IELTS Academic Reading ‘How to Spot a Liar’ Answers

The answers with explanations are given below

1 Answer: YES

Question Type: Yes/No/Not Given Questions

Answer location: Paragraph A, line 1

Answer explanation: The opening line of paragraph A mentions that “however much we may abhor it, deception comes naturally to all living things. Birds do it by feigning injury to lead hungry predators away from nesting young.” The term deception means making someone believe that is not true. Hence, we can say that deception (lying) comes naturally to animals.

2 Answer: YES

Question Type: Yes/No/Not Given Questions

Answer location: Paragraph A, last line

Answer explanation: In the reference paragraph, you can point out that “so it may come as no surprise to learn that human beings- who, according to psychologist Gerald Johnson of the University of South California, or lied to about 200 times a day, roughly one untruth every 5 minutes- often deceive for exactly the same reasons: to save their own skins or to get something they can’t get by other means.” From the term “people try to save their own skin”  we can infer that some people tell lies for self-preservation.

3 Answer: NOT GIVEN

Question Type: Yes/No/Not Given Questions

Answer location: Paragraph B, line 5

Answer explanation: In the reference paragraph you can find the information that “researchers are even programming computers – like those used on Lie Detector -to get at the truth by analyzing the same physical cues available to the naked eye and ear.” However, none of the passages provides the information that scientists have used computers to analyze which part of the brain is responsible for telling lies.

4 Answer: NO

Question Type: Yes/No/Not Given Questions

Answer location: Paragraph B, line 1

Answer explanation: Few lines in the said paragraph discuss that “but knowing how to catch deceit can be just as important a survival skill as knowing how to tell a lie and get away with it.” Hence, according to the author catching (detecting), a lie is as important as telling a lie.

5 Answer: YES

Question Type: Yes/No/Not Given Questions

Answer location: Paragraph C, line 1

Answer explanation: If you read thoroughly, a line in the said paragraph discusses that “in order to know what kind of Lies work best, successful liars need to accurately assess other people’s emotional states.” Hence, to be a successful (good) liar, one has to understand (accurately assess) other people’s emotions.

6 Answer: C

Question Type: Multiple Choice Questions

Answer location: Paragraph D, line 1

Answer explanation: A line in the said paragraph states that “even high-tech lie detectors don’t detect lies as such; they merely detect the physical cues of emotions, which may or may not correspond to what the person being tested is saying.” Hence, we can deduce that the lie detector machine detects physical cues of emotions (ones corresponding to verbal response) such as body language and tone of voice.

7 Answer: D

Question Type: Multiple Choice Questions

Answer location: Paragraph D, 2nd last line

Answer explanation: A line in the given paragraph suggests that “on the other hand, it might also mean that the lights in the television. Studio are too hot- which is one reason polygraph tests are inadmissible in court.” Lie detectors can’t be used as evidence in a court of law because studio lights are too hot which might mislead results.

8 Answer: B

Question Type: Multiple Choice Questions

Answer location: Paragraph E, line 4 and 6

Answer explanation: The answer is clearly mentioned in the said paragraph and line. You must note the paraphrasing here. In the passage, it is said that “if a patient paralyzed by stroke on one side of the face, for example, is asked to smile deliberately, only the mobile side of the mouth is raised.“ Here, the author mentions paralyzed patients to show the relation between true emotions and body behaviors. When paralyzed patients smile deliberately only the mobile side of the mouth is raised. However, when told a joke he/she breaks into full laughter. This shows how body behavior is connected with true emotions.

9 Answer: D

Question Type: Multiple Choice Questions

Answer location: Paragraph E, line 5

Answer explanation: Paragraph E suggests that “very few people -most notably, actors and politicians- are able to consciously control all of their facial expressions.” Hence, according to the author politicians can consciously control their facial expressions (mask their true feelings).

10 Answer: A

Question Type: Matching Features

Answer location: Paragraph F, line 1

Answer explanation: Paragraph F puts forward the information that “one of the most difficult facial expressions to fake- or conceal, if it’s genuinely felt – is sadness. When someone is truly sad, the forehead wrinkles with grief, and the inner corners of the eyebrows are pulled up.” According to the author, the facial expression of sadness is: forehead wrinkles with grief, and the inner corners of the eyebrows are pulled up.

11 Answer: B

Question Type: Matching Features

Answer location: Paragraph F, line 4

Answer explanation: You can note the paraphrasing here. In the passage, it states that “by contrast, the lowering of the eyebrows associated with an angry scowl can be replicated at will” Here, it implies that the facial expression of lowering of the eyebrows associated with anger.

12 Answer: C

Question Type: Matching Features

Answer location: Paragraph G, line 2

Answer explanation: If you read thoroughly, there’s a line in the said paragraph that describes  “but there’s a catch. A genuine smile affects not only the corners of the lips but also the orbicularis oculi, the muscle around the eye that produces the distinctive “crow’s feet” associated with people who laugh a lot.” Here, the muscle around the eye (lines around the eyes) infers happiness.

13 Answer: A

Question Type: Matching Features

Answer location: Paragraph F, last line

Answer explanation: The last line of paragraph F suggests that “if someone claims they are sad and the inner corners of their eyebrows don’t go up, Ekmam says, the sadness is probably false.” Here, the author claims that it is commonly believed that if lines on the eyebrows don’t go it means the person is sad.