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.'
AI explanationShows the answer. Tap to open.
Question Focus: Detail question - checking what the writer states about Benjamin Franklin
Correct Answer: A
Why this is correct: This statement is made by the writer. The passage says supporters of vegetarianism cite Benjamin Franklin, who commented that a vegetarian diet gives 'greater clearness of head'. By citing him as a vegetarian advocate, the writer treats him as a vegetarian. This is a direct reference match.
Passage Reference: 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.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'They cite Benjamin Franklin ... who said that a vegetarian diet results in...' = Option: 'Benjamin Franklin was a vegetarian'
Tips: When a person is cited as an advocate for a practice, the writer is presenting them as someone who followed it.
Key Vocabulary:
- cite = mention as an example or authority
Question Focus: Detail question - checking factual information about the study
Correct Answer: B
Passage Reference: 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).
Why this is correct: This is clearly stated in the passage. The writer says the study was published in the British Medical Journal and that a third ate chicken or fish, which means white meat and seafood. This is a synonym match.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'a third of these ate chicken or fish' = Option: 'ate white meat and seafood'
Tips: In MCQs, look for small details like numbers or examples. They often prove the correct answer.
Key Vocabulary:
- published = officially printed
- white meat = chicken or fish
Question Focus: Inference question - checking overgeneralisation
Correct Answer: C
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.
Why this is correct: Students may choose this because the passage says vegetarians were better educated. However, the option says usually vegetarians, which is a much stronger claim about the whole population. This is a Qualification trap.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'the vegetarians were better educated' = Option: 'better educated adults are usually vegetarians'
Tips: Be careful with words like usually, most, or all. They often make an option too strong.
Key Vocabulary:
- adjusting for = taking into account
Question Focus: Main idea question - summarising what the writer says about intelligence
Correct Answer: D
Passage Reference: 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.
Why this is correct: The writer does say that vegetarians are smarter and have higher IQs. Even though the writer explains it is not because of diet, the statement itself is still made. This is a direct statement match.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'vegetarians really are smarter' = Option: 'more highly developed cognitive powers'
Tips: Do not overthink cause and effect if the question only asks whether a statement is made.
Key Vocabulary:
- cognitive = related to thinking
- IQ = intelligence level
Question Focus: Causation question - checking cause and effect
Correct Answer: E
Passage Reference: 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.
Why this is correct: This is the opposite of what the passage says. The writer clearly explains that intelligence comes before vegetarianism, not the other way around. This is a Causation trap.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'not because of what they eat' = Option: 'vegetarianism increases intelligence'
Tips: Always check the direction of cause and effect. IELTS loves reversing it.
Key Vocabulary:
- increase = make higher
- cause = make something happen
General Tips:
- Multiple-answer MCQs often include strong but wrong statements. Check each option carefully.
- Only choose statements that are clearly supported by the passage, not what seems logical in real life.
- Watch for causation traps. If the passage says A happens before B, do not accept options saying B causes A.
- Strong words like 'usually' or 'increases' often signal a trap.
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