Cambridge IELTS 6 · Academic · Test 2 · Passage 2
Greying Population Stays in the Pink — IELTS Reading Answers
All 13 answers for Greying Population Stays in the Pink, Cambridge IELTS 6 Academic Reading Test 2 Passage 2, with the passage evidence and an explanation for each.
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Greying Population Stays in the Pink answer key at a glance
Questions 14–26. Tap an answer to see the evidence.
What this passage tests
This passage is tested with Summary Completion (Q14–22), Matching Sentence Endings (Q23–26). Each section below gives the strategy for that question type, the answers, and the sentence that proves them.
Questions 14–22: Summary Completion
Strategy: Read the summary as a paragraph first to establish the logic, then locate the missing idea in the passage. With a lettered list, confirm the grammar fits.
Options for Questions 14–22
- Acost
- Bfalling
- Ctechnology
- Dundernourished
- Eearlier
- Flater
- Gdisabled
- Hmore
- Iincreasing
- Jnutrition
“Researchers, now analysing the results of data gathered in 1994, say arthritis, high blood pressure and circulation problems – the major medical complaints in this age group – are troubling a smaller proportion every year”
The gap needs a verb meaning decreasing: arthritis, high blood pressure and circulation problems are 'troubling a smaller proportion every year'.
“And the data confirms that the rate at which these diseases are declining continues to accelerate”
The gap needs a verb meaning accelerating: 'the rate at which these diseases are declining continues to accelerate', so the decline is increasing.
“The results of a 14-year-study to be announced later this month reveal that the diseases associated with old age are afflicting fewer and fewer people and when they do strike, it is much later in life”
The gap needs a comparative of time: when diseases strike, 'it is much later in life', matching 'later'.
“Clearly, certain diseases are beating a retreat in the face of medical advances”
The gap needs the cause of the retreat: 'certain diseases are beating a retreat in the face of medical advances' — that is, medical technology.
“Improvements in childhood nutrition in the first quarter of the twentieth century, for example, gave today's elderly people a better start in life than their predecessors”
The gap needs the noun for diet: 'Improvements in childhood nutrition ... gave today's elderly people a better start in life'.
“An increase in some cancers and bronchitis may reflect changing smoking habits and poorer air quality, say the researchers. 'These may be subtle influences,' says Manton, 'but our subjects have been exposed to worse and worse pollution for over 60 years”
The gap needs the comparative for pollution exposure: subjects faced 'worse and worse pollution for over 60 years', so they experienced more of it.
“One interesting correlation Manton uncovered is that better-educated people are likely to live longer”
The gap needs the education factor: 'better-educated people are likely to live longer', linking schooling with longevity.
“That represents a significant drop in the number of disabled old people in the population”
The gap needs the adjective for affected old people: there was 'a significant drop in the number of disabled old people in the population'.
“According to Manton, slowing the trend has saved the United States government's Medicare system more than $200 billion, suggesting that the greying of America's population may prove less of a financial burden than expected”
The gap needs the financial noun: slowing the trend 'saved the United States government's Medicare system more than $200 billion', a reduced cost.
Questions 23–26: Matching Sentence Endings
Strategy: Complete the grammar first, then check the meaning. The ending must follow logically from the stem as well as appear in the passage.
Options for Questions 23–26
- Amay cause heart disease.
- Bcan be helped by hormone treatment.
- Cmay cause rises in levels of stress hormones.
- Dhave cost the United States government more than $200 billion.
- Emay help prevent mental decline.
- Fmay get stronger at night.
- Gallow old people to be more independent.
- Hcan reduce stress in difficult situations.
Home medical aids
“The increasing self-reliance of many elderly people is probably linked to a massive increase in the use of simple home medical aids”
Home medical aids support 'the increasing self-reliance of many elderly people', so they allow old people to be more independent — option G.
Regular amounts of exercise
“Maintaining a level of daily physical activity may help mental functioning, says Carl Cotman, a neuroscientist at the University of California at Irvine. He found that rats that exercise on a treadmill have raised levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor coursing through their brains.”
Daily physical activity 'may help mental functioning', and Cotman believes the hormone 'may prevent the brains of active humans from deteriorating' — option E.
Feelings of control over life
“In laboratory simulations of challenging activities such as driving, those who felt in control of their lives pumped out lower levels of stress hormones such as cortisol”
Those who 'felt in control of their lives pumped out lower levels of stress hormones', so control reduces stress in difficult situations — option H.
Feelings of loneliness
“Seeman found that elderly people who felt emotionally isolated maintained higher levels of stress hormones even when asleep”
People who 'felt emotionally isolated maintained higher levels of stress hormones even when asleep', matching option C's rise in stress hormones.
Learn the question types in this passage
Frequently asked questions
Where does the Greying Population Stays in the Pink passage come from?
It is Passage 2 of Cambridge IELTS 6 Academic Reading Test 2, and it covers Questions 14–26.
What question types appear in Greying Population Stays in the Pink?
The passage is tested with Summary Completion, Matching Sentence Endings. Each type is explained on this page, alongside the answers.
Are these reading answers reliable?
Every answer is paired with the sentence that proves it, so you can check each one against the passage yourself. Use the page after a timed attempt, not instead of one.
Cambridge IELTS is published by Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Band9Prep is not affiliated with Cambridge. This page is an independent study aid: it gives the answer key, the passage evidence and an explanation so you can review an attempt you have already made.