Love Stories – IELTS Reading Answers

1. READING PASSAGE

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27-40 which are based on Reading Passage 3 below.

Love stories 

“Love stories” are often associated – at least in the popular imagination – with fairy tales, adolescent day dreams, Disney movies and other frivolous pastimes. For psychologists developing taxonomies2 of affection and attachment, however, this is an area of rigorous academic pursuit. Beginning in the early 1970s with the groundbreaking contributions of John Alan Lee, researchers have developed classifications that they believe better characterise our romantic predispositions. This involves examining not a single, universal, emotional expression (“love”), but rather a series of divergent behaviours and narratives that each has an individualised purpose, desired outcome and state of mind. Lee’s gritty methodology painstakingly involved participants matching 170 typical romantic encounters (e.g., “The night after I met X…”) with nearly 1500 possible reactions (“I could hardly get to sleep” or “I wrote X a letter”). The patterns unknowingly expressed by respondents culminated in a taxonomy of six distinct love “styles” that continue to inform research in the area forty years later.

The first of these styles – eros – is closely tied in with images of romantic love that are promulgated in Western popular culture. Characteristic of this style is a passionate emotional intensity, a strong physical magnetism – as if the two partners were literally being “pulled” together – and a sense of inevitability about the relationship. A related but more frantic style of love called mania involves an obsessive, compulsive attitude toward one’s partner. Vast swings in mood from ecstasy to agony – dependent on the level of attention a person is receiving from his or her partner – are typical of manic love.

Two styles were much more subdued, however. Storge is a quiet, companionate type of loving – “love by evolution” rather than “love by revolution”, according to some theorists. Relationships built on a foundation of platonic affection and caring are archetypal of storge. When care is extended to a sacrificial level of doting, however, it becomes another style – agape. In an agape relationship one partner becomes a “caretaker”, exalting the welfare of the other above his or her own needs.

The final two styles of love seem to lack aspects of emotion and reciprocity altogether. The ludus style envisions relationships primarily as a game in which it is best to “play the field” or experience a diverse set of partners over time. Mutually-gratifying outcomes in relationships are not considered necessary, and deception of a partner and lack of disclosure about one’s activities are also typical. While Lee found that college students in his study overwhelmingly disagreed with the tenets of this style, substantial numbers of them acted in a typically ludic style while dating, a finding that proves correct the deceit inherent in ludus. Pragma lovers also downplayed emotive aspects of relationships but favoured practical, sensible connections. Successful arranged marriages are a great example of pragma, in that the couple decides to make the relationship work; but anyone who seeks an ideal partner with a shopping list of necessary attributes (high salary, same religion, etc.) fits the classification.

Robert J. Sternberg’s contemporary research on love stories has elaborated on how these narratives determine the shape of our relationships and our lives. Sternberg and others have proposed and tested the theory of love as a story, “whereby the interaction of our personal attributes with the environment – which we in part create – leads to the development of stories about love that we then seek to fulfil, to the extent possible, in our lives.” Sternberg’s taxonomy of love stories numbers far more, at twenty-six, than Lee’s taxonomy of love styles, but as Sternberg himself admits there is plenty of overlap. The seventh story, Game, coincides with ludus, for example, while the nineteenth story, Sacrifice, fits neatly on top of agape.

Sternberg’s research demonstrates that we may have predilections toward multiple love stories, each represented in a mental hierarchy and varying in weight in terms of their personal significance. This explains the frustration many of us experience when comparing potential partners. One person often fulfils some expected narratives – such as a need for mystery and fantasy – while lacking the ability to meet the demands of others (which may lie in direct contradiction). It is also the case that stories have varying abilities to adapt to a given cultural milieu and its respective demands. Love stories are, therefore, interactive and adaptive phenomena in our lives rather than rigid prescriptions.

Steinberg also explores how our love stories interact with the love stories of our partners. What happens when someone who sees love as art collides with someone who sees love as a business? Can a Sewing story (love is what you make it) co-exist with a Theatre story (love is a script with predictable acts, scenes and lines)? Certainly, it is clear that we look for partners with love stories that complement and are compatible with our own narratives. But they do not have to be an identical match. Someone who sees love as mystery and art, for example, might locate that mystery better in a partner who views love through a lens of business and humour. Not all love stories, however, are equally well predisposed to relationship longevity; stories that view love as a game, as a kind of surveillance or as addiction are all unlikely to prove durable.

Research on love stories continues apace. Defying the myth that rigorous science and the romantic persuasions of ordinary people are incompatible, this research demonstrates that good psychology can clarify and comment on the way we give affection and form attachments.

Questions 27-34
Look at the following statements (Questions 27–34) and the list of styles in the box below.
Match each statement with the correct term, A–F.
Write the correct letter, A–F, in boxes 27–34 on your answer sheet.

NB You may use any letter more than once.

27 My most important concern is that my partner is happy.
28 I enjoy having many romantic partners.
29 I feel that my partner and I were always going to end up together.
30 I want to be friends first and then let romance develop later.
31 I always feel either very excited or absolutely miserable about my relationship.
32 I prefer to keep many aspects of my love life to myself.
33 When I am in love, that is all I can think about.
34 I know before I meet someone what qualities I need in a partner.

List of Love Styles

A. Eros
B. Mania
C. Storge
D. Agape
E. Ludus
F. Pragma

Question 35 – 40

Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading Passage?
In boxes 35–40 on your answer sheet, write

YES                   if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer
NO                     if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN       if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

35. People’s notions of love affect their relationships, rather than vice versa.
36. Some of our love stories are more important to us than others.
37. Our love stories can change to meet the needs of particular social environments.
38. We look for romantic partners with a love story just like our own.
39. The most successful partners have matching love stories.
40. No love story is more suited to a long relationship than any other.

2. READING ANSWERS

27. Answer: D – Agape (Paragraph 3 – line 3-6)

• Answer location: ” When care is extended to a sacrificial level of doting, however, it becomes another style – agape. In an agape relationship one partner becomes a “caretaker”, exalting the welfare of the other above his or her own needs.”
• Answer explanation: Đoạn văn đề cập rằng trong một mối quan hệ Agape, một người trở thành “người chăm sóc” và đặt phúc lợi của đối phương lên trên nhu cầu của bản thân. Điều này cho thấy rằng trong kiểu tình yêu này, ưu tiên hàng đầu của một người là làm cho người yêu của mình hạnh phúc. Do đó, câu trả lời đúng là D (Agape).

28. Answer: E – Ludus (Paragraph 4 – line 1-5)

• Answer location: The ludus style envisions relationships primarily as a game in which it is best to “play the field” or experience a diverse set of partners over time. Mutually-gratifying outcomes in relationships are not considered necessary, and deception of a partner and lack of disclosure about one’s activities are also typical.
• Answer explanation: Ludus được mô tả là một phong cách yêu xem tình yêu như một trò chơi. Những người theo phong cách này thích có nhiều mối quan hệ tình cảm cùng lúc, và không coi sự cam kết là cần thiết. Vì vậy, câu trả lời đúng là E (Ludus).

29. Answer: A – Eros (Paragraph 2 – line 1-4)

• Answer location: The first of these styles – eros – is closely tied in with images of romantic love that are promulgated in Western popular culture. Characteristic of this style is a passionate emotional intensity, a strong physical magnetism – as if the two partners were literally being “pulled” together – and a sense of inevitability about the relationship.
• Answer explanation: Kiểu yêu Eros liên quan đến cảm giác mãnh liệt, thu hút mạnh mẽ về thể xác, và có một sự “kết nối tất yếu” giữa hai người. Điều này phù hợp với ý “chúng tôi luôn luôn sẽ ở bên nhau.” Do đó, câu trả lời đúng là A (Eros).

30. Answer: C – Storge (Paragraph 3 – line 1-3)

• Answer location: Storge is a quiet, companionate type of loving – “love by evolution” rather than “love by revolution”, according to some theorists. Relationships built on a foundation of platonic affection and caring are archetypal of storge.
• Answer explanation: Storge là kiểu yêu mang tính đồng hành và phát triển theo thời gian từ tình bạn. Vì vậy, nếu một người muốn làm bạn trước rồi mới tiến tới tình yêu, thì đây là phong cách Storge. Do đó, câu trả lời đúng là C (Storge).

31. Answer: B – Mania (Paragraph 2 – line 4-7)

• Answer location: A related but more frantic style of love called mania involves an obsessive, compulsive attitude toward one’s partner. Vast swings in mood from ecstasy to agony – dependent on the level of attention a person is receiving from his or her partner – are typical of manic love.
• Answer explanation: Mania là kiểu yêu mang tính ám ảnh và thái cực, nơi cảm xúc thay đổi thất thường từ hạnh phúc tột độ đến đau khổ cùng cực. Điều này trùng khớp với ý nghĩa của câu hỏi. Vì vậy, câu trả lời đúng là B (Mania).

32. Answer: E – Ludus (Paragraph 4 – line 1-3)

• Answer location: The final two styles of love seem to lack aspects of emotion and reciprocity altogether. The ludus style envisions relationships primarily as a game in which it is best to “play the field” or experience a diverse set of partners over time.
• Answer explanation: Ludus không coi trọng sự chia sẻ và trung thực trong tình yêu, mà thay vào đó là sự bí mật và lừa dối. Điều này phù hợp với ý giữ nhiều khía cạnh trong tình yêu cho riêng mình. Vì vậy, câu trả lời đúng là E (Ludus).

33. Answer: B – Mania (Paragraph 2 – line 4-7)

• Answer location: A related but more frantic style of love called mania involves an obsessive, compulsive attitude toward one’s partner. Vast swings in mood from ecstasy to agony – dependent on the level of attention a person is receiving from his or her partner – are typical of manic love.
• Answer explanation: Những người có phong cách yêu Mania thường ám ảnh về tình yêu và không thể nghĩ về điều gì khác. Vì vậy, câu trả lời đúng là B (Mania).

34. Answer: F – Pragma (Paragraph 3 – line 7-11)

• Answer location: Pragma lovers also downplayed emotive aspects of relationships but favoured practical, sensible connections. Successful arranged marriages are a great example of pragma, in that the couple decides to make the relationship work; but anyone who seeks an ideal partner with a shopping list of necessary attributes (high salary, same religion, etc.) fits the classification.
• Answer explanation: Pragma là kiểu yêu có tính thực tế cao, nơi người ta tìm kiếm bạn đời dựa trên danh sách các tiêu chí nhất định. Vì vậy, câu trả lời đúng là F (Pragma).

35. People’s notions of love affect their relationships, rather than vice versa.

Answer: YES – Paragraph 5 – line 2-5

• Answer location: ” Sternberg and others have proposed and tested the theory of love as a story, “whereby the interaction of our personal attributes with the environment – which we in part create – leads to the development of stories about love that we then seek to fulfil, to the extent possible, in our lives.””
• Answer explanation : Đoạn văn nói rằng con người phát triển câu chuyện tình yêu của mình dựa trên môi trường và đặc điểm cá nhân, sau đó tìm cách hiện thực hóa nó trong cuộc sống. Điều này có nghĩa là quan niệm về tình yêu ảnh hưởng đến mối quan hệ của họ. Do đó, câu trả lời đúng là YES.

36. Some of our love stories are more important to us than others.

Answer: YES – Paragraph 6 – line 1-3

• Answer location: Sternberg’s research demonstrates that we may have predilections toward multiple love stories, each represented in a mental hierarchy and varying in weight in terms of their personal significance.
• Answer explanation: Đoạn văn đề cập rằng mỗi người có thể có nhiều câu chuyện tình yêu khác nhau, nhưng mỗi câu chuyện có mức độ quan trọng khác nhau đối với từng cá nhân. Do đó, câu trả lời đúng là YES.

37. Our love stories can change to meet the needs of particular social environments.

Answer: YES – Paragraph 6 – line 6-8

• Answer location: It is also the case that stories have varying abilities to adapt to a given cultural milieu and its respective demands. Love stories are, therefore, interactive and adaptive phenomena in our lives rather than rigid prescriptions.
• Answer explanation: Đoạn văn nhấn mạnh rằng câu chuyện tình yêu của chúng ta có thể thích nghi với hoàn cảnh văn hóa và xã hội khác nhau. Do đó, câu trả lời đúng là YES.

38. We look for romantic partners with a love story just like our own.

Answer: NO – Paragraph 7 – line 1-4

• Answer location: What happens when someone who sees love as art collides with someone who sees love as a business? Can a Sewing story (love is what you make it) co-exist with a Theatre story (love is a script with predictable acts, scenes and lines)?
• Answer explanation: Đoạn văn nói rằng chúng ta tìm kiếm bạn đời có câu chuyện tình yêu tương thích với chúng ta, nhưng không nhất thiết phải giống hệt. Do đó, câu trả lời đúng là NO.

39. The most successful partners have matching love stories.

Answer: NOT GIVEN

• Answer location: There is no specific information
• Answer explanation: Mặc dù đoạn 9 có nhắc đến sự tương thích giữa các câu chuyện tình yêu, nhưng không có bằng chứng nào cho thấy rằng những cặp đôi thành công nhất là những người có câu chuyện tình yêu hoàn toàn giống nhau. Do đó, câu trả lời đúng là NOT GIVEN.

40. No love story is more suited to a long relationship than any other.

Answer: NO – Paragraph 7 – line 8-10

• Answer location: Not all love stories, however, are equally well predisposed to relationship longevity; stories that view love as a game, as a kind of surveillance or as addiction are all unlikely to prove durable.
• Answer explanation: Đoạn văn đề cập rằng những câu chuyện tình yêu xem tình yêu là trò chơi hoặc nghiện ngập thường không bền lâu. Điều này mâu thuẫn với tuyên bố trong câu hỏi. Do đó, câu trả lời đúng là NO.

3. VOCABULARY 

1. welfare /ˈwɛl.feər/ – phúc lợi, hạnh phúc
2. exalt /ɪɡˈzɔːlt/ – tôn vinh, đề cao
3. envision /ɪnˈvɪʒ.ən/ – hình dung, mường tượng
4. promulgate /ˈprɒm.əl.ɡeɪt/ – ban hành, công bố
5. intensity /ɪnˈtɛn.sɪ.ti/ – cường độ, độ mạnh
6. passionate /ˈpæʃ.ən.ət/ – đam mê, nồng nhiệt
7. magnetism /ˈmæɡ.nɪ.tɪ.zəm/ – sức hút, từ tính
8. inevitability /ɪnˌɛv.ɪ.təˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/ – tính tất yếu, sự không thể tránh khỏi
9. compassionate /kəmˈpæʃ.ən.ət/ – nhân ái, thương cảm
10. evolution /ˌiː.vəˈluː.ʃən/ hoặc /ˌɛv.əˈluː.ʃən/ – sự tiến hóa, phát triển
11. revolution /ˌrɛv.əˈluː.ʃən/ – cuộc cách mạng, sự thay đổi lớn
12. platonic /pləˈtɒn.ɪk/ – thuần khiết, không lãng mạn
13. archetypal /ˈɑː.kɪ.taɪ.pəl/ – nguyên mẫu, điển hình
14. frantic /ˈfræn.tɪk/ – điên cuồng, hoảng loạn
15. obsessive /əbˈsɛs.ɪv/ – ám ảnh, bị chi phối
16. compulsive /kəmˈpʌl.sɪv/ – không thể cưỡng lại, bị thôi thúc
17. swing /swɪŋ/ – dao động, đu đưa, thay đổi
18. ecstasy /ˈɛk.stə.si/ – trạng thái cực kỳ sung sướng
19. agony /ˈæɡ.ə.ni/ – sự đau đớn tột cùng
20. miserable /ˈmɪz.ər.ə.bəl/ – khổ sở, đáng thương
21. reciprocity /ˌrɛs.ɪˈprɒs.ɪ.ti/ – sự trao đổi lẫn nhau, có qua có lại
22. notion /ˈnəʊ.ʃən/ – khái niệm, quan niệm
23. predilection /ˌpriː.dɪˈlɛk.ʃən/ – sự ưa chuộng, thiên hướng
24. milieu /miːlˈjɜː/ hoặc /mɪlˈjɜː/ – môi trường, hoàn cảnh
25. prescription /prɪˈskrɪp.ʃən/ – đơn thuốc, sự quy định
26. collide /kəˈlaɪd/ – va chạm, xung đột
27. equally /ˈiː.kwə.li/ – một cách công bằng, ngang nhau, bằng nhau
28. predispose /ˌpriː.dɪˈspəʊz/ – dẫn đến, khiến ai có khuynh hướng
29. surveillance /sɜːˈveɪ.ləns/ – sự giám sát, theo dõi
30. addiction /əˈdɪk.ʃən/ – sự nghiện ngập, thói nghiện

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Chúc bạn học và thi tốt ♥!