A. It's official - vegetarians really are smarter. But it is not because of what they eat. Bright children are more likely to reject meat and opt to become vegetarians when they grow up, a study has shown. Clever veggies are born not made.
B. The finding helps explain how a team of vegetarians won the BBC Test the Nation competition in September, when they beat off competition from six other teams including butchers, public school pupils and footballers' wives to achieve the highest overall IQ score.
C. The top scoring individual in the contest, Marie Bidmead, 68, a mother of five from Churcham, Gloucester, was also a vegetarian. 'I think it shows we veggies are good thinkers. We think about what we eat for a start,' she said.
D. Researchers from the University of Southampton who conducted the study agree. They suggest that vegetarians are more thoughtful about what they eat. But they say it is unclear whether bright children choose to become vegetarians for the health benefits or for other reasons, such as a concern for animals, or as a lifestyle choice.
E. The scientists began investigating the link between IQ and vegetarianism because people with higher intelligence have a lower risk of heart disease, which has long puzzled doctors.
F. A vegetarian diet is associated with a lower cholesterol level, lower blood pressure and less obesity - all risk factors for heart disease. The researchers wondered if this could explain the health advantage of having a high IQ. They cite Benjamin Franklin, the 18th-century statesman and scientist, who said that a vegetarian diet results in a 'greater clearness of head and quicker comprehension'. He may not have realised that this was because of whom was eating rather than what was eaten.
G. However, early last century doctors were less enamoured of the practice. Robert Hutchison told the British Medical Association in 1930: 'Vegetarianism is harmless enough though it is apt to fill a man with wind and self-righteousness.'
H. The study, published in the British Medical journal, was based on more than 8,000 people born in 1970 whose IQ was measured at age 10. Now aged 36, the researchers found 366, just under one in 20, said they were vegetarians (a third of these ate chicken or fish but none touched red meat).
I. As well as being brighter, the vegetarians were better educated and of higher social class but the link with intelligence remained statistically significant even after adjusting for these factors. Despite their intelligence they were not wealthier and more likely to be working for charities or in education. 'It may be that ethical considerations determined not just their diet but also their choice of employment,' the report said.
J. It concludes: 'Our finding that children with greater intelligence are more likely to report being vegetarian as adults, coupled with the evidence on the potential health benefits of a vegetarian diet, may help to explain why higher IQ in childhood or adolescence is linked with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease in adult life.'
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vegetarians think more carefully about what they eat, but research has not established the reason why intelligent children choose to become vegetarians. | ||||||||||
| 2 | Clever children often become vegetarian adults, which may be the reason why fewer intelligent people suffer from heart disease. | ||||||||||
| 3 | The health advantages of vegetarianism may include reduced cholesterol levels and lower blood pressure. | ||||||||||
| 4 | Because intelligent people suffer less from coronary disease, researchers have been investigating whether there is a connection between vegetarianism and intelligence. | ||||||||||
| 5 | Although vegetarians tend to be more educated, they are not necessarily better off materially. |
AI explanationShows the answer. Tap to open.
Question Focus: Synonym match - 'think more carefully' = 'more thoughtful', and 'has not established the reason' = 'it is unclear whether'
Why this is correct: The answer is Paragraph D because it clearly says vegetarians are more thoughtful about what they eat, and also explains that researchers do not know exactly why intelligent children become vegetarians. Both parts of the statement are covered in this paragraph.
Passage Reference: Researchers from the University of Southampton who conducted the study agree. They suggest that vegetarians are more thoughtful about what they eat. But they say it is unclear whether bright children choose to become vegetarians for the health benefits or for other reasons, such as a concern for animals, or as a lifestyle choice. E.
Common Mistake: Some students choose Paragraph C because it mentions thinking about food. This is a Partial truth trap. Paragraph C is one person's opinion, not research evidence, and it does not say the reason is unclear.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'more thoughtful about what they eat' = Statement: 'think more carefully about what they eat'
Tips: Look for research language like 'researchers suggest' or 'it is unclear' when the statement talks about scientific uncertainty.
Key Vocabulary:
- thoughtful = careful
- unclear = not known
Question Focus: Causation link - childhood intelligence, vegetarianism, and reduced heart disease risk
Passage Reference: It concludes: 'Our finding that children with greater intelligence are more likely to report being vegetarian as adults, coupled with the evidence on the potential health benefits of a vegetarian diet, may help to explain why higher IQ in childhood or adolescence is linked with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease in adult life.
Why this is correct: The answer is Paragraph J because it connects intelligent children, becoming vegetarian adults, and having a reduced risk of heart disease. This paragraph brings all these ideas together as a possible explanation.
Common Mistake: Some students choose Paragraph E because it mentions heart disease. This is a Context shift trap. Paragraph E explains why researchers started the study, not the conclusion linking intelligence, diet, and disease.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'children with greater intelligence are more likely to report being vegetarian as adults' = Statement: 'Clever children often become vegetarian adults'
Tips: When a statement sounds like a summary or conclusion, check the final paragraphs of the passage.
Key Vocabulary:
- concludes = finishes by saying
- coronary = related to the heart
Question Focus: Direct detail match - listing specific health benefits
Passage Reference: A vegetarian diet is associated with a lower cholesterol level, lower blood pressure and less obesity - all risk factors for heart disease.
Why this is correct: The answer is Paragraph F because it directly lists lower cholesterol and lower blood pressure as health benefits of a vegetarian diet. These are exactly the advantages mentioned in the statement.
Common Mistake: Some students choose Paragraph J because it talks about health benefits. This is a Wrong section trap. Paragraph J summarises ideas, but the detailed health advantages are explained in Paragraph F.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'lower cholesterol level, lower blood pressure' = Statement: 'reduced cholesterol levels and lower blood pressure'
Tips: For questions asking about specific details, scan for lists and examples in the passage.
Key Vocabulary:
- associated with = linked to
- risk factors = things that increase danger
Question Focus: Causation explanation - reason for starting the research
Passage Reference: The scientists began investigating the link between IQ and vegetarianism because people with higher intelligence have a lower risk of heart disease, which has long puzzled doctors. F.
Why this is correct: The answer is Paragraph E because it explains why the research started. It says researchers investigated the link because intelligent people have a lower risk of heart disease, which confused doctors.
Common Mistake: Some students choose Paragraph F because it talks about heart disease. This is a Causation trap. Paragraph F explains health factors, not the reason researchers began the study.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'began investigating the link between IQ and vegetarianism' = Statement: 'researchers have been investigating whether there is a connection'
Tips: When the statement asks about reasons or causes, look for phrases like 'because' or 'began investigating'.
Key Vocabulary:
- investigating = studying
- puzzled = confused
Question Focus: Contrast match - education versus wealth
Passage Reference: As well as being brighter, the vegetarians were better educated and of higher social class but the link with intelligence remained statistically significant even after adjusting for these factors. Despite their intelligence they were not wealthier and more likely to be working for charities or in education.
Why this is correct: The answer is Paragraph I because it says vegetarians are better educated, but not wealthier. This matches the contrast in the statement exactly.
Common Mistake: Some students choose Paragraph H because it gives statistics about vegetarians. This is a Wrong section trap. Paragraph H describes the study group, not education or wealth.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'better educated ... not wealthier' = Statement: 'more educated ... not necessarily better off materially'
Tips: Watch for contrast words like 'although' and 'despite' and match both sides of the idea.
Key Vocabulary:
- wealthier = richer
- materially = financially
General Tips:
- Matching Features questions can jump around the passage - do not expect answers to be in order.
- Scan paragraph by paragraph and match the main idea, not just single words.
- Pay attention to cause and result language like 'because', 'may help explain', or 'began investigating'.
- Always match every part of the statement - if one detail is missing, it is the wrong paragraph.
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