Please Hold the Line IELTS Reading Answers with Explanation

Please Hold the Line Reading Answers are useful for IELTS students who want to practise IELTS Reading with proper answer checking, question analysis, and explanations. This reading passage is based on the effect of “on-hold music” on callers and how different types of music can change a person’s waiting experience.

In this article, you will get the Please Hold the Line Reading Answers with explanations, along with the reading passage, question types, and strategies to solve the passage correctly.

IELTS Reading Question Types in This Passage

The Please Hold the Line IELTS Reading passage includes the following question types:

1. Yes / No / Not Given
2. Matching Features
3. Multiple Choice Questions

These question types are very common in IELTS Reading, so practising this passage can help you improve your scanning, skimming, and answer-location skills.

Strategies for Solving Please Hold the Line Reading Passage

Before checking the Please Hold the Line Reading Answers, follow these simple strategies:

Read the question carefully and underline the main keywords.

For Yes / No / Not Given, do not use your own opinion. Check only what the writer says in the passage.

For matching features, identify the type of music first and then match it with the correct finding from the study.

For multiple choice questions, read all options carefully because some options may look correct but are not fully supported by the passage.

Scan the passage for names, numbers, music types, and gender-related information.

Pay attention to synonyms because IELTS Reading often uses different words in questions and passage.

IELTS Reading Passage – Please Hold the Line

Almost everyone has been placed on “musical hold,” which means that when you call any customer service number, you should expect to hear at least a few bars of monotonous elevator music before an operator answers the phone. The question is whether to hang up or stay on the line. According to research reported by University of Cincinnati Associate Professor of Marketing, James Kellaris, it depends either on the type of music played or on gender.

Kellaris has been researching the effects of music on consumers for over a decade, and he recently collaborated with Sigma Research Management Group to assess the effects of “hold music” for a company that operated a customer service line.

Researchers tested four types of “on-hold” music on 71 company customers, including 30 women. Light jazz, classical, rock, and the company’s current adult alternative format were all evaluated. The sample included individual consumers, small businesses, and large businesses. Participants were asked to estimate the time. In addition, the researchers collected and measured their responses and comments.

Service providers do not want customers to remain on hold, but if they are on hold, companies want them to have a pleasant experience. However, Kellaris’ findings could be bad news for businesses. The time spent “on hold,” regardless of the music, was frequently underestimated. The actual wait time in the study was 6 minutes, while the average estimate was 7 minutes and 6 seconds.

He gave the client who had hired him some good news. Their alternative music format was most likely their best option. It was a wise decision for two reasons. First, it did not produce significantly more positive or negative responses from callers. Second, male and female reactions to this type of music differed less.

Other findings of Kellaris made the situation of musical hold less certain. Time spent “on hold” seemed slightly shorter when light jazz was played, but the effect of music format differed for men and women. Males appeared to wait the least when classical music was played. This could be due to differences in attention levels and musical preferences.

Males gave the most positive responses to classical music, while females gave the most positive responses and the shortest waiting time estimates to light jazz. Rock music was the least preferred by both genders, resulting in the longest estimated wait times. According to Kellaris, the driving beat of rock music tends to irritate people who call customer service with a problem. “The longer the wait appeared to be, the better the response to the music.” Kellaris jokingly says, “Perhaps time does fly when you’re having fun, even if you’re on musical hold.”

Men and women perceive music differently, which is unfortunate for businesses that use on-hold music. Kellaris jokingly suggests that the recorded message should instruct male callers to press one and female callers to press two. “Please hang up and try again later if you are upset.”

Please Hold the Line Reading Questions

Questions 1–6

Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer?

Write:

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

1. The research sample consisted of actual customers of the company.
2. Businesses want to cut down on the amount of time customers spend on hold.
3. Researchers only asked participants to estimate how long they were “on hold.”
4. There were an equal number of males and females in the sample.
5. Advertising is regarded as an inadequate substitute for “on-hold” music.
6. The customer service organisation studied was using classical music.

Questions 7–11

Choose the type of music from the list A–D below which corresponds to the findings of the study.

Types of Music

A. Light jazz
B. Alternative
C. Classical
D. Rock

7. Favoured music by men
8. Estimated longest waiting time by both sexes
9. Music that may irritate callers during phone hold
10. Music to use if the majority of clients are female
11. Best overall selection of “on-hold” music

Questions 12–13

Choose the correct letter A–D.

12. Researchers reached the conclusion that ________.

A. Subjects overestimate the duration of time spent “on hold.”
B. It is preferable for businesses not to use “on-hold” music.
C. Overall, light jazz was the most acceptable genre of music.
D. Both gender and musical genre affect callers’ responses.

13. The researchers suggested that ________.

A. Their customers should continue using alternative music.
B. People “on hold” should be offered four different types of music.
C. Music is preferable to advertising.
D. Women can endure longer wait times than men.

Please Hold the Line Reading Answers

Please Hold the Line Reading Answers with Explanations

1. YES

Explanation: The passage says that researchers tested four types of on-hold music on 71 company customers. This confirms that the research sample included actual customers of the company.

2. YES

Explanation: The passage states that service providers do not want customers to be on hold. This means companies want to reduce the time customers spend waiting.

3. NO

Explanation: The statement says researchers only asked participants to estimate the waiting time. However, the passage also says researchers collected and measured their responses and comments. So, the statement is incorrect.

4. NO

Explanation: The passage mentions that there were 71 company customers, including 30 women. This means the number of men and women was not equal.

5. NOT GIVEN

Explanation: The passage does not discuss advertising as a substitute for on-hold music. Therefore, the answer is Not Given.

6. NO

Explanation: The passage says the company was using an adult alternative format, not classical music. Therefore, the statement contradicts the passage.

7. C – Classical

Explanation: The passage states that males gave the most positive responses to classical music. So, the music favoured by men was classical music.

8. D – Rock

Explanation: Rock music was the least preferred by both genders and resulted in the longest estimated waiting times.

9. D – Rock

Explanation: According to Kellaris, the driving beat of rock music tends to irritate callers, especially those calling customer service with a problem.

10. A – Light Jazz

Explanation: The passage says females gave the most positive responses and the shortest waiting time estimates to light jazz. So, if most clients are female, light jazz would be the better choice.

11. B – Alternative

Explanation: The passage says the company’s alternative music format was most likely the best option because it created balanced responses from both men and women.

12. D – Both gender and musical genre affect callers’ responses

Explanation: The passage clearly shows that both the type of music and the gender of callers affected their responses and waiting time estimates.

13. A – Their customers should continue using alternative music

Explanation: Kellaris informed the client that their alternative music format was most likely the best option. Therefore, the correct answer is A.

Common Mistakes in Please Hold the Line Reading Passage

Many IELTS students make mistakes in this passage because they answer from general understanding instead of exact passage information.

For example, in Question 3, students may choose “YES” because participants were asked to estimate time. But the word only changes the meaning. The passage says they also gave responses and comments, so the correct answer is NO.

Similarly, Question 5 is NOT GIVEN because advertising is not clearly compared with on-hold music in the passage.

Final Tips for IELTS Reading Practice

To score better in IELTS Reading, always focus on the exact meaning of the sentence. Do not guess answers from your own knowledge. For Yes / No / Not Given questions, check whether the writer clearly agrees, clearly disagrees, or does not mention the information.

The Please Hold the Line Reading Answers passage is a good practice test for improving your understanding of research-based passages, gender comparison questions, and matching feature questions.

Conclusion

The Please Hold the Line Reading Answers with explanations can help IELTS students understand how to locate answers correctly in the passage. This passage is especially useful for practising Yes / No / Not Given, matching features, and multiple choice questions.

Practise the passage carefully, check your mistakes, and revise the explanations to improve your IELTS Reading band score.

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