IELTS Reading Test - The Role of Mothers in the Origins of Music
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READING PASSAGE 2
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The Role of Mothers in the Origins of Music
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14-26, which are based on Reading Passage 2 below.
A. In a recent lecture Richard Parncutt, a professor of systematic musicology at the University of Graz, Austria, discussed the idea that music originated from 'motherese' - the playful voices mothers adopt when speaking to infants and toddlers. According to the theory, evolutionary growth in human brain size between one and two million years ago led to earlier births, more fragile infants, and a vital need for stronger bonds between mothers and their newborns. According to Parncutt, 'motherese' arose as a way to strengthen this maternal bond and to help infants survive. 'If babies were born earlier, it is clear they would need better care in order to survive... this would involve the baby communicating its state and needs more clearly to the mother,' he says. Parncutt adds that this makes it very likely that motherese developed as an evolutionary adaptation, and that there is a large body of contemporary empirical evidence supporting the musical characteristics of motherese.
B. Although it might appear amusing - or even nonsensical - at first glance, 'motherese' is actually a complex and refined form of communication. It contains structural musical elements such as rhythm and melody, and codes that babies and mothers understand. It also contains cross-cultural similarities with regard to the physical gestures and movements it incorporates - an important consideration when examining the origin of music. 'The sonic-gestural vocabulary conveys to both mother and infant information about the present physical and emotional condition of each, along with the current nature of interaction between them,' states Parncutt. 'Here, emotions such as surprise and disappointment are learned for the first time in a social and musical context. It is about survival in that it motivates the mother to care for the infant and gives her information about the infant's needs.' For example, mothers can understand when their babies are tired or hungry. Motherese also helps infants to acquire language.
C. Parncutt explains that a fetus begins hearing nearly four months before birth, as it regularly hears its mother's voice, heartbeat, and digestive sounds - all of which provide information about its mother's emotional state. After birth, the baby recognises these sound patterns and its mother's correlating mood. Gary McPherson, head of the University of Melbourne's School of Music, reiterates the importance of this prenatal association, saying that music is the very first form of intelligence to reveal itself - even before birth.
D. However, there are several competing theories about the origins of music. Parncutt developed a grading system to assess these theories, the objective being to measure their validity against a set of criteria which he called 'universal aspects of music'. Some theories suggest music originated as a form of sexual selection, similar to a peacock's tail, used to attract mates. Others propose it evolved to enhance social cohesion and cooperation within larger groups, or that it was a byproduct of other evolutionary adaptations with no specific survival purpose of its own. Parncutt's system graded each theory based on its ability to explain music's emotional power, its presence in all known cultures, and its apparent lack of a direct survival function compared to language.
E. When evaluated against these criteria, Parncutt argues that the motherese theory provides the most comprehensive explanation. It accounts for the deep emotional connection inherent in music by linking it to the primal bond between mother and child. Furthermore, because caregiving for infants is a human universal, the theory naturally explains why music is found in all cultures around the world. The playful, non-utilitarian nature of motherese also mirrors the aesthetic and seemingly non-functional aspects of music itself, addressing the question of why music exists beyond strict survival needs.
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QUESTIONS 14-26
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Questions 14-19
Reading Passage 2 has five paragraphs, A-E.
Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number, i-ix, in boxes 14-19 on your answer sheet.
List of Headings
i. A universal explanation for music's nature
ii. The first sounds a baby hears
iii. A biological change that created a need
iv. Comparing the motherese theory to other ideas
v. A sophisticated form of musical communication
vi. A system for evaluating different theories
vii. The role of fathers in infant development
viii. The initial proposal of a maternal source for music
ix. Music as a tool for social cooperation
14. Paragraph A
15. Paragraph B
16. Paragraph C
17. Paragraph D
18. Paragraph E
Questions 20-22
Complete the sentences below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 20-22 on your answer sheet.
20. Parncutt suggests that the growth of the human brain resulted in babies being born
21. Motherese is considered a type of evolutionary
22. According to Gary McPherson, musical intelligence is present even
Questions 23-26
Complete the summary using the list of words, A-H, below.
Write the correct letter, A-H, in boxes 23-26 on your answer sheet.
Parncutt's Evaluation of Competing Theories
Parncutt created a grading system to assess different theories of music's origin based on universal aspects of music. Some competing theories propose that music functioned as a mechanism for 23. , or that it was useful for building 24. within communities. Parncutt's own theory, centred on motherese, received a high grade because it explains music's 25. connection and its presence across all cultures. It also aligns with music's 26. quality, which resembles the playful interaction between a mother and her infant.
A. emotional B. social cohesion C. sexual selection D. survival function
