The Reading Passage has nine paragraphs, A-I.
Which paragraph contains the following information?
NB You may use any letter more than once.
Roger High field reports
Readers can join a unique experiment to discover what goes on in our brains and bodies at the fairground
A. For decades, thrill-seekers have happily queued to experience a few seconds of the adrenaline-spiking, intestine-twisting thrills of roller coaster and other funfair joy rides. Nowadays, people also spend hours living out the virtual excitement of computer games.
B. An experiment will soon lay bare the science of thrills and help to build the foundation of the next generation of funfair rides and sensational computer games. Brendan Walker, a self-proclaimed ‘thrill engineer’, is curating this extraordinary venture where people can become a guinea pig. Fairground: Thrill Laboratory, at the Science Museum’s Dana Centre, will include three different rides over three weeks - the Booster, to measure the physiology of excitement and thrill; a ghost train, to measure fear and the tingle of anticipation; and Miami Trip, a gentler ride designed to explore pleasure.
C. One of the collaborators in the thrill lab is Prof Tom Rodden. Its impetus is the blurring of the boundary between the real and the digital worlds, he explained: ‘Today, trainers count footsteps, wrist watches can measure heart rate, satellites can detect where we are and, all the while, computer games are being played in the streets not just the living room, and computer accessories such as joysticks are being replaced with real-world objects such as tennis racquets. ’
D. Doctors already understand the broad effects of joy rides. As a roller coaster puts the body through weightlessness, high gravitational forces and acceleration, the brain struggles to make sense of conflicting and changing signals from the senses. There are effects on the vestibular system, located in the inner ear, that detects position and motion, and on the somatic nervous system, which controls voluntary systems in the body, such as heartbeat.
E. Added to the confusion of these signals are the messages from the eye, which may be different from those of the other systems. This can lead to peculiar effects such as the vection illusion (think of when you are stopped at a traffic light and the car next to you edges forward - you feel as though you are moving).
F. Overall the brain responds to an exhilarating ride by triggering the release of a potent cocktail of biochemicals to deal with the body’s stress, including more adrenaline (epinephrine) and norepinephrine which can suppress pain and boost the glow of euphoria that follows. The result can be pleasure but can also be nausea. Military and Nasa researchers have studied the problem for half a century, calling it ‘simulator sickness’.
G. But engineers and scientists have not figured out how to fool the senses at the same rate at the same time. They still don’t know for sure who might get sick. Meanwhile, the latest rides are pushing the boundaries of endurance. The human body cannot take much more of a G-force than the latest rollercoasters, so we need to understand more about what distinguishes a spine-tingling thrill from a gutemptying fright to ensure the experience is memorable for the right reasons.
H. At the thrill lab, volunteers will be asked to try the fairground rides while hooked up to special equipment. This includes an accelerometer that measures the G-force their body is subjected to; a measure of blood oxygen levels; measures of skin conductance (sweating) and an ECG monitor that keeps track of their heart rate.
In addition, a helmet-mounted video camera will film their expressions, from the first gasp to the last scream. As with astronauts and test pilots, information will be beamed in real time to a computer. And measurements will be displayed publicly. Aside from providing amusement for onlookers, participants can relive their terrifying experiences.
I. This study will help designers of amusement parks to squeeze more shrieks out of people by creating the illusion of imminent death, said Prof Rodden. Equally, the next generation of rides will sense when too many people feel nauseous and wind down accordingly. In short, they will be able to distinguish terror from titillation. This work will also help computer games to escape the boundaries of the Xbox and PlayStation. Steve Benford, of the mixed-reality lab at the University of Nottingham, believes that the thrill lab will help to design more immersive rides and games, ‘real-time adaptive spaces’.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | the types of rides involved in the experiment | |||||||||
| 2 | what happens chemically in the brain as a result of thrill rides | |||||||||
| 3 | the fact that the volunteers will be filmed during the rides | |||||||||
| 4 | the way the experiment will help computer game designers | |||||||||
| 5 | the impact on the human auditory system | |||||||||
| 6 | what the lab experiments will show members of the public |
AI explanationShows the answer. Tap to open.
Question Focus: Identifying where the passage lists and describes the rides used in the experiment
Why this is correct: The answer is Paragraph B because this paragraph clearly lists the rides used in the experiment and explains what each one is for. The statement asks about types of rides, and Paragraph B names them directly.
Passage Reference: An experiment will soon lay bare the science of thrills and help to build the foundation of the next generation of funfair rides and sensational computer games. Brendan Walker, a self-proclaimed 'thrill engineer', is curating this extraordinary venture where people can become a guinea pig. Fairground: Thrill Laboratory, at the Science Museum's Dana Centre, will include three different rides over three weeks - the Booster, to measure the physiology of excitement and thrill; a ghost train, to measure fear and the tingle of anticipation; and Miami Trip, a gentler ride designed to explore pleasure.
Common Mistake: Some students choose Paragraph A because it mentions roller coasters and games. This is a Wrong section trap because Paragraph A gives background, not details of the experiment.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'will include three different rides' = Statement: 'the types of rides involved in the experiment'
Tips: When a statement asks about 'types' or 'kinds', scan for lists or examples.
Key Vocabulary:
- curating = organising
- venture = project
Question Focus: Synonym match between chemical reactions and biochemicals released
Passage Reference: Overall the brain responds to an exhilarating ride by triggering the release of a potent cocktail of biochemicals to deal with the body's stress, including more adrenaline (epinephrine) and norepinephrine which can suppress pain and boost the glow of euphoria that follows. The result can be pleasure but can also be nausea. Military and Nasa researchers have studied the problem for half a century, calling it 'simulator sickness'.
Why this is correct: The answer is Paragraph F because it explains the chemical response in the brain, including the release of adrenaline and norepinephrine. This directly matches what happens chemically during thrill rides.
Common Mistake: Students sometimes choose Paragraph D because it talks about the brain. This is a Context shift trap because Paragraph D explains physical systems, not chemicals.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'release of a potent cocktail of biochemicals' = Statement: 'what happens chemically in the brain'
Tips: For 'chemically', scan for words like chemicals, hormones, or specific substances.
Key Vocabulary:
- biochemicals = brain chemicals
- suppress = reduce
Question Focus: Direct detail match about filming participants
Passage Reference: At the thrill lab, volunteers will be asked to try the fairground rides while hooked up to special equipment. This includes an accelerometer that measures the G-force their body is subjected to; a measure of blood oxygen levels; measures of skin conductance (sweating) and an ECG monitor that keeps track of their heart rate. In addition, a helmet-mounted video camera will film their expressions, from the first gasp to the last scream.
Why this is correct: The answer is Paragraph H because it clearly says the volunteers will be filmed using a helmet-mounted camera during the rides.
Common Mistake: Some students choose Paragraph B because it describes the experiment. This is a Partial truth trap because it does not mention filming.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'will film their expressions' = Statement: 'the volunteers will be filmed'
Tips: For concrete actions like filming or recording, look for equipment words.
Key Vocabulary:
- mounted = attached
- expressions = facial reactions
Question Focus: Understanding future benefits for computer games
Passage Reference: This study will help designers of amusement parks to squeeze more shrieks out of people by creating the illusion of imminent death, said Prof Rodden. Equally, the next generation of rides will sense when too many people feel nauseous and wind down accordingly. In short, they will be able to distinguish terror from titillation. This work will also help computer games to escape the boundaries of the Xbox and PlayStation. Steve Benford, of the mixed-reality lab at the University of Nottingham, believes that the thrill lab will help to design more immersive rides and games, 'real-time adaptive spaces'
Why this is correct: The answer is Paragraph I because it explains how the results will help design more immersive computer games and new gaming spaces.
Common Mistake: Students sometimes choose Paragraph C because it mentions computer games. This is a Wrong section trap because it discusses background trends, not benefits of the experiment.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'help to design more immersive rides and games' = Statement: 'the way the experiment will help computer game designers'
Tips: When a statement asks about 'help' or 'benefits', look for future results or applications.
Key Vocabulary:
- immersive = very involving
- adaptive = able to change
Question Focus: Recognising references to inner ear systems
Passage Reference: Doctors already understand the broad effects of joy rides. As a roller coaster puts the body through weightlessness, high gravitational forces and acceleration, the brain struggles to make sense of conflicting and changing signals from the senses. There are effects on the vestibular system, located in the inner ear, that detects position and motion, and on the somatic nervous system, which controls voluntary systems in the body, such as heartbeat.
Why this is correct: The answer is Paragraph D because it discusses the vestibular system in the inner ear, which is closely linked to balance and hearing. This matches the impact on the auditory system.
Common Mistake: Some students choose Paragraph E because it mentions the eye. This is a Context shift trap because it focuses on vision, not hearing.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'vestibular system, located in the inner ear' = Statement: 'human auditory system'
Tips: Auditory often links to the inner ear, not just sound.
Key Vocabulary:
- vestibular = balance-related
- auditory = related to hearing
Question Focus: Identifying public display of experiment data
Passage Reference: As with astronauts and test pilots, information will be beamed in real time to a computer. And measurements will be displayed publicly. Aside from providing amusement for onlookers, participants can relive their terrifying experiences.
Why this is correct: The answer is Paragraph H because it says the measurements will be displayed publicly, allowing members of the public to see the results.
Common Mistake: Students may choose Paragraph I because it talks about future users. This is a Wrong section trap because it does not describe public display.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'displayed publicly' = Statement: 'show members of the public'
Tips: If a statement mentions the public, scan for words like public, audience, or onlookers.
Key Vocabulary:
- displayed = shown
- onlookers = people watching
General Tips:
- Matching Features can jump around the passage - do not assume answers follow paragraph order.
- Scan for key nouns like systems, chemicals, or equipment to locate the right paragraph fast.
- The same paragraph can be used more than once - do not cross it off.
- Use the exact focus of the statement, not just the general topic.
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