Cambridge IELTS 13 · Academic · Test 2 · Passage 2
Oxytocin — IELTS Reading Answers
All 13 answers for Oxytocin, Cambridge IELTS 13 Academic Reading Test 2 Passage 2, with the passage evidence and an explanation for each.
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Oxytocin answer key at a glance
Questions 14–26. Tap an answer to see the evidence.
What this passage tests
This passage is tested with Matching Information (Q14–17), Matching Features (Q18–20), Summary Completion (Q21–26). Each section below gives the strategy for that question type, the answers, and the sentence that proves them.
Questions 14–17: Matching Information
Strategy: Scan for the idea, not the exact words. The answer is a paragraph letter, and one paragraph may be used more than once unless the instructions say otherwise.
reference to research showing the beneficial effects of oxytocin on people
“The study was the start of research into the effects of oxytocin on human interactions. ‘For eight years, it was quite a lonesome field,’ Heinrichs recalls. ‘Now, everyone is interested.’ These follow-up studies have shown that after a sniff of the hormone, people become more charitable,”
B: paragraph B reports follow-up studies showing people became 'more charitable, better at reading emotions' and better at arguing — beneficial effects on people.
reasons why the effects of oxytocin are complex
“Perhaps we should not be surprised that the oxytocin story has become more perplexing”
F: paragraph F asks why the oxytocin story has 'become more perplexing', introducing the reasons the hormone's effects are complex.
mention of a period in which oxytocin attracted little scientific attention
“For eight years, it was quite a lonesome field”
B: the phrase 'For eight years, it was quite a lonesome field' in paragraph B describes the period of little scientific attention.
reference to people ignoring certain aspects of their research data
“Bartz has recently shown that in almost half of the existing research results, oxytocin influenced only certain individuals or in certain circumstances. Where once researchers took no notice of such findings, now a more nuanced understanding of oxytocin’s effects is propelling investigations down new lines.”
E: paragraph E says 'researchers took no notice of such findings', referring to results where oxytocin affected only some individuals or situations.
Questions 18–20: Matching Features
Strategy: Match the statement to the named person or thing. Names can repeat, so check each option against what that person actually says.
People are more trusting when affected by oxytocin.
“Markus Heinrichs and his colleagues at the University of Freiburg, Germany, asked volunteers to do an activity in which they could invest money with an anonymous person who was not guaranteed to be honest.”
A: in paragraph A, volunteers who sniffed oxytocin 'invested more money' with an anonymous partner than those given a placebo, showing greater trust.
Oxytocin increases people’s feelings of jealousy.
“Simone Shamay-Tsoory at the University of Haifa, Israel, found that when volunteers played a competitive game, those who inhaled the hormone showed more pleasure when they beat other players, and felt more envy when others won.”
B: Shamay-Tsoory's volunteers 'felt more envy when others won', which supports the claim that oxytocin increases jealousy.
The effect of oxytocin varies from one type of person to another.
“administering oxytocin also has sharply contrasting outcomes depending on a person’s disposition. Jennifer Bartz from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, found that it improves people’s ability to read emotions, but only if they are not very socially adept to begin with.”
C: Bartz found oxytocin improved emotion-reading 'only if they are not very socially adept', showing the effect depends on the person's disposition.
Questions 21–26: 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.
“It was through various studies focusing on animals that scientists first became aware of the influence of oxytocin”
The summary needs what early studies focused on; scientists first learned of oxytocin through studies 'focusing on animals', so animals fills the gap.
“It is also released by women in childbirth, strengthening the attachment between mother and baby”
The gap asks when women release oxytocin; the text says it 'is also released by women in childbirth'.
“participants who had sniffed oxytocin via a nasal spray beforehand invested more money than those who received a placebo instead.”
The comparison group received 'a placebo instead', so placebo names what the non-oxytocin participants were given.
“Simone Shamay-Tsoory at the University of Haifa, Israel, found that when volunteers played a competitive game, those who inhaled the hormone showed more pleasure when they beat other players, and felt more envy when others won.”
The summary needs the activity volunteers played; the text describes 'a competitive game' where winners felt pleasure and losers envy.
“Studies conducted by Carolyn DeClerck of the University of Antwerp, Belgium, revealed that people who had received a dose of oxytocin actually became less cooperative when dealing with complete strangers”
DeClerck found recipients 'became less cooperative when dealing with complete strangers', so strangers fits the gap.
“Carsten De Dreu at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands discovered that volunteers given oxytocin showed favouritism: Dutch men became quicker to associate positive words with Dutch names than with foreign ones”
Dutch men given oxytocin were quicker 'to associate positive words with Dutch names', so names is the object the summary needs.
Learn the question types in this passage
Frequently asked questions
Where does the Oxytocin passage come from?
It is Passage 2 of Cambridge IELTS 13 Academic Reading Test 2, and it covers Questions 14–26.
What question types appear in Oxytocin?
The passage is tested with Matching Information, Matching Features, Summary Completion. 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.