Making Sense of Scent Reading Answers

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16-09-2025

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Answers for Making sense of scent reading answers are provided below for your reference.

14. Not Given 15. False 16. True 17. False
18. Not Given 19. True 20. Piriform cortex 21. Thalamus
22. Sense of taste 23. Hippocampus, Amygdala 24. One trillion 25. Soluble


This article contains Making sense of scent answers with explanation and will help you understand the methods of answering the IELTS reading tests.

You must strategize efficient techniques to score well in IELTS reading. The test is time bound with a limit of 60 minutes. Hence, you must actively read and solve the passage with a proper strategy. For the answer method, we have provided Making sense of scent reading answers with locations that helps you how to locate the answer.

Making sense of scent reading answers intricate the concept of the sense of scent, and its importance, and explains the system of the olfactory system. In this article three main IELTS Reading question types, including True/False/Not Given, Multiple Choice, and Sentence Completion. Consider the Making sense of scent reading answers with locations to gain a better understanding of the reading responses.

  • IELTS Reading True/False/Not given
  • IELTS Reading Multiple Choice Questions
  • IELTS Reading Sentence Completion

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Strategies for solving “Making sense of scent” 

Before taking the Making sense of scent reading test, go through the provided strategies to improve your IELTS band score.

  • Making sense of scent reading passage describes in detail how olive oil is extracted and its various applications.
  • When answering a True/False/Not question, always underline the passage's negative phrases.
  • Learn how to skim and scan to find the answers to questions that require you to find information inside a paragraph.
  • To seek answers quickly, highlight names, dates, and facts; this may enable you to complete the sentence completion question type.
  • Please plan your time wisely as you only have 60 minutes to finish the reading test

Before answering the passage Making sense of scent IELTS reading answers please refer to the IELTS reading tips.

IELTS reading passage - Making Sense of Scent

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14-25 based on Reading Passage 2 given below. After you've attempted all of the questions, review your answers using the provided Making sense of scent reading answers with locations.

Making Sense of Scent

  1. You inhale a mist of chemicals every time you walk by a bakery because of the smell. It takes a lot of effort to recognize the odor as that of freshly baked bread. But the sense of smell is frequently undervalued in comparison to the other senses. About half of respondents between the ages of 16 and 30 in a survey of 7,000 young people worldwide indicated they preferred to lose their sense of smell to give up access to technology like computers or cell phones.

  2. We don't pay close attention to how much olfaction we utilize on a daily basis. In reality, there are roughly a thousand genes in mammals that are involved in odor reception. The fact that 5% of human DNA is dedicated to olfaction, despite the fact that there are significantly fewer active odor receptor genes in humans, highlights the significance of our sense of smell.

  3. Millions of sensory neurons are found in a thin strip of tissue called the olfactory epithelium near the back of the nose, where the smell is first detected. Odorant molecules migrate through the nasal passages' superior nasal concha and land on the epithelium. Proteins known as receptors, which bind odor molecules, are present at the tips of epithelial cells. According to Leslie Vosshall, an expert in olfaction, the receptors are like locks, and the odor molecules that pass by are the means to unlock these locks.

  4. Olfactory receptors come in roughly 450 different varieties in humans. Each receptor can be activated by a variety of odor molecules, and each odor molecule can activate a variety of receptor types (dogs having around twice as many as humans). However, the intensity of the forces that connect odor molecules to receptors can vary significantly, making certain contacts better "fits" than others.

  5. We are able to sense a wide variety of smells due to the complexity of receptors and how they interact with odor molecules. A complex brain code that humans might recognize as the smell of a rose or newly cut grass is actually created by a mixture of several odor molecules operating on a number of receptors. The sensory neurons in the nose are the first in this neural code. The olfactory bulb, a structure at the base of the forebrain, transfers the electrical signal from the sensory neurons to other brain regions for further processing once an odor molecule connects to a receptor.

  6. The piriform cortex is a group of neurons right behind the olfactory bulb that functions to recognize smells.  The thalamus, a structure that acts as a relay station for all of the sensory data entering the brain, receives information about smell as well. Some of this smell data is sent via the thalamus to the orbitofrontal cortex, where it can be combined with taste data. The effects of this sensory integration are what we frequently mistake for the taste sense.

  7. Charles Wysocki, a scientist at the Monell Chemical Senses Center, claims that our ability to appreciate the meals and beverages we consume relies on our olfactory system. This connection between scent and taste explains why food seems bland when you have a cold. You've surely noticed that a scent can also evoke feelings and even specific memories, such as when you smell the perfume at a department shop and are reminded of your favorite uncle who uses the same scent. This occurs as a result of the thalamus transmitting smell information to the hippocampus and amygdala, important brain areas involved in memory and learning.

  8. Vosshall and her coworkers have recently demonstrated that people can recognize far more odors than the 10,000 or so that scientists once believed the human nose could distinguish. Making random combinations of 10, 20, and 30 odor molecules from a starting set of 128 distinct odor molecules resulted in an unidentifiable fragrance for the participants. The participants were then given three vials, two of which had identical concoctions and the third of which contained a different concoction, and they were instructed to identify the smell that didn't belong.

  9. Naturally, it was difficult to distinguish between two types of combinations the more overlap there was between them. The researchers were able to anticipate how people would perform if presented with every potential mixture that might be made from the 128 different odor molecules after assessing how many of the mixtures the majority of individuals could distinguish apart. In comparison to the earlier estimate of 10,000, they calculated that the average human can perceive at least one trillion distinct odors.

  10. Given that there are significantly more than 128 different kinds of odor molecules in the world, Vosshall asserted that this figure likely underestimates the actual number of odors that humans are capable of detecting. And in comparison to other mammals, our sense of smell is rather strong. For instance, only water-soluble odorants may be detected by marine species. Humans are no longer regarded as having a weak sense of smell. Vosshall declared, "It's time to give our sense of smell the credit it deserves.

Making Sense of Scent Reading Questions 

Question 1 - 4 

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading Passage

In boxes 1-4 on your answer sheet, write

TRUE             if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE            if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN   if there is no information on this

1. Odor reception is an integral function of all mammals.      
2. Superior nasal concha is compared to a lock and odor molecules are like keys that are used to open it.                 
3. Cats have two times as many olfactory receptors as humans.
4. In general, olfaction, and sense of taste are considered equally important. 

Click to know more about IELTS True/False/Not Given 

QUESTIONS 5-6 

Choose the correct letters A, B, C or D

Write the correct letters in boxes 5 – 6 on your answer sheet.

5. Where molecules do NOT travel throughout the process?

  1. Nasal 
  2. Epithelium
  3. Receptors
  4. Genes

6. Where does neural code begin from?

  1. Hippocampus
  2. Sensory neurons
  3. Amygdala
  4. Orbitofrontal cortex

Click to know more about IELTS Multiple Choice Questions 

Questions 7-12

Complete the sentences below.

Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 7-12 on your answer sheet.

The part of our brain responsible for identifying the smell is called 7. _______   .
The 8. _______ is a region in our brain that serves as a transition station for all sensory information that we receive.
Sense of smell is closely related to 9. _______  .
10. _______ and _______ are involved in arousing memories caused by specific smells.
The experiment proved that the average person can discriminate between at least 11. _______ smells.
Sea mammals can smell only odorants that are 12. _______  in water.

Click to know more about IELTS Sentence Completion

Making Sense of Scent Reading Answers with Explanation

Making sense of scent reading answers with explanations will guide you in rectifying errors and identifying the required information for your answer.

(Note: The text in italics is from the reading passage and shows the location from where the answer is taken or inferred. The text in regular font explains the answer in detail.)


1. True

Keyword Location: Paragraph B, Line 2

Explanation: In reality, there are roughly a thousand genes in mammals that are involved in odor reception

2. False 

Keyword Location: Paragraph C, last line

Explanation:  The receptors are like locks and the odor molecules that pass by are the means to unlock these locks


3. Not Given 

Explanation: The answer is "not given" because for this particular question there was no information.

4. Not Given 

Explanation: The answer is "not given" because for this particular question there was no information.

5. D

Keyword Location: Paragraph C,  Line 2-4

Explanation: Odorant molecules migrate through the nasal passages and land on the epithelium. Proteins known as receptors, which bind odor molecules, are present at the tips of epithelial cells


6. B 

Keyword Location: Paragraph E, Line 4

Explanation: The sensory neurons in the nose are the first in this neural code

7. Piriform cortex 

Keyword Location: Paragraph F, Line 1

Explanation: The piriform cortex, is a group of neurons right behind the olfactory bulb that functions to recognize smells.

8. Thalamus 

Keyword Location: Paragraph F, Line 2

Explanation: The thalamus, a structure that acts as a relay station for all of the sensory data entering the brain, receives information about the smell as well.


9. Sense of taste 

Keyword Location: Paragraph F, Line 4

Explanation: Some of this smell data is sent via the thalamus to the orbitofrontal cortex, where it can be combined with taste data.


10. Hippocampus, Amygdala

Keyword Location: Paragraph G, last line

Explanation: This occurs as a result of the thalamus transmitting smell information to the hippocampus and amygdala, important brain areas involved in memory and learning.


11. One trillion 

Keyword Location: Paragraph I, last line

Explanation: In comparison to the earlier estimate of 10,000, they calculated that the average human can perceive at least one trillion distinct odors.

12. Soluble 

Keyword Location: Paragraph J, Line 4

Explanation: Only water-soluble odorants may be detected by marine species.

Check the other reading passages 

Click the links to check the other important reading passages listed below

Conclusion 

The "Making sense of scent reading answers with explanations" and locations will assist you in locating the correct answers and formulating a plan. Links to further reading sections are also provided for your practice. You can visit these links to sharpen your reading abilities. Your overall time management skills will be enhanced.

Roshan.webp

About Author Roshan Sunthar

Roshan Sunthar is a study abroad expert as well as a renowned writer and author in international education. His academic excellence and 5+ years of work experience give him in-depth knowledge of international standardised exams and test preparation in IELTS, TOEFL, GRE, PTE, SAT, etc. The study materials he prepares incorporate exam-like questions. He’s also an expert in writing Statement of Purposes (SOPs) and Letter of Recommendations (LORs) for college admissions. He usually spends his leisure time watching English classics and documentaries, travelling, etc.

More Articles Post by Roshan Sunthar

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