Unmasking Skin IELTS Reading Answers

Single-passage practice helps you build endurance slowly. Once you handle one passage like ‘Unmasking Skin IELTS Reading Answers’ confidently, you can progress to two and eventually to full-length IELTS Reading practice tests without burnout or frustration. 

Solve the questions with the passage ‘Unmasking Skin Reading Answers’, check your answers against the provided location and explanations, and improve your performance in the reading module with the help of the given tips.

Passage for Unmasking Skin IELTS Reading Answers

You can review the passage for 'Unmasking Skin' presented below to prepare for the IELTS Reading section.

Unmasking Skin

A If you took off your skin and laid it flat, it would cover an area of about twenty-one square feet, making it by far the body's largest organ. Draped in place over our bodies, skin forms the barrier between what's inside us and what's outside. It protects us from a multitude of external forces. It serves as an avenue to our most intimate physical and psychological selves.

B This impervious yet permeable barrier, less than a millimetre thick in places, is composed of three layers. The outermost layer is the bloodless epidermis. The dermis includes collagen, elastin, and nerve endings. The innermost layer, subcutaneous fat, contains tissue that acts as an energy source, cushion and insulator for the body.

C From these familiar characteristics of skin emerge the profound mysteries of touch, arguably our most essential source of sensory stimulation. We can live without seeing or hearing – in fact, without any of our other senses. But babies born without effective nerve connections between skin and brain can fail to thrive and may even die.

D Laboratory experiments decades ago, now considered unethical and inhumane, kept baby monkeys from being touched by their mothers. It made no difference that the babies could see, hear and smell their mothers; without touching, the babies became apathetic, and failed to progress.

E For humans, insufficient touching in early years can have lifelong results. "In touching cultures, adult aggression is low, whereas, in cultures where touch is limited, adult aggression is high," writes Tiffany Field, director of the Touch Research Institutes at the University of Miami School of Medicine. Studies of a variety of cultures show a correspondence between high rates of physical affection in childhood and low rates of adult physical violence.

F While the effects of touching are easy to understand, the mechanics of it are less so. "Your skin has millions of nerve cells of various shapes at different depths," explains Stanley Bolanowski, a neuroscientist and associate director of the Institute for Sensory Research at Syracuse University. "When the nerve cells are stimulated, physical energy is transformed into energy used by the nervous system and passed from the skin to the spinal cord and brain. It's called transduction, and no one knows exactly how it takes place." Suffice it to say that the process involves the intricate, split-second operation of a complex system of signals between neurons in the skin and brain.

G This is starting to sound very confusing until Bolanowski says: "In simple terms, people perceive three basic things via skin: pressure, temperature, and pain." And then I'm sure he's wrong. "When I get wet, my skin feels wet," I protest. "Close your eyes and lean back," says Bolanowski.

H Something cold and wet is on my forehead – so wet, in fact, that I wait for water to start dripping down my cheeks. "Open your eyes." Bolanowski says, showing me that the sensation comes from a chilled, but dry, metal cylinder. The combination of pressure and cold, he explains, is what makes my skin perceive wetness. He gives me a surgical glove to put on and has me put a finger in a glass of cold water. My finger feels wet, even though I have visual proof that it's not touching water. My skin, which seemed so reliable, has been deceiving me my entire life. When I shower or wash my hands, I now realize, my skin feels pressure and temperature. It's my brain that says I feel wet.

I Perceptions of pressure, temperature and pain manifest themselves in many different ways. Gentle stimulation of pressure receptors can result in ticklishness; gentle stimulation of pain receptors, in itching. Both sensations arise from a neurological transmission, not from something that physically exists. Skin, I'm realizing, is under constant assault, both from within the body and from forces outside. Repairs occur with varying success.

J Take the spot where I nicked myself with a knife while slicing fruit. I have a crusty scab surrounded by pink tissue about a quarter inch long on my right palm. Under the scab, epidermal cells are migrating into the wound to close it up. When the process is complete, the scab will fall off to reveal new epidermis. It's only been a few days, but my little self-repair is almost complete. Likewise, we recover quickly from slight burns. If you ever happen to touch a hot burner, just put your finger in cold water. The chances are you will have no blister, little pain and no scar. Severe burns, though, are a different matter.

Questions for Unmasking Skin Reading Answers

The Academic passage, Unmasking Skin, consists of 14 questions that present four different IELTS Reading question types. They are:

• IELTS Reading Matching Information (Q. 1-4)
• IELTS Reading Multiple Choice Questions (Q. 5-6)
• IELTS Reading Matching Endings (Q. 7-11)
• IELTS Reading True False Not Given (Q. 12-14)

Questions 1-4

1 the features of human skin, on and below the surface

2 an experiment in which the writer can see what is happening

3 advice on how you can avoid damage to the skin

4 cruel research methods used in the past

Questions 5-6

5 How does a lack of affectionate touching affect children?

A It makes them apathetic.

B They are more likely to become violent adults.

C They will be less aggressive when they grow up.

D We do not really know.

6 After the ‘wetness’ experiments, the writer says that

A his skin is not normal.

B his skin was wet when it felt wet.

B he knew why it felt wet when it was dry.

D the experiments taught him nothing new.

Questions 7-11

7 Touch is unique among the five senses

8 A substance may feel wet

9 Something may tickle

10 The skin may itch

11 A small cut heals up quickly

Questions 12-14

12 Even scientists have difficulty understanding how our sense of touch works.

13 The skin is more sensitive to pressure than to temperature or pain.

14 The human skin is always good at repairing itself. 

Answers and Explanations of the Unmasking Skin IELTS Reading Passage

Check the explanations for the Unmasking Skin reading passage questions above to improve your problem-solving skills and boost your IELTS band score.

1 Answer: B

Question Type: Matching Information

Answer location: Paragraph B, line 2

Answer explanation: Paragraph B mentions that the ‘impervious yet permeable barrier’ (human skin) is less than a millimetre thick in places and is composed of three layers. The ‘outermost layer’ (on the surface) is the ‘bloodless epidermis’. The ‘dermis includes collagen, elastin, and nerve endings’. The ‘innermost layer’ (below the surface), ‘subcutaneous fat, contains tissue that acts as an energy source, cushion and insulator for the body’. Hence, the answer is B.

2 Answer: H

Question Type: Matching Information

Answer location: Paragraph H, line 5

Answer explanation: In paragraph H, the writer explains the experiment where he can see what is happening -something cold and wet is on my forehead – so wet, in fact, that I wait for water to start dripping down my cheeks. “Open your eyes.” Bolanowski says, showing me that the sensation comes from a chilled, but dry, metal cylinder. The combination of pressure and cold, he explains, is what makes my skin perceive wetness. He gives me a surgical glove to put on and has me put a finger in a glass of cold water. My finger feels wet, even though I have visual proof that it’s not touching water. My skin, which seemed so reliable, has been deceiving me my entire life. When I shower or wash my hands, I now realize, my skin feels pressure and temperature. It’s my brain that says I feel wet.’. Hence, the answer is H.

3 Answer: J

Question Type: Matching Information

Answer location: Paragraph J, last line

Answer explanation: At the end of paragraph J, it is given that if you ever happen to ‘touch a hot burner’ , just ‘put your finger in cold water’ (advice). The chances are ‘you will have no blister, little pain and no scar’ (avoid damage to skin). Hence, the answer is J.

4 Answer: D

Question Type: Matching Information

Answer location: Paragraph D, line 1

Answer explanation: In the first sentence of paragraph D, it is mentioned that laboratory experiments ‘decades ago’ (in the past), now considered ‘unethical and inhumane’ (cruel), ‘kept baby monkeys from being touched by their mothers’ (research method). Hence, the answer is D.

5 Answer: B

Question Type: Multiple Choice Questions

Answer location: Paragraph E, line 1

Answer explanation: Paragraph E states that for ‘humans’, ‘insufficient touching in early years’ can have lifelong results. “In touching cultures, adult aggression is low, whereas, in cultures where ‘touch is limited’ (lack of affectionate touching), ‘adult aggression is high’ (violent adults),” writes Tiffany Field, director of the Touch Research Institutes at the University of Miami School of Medicine. Hence, the answer is B (They are more likely to become violent adults).

6 Answer: C

Question Type: Multiple Choice Questions

Answer location: Paragraph H, line 6

Answer explanation: Paragraph H explains the wetness experiment and relates that something cold and wet is on the forehead – “so wet, in fact, that I wait for water to start dripping down my cheeks.” “Open your eyes.” Bolanowski says, showing me that the sensation comes from a chilled, but dry, metal cylinder. The combination of pressure and cold, he explains, is what makes my skin perceive wetness. He gives me a surgical glove to put on and has me put a finger in a glass of cold water. My ‘finger feels wet’, even ‘though I have visual proof that it’s not touching water’ (dry). Hence, the answer is C (he knew why it felt wet when it was dry).

7 Answer: E

Question Type: Matching sentence endings

Answer location: Paragraph C, line 1

Answer explanation: Paragraph C informs that from these familiar characteristics of skin emerge the profound mysteries of ‘touch’, arguably our ‘most essential source of sensory stimulation’. We can ‘live without seeing or hearing’ – in fact, ‘without any of our other senses’. But ‘babies born without effective nerve connections’ between skin and brain can ‘fail to thrive and may even die’. Hence, the answer is E (because we do not need the others to survive).

8 Answer: H

Question Type: Matching sentence endings

Answer location: Paragraph H, line 4

Answer explanation: Paragraph H points out that the ‘combination of pressure and cold’ is what ‘makes my skin perceive wetness’. Hence, the answer is H (because there is a low temperature and pressure).

9 Answer: D

Question Type: Matching sentence endings

Answer location: Paragraph I, line 1

Answer explanation: Paragraph I discusses that ‘perceptions of pressure, temperature and pain’ manifest themselves in many different ways. ‘Gentle stimulation’ (light) ‘of pressure receptors’ can ‘result in ticklishness’. Hence, the answer is D (because there is light pressure on the skin).

10 Answer: G

Question Type: Matching sentence endings

Answer location: Paragraph I, line 2

Answer explanation: Paragraph I reports that perceptions of pressure, temperature and pain manifest themselves in many different ways. ‘Gentle stimulation of pain’ receptors may result in ‘itching’. Hence, the answer is G (because of a small amount of pain).

11 Answer: B

Question Type: Matching sentence endings

Answer location: Paragraph J, line 2

Answer explanation: In paragraph J, the writer gives an example that he has a crusty scab surrounded by pink tissue about a quarter inch long on his right palm. Under the scab, ‘epidermal cells’ (outer layer) are migrating into the wound’ to ‘close it up’ (mend itself). Hence, the answer is B (because the outer layer of the skin can mend itself).

12 Answer: TRUE

Question Type: True/False/Not Given Questions

Answer location: Paragraph F, line 2

Answer explanation: Paragraph F mentions that while the ‘effects of touching are easy to understand’, the ‘mechanics of it are less so’ (difficulty in understanding). “Your skin has millions of nerve cells of various shapes at different depths,” explains ‘Stanley Bolanowski, a neuroscientist and associate director of the Institute for Sensory Research at Syracuse University’. “When the nerve cells are stimulated, physical energy is transformed into energy used by the nervous system and passed from the skin to the spinal cord and brain. It’s called transduction, and ‘no one knows exactly how it takes place’.”. As the statement given agrees with the piece of information, the answer is TRUE.

13 Answer: NOT GIVEN

Question Type: True/False/Not Given Questions

Answer location: Paragraph G, line 1

Answer explanation: In paragraph G, it is pointed out that Bolanowski says: “In simple terms, people perceive three basic things via skin: pressure, temperature, and pain.“. In the passage, there is a mention of what are the three things that skin is sensitive to, but there is no comparison among the three. Hence, the answer is NOT GIVEN.

14 Answer: FALSE

Question Type: True/False/Not Given Questions

Answer location: Paragraph I, last line

Answer explanation: Paragraph I mentions that ‘skin is under constant assault’, both from within the body and from forces outside. ‘Repairs occur with varying success’ (repair may not be successful sometimes). Moreover, it is added in paragraph J that if you ever happen to touch a hot burner, just put your finger in cold water. The chances are you will have no blister, little pain and no scar. ‘Severe burns, though, are a different matter’ (small burns and cuts may repair properly but severe burns may not be repaired easily). So, it can be concluded from the two instances from the passage that the human skin is not ‘always’ good at repairing itself. As the statement given contradicts the piece of information, the answer is FALSE.

How to Solve the Question Types in the ‘Unmasking Skin’ Reading Passage?

Now, let’s check out some IELTS exam preparation tips for achieving a band score of 8+ for each question type in the Unmasking Skin Reading Answers. This will help you learn how to approach each question type effectively.

Matching Information

• First, read all the questions before reading the passage so you know what kind of information you are looking for (e.g., experiments, advice, historical research).
• Identify the key idea, not keywords. For example, “features of human skin, on and below the surface” refers to structure and layers, not just the word skin.
• Scan the passage paragraph by paragraph and label each paragraph mentally (e.g. structure, experiment, advice, history).
• Remember that one paragraph can contain more than one idea, but each question matches only one paragraph.
• Do not choose a paragraph just because it mentions the same words; choose it only if it directly addresses the idea in the question.
• Do not assume the information must be in the first or last paragraph. Matching questions often require careful scanning of the entire passage.

Multiple Choice Questions

• Read the question carefully and underline what is being asked, especially words like ‘how’, ‘why’, or ‘after’.
• Before looking at the options, find the relevant part of the passage and understand the meaning in your own words.
• Read all four options and eliminate clearly incorrect choices first.
• Choose the option that matches the passage exactly, not the one that sounds logical or extreme.
• Be careful with options that overgeneralise or add information not stated in the text.
• Do not rely on your own opinion or general knowledge. MCQs in IELTS are 100% text-based.

Matching Sentence Endings

• Read the beginning of each sentence and predict the kind of explanation it needs (cause, result, reason).
• Identify the main idea of the sentence stem before checking the options.
• Scan the relevant paragraph for cause–effect language such as ‘because’, ‘results in’, ‘leads to’.
• Match the sentence ending that completes both the meaning and the grammar.
• Check that the completed sentence makes logical sense as a whole, not just partially.
• Do not match only on shared words like pain or pressure. Always match the full idea, not isolated vocabulary.

True/False/Not Given

• Identify whether the statement is testing a fact, comparison, or absolute claim (e.g., always, never).
• Locate the exact paragraph where the topic is discussed.
• Compare the statement directly with the passage:
• Choose TRUE if the passage clearly agrees.
• Choose FALSE if the passage clearly contradicts it.
• Choose NOT GIVEN if the passage mentions the topic but does not answer the statement directly.
• Be especially cautious with words like ‘always’, ‘more than’, or ‘better than’.
• Do not choose FALSE just because the passage gives different information. If the specific claim is not addressed, the answer is NOT GIVEN.

To conclude, reading passages, such as Unmasking Skin IELTS Reading Answers, are crucial. They help you to increase your reading speed, which will make it easier to pinpoint the areas where you struggle, ultimately allowing you to better answer the diverse types of questions that are utilized to assess your understanding of reading comprehension. So, take up more IELTS Reading Topics for General and Academic and be prepared to achieve your desired reading band score.

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