility or recognition of the limits of our own knowledge, and another is appreciation of perspectives wider than the issue at hand.
33. We should also be able to take a broad …. of any situation.
The answer is C. > VIEW
In paragraph five, research suggests that when adopting a first-person viewpoint we focus on ‘the focal features’ and when we adopt a third-person, ‘observer’ viewpoint we reason more broadly and focus more on interpersonal and moral ideals such as justice and impartiality.
34. Grossmann also believes that it is better to regard scenarios with
The answer is F. > OBJECTIVITY
In paragraph five, research suggests that when adopting a first-person viewpoint we focus on ‘the focal features’ and when we adopt a third-person, ‘observer’ viewpoint we reason more broadly and focus more on interpersonal and moral ideals such as justice and impartiality.
35. By avoiding the first-person perspectives, we focus more on …… and on the other moral ideals, which in turn leads to wiser decision-making.
The answer is G. > FAIRNESS
In paragraph five, research suggests that when adopting a first-person viewpoint we focus on ‘the focal features’ and when we adopt a third-person, ‘observer’ viewpoint we reason more broadly and focus more on interpersonal and moral ideals such as justice and impartiality.
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 3?
Write TRUE, FALSE, or NOT GIVEN.
36. Students participating in the job prospects experiment could choose one of two perspectives to take.
The answer is FALSE.
In paragraph seven, the students were instructed to imagine their career either ‘as if you were a distant observer’ or ‘before your own eyes as if you were right there’.
37. Participants in the couples experiment were aware that they were taking part in a study about wise reasoning.
The answer is NOT GIVEN.
In paragraph eight, in another study, couples in long-term romantic relationships were instructed to visualize an unresolved relationship conflict either through the eyes of an outsider or from their own perspective.
38. In the couples experiments, the length of the couples’ relationships had an impact on the results.
The answer is NOT GIVEN.
In paragraph eight, in another study, couples in long-term romantic relationships were instructed to visualize an unresolved relationship conflict either through the eyes of an outsider or from their own perspective.
39. In both experiments, the participants who looked at the situation from a more detached viewpoint tended to make wiser decisions.
The answer is TRUE.
In paragraph seven, participants in the group assigned to the ‘distant observer’ role displayed more wisdom-related reasoning (intellectual humility and recognition of change) than did participants in the control group.
In paragraph eight, couples in the ‘other’s eyes’ condition were significantly more likely to rely on wise reasoning, recognizing others’ perspectives and searching for a compromise, compared to the couples in the egocentric condition.
40. Grossmann believes that a person’s wisdom is determined by their intelligence to only a very extent.
The answer is TRUE.
In paragraph ten, research shows only a small positive relationship between wise thinking and crystallized intelligence and the personality traits of openness and agreeableness.