The Psychology of Innovation IELTS Reading Answers with Explanation

“The Psychology of Innovation” is Passage 3 of Cambridge IELTS 10 Academic Reading Test 1. This page gives the answers for Questions 27–40 with a short explanation of why each answer is right, so you can check your work and learn from every mistake. The question types are: One Choice, Matching Sentence Endings, Yes / No / Not Given.

Quick answers: Questions 27–40

Question	Answer
27	C
28	A
29	D
30	B
31	G
32	E
33	A
34	F
35	B
36	NO
37	YES
38	NOT GIVEN
39	NOT GIVEN
40	NO

Questions 27–30: One Choice

Q	Question	Answer	Why
27	—	C	Option C is the one the passage supports.
28	—	A	Option A is the one the passage supports.
29	—	D	Option D is the one the passage supports.
30	—	B	Option B is the one the passage supports.

Questions 31–35: Matching Sentence Endings

Q	Question	Answer	Why
31	Employees whose values match those of their employers are more likely to	G	The passage links this point to: G.
32	At times of change, people tend to	E	The passage links this point to: E.
33	If people are aware of what they might lose, they will often	A	The passage links this point to: A.
34	People working under a dominant boss are liable to	F	The passage links this point to: F.
35	Employees working in organisations with few rules are more likely to	B	The passage links this point to: B.

Questions 36–40: Yes / No / Not Given

Q	Question	Answer	Why
36	The physical surroundings in which a person works play a key role in determining their creativity.	NO	The passage contradicts this statement.
37	Most people have the potential to be creative.	YES	The passage agrees with this statement.
38	Teams work best when their members are of equally matched intelligence.	NOT GIVEN	The passage gives no clear information to confirm or reject this statement.
39	It is easier for smaller companies to be innovative.	NOT GIVEN	The passage gives no clear information to confirm or reject this statement.
40	A manager’s approval of an idea is more persuasive than that of a colleague.	NO	The passage contradicts this statement.

Tips for these question types

• Multiple choice: eliminate options that are only partly right, and watch for words like only, always and never.
• Matching features: underline the names or terms first, then scan for them in the passage.
• Yes / No / Not Given: these test the writer's opinion or claim. YES agrees with the writer, NO contradicts the writer, NOT GIVEN means the writer does not say.
• Review every mistake. Find the exact sentence in the passage that proves the answer so you can spot the same trap next time.

FAQ

How many questions does this passage have? The Psychology of Innovation covers Questions 27–40, which is 14 questions.

Where is this passage from? It is Reading Passage 3 in Cambridge IELTS 10, Academic Test 1.

How should I use these answers? Attempt the passage under timed conditions first, then check your answers here and read the reason for every mistake.

Cambridge IELTS 10 Reading Test 1: all passages
Part 1: Stepwells  |  Part 2: European Transport Systems 1990-2010  |  Part 3: The Psychology of Innovation (you are here)

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