The Art of Gift-Giving Reading Answers

The passage, ‘The Art of Gift-Giving Reading Answers’ comprises a part of an IELTS General reading test.

The Reading Module can be the top-scoring category for IELTS aspirants, with diligent practice. To score well, you must understand how to approach and answer the different question types in the Reading Module.

Ideally, you should not spend more than 20 minutes on a passage. You must scan the material for important terms, comprehend the subject, and then respond in accordance with the instructions. Also, read the IELTS reading passage, The Art of Gift-Giving, pick out significant words, and recognise synonyms in order to provide a one-word response.

So, let’s see how easy this passage is for you and if you’re able to make it in 20 minutes. If not, try more IELTS reading practice tests from IELTSMaterial.com.

The type of question found in this passage is:

• Matching Headings (Q. 15-21)

Before you begin to solve this passage, here are a few tips in the video below from one of our IELTS experts who has faced the exam herself!

Section 2 – Passage 2

The Art of Gift-Giving 

A Anticipation builds, the wrapping paper is ripped off in happy expectation… And then, our enthusiasm takes a down-turn as we extricate a jokey Christmas pullover, a pair of woolen socks or a knitted tea-cosy. Yes, we have all been there. However, recent scientific research on how to give the ideal gift could be set to change all that.

B Yale researcher Novemsky, claims to have singled out the factor that determines if a gift will be well received or not. Perceived ease of use is apparently paramount in the eyes of the recipient. A non-user-friendly gift will therefore lead to disappointment, however expensive the actual gift might have been.

C Another tip for successful gift-giving is to avoid giving unsolicited presents. We often try to second-guess the would-be recipient’s taste, believing our personal effort will be appreciated. But this invariably results in disappointment for the recipient of the gift. Far better a gift that has actually been explicitly requested by the recipient than one chosen by the giver, according to a study conducted by researchers Francis Flynn and Francesca Gina (Journal of Experimental and Social Psychology 2011). So, best to save fruitless hours spent trawling the internet for gifts or pounding the high streets in vain and just be direct: ask the recipient what they want, then give it to them; simple as that!

D A further tip which flies in the face of conventional thinking with regard to present-giving, is to err on the side of frugality. In accordance with a 2014 study by Flynn and Gabriella Adams, the receiver’s happiness was not found to be directly proportional to the money spent on a gift. In the study, recipients were given cheaper and more expensive versions of a variety of items; ranging from an iPad to jewellery, wine and books. In all case, the costlier gift was not valued more than the cheaper option. The thought, therefore, really does count.

E An interesting extension to this study, is that this finding holds true for one of the most expensive and status-conscious gifts: that engagement ring. Whilst diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, as the saying goes, they do not necessarily have to be top-to-the-range to win a girl’s heart. Cheaper alternatives are just as valued as their costlier counterparts.

F If you have successfully negotiated the mine-field of present-buying, then you still aren’t home and dry yet. Another hurdle has yet to be overcome: present wrapping. Failure to appropriately wrap a present can undo all the effort you have put into buying the gift so far. A perfectly wrapped present is always more welcome than a hastily wrapped one; unless the gift is markedly less attractive than its outward wrapping, as found by Novemsky and Yelo colleague, Ravi Dhar, since this creates a dissonance between the anticipated and real worth of a gift.

G Should all the above advise seem bewildering, then never fear. According to the 2011 study by Flynn and Francesca Gina, gift recipients are more than happy to receive cash in place of an actual gift.

Questions 15-21

List of Headings

i. Money can buy happiness

ii. It’s what is inside, that counts more

iii. Recipients of gifts are rarely grateful

iv. A familiar feeling

v. Practicality is the key

vi. It is better to give than to receive

vii. Romance need not come at a price

viii. Present-giving has become more challenging

ix. Recipients value inexpensive gifts and pricey gadgets alike

x. Don’t waste time and energy

15 Section A

16 Section B

17 Section C

18 Section D

19 Section E

20 Section F

21 Section G

Answers with Explanation

15 Answer: iv

Question type: Matching Heading

Answer location: Paragraph A

Answer explanation: The sentence in the first paragraph – Yes, we have all been there. – after listing a number of common gifts shows that the receiver is not happy to receive and already has them. Hence, the answer is iv (A familiar feeling).

16 Answer: v

Question type: Matching Heading

Answer location: Paragraph B

Answer explanation: In the mentioned paragraph, it is stated that “Perceived ease of use is apparently paramount in the eyes of the recipient.”. It can be pointed out that user-friendliness or the practical use of the gift item is one of the key factors to decide on a gift for a person or it will not be accepted irrespective of the price. Hence, the answer is v (Practicality is the key).

17 Answer: x

Question type: Matching Heading

Answer location: Paragraph C

Answer explanation: Through lines like, “So, best to save fruitless hours spent trawling the internet for gifts or pounding the high streets in vain and just be direct: ask the recipient what they want, then give it to them; simple as that!”, the writer summarizes the idea of the paragraph that is not to waste time and energy deciding on a gift by yourself when you ask what they want and buy it. Hence, the answer is x (Don’t waste time and energy).

18 Answer: ix

Question type: Matching Heading

Answer location: Paragraph D

Answer explanation: In the mentioned section, it is stated that “In accordance with a 2014 study by Flynn and Gabriella Adams, the receiver’s happiness was not found to be directly proportional to the money spent on a gift. In the study, recipients were given cheaper and more expensive versions of a variety of items; ranging from an iPad to jewellery, wine and books.”.  Based on this reference, it can be concluded that the price of the gift does not matter as much as the thought behind it. Hence, the answer is ix (Recipients value inexpensive gifts and pricey gadgets alike).

19 Answer: vii

Question type: Matching Heading

Answer location: Paragraph E

Answer explanation: In Paragraph E, it is said that “Whilst diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, as the saying goes, they do not necessarily have to be top-to-the-range to win a girl’s heart. Cheaper alternatives are just as valued as their costlier counterparts.”. This points out that romance, especially when it comes to an engagement ring, the price is not so important as less costly alternatives of diamonds are lovingly accepted. Hence, the answer is vii (Romance need not come at a price).

20 Answer: ii

Question type: Matching Heading

Answer location: Paragraph F

Answer explanation: The following lines –A perfectly wrapped present is always more welcome than a hastily wrapped one; unless the gift is markedly less attractive than its outward wrapping…– establishes the fact that an improperly wrapped gift is only welcome if the gift inside is more important and attractive than the cover. Hence, the answer is ii (It’s what is inside, that counts more).

21 Answer: i

Question type: Matching Heading

Answer location: Paragraph G

Answer explanation: In the last paragraph, it is mentioned that “According to the 2011 study by Flynn and Francesca Gina, gift recipients are more than happy to receive cash in place of an actual gift.”. In other words, it can be said that in most cases, as found in the study, people are more happy to receive cash than gifts. Hence, the answer is i (Money can buy happiness).