IELTS Reading Passage 2: Procrastination (Cambridge 20 Test 2) – Detailed Analysis

Are you currently preparing for the IELTS exam and have come across the reading passage on “Procrastination” in Cambridge 20? This is a fascinating psychological topic, but it can be challenging due to its dense vocabulary and information.

Don’t worry! This article from ECE English will serve as your roadmap to conquering Reading Passage 2 of Test 2, providing you with everything from the reading content, questions, and summaries to “high-scoring” vocabulary and detailed answer explanations. Let’s get started!

Reading Content: Procrastination & Questions

A psychologist explains why we put off important tasks and how we can break this habit

A. Procrastination is the habit of delaying a necessary task, usually by focusing on less urgent, more enjoyable, and easier activities instead. We all do it from time to time. We might be composing a message to a friend who we have to let down, or putting together an important report for college or work; we’re doing our best to avoid doing the job at hand, but deep down we know that we should just be getting on with it. Unfortunately, berating ourselves won’t stop us procrastinating again. In fact, it’s one of the worst things we can do. This matters because, as my research shows, procrastination doesn’t just waste time, but is actually linked to other problems, too.

B. Contrary to popular belief, procrastination is not due to laziness or poor time management. Scientific studies suggest procrastination is, in fact, caused by poor mood management. This makes sense if we consider that people are more likely to put off starting or completing tasks that they are really not keen to do. If just thinking about the task threatens our sense of self-worth or makes us anxious, we will be more likely to put it off. Research involving brain imaging has found that areas of the brain linked to detection of threats and emotion regulation are actually different in people who chronically procrastinate compared to those who don’t procrastinate frequently.

C. Tasks that are emotionally loaded or difficult, such as preparing for exams, are prime candidates for procrastination. People with low self-esteem are more likely to procrastinate. Another group of people who tend to procrastinate are perfectionists, who worry their work will be judged harshly by others. We know that if we don’t finish that report or complete those home repairs, then what we did can’t be evaluated. When we avoid such tasks, we also avoid the negative emotions associated with them. This is rewarding, and it conditions us to use procrastination to repair our mood. If we engage in more enjoyable tasks instead, we get another mood boost. In the long run, however, procrastination isn’t an effective way of managing emotions. The ‘mood repair’ we experience is temporary. Afterwards, people tend to be left with a sense of guilt that not only increases their negative mood, but also reinforces their tendency to procrastinate.

D. So why is this such a problem? When most people think of the costs of procrastination, they think of the toll on productivity. For example, studies have shown that procrastination negatively impacts on student performance. But putting off reading textbooks and writing essays may affect other areas of students’ lives. In one study of over 3,000 German students over a six-month period, those who reported procrastinating over their university work were also more likely to engage in study-related misconduct, such as cheating and plagiarism. But the behaviour that procrastination was most closely linked with was using fraudulent excuses to get deadline extensions. Other research shows that employees on average spend almost a quarter of their workday procrastinating, and again this is linked with negative outcomes. In fact, in one US survey of over 22,000 employees, participants who said they regularly procrastinated had less annual income and less employment stability. For every one-point increase on a measure of chronic procrastination, annual income decreased by US$15,000.

E. Procrastination also correlates with serious health and well-being problems. A tendency to procrastinate is linked to poor mental health, including higher levels of depression and anxiety. Across numerous studies, I’ve found people who regularly procrastinate report a greater number of health issues, such as headaches, flu and colds, and digestive issues. They also experience higher levels of stress and poor sleep quality. They are less likely to practise healthy behaviours, such as eating a healthy diet and regularly exercising, and use destructive coping strategies to manage their stress. In one study of over 700 people, I found people prone to procrastination had a 63% greater risk of poor heart health after accounting for other personality traits and demographics.

F. Finding better ways of managing our emotions is one route out of the vicious cycle of procrastination. An important first step is to manage our environment and how we view the task. There are a number of evidence-based strategies that can help us fend off distractions that can occupy our minds when we should be focusing on the thing we should be getting on with. For example, reminding ourselves about why the task is important and valuable can increase positive feelings towards it. Forgiving ourselves and feeling compassion when we procrastinate can help break the procrastination cycle. We should admit that we feel bad, but not be overly critical of ourselves. We should remind ourselves that we’re not the first person to procrastinate, nor the last. Doing this can take the edge off the negative feelings we have about ourselves when we procrastinate. This can all make it easier to get back on track.

Questions 14 – 16

Reading Passage 2 has six paragraphs, A-F.

Which paragraph contains the following information?

NB You may use any letter more than once.

14. mention of false assumptions about why people procrastinate

15. reference to the realisation that others also procrastinate

16. neurological evidence of a link between procrastination and emotion

Questions 17 – 22

Complete the summary below.

Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.

What makes us procrastinate?

Many people think that procrastination is the result of 17 ……………….. . Others believe it to be the result of an inability to organise time efficiently. But scientific studies suggest that procrastination is actually due to poor mood management. The tasks we are most likely to put off are those that could damage our self-esteem or cause us to feel 18 ……………….. when we think about them. Research comparing chronic procrastinators with other people even found differences in the brain regions associated with regulating emotions and identifying 19 ……………….. . Emotionally loaded and difficult tasks often cause us to procrastinate. Getting ready to take 20 ……………….. might be a typical example of one such task. People who are likely to procrastinate tend to be either 21 ……………….. or those with low self-esteem. Procrastination is only a short-term measure for managing emotions. It’s often followed by a feeling of 22 ……………….. , which worsens our mood and leads to more procrastination.

Questions 23 and 24

Choose TWO letters, A – E.

Which TWO comparisons between employees who often procrastinate and those who do not are mentioned in the text?

A. Their salaries are lower.

B. The quality of their work is inferior.

C. They don’t keep their jobs for as long.

D. They don’t enjoy their working lives as much.

E. They have poorer relationships with colleagues.

Questions 25 and 26

Choose TWO letters, A-E

Which TWO recommendations for getting out of a cycle of procrastination does the writer give?

A. not judging ourselves harshly

B. setting ourselves manageable aims

C. rewarding ourselves for tasks achieved

D. prioritising tasks according to their importance

E. avoiding things that stop us concentrating on our tasks

Summary of the Reading Passage

The reading passage “Procrastination,” written by a psychologist, decodes the phenomenon of procrastination from its root causes to its consequences and potential solutions.

• Paragraph A: Introduces the definition of procrastination and emphasizes that self-reproach is not the solution.
• Paragraph B: Debunks the misconception that procrastination is caused by laziness or poor time management. Instead, the real cause is poor mood management. There is neurological evidence (brain imaging) showing differences in the brains of chronic procrastinators.
• Paragraph C: Lists groups prone to procrastination (those with low self-esteem, perfectionists) and explains the psychological mechanism: procrastination provides temporary relief from negative emotions but ultimately leads to guilt and a vicious cycle.
• Paragraph D: Highlights the consequences of procrastination on productivity, particularly in academic settings (misconduct) and the workplace (lower income, job instability).
• Paragraph E: Points out the serious correlation between procrastination and health issues, both physical (headaches, flu) and mental (depression, anxiety).
• Paragraph F: Proposes solutions to break the cycle, focusing on better emotion management, such as self-forgiveness, self-compassion, and avoiding distractions.

Key Vocabulary from the “Procrastination” Reading Passage

Answer Key and Detailed Explanations

14. B

Evidence: “Contrary to popular belief, procrastination is not due to laziness or poor time management.”

Explanation: The phrase “Contrary to popular belief” is how the author addresses the “false assumptions” regarding the causes of procrastination.

15. F

Evidence: “We should remind ourselves that we’re not the first person to procrastinate, nor the last.”

Explanation: This sentence implies that we are not alone in our habit, reflecting the realization that others also procrastinate.

16. B

Evidence: “Research involving brain imaging has found that areas of the brain linked to detection of threats and emotion regulation are actually different in people who chronically procrastinate…”

Explanation: “Brain imaging” serves as the “neurological evidence” showing the link between procrastination and emotion.

17. laziness

Evidence: (Paragraph B) “…procrastination is not due to laziness or poor time management.”

Explanation: The summary states that “Many people think that…” (Many people think that…). Paragraph B refutes this common belief, which includes laziness.

18. anxious

Evidence: (Paragraph B) “If just thinking about the task threatens our sense of self-worth or makes us anxious, we will be more likely to put it off.”

Explanation: The passage indicates that tasks that make us feel “anxious” are more likely to be procrastinated.

19. threats

Evidence: (Paragraph B) “…areas of the brain linked to detection of threats and emotion regulation…”

Explanation: Research shows that brain regions related to detecting “threats” differ in chronic procrastinators.

20. exams

Evidence: (Paragraph C) “Tasks that are emotionally loaded or difficult, such as preparing for exams, are prime candidates for procrastination.”

Explanation: Paragraph C provides preparing for exams as a typical example of a difficult task.

21. perfectionists

Evidence: (Paragraph C) “Another group of people who tend to procrastinate are perfectionists…”

Explanation: The passage identifies two groups prone to procrastination: those with low self-esteem and perfectionists.

22. guilt

Evidence: (Paragraph C) “Afterwards, people tend to be left with a sense of guilt that not only increases their negative mood…”

Explanation: Procrastination only provides temporary relief, followed by a sense of guilt.

Questions 23-24 ✅

A. Their salaries are lower.

Evidence: (Paragraph D) “…participants who said they regularly procrastinated had less annual income…”

Explanation: “Less annual income” is equivalent to “salaries are lower.”

C. They don’t keep their jobs for as long.

Evidence: (Paragraph D) “…and less employment stability.”

Explanation: “Less employment stability” means they do not hold onto their jobs as long.

Questions 25-26 ✅

A. not judging ourselves harshly

Evidence: (Paragraph F) “We should admit that we feel bad, but not be overly critical of ourselves.”

Explanation: “Not be overly critical” is synonymous with “not judging ourselves harshly.”

E. avoiding things that stop us concentrating on our tasks

Evidence: (Paragraph F) “…evidence-based strategies that can help us fend off distractions that can occupy our minds when we should be focusing…”

Explanation: “Fend off distractions” is equivalent to “avoiding things that stop us concentrating.”

Conclusion

Hopefully, through this detailed analysis by ECE, you not only understand how to solve the IELTS Reading passage on Procrastination but also gain deeper insight into this interesting psychological topic. Practicing with academic reading passages like this is an excellent way to improve your vocabulary, reading comprehension, and critical thinking skills.

Apply these insights to your study routine. Good luck with your studies and may you achieve your target IELTS band score!