The Science of a Balanced Diet: Reading Answers & Explanations
IELTS Reading practice test · 14 questionsAcademicmedium
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About this passage
The passage opens: “Few subjects generate as much confusing advice as what we ought to eat. Every year brings a new fashion, a food to fear or a food to celebrate, and the result is that many people feel they no longer know what a healthy meal looks like.”
- Passage length: about 812 words
- Questions: 14
- Question types: Yes / No / Not Given, Multiple Choice, Short Answer
“The Science of a Balanced Diet” is an original IELTS-style practice passage written by IELTS-Bank. It is not taken from an official IELTS or Cambridge test, so these answers only apply to our version.
Answer key at a glance
The Science of a Balanced Diet answers with explanations
Questions 1–6: Yes / No / Not Given
Do the following statements agree with the views/claims of the writer? Write YES if the statement agrees with the views of the writer, NO if it contradicts, or NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks.
- 1
The confusion many people feel about healthy eating is mostly avoidable.
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Answer: YES
Why: The writer's view here agrees with the statement, so the answer is YES.
Evidence · Paragraph 1 “In my view this confusion is largely unnecessary.”
- 2
A diet that completely leaves out one category of nutrient is a mistake.
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Answer: YES
Why: The writer's view here agrees with the statement, so the answer is YES.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “No single one of these can be neglected, and a diet that leaves out an entire category is, I would argue, always a mistake, however popular such diets sometimes become.”
- 3
The exact percentages of each nutrient group are the most important thing to argue about.
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Answer: NO
Why: The writer's view here contradicts the statement, so the answer is NO.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “I find this general shape convincing, and I think the endless argument over the precise percentages distracts from a picture that is, in its broad outline, clear enough to act on.”
- 4
Reducing added sugar is one of the most valuable dietary changes most people could make.
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Answer: YES
Why: The writer's view here agrees with the statement, so the answer is YES.
Evidence · Paragraph 5 “I am convinced that reducing added sugar is one of the single most valuable changes most people could make to their diet, and I make no apology for saying so plainly.”
- 5
A very strict diet that causes anxiety is a good long-term approach.
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Answer: NO
Why: The writer's view here contradicts the statement, so the answer is NO.
Evidence · Paragraph 7 “Indeed, I think an approach so strict that it becomes a source of anxiety is unlikely to last, and a diet that cannot be sustained is of little use.”
- 6
Eating late at night is worse for health than eating earlier in the day.
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Answer: NOT GIVEN
Why: The statement claims that eating late at night is worse for health than eating earlier, but the passage does not address this topic, focusing instead on the components and balance of a healthy diet.
Question 7: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. Proteins
- B. Carbohydrates
- C. Fats
- D. Vitamins and minerals
- 7
According to the passage, what is the body's main source of everyday energy?
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Answer: B — Carbohydrates
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports B — Carbohydrates.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “Carbohydrates are the body's main source of everyday energy.”
Question 8: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. Proportion, or the right quantities
- B. Eating only freshly prepared food
- C. Avoiding fat entirely
- D. Counting exact percentages
- 8
Besides including every food group, what does the writer say balance is also about?
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Answer: A — Proportion, or the right quantities
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports A — Proportion, or the right quantities.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “Balance, though, is not only about including every group; it is also about proportion.”
Question 9: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. As something that should be avoided completely
- B. As identical to the sugar added to processed foods
- C. As coming wrapped in fibre, vitamins and other goodness
- D. As the main cause of poor diets
- 9
How does the passage describe the sugar found naturally in fruit and milk?
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Answer: C — As coming wrapped in fibre, vitamins and other goodness
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports C — As coming wrapped in fibre, vitamins and other goodness.
Evidence · Paragraph 5 “Sugar occurs naturally in fruit and milk, where it comes wrapped in fibre, vitamins and other goodness, and I have no quarrel with it there.”
Question 10: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. the content of a single meal
- B. a pattern maintained over weeks and months
- C. a set of rigid rules
- D. a short-lived act of willpower
- 10
According to the writer, a balanced diet is best understood as
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Answer: B — a pattern maintained over weeks and months
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports B — a pattern maintained over weeks and months.
Evidence · Paragraph 7 “A balanced diet is best understood as a pattern maintained over weeks and months, not the content of any single meal, and there is room within it for the occasional treat.”
Questions 11–14: Short Answer
Answer the questions below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.
- 11
Which nutrient supplies the raw materials for building and repairing tissues?(max 2 words)
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Answer: proteins (also accepted: protein)
Why: The answer “proteins” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 2-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “Proteins supply the raw materials for building and repairing tissues.”
- 12
Which kind of fat, found in fatty meat and many processed foods, is best limited?(max 2 words)
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Answer: saturated fat (also accepted: saturated)
Why: The answer “saturated fat” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 2-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 4 “…large amounts of the saturated fat in fatty meat and many processed foods are best limited.”
- 13
According to the writer, which single ingredient deserves particular caution?(max 3 words)
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Answer: added sugar (also accepted: sugar)
Why: The answer “added sugar” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 3-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 5 “One ingredient deserves particular caution, and that is added sugar.”
- 14
Heavily processed foods tend to be low in fibre and what else that whole foods provide?(max 2 words)
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Answer: nutrients
Why: The answer “nutrients” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 2-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 6 “…and they tend to be low in the fibre and nutrients that whole foods provide.”
Estimated band score for this test
Your raw score out of 14 scaled to the 40-question IELTS Reading (Academic) conversion table. This is the same estimate the practice page shows after you submit. A single passage is a small sample, so treat it as a guide.
| Correct answers | Estimated band |
|---|---|
| 14 / 14 | 9.0 |
| 13 / 14 | 8.5 |
| 12 / 14 | 7.5 |
| 11 / 14 | 7.0 |
| 10 / 14 | 6.5 |
| 8–9 / 14 | 6.0 |
| 7 / 14 | 5.5 |
| 6 / 14 | 5.0 |
| 5 / 14 | 4.5 |
| 4 / 14 | 4.0 |
| 3 / 14 | 3.5 |
| 2 / 14 | 3.0 |
| 1 / 14 | 2.0 |
| 0 / 14 | 0.0 |
Full-test score? Use the IELTS band calculator.
Tips for the question types in this test
Yes / No / Not Given
- Identify the claim in the statement and, crucially, whose opinion it represents — these passages often quote several people, so track who is speaking.
- Scan the passage for opinion signals: verbs like "argues", "believes", "suggests", "claims", and phrases such as "in the author’s view".
Common trap: Treating a reported opinion (someone else’s view mentioned by the writer) as the writer’s own conclusion.
Full Yes / No / Not Given strategyMultiple Choice
- Read the question stem carefully before the options so you know exactly what is being asked.
- Because multiple-choice questions follow passage order, locate the relevant section and read it in full — the answer usually depends on more than one sentence.
Common trap: Distractors that use exact words from the passage but distort the meaning.
Full Multiple Choice strategyShort Answer
- Read the instructions and note the exact word limit; going over it means zero marks even if the meaning is right.
- Turn each question into a set of keywords and predict what kind of answer it needs (a person, a date, a place, a noun).
Common trap: Exceeding the word limit (writing four words when only three are allowed).
Full Short Answer strategyPractise “The Science of a Balanced Diet” under exam conditions
Free, auto-marked, with the 20-minute timer and an instant band estimate.
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