Academic/General Training Module by Adam Smith First Published in 2015

 IELTS
 JOURNAL 
 
134 
Exercise 69: True, False, Not Given 
Read the following paragraph about the effects of coffee on health.
Coffee consumption has been shown to have minimal or no impact, positive or 
negative, on cancer development. However, researchers involved in an ongoing 
22-year study by the Harvard School of Public Health state that "the overall 
balance of risks and benefits [of coffee consumption] are on the side of 
benefits." Other studies suggest coffee consumption reduces the risk of being 
affected by Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, heart disease, diabetes 
mellitus type 2, cirrhosis of the liver, and gout. A longitudinal study in 2009 
showed that those who consumed a moderate amount of coffee or tea (3–5 
cups per day) at midlife were less likely to develop dementia and Alzheimer's 
disease in late-life compared with those who drank little coffee or avoided it 
altogether. 
According to the text, decide whether the following statements are true, false or not 
given. 
1. Scientists have linked coffee consumption to accelerated cancer development.
2. Some scientists believe that the benefits of drinking coffee outweigh the 
drawbacks.
3. Recent research links coffee consumption with a reduced risk of some illnesses.
 

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 IELTS
 JOURNAL 
 
135 
Exercise 70: True, False, Not Given 
The following exercise comes from Cambridge IELTS 5, page 43.
Most of the questions contain a person's name. This makes it easy to scan the text to 
find where the answers are. However, the text is difficult, so you need to study it 
carefully. 
Here are the questions with the relevant part of the text below each one. Study the 
questions and the text sentences carefully. Decide whether the statements are true, 
false or not given. 
1. Arthur Koestler considered laughter biologically important in several ways. 
Arthur Koestler dubbed it the luxury reflex: 'unique in that it serves no apparent 
biological purpose'.
2. Plato believed humour to be a sign of above-average intelligence. 
Plato expressed the idea that humour is simply a delighted feeling of superiority 
over others.
3. Kant believed that a joke involves the controlled release of nervous energy. 
Kant felt that joke-telling relies on building up a psychic tension which is safely 
punctured.
4. Current thinking on humour has largely ignored Aristotle's view on the subject. 
Most modern humour theorists have settled on some version of Aristotle's 
belief.
5. Graeme Richie's work links jokes to artificial intelligence. 
Graeme Richie studies the linguistic structure of jokes in order to understand not 
only humour but language understanding and reasoning in machines.
6. Most comedians use personal situations as a source of humour. 
A comedian will present a situation followed by an unexpected interpretation.
7. Chimpanzees make particular noises when they are playing. 
Chimpanzees have a 'play-face' - a gaping expression accompanied by a panting 
'ah, ah' noise.

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