CAE Reading and Use of English Part 8
You are going to read an article about the science of flavour. For questions 47–56, choose from the sections (A – D). The sections may be chosen more than once.
In which section does the writer …
47. mention that people are tempted to purchase certain foods without realising why? __
48. give an instance of flavour being suppressed? __
49. define what a term means in a specific context? __
50. say some effects cannot yet be fully explained? __
51. give a physical explanation for a close connection? __
52. emphasise how long a prejudice has existed? __
53. assert that there are multiple benefits to recent findings about taste? __
54. say that the ability to perceive a wide range of tastes is increasingly being acknowledged? __
55. claim people make an effort to acquire a liking for something? __
56. say few people used to be interested in examining the senses associated with taste? __
The science of flavour
A
Oxford psychologist Charles Spence has spent many years discovering that little of how we experience flavour is to do with the taste buds in our mouths. In fact smell, vision, touch and even sound dictate how we perceive flavours. When Spence started studying the sensory science behind flavour perception, it was a deeply unfashionable subject. He says that from ancient times, there was a notion that the senses involved in eating and drinking were less sophisticated than those of hearing and vision. Now, no one questions the validity of the research field he calls ‘gastrophysics’. Spence heads the Crossmodal Research Laboratory at the University of Oxford. ‘Crossmodal’, here, is the investigation of how all the senses interact. Although we rarely realise it, when it comes to flavour perception, we all have synaesthesia. That is, our senses intermingle so that our brains combine shapes, textures, colours and even sounds with corresponding tastes.
B
Take a perfectly ripe strawberry: scarlet, heart-shaped and neatly dimpled with seeds. Red and roundness are psychological cues for sweetness. The smell conjures memories we associate with the fruit – summer picnics, say, and the positive feelings that go with them. Freshness is felt in the first bite: the subtle crunch confirms it, even before we taste the juice. But if you’ve ever experienced the blandness of eating a strawberry while holding your nose, you’ll believe the oft-quoted statistic that flavour is 80% down to smell. In reality, it’s impossible to quantify precisely just how much flavour is delivered through the nose, but it is certainly more influential than the limited number of tastes our tongues pick up: sweet, sour, savoury ( otherwise known by the Japanese term, umami), salt and bitter. There’s a growing acceptance that we can also detect less obvious tastes such as metallic, fat, carbonation, water and calcium, among others.
C
Furthermore, aroma is bound up with memory and emotion. ‘The nerves relating to smell go directly to the amygdalae,’ says Avery Gilbert, a world authority on smell. ‘These are areas of the brain involved in emotional response – fight or flight, positive and negative emotion.’ This is why food and nostalgia are so entwined: the brain has paired the aroma with the experience. Flavour preferences are learned by positive associations (a great holiday), or negative ones (feeling unwell). On the flipside, while salt and sugar appreciation is hard-wired, we learn to love the bitterness of coffee through sheer force of will (wanting to be grown up). Research findings about the effects of colour, shape, touch sensations and sound on flavour have triggered a trend for sensory seasoning. Want to intensify sweetness? Use a red light bulb, make the food round rather than angular, or play high-pitched music – all of the above have increased the perception of sweetness in studies. The sounds of crinkly packaging, and crunchy food, increase perception of freshness. Want more savoury? Put some low-pitched music on.
D
When it comes to dinnerware, the heavier it is, the more viscous, creamy and expensive the food served is perceived to be. And if you hold the bowl while eating, you’ll feel fuller, sooner. There’s little evidence as to why this is the case, but ingrained associations are often suggested. Young people associate blue with raspberry-flavoured drinks. Red often signifies ripeness in nature. It feels intuitively right that jagged shapes and sounds would go with bitterness, whereas sweet is comfortably round. Big food brands use these associations to surreptitiously increase appeal. Meanwhile, chefs love them because they heighten the senses. ‘Cooking is probably the most multisensual art. I try to stimulate all the senses,’ renowned Spanish chef Ferran Adria has said. However, it isn’t only big chefs and the food industry who can put the science to use. It can demystify appetite and flavour for everyone, inform and inspire us to eat well, while offering a window into the bigger picture of how our senses and minds work
Answer Keys
Part 1
1 D – running out of. The explorers simply have fewer and fewer unknown regions to go to. ‘Falling short of’ means failing to live up to certain expectations. If you miss out on something, you do not get to benefit from some opportunity. Cutting down on is deliberately reducing the amount of something.
2 C – occurrence. Choosing between ‘occurrence’ and ‘instance’ is mostly a matter of collocating here, with the former working better in the meaning of something, that doesn’t happen often. When something is an episode, then it is implied that it is a regular thing happening over even intervals of time. An undertaking is an action, especially one that is difficult or requires careful planning.
3 A – plunged. The verb we need here is one that shows moving down – the context suggests that the boat moved down the waterfall. To plunge means to dive down into something rapidly. ‘Dashed’ and ‘flung’ just imply a quick, sudden motion.
4 C – extensive. Here we have another case of words that work well together. ‘Extensive’ is the only option that collocates with ‘damage’. Extensive damage means both the degree and the number of damaged things. ‘Ample’ is normally associated with something positive.
5 A – bring. When you bring something up to date, you update the information on it so that it accurately reflects its current state. For instance, if we bring a map up to date, it means we mark on it the latest changes that took place recently.
6 B – density. Population density is a scientific (or, to be more precise, geopolitical) term that reflects how habitable a particular area is. Bigger cities naturally have higher population density, whereas rural areas show much lower population density figures.
7 D – acknowledged. To acknowledge some fact means to accept that it is true. Here they acknowledge that the discovery made is not as grand as those of the past, but it still represents a fair amount of scientific interest. To disclose something is to make previously secret information known. To declare is to announce something, especially in front of an audience.
8 C – magnitude. Naturally, here we need a phrase that focuses on the importance of the discovery rather than its literal size. The remaining three words mostly mean the size rather than how crucial it is.
Part 2
9 Although/Though/While/Whilst. We need to contrast the fact that cities do not plan to keep these wheels infinitely, but as a result they stay there even after the event they were erected for is over. ‘Whilst’ is a bit old-fashioned, but apparently can still be given as the answer.
10 up. ‘To end up doing something’ means to do something that originally was not planned. See previous entry for further explanation.
11 of. If a thing or person is thought of highly, it means that they are respected and held in high regard. ‘Thought about’ doesn’t work here – an answer many students want to choose.
12 little. When there is little doubt about something, then it is something that is clear or obvious. Note that ‘doubt’ is singular here, and that is why we cannot give ‘few’ as the answer.
13 as. To use something as something means to use it for a particular reason or to perform a certain function. Another answer you can feel like giving is ‘to use for symbol of something’, but that would be incorrect – you can use something ‘to symbolize’ or ‘for symbolizing’.
14 had/enjoyed. ‘To enjoy success’ is a strong collocation, but admittedly it is not as common as ‘to have success’. You can’t ‘make success’ if that is what you were thinking as the possible answer.
15 a/some. You can consider choosing the definite article for the answer, but the common phrasing is ‘a sense of’.
16 to. ‘To be driven to do something’ means to feel the urge to do it, to have the inner duty or obligation.
Part 3
17 uncovered. Following context to get the meaning is particularly important here. The concerning amounts of rubbish can then be seen because of the disappearing snow.
18 offenders. An offender is a person who breaks a law, rule or regulation. Note that plural form is necessary as there is no article before ‘anonymous.
19 pessimism. Pessimism is a lack of enthusiasm because you either see no point in something or have doubts about its success.
20 numerous/innumerable. Both adjectives here mean ‘a large number of’. Be careful when spelling ‘innumerable’. Failing to spell the word correctly is penalized.
21 successfully. The only possible difficulty here is to understand whether we need the positive or the negative adverb. Follow the context to ensure you make the right choice. Note the spelling – double ‘c’, double ‘s’, double ‘l’.
22 popularity. A noun with no particular spelling caveats. Be careful not to answer ‘popularising’.
23 enabling. To give the opportunity to do something – in this case, to contribute to the good cause of cleaning the mountains from rubbish.
24 disposal. Disposal is the process of getting rid of something in a proper, responsible manner.
Part 4
25 ahead/on with our/the tennis match despite. ‘To go ahead’, ‘to go on’ means to continue. We shouldn’t be using ‘in spite of’ at the end, as it would break the six word limit.
26 unlikely (that) Jo will leave/move (away) from/out of. It is unlikely that someone will do something. Note that we cannot use Present Simple here as we are making a prediction, so ‘will’ has to be there.
27 entered/crossed my brother’s mind. If something crosses (or enters) somebody’s mind, it means that they consider this idea.
28 time/point were we required to. This one is a so-called cleft sentence, where we change the word order to stress a particular idea. In this case, the important part is that they never had to show their tickets during the ride, even though they expected this to happen.
29 prevented the delegates (from) arriving/being in/on. A thing of interest here is the verb pattern: ‘prevented’ takes a gerund form (-ing form): ‘to prevent somebody from doing something’.
30 not have/have not been debited/charged. A fairly straightforward transformation. It is unusual for somebody to do something. Debiting is a fancy word for taking money from somebody for goods or services. That is why you are free to use a word with a similar meaning (charging). However, I always recommend using the original words as far as you can.
Part 5
31 B. The figure of 100 tonnes a year should paint a very clear picture – that is a lot of alien material. Answer A is not present in any way – there is no statement about humanity’s dependence on these micrometeorites. Their distribution and the extent of our knowledge about them are not mentioned either.
32 C. Despite being ‘tantalised’ by the possible findings studying micrometeorites could bring, the sheer difficulty of locating them put off the scientists. They have never tried to locate them. Note that the word ‘experts’ from the question might push you in the wrong direction and to give answer A. The opposite of answer D is given – scientists would very much like to study the meteorites. There is no clear lead or information for answer B.
33 D. The ‘realistic attitude’ from answer D is approaching the search systematically, the system described in the last sentence of paragraph 3. He is also far from ‘starry-eyed’ – that is, not naive or overly enthusiastic. Answer A is wrong – the text gives no conflicting opinions, but a contradictory situation when there are so many micrometeorites on the planet, but nobody has found any. Nothing about Larry’s opinion of others’ efforts is in the paragraph. Answer C is not good here, as he kept sending the scientists pictures of possible particles – more or less the thing they would expect him to do.
34 A. His system was slow but effective – to eliminate the things that did not fit. Answer C does not relate to the comparison or the whole idea of a detective job. Intuition is not mentioned either.
35 B. Micrometeorites contain water particles, so planets exposed to them are more likely to have lifeforms. The main problem here is choosing between answers B and D, as the other two are a poor fit. This is why we don’t want answer D: they couldn’t test their theory, it’s not that they were not aware of the increased possibility of life on planets exposed to micrometeorites.
36 A. The last two sentences hint at the right answer – the writer fully understood the rarity of the finding he was looking at. Something like that could be easily overlooked, and he felt special to get a chance to have a look at it.
Part 6
37 B. Writer A is sceptical about how realistic it is to expect the vast majority of newly-unemployed people to somehow find new jobs – jobs that cannot be taken over by technology for one reason or another. Last sentence in writer’s B paragraph talks about the same issue – there simply won’t be enough new positions for all the unemployed people. While technology might create new job offerings, they aren’t going to be plentiful enough.
38 D. This is the only writer that has a more positive outlook on the issue. They look on the bright side – how technology created many new positions, related to the technology itself, giving examples of search engine specialists, social media managers and others. They also refuse to believe that the more conventional positions are going to become obsolete – that is because human factors like empathy and social skills will always stay relevant.
39 A. While writer C is convinced that retraining is what can help people stay in the increasingly computerised job market, writer A is not so sure about that. They say that the majority of the workforce will be unable to adapt to the changes, with or without training.
40 D. Writer B states that the old, job-specific skills are getting less relevant – exemplifying this with a cashier’s duty of today (which is simpler) and that of the past (when they had to work harder). Writer D, on the other hand, says that in addition to their older duties (handling checks, as in the example with bank employees), they now have to be more proficient in social skills.
Part 7
41 C. Last sentence of Paragraph C poses the question: why people go on these extended journeys? Then the paragraph that follows mentions why the two named people did that.
42 G. Paragraph G begins with mentioning ‘the two extremes’, referring to the two stories from the previous paragraph. One person went hiking with no particular reason, and the other because they were troubled by life hardships and needed to clear their head.
43 F. Links to the past mentioned in the sentence that comes after this gap are the crumbling old structures, built many centuries ago.
44 A. Once again, a question is posed at the end of the previous paragraph – why do people enjoy trekking? Then, in Paragraph A, the author shares their personal reasons to enjoy this activity and how it all began for them. Moreover, this as well as the next paragraph focus on the idea of the nature being a benign entity, rather than an enemy.
45 E. The ‘smallest … of wants’ from the paragraph that follows are the dry clothes and blister-free feet, mentioned at the end of paragraph E.
46 B. ‘Musing’ from paragraph B means thinking something over – the idea that the author rejects in the last paragraph. They insist that the more they walk, the less they seem to be thinking. Nevertheless, this makes a very good topical connection to help us find the answer to the last task here.
Part 8
47 D. Big companies manipulate our perception, using shape and colour to intensify perceived taste and make customers buy their things without them even realising that they are being manipulated.
48 B. The example of eating a strawberry with your nose closed shows how little flavour can be felt that way.
49 A. The term ‘crossmodal’ is given a detailed explanation with a real life example. Note that giving C as the answer (referring to amygdalae) is wrong – the explanation is not given in a specific context, but just in general terms.
50 D. Beginning of paragraph D gives two examples of how our perception of food can be changed. Then it is said that there isn’t much scientific evidence to explain these two phenomena.
51 C. The author explains the connection between our brain and the aromas – how we remember certain positive and negative experiences chiefly through memorised smells that are associated with the events.
52 A. The sense of taste has been held in low regard since ancient times according to paragraph A.
53 D. The recent findings help the chefs make the food more appetizing, and the experience of eating more fulfilling.
54 B. Last sentence concedes that people are getting increasingly more aware of the wider array of tastes that we are now able to identify.
55 C. The example of forcing yourself to drink bitter coffee and to appreciate it is what the question points at here.
56 A. The interconnection between taste, smell and other senses has been ‘a deeply unfashionable subject’ at the time of research.
Vocabulary
The vocabulary below is meant to help you with the more difficult words. If the word isn’t on the list then you are either supposed to know it at this level or it is too specific to be worth learning for the exam. Symbols in brackets mean part of speech(see bottom of the list). Sentences in italics give examples of usage for some more complex words and phrases.
And remember — you are not given a vocabulary list (or a dictionary) at your real exam.
Part 1
Wilderness (n) – the part of country that is uninhabited by humans and is usually far away from any large towns or cities.
Unmapped (adj) – either not discovered at all or not studied and put on the map. These regions are largely unmapped, as they present no investment interest to large companies.
Swirling (adj) – moving in a circular motion, like a whirpool. The pigeons were swirling down the central square in search of food.
Tumble down (phr v) – to go down or fall awkwardly, especially if the fall was broken several times. The old man coughed, slipped, and tumbled down a flight of stairs.
Backing (n) – (here) help or support. Without your backing, we would have never finished this project!
Plot (v) – to mark and measure some piece of land or landscape.
Remote (adj) – far away from something else. Living in a remote location often means having to stockpile supplies like food and water.
Part 2
Fixture (n) – an integral thing of something, a vital part. The CEO is a real fixture, and we all owe the company’s success to that person.
Temporary (adj) – not constant, used for the time being. These are all temporary measures that will go away once the situation improves.
Novel (adj) – new, or giving the impression of novelty.
Resurgence (n) – a new period of activity, especially after it hasn’t been active for a while. The resurgence of printed books might be due to people’s disappointment with digital media.
Complement (v) – to make something complete, to make it look better as an addition. The taste of rye bread can be complemented by a dash of garlic.
Landmark (n) – a structure (either natural or artificial) that stands out and can often be associated with the area. The circus building in the centre is a landmark and a popular tourist attraction.
Part 3, 4
Clean (n) – (from the title) note that the word can be sometimes used as a noun.
Litter (n) – trash, garbage, rubbish (you will see it down the text as well) and the like – depends where you come from. Litter can also be a verb.
Discard (v) – to throw something away as you no longer have any need for it.
Appeal somebody to do something – to ask someone nicely in order to convince them to do it.
Capitalise on smth (v) – to take the advantage of something. The company capitalised on its reputation and increased the prices without suffering any negative consequences, such as lower demand from their clients.
Turnout (n) – the amount of people who show up for a particular meeting, gathering or event. The turnout for the charity concert was surprisingly high.
To treat somebody to something – to provide something that is desirable, especially if it is free of charge.
Year out – taking a year-long break from work or studying in order to travel, do self-discovery, or other things not directly related to what is considered productive. Similar to year off/gap year.
Debit (v) – to charge, to request money from.
Part 5
Speck (phr) – a tiny particle of something, like dust (as suggested by the text).
DNA – a type of acid with a very complicated name that contains all the genetic data of thing it is found in. All living things, including plants, have DNA code in them.
Abundant (adj) – if something is abundant, then there is more than enough of it.
Fumes – gases, especially harmful ones (like the exhaust fumes). Chemical reactions are often accompanied by highly-toxic fumes that necessitate special safety equipment.
Terrestrial (adj) – relating to the planet Earth (Terra). Almost every major terrestrial lifeform has been thoroughly studied by now.
Outnumber (v) – to have a higher number or quantity than something else. Unqualified workers are now outnumbering highly-skilled specialists twenty to one.
Tantalised (adj) – teased and tortured because there is something you want very much but it is impossible to get.
Prospect (n) – possibility or likelihood of something happening. The prospect of going back to work after holidays was pretty grim.
Contradiction (n) – a situation when two or more mutually exclusive aspects. A contradiction of rich people having all the opportunity in the world and still being unhappy.
Amateur (n) – a person who does something as a hobby, as opposed to a professional, who does something for a living. It is not uncommon for amateur photographs to win professional competitions.
Persistent (adj) – doing something over and over again, focused on achieving success despite failure and difficulty.
Starry-eyed (adj) – unreasonably or unrealistically enthusiastic.
Humble (adj) – without pride, used positively.
Devise (v) – to plan or invent something complex, especially if you do so without hurry. To devise a scheme like that would take dozens of brilliant people and years of hard work.
Enquiry (n) – (here) something that is a part of an analysis or scrutiny.
Translucent (adj) – able to pass light through it. Note the difference with ‘transparent’, which means ‘see-through’.
Rarefied (adj) – having little or no connection to ordinary lives or things. Highly academical.
Implication (n) – an indirect consequence of something. Your actions are likely to have implications well beyond your control.
Magnification (n) – the process of making something look bigger, e.g. using a lens or a microscope.
Highlight (v) – to mark something as important. During the conference they highlighted my teacher’s contribution to the research.
Overwhelming (adj) – too difficult to deal with. Taking the first end-of-year exams at university will be an overwhelming experience for most students.
Yield (v) – to bring, to return. Despite our year-long efforts, the business failed to yield any significant profit.
Puzzled (adj) – confused by something because you can’t understand the reason for it.
Part 6
Hype (n) – an extensively overused word on the Internet today, hype usually means mass excitement or obsession over something, especially one that is unwarranted and blown out of proportion. The artificial hype surrounding the new film’s imminent release was getting on my nerves.
Susceptible to something (adj) – vulnerable to it, highly likely to be affected by it.
Bulk (n) – the bulk of something is the biggest part of it. The bulk of the books on sale today are written with the only purpose in mind – to sell as many copies as possible.
Take on something (phr v) – to accept some role, duty or responsibility. Taking on this job will certainly mean that you will be away from home for the most part of the year.
Conventional (adj) – standard, traditional.
Ultimately (adv) – in the end, as a result. People admit, that ultimately it is the money they prioritise when choosing their job.
Displaced from somewhere (v) – moved from somewhere, usually against their own will. As the climate change takes over, we will see millions of people displaced from the regions that get either too hot or find themselves slowly consumed by the rising sea level.
Take over (phr v) – to take control from something or someone and become the new dominant force. This latest washing-up liquid is rapidly taking over the market.
Part 7
Account (n) – (here) a detailed description of some event or personal experience. Her account of the story was rather emotional and difficult to follow.
Neat (adj) – Tidy and organised. However, in a saying like ‘sounds neat’ it means something like cool or awesome.
Battered (adj) – used figuratively here, it means hurt repeatedly, leaving in a traumatized state.
Invariably (adv) – without fail or change, always. No matter how often I buy lottery tickets, I invariably lose.
Compelling (adj) – difficult to resist or say no to.
Profoundly (adv) – in a fundamental and thorough way. I profoundly enjoyed our sailing experience last summer.
Fad (n) – a trend of any sort of fashionable activity that only stays popular shortly before getting forgotten completely.
Burdensome (adj) – something that weighs you down, either literally (physically) or figuratively (emotionally). Treating terminally-ill patients can be a burdensome experience that remains with you as long as you live.
Allure (n) – an enigmatic, almost magical attraction or charm. The allure of motorcycle racing cannot be explained – it’s a risky occupation that draws in people of all walks of life.
Nurture (v) – to promote and encourage growth or development of something. Lust for knowledge is hard to nurture and equally easy to kill.
Vagrancy (n) – the state of not having a permanent residence, or having to live and sleep on the street.
Malign (adj) – inherently evil. The opposite of benign.
Balm (n) – a trick substance applied to skin as a means of healing or soothing.
Conceive (v) – to give birth to (figuratively), to create. He conceived the design of this building after spending three months all by himself in his flat.
Muse (v) – to think about something carefully, with no hurry.
Tackle (v) – (here) to make an effort to deal with something challenging.
Scenic (adj) – (about a view) grand and impressive. The scenic landscape of the Swiss Alps.
Cumulative (adj) – increasing over time by adding up. The cumulative effect of effort can be seen in any sphere, whether it is studying for an exam or building your own business from the ground up.
Minutiae (n) – small, insignificant things. Pronounced ‘my-new-she-eye’, it originally comes from Latin.
Solitude (n) – being on your own, without anybody else. Do not confuse this with loneliness, which is a negative thing. Solitude has no direct positive or negative connotation.
Accrue (v) – when something accrues, it increases in size or intensity. Mostly used in finance, it finds its place here in a figurative meaning.
Imperative (n) – a thing that is urgent or important. In this videogame you have to keep track of imperatives such as your hunger levels.
Blister (n) – a hardened part of skin on your body that appears after the skin is exposed to excessive levels of stress and friction, like when walking too much or working with your hands.
Crumbling (adj) – falling apart, fragile because of its age.
Part 8
Prejudice (n) – an opinion that is not based on facts or objective evidence, but on subjective opinion. Normally used negatively. In the past, women had to face a lot of prejudice in the workplace.
Assert (v) – to say something you are convinced is true. Senior management asserted that this financial year is likely to be the best to date.
Taste buds – little bumps at the base of our tongue that transmit information about taste to our brain.
Notion (n) – an idea, an opinion. One notion nowadays is that societal distancing has mostly been caused by popularisation of phones and other gadgets.
Validity (n) – the quality of being true, or based on reason or truth. The validity of your arguments is questionable.
Synaesthesia (n) – experiencing one sense through another, like in the text the example is to feel taste through smell (with your nose).
Intermingle (v) – to become interconnected.
Ripe (adj) – (about a fruit or a vegetable) fully grown, ready to be used in food.
Conjure (v) – to evoke something, to make something appear.
Sublte (adj) – barely noticeable. His subtle humour goes over the head of most people.
Blandness (n) – (here) absence of flavour, plainness.
Quantify (v) – to express something in numbers. Happiness or success cannot be quantified like money, or how many cars you’ve got in your garage.
Entwined (adj) – closely connected.
Hard-wired (adj) – fundamentally connected, impossible to change.
Seasoning (v) – adding something, such as spices or condiments to alter or improve the taste of a dish.
Crinkly (adj) – rustling sound made by wrappers when you open them.
Dinnerware (n) – cutlery and dishes. Upmarket restaurants take pride in their dinnerware that can be as old as several decades.
Ingrained (adj) – an idea that is planted deeply in us.
Surreptitiously (adv) – secretly, without telling anyone.
Jagged (adj) – having sharp edges.
Demystify (v) – to make something confusing more clear or easier to understand.