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GENERAL TRAINING Practice Reading Test 6

Five reviews of the Wellington Hotel

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Section 1

Question 1-14

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-14, which are based on Reading Passages below.

Write answers to questions in boxes 1-14 on your answer sheet.

Read the text below and answer Questions 1-7.

Five reviews of the Wellington Hotel

A.

My husband and I first stayed at the Wellington a few years ago, and we’ve returned every year since then. When we arrive and check in, we’re always treated like old friends by the staff, so we very much feel at home. Our one disappointment during our last visit was that our room overlooked the car park, but that didn’t spoil our stay.

B.

The hotel hardly seems to have changed in the last hundred years, and we prefer that to many modern hotels, which tend to look the same as each other. The Wellington has character! Our room was very comfortable and quite spacious. We can strongly recommend the breakfast, though we had to wait for a table as the hotel was so full. That was a bit annoying, and there was also nowhere to sit in the lounge.

C.

We made our reservation by phone without problem, but when we arrived the receptionist couldn’t see it on the computer system. Luckily there was a room available. It wasn’t quite what we would have chosen, but it was a pleasure to sit in it with a cup of tea, and look out at the swimmers and surfers in the sea.

D.

We’d be happy to stay at the Wellington again. Although there’s nothing special about the rooms, the view from the lounge is lovely, and the restaurant staff were friendly and efficient. Breakfast was a highlight – there was so much on offer we could hardly decide what to eat. We’d stay another time just for that!

E.

The staff all did their jobs efficiently, and were very helpful when we asked for information about the area. The only difficulty we had was making our reservation online – it wasn’t clear whether payment for our deposit went through or not, and I had to call the hotel to find out. Still, once we’d arrived, everything went very smoothly, and we had a delicious dinner in the restaurant.

Questions 1-7

IELTS General Reading Practice Test 10 With Answers

Look at the five online reviews of the Wellington Hotel, A-E.
Which review mentions the following?

Write the correct letter, A-E, in boxes 1-7 on your answer sheet.
NB You may use any letter more than once.

1.  liking the view from the bedroom window
2.  finding the receptionists welcoming
3.  being pleased with the bedroom
4.  becoming confused when booking a room
5.  being impressed by the wide choice of food
6.  staying in the hotel regularly
7.  finding it inconvenient that the hotel was crowded


Read the text below and answer Questions 8-14.

Come and play walking football or walking netball

Walking football and netball have become increasingly popular in recent years, but do you know you can take part in this area? The names make it clear what they are – two of the country’s favourite sports where, instead of running, the players walk. It’s as simple as that.

Walking football was invented in the UK in 2011, but it was a 2014 TV commercial for a bank, showing it providing financial support to someone who wanted to set up a website for the game, that brought it to people’s attention. Since then, tens of thousands of people — mostly, though not only, over the age of 50 — have started playing, and there are more than 800 walking football clubs. Both men and women play walking football, but at the moment the netball teams consist only of women. However, men are beginning to show an interest in playing.

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The two games are designed to help people to be active or get fit, whatever their age and level of fitness. In particular, they were invented to encourage older men and women to get more exercise, and to give them a chance to meet other people. Regular physical activity helps to maintain energy, strength and flexibility. You can start gently and do a little more each session. The benefits include lower heart rate and blood pressure, greater mobility, less fat and more muscle.

Many players have given up a sport – either through age or injury – and can now take it up again. They’re great ways for people to enjoy a sport they used to play and love, and keep active at the same time, though people who have never played the standard game before are also very welcome.

 
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The local councils Active Lifestyles Team runs sessions at all the council’s leisure centres. Come alone or with a friend, and enjoy a friendly game on Monday or Saturday afternoons, or Tuesday or Thursday evenings. Each session costs £3 per person, and you don’t have to come regularly or at the same time each week. Our aim is to set up netball and football clubs as soon as there are enough regular players.

Questions 8-14

IELTS General Reading Practice Test 10 With Answers

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text on passage?

In boxes 8-14 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

8.  Walking football became well-known when a club featured in a TV programme about the sport.
9.  The majority of walking netball players are men.
10.  Most clubs arrange social activities for their members,
11.  Players are tested regularly to measure changes in their fitness.
12.  People who have never played football are encouraged to play walking football.
13.  People can take part in the Active Lifestyles Team’s sessions whenever they wish
14.  The Active Lifestyles Team intends to start clubs in the future.

Section 2

Question 15-27

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 15-27, which are based on Reading Passages below.

Write answers to questions in boxes 15-27 on your answer sheet.

Read the text below and answer Questions 15-20.

College car parking policy – staff

Parking permits and tickets

Staff permits are required to park a motor vehicle (other than a motorcycle parked in the cycle bays) on campus between 8.30 am and 4.30 pm, Monday to Friday, during term time. Annual permits can be purchased from the Hospitality Department. Application forms can be downloaded from the College website. All permits/tickets must be clearly displayed in the windscreen of vehicles during the dates of term time, as published in the academic calendar. Please inform the Services Administrator of any changes to registration details on telephone ext. 406. Annual car parking permits can be purchased from 20th September and are valid for one academic year from 1st October to 30th June. The annual charges for car parking are displayed on the application form.

Enforcement

The nominated contractor will issue fixed Penalty Charge Notices (see below) on vehicles that fail to display a valid permit and/or parking ticket, or vehicles that are parked on yellow lines or in disabled parking bays without displaying a blue disabled-parking permit. Reductions of parking space availability may arise in order to accommodate College recruitment activities and/or estate development/maintenance projects. Vehicles that are in breach of the policy will be issued with a Penalty Charge Notice.

Penalty Charge Notice (PCM)

The PCN is £30, increasing to £60 seven days after issue. The nominated contractor is responsible for the collection of unpaid PCNs and may use legal action where necessary to recover unpaid PCNs. If issued with a PCN, appeals must be taken up directly with the parking enforcement company (details included on the notice) not the college.

Disabled parking

The college has designated car parking spaces for disabled car drivers. The college will make all reasonable efforts to ensure these parking spaces are used only by drivers who display their blue disabled-parking permits, and a valid pay-and-display or annual permit, as appropriate.
If issues arise concerning the availability of the parking spaces, those concerned should raise the matter with the Domestic Services Department in order to effect a temporary solution.

Visitors

The College welcomes visitors and provides parking arrangements through pre-arranged permits, which must be displayed in the vehicle. Please contact the Hospitality Department for further information, On Open Days, sections of car parking on campus may be reserved for visitors.

Short-term drop-off/pick-up provision

There will be two short-term drop-off/pick-up spaces for users of the nursery, with a maximum of ten minutes’ waiting time allowed. These are located outside Concorde Building. The nursery staff bays may not be used under any circumstances.

Questions 15-20

Answer the questions below.
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the text for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 15-20 on your answer sheet.

15.  Where can you buy parking permits at the college?
16.  Which document shows the dates of term time?
17.  What is the start date of annual parking permits?
18.  Who is responsible for giving out parking fines if you park in the wrong place?
19.  What do visitors need to show when parking?
20.  Where can the nursery pick-up point be found?

Read the text below and answer Questions 21-27.

Maternity benefits

If you are expecting a baby, there are a number of benefit schemes that could help you financially. However, eligibility differs for each individual scheme.

Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP)

You may be entitled to Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) from your employer. This is a weekly payment, to help make it easier for you to take time off, both before and after the birth of your baby. SMP can be paid for up to 39 weeks.

You are entitled to SMP if you have been employed by the same company for at least 26 weeks by the end of the 15th week before your baby is due. You must also be earning an average of at least £87 per week (before tax). The amount you get depends on how much you earn. For 6 weeks, you will receive 90% of your average weekly earnings. Then you will receive £112.75 per week for the remaining 33 weeks.

Maternity Allowance (MA)

Maternity Allowance (MA) is available to those who are employed or self-employed but not eligible for Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP). You may be entitled to Maternity Allowance if you have been employed or self-employed for at least 26 weeks in the 66 weeks before you are due to give birth. Don’t have to work for the same employer for those 26 weeks. You also don’t have to work full weeks (as a part week counts as a full week) during the same period. Maternity Allowance can be paid for up to 39 weeks, and is either paid at the same standard rate as SMP or 90% of your average weekly earnings. You’ll receive whichever amount is the lower. You can find Maternity Allowance forms at antenatal clinics throughout the country.

Child Tax Credit

If you’re on a low income, over 16, and are responsible for at least one child, you may also be entitled to Child Tax Credit. The amount you get will depend on your personal circumstances and income. When your income is being assessed, any child benefit, maintenance payments or Maternity Allowance payments will not be classed as income. This means that it will not be taken into account when calculating your Child Tax Credit.

Sure Start Maternity Payments

If you get benefits or Child Tax Credit because you’re on a low income, then you may be entitled to Sure Start Maternity Payments. These are individual grants to help towards the cost of a new baby.

 

Questions 21-27

IELTS General Reading Practice Test 10 With Answers

Answer the questions below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the text for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 21-27 on your answer sheet.

21.  What is the minimum period you must have worked for an employer in order to be eligible for SMP?
22.  For how long is SMP payable every week as a percentage of your average weekly earnings?
23.  What sum is payable every week as the second part of SMP entitlement?
24.  What is the maximum length of time MA is payable?
25.  Where can MA forms be obtained?
26.  Apart from income, what else is considered when assessing how much Child Tax Credit is paid?
27.  What are Sure Start Maternity Payments?

Section 3

Question 28-40

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 28-40, which are based on Reading Passages below.

Write answers to questions in boxes 28-40 on your answer sheet.

Question 28-32

The text below has five sections, A-E.
Choose the correct heading for each section from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number i-viii in boxes 28-32 on your answer sheet.

List of Headings

i  Solving the puzzle of a papyrus document
ii  The importance of written records and different ways of recording them
iii  The use of papyrus for a range of purposes
iv  Suggestions for future possibilities for papyrus
v  How papyrus was cultivated and different manufacturing methods
vi  The decline of papyrus use
vii  The preservation and destruction of papyrus documents
viii  The process of papyrus production

28.   Section A
29.   Section B
30.   Section C
31.   Section D
32.   Section E

Papyrus

IELTS General Reading Practice Test 10 With Answers

Used by the ancient Egyptians to make paper, the papyrus plant has helped to shape the world we live in

A.

Libraries and archives are cultural crossroads of knowledge exchange, where the past transmits information to the present, and where the present has the opportunity to inform the future. Bureaucracies have become the backbone of civilizations, as governments try to keep track of populations, business transactions and taxes. At a personal level, our lives are governed by the documents we possess; we are certified on paper literally from birth to death. And written documentation carries enormous cultural importance: consider the consequences of signing the Foundation Document of the United Nations or the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Documentation requires a writing tool and a surface upon which to record the information permanently. About 5,000 years ago, the Sumerians started to use reeds or sticks to make marks on mud blocks which were then baked, but despite being fireproof, these were difficult to store. Other cultures used more flexible but less permanent surfaces, including animal skins and wood strips. In western culture, the adoption of papyrus was to have a great impact. Sheets of papyrus not only provide an invaluable record of people’s daily lives, they can also be dated using carbon-dating techniques, giving precise information about the age of the text written on them.

B.

Papyrus strongly associates with Egyptian culture, although all the ancient civilizations around the Mediterranean used it. The papyrus sedge is a tall grass-like plant. It had harvested from shallow water and swamplands on the banks of the River Nile. Manufacturing sheets of papyrus from papyrus sedge was a complex, messy process. Pith from inside the plant’s stem cut into long strips that had laid side by side. These had then covered with a second layer of strips which had laid at right angles to the first, then soaked in water and hammered together. The sheet then crushed to extract the water, dried and then polished to produce a high-quality writing surface, individual sheets could be glued together and rolled up to make scrolls or folded and bound to form books.

C.

In moist climates, the cellulose-rich sheets of papyrus would readily decay, becoming covered by mould or full of holes from attacks by insects. But in dry climates, such as the Middle East, papyrus is a stable, rot-resistant writing surface. The earliest known roll of papyrus scroll was found in the tomb of an official called Hemeka near Memphis, which was then the capital city of Egypt, and is around five thousand years old. in 79CE, nearly 2,000 papyrus scrolls in the library of Julius Caesar’s father-in-law were protected at Herculaneum by ash from the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

However, the most famous discoveries of papyrus have come from the rubbish dumps of the ancient town of Oxyrhynchus, some 160km south-west of Cairo, in the desert to the west of the Nile. Oxyrhynchus was a regional administrative capital. And for a thousand years generated vast amounts of administrative documentation, including accounts, tax returns and correspondence, which had periodically discarded to make room for more. Over time, a thick layer of sand covered these dumps, and they had forgotten. But the documents had protected by the sand, creating a time capsule that allowed astonishing glimpses into the lives of the town’s inhabitants over hundreds of years.

.

Collections of documents that record information and ideas have frequently been viewed as potentially dangerous. For thousands of years, governments, despots and conquerors have resorted to burning libraries and books to rid themselves of inconvenient evidence or obliterate cultures and ideas that they found politically, morally or religiously unacceptable. One such calamity, the burning of the Great Library of Alexandria, and the papyrus scrolls and books it contained, has been mythologized and has come to symbolize the global loss of cultural knowledge.

D.

Besides their use in record-keeping, papyrus stems had used in many other aspects of Mediterranean life, such as for boat construction and making ropes, sails and baskets, as well as being a source of food. In 1969 the adventurer Thor Heyerdahl attempted to cross the Atlantic from Morocco in the boat Ra, to show that it was possible for mariners in ancient times to cross the Atlantic Ocean. Ra made from bundles of papyrus stems and modelled on ancient Egyptian craft. As a marshland plant, papyrus sedge stabilizes soils and reduces erosion, while some investigations show that it has potential for water purification and sewage treatment.

E.

True paper had probably invented in China in the first century CE. Like papyrus, it had constructed from a meshwork of plant fibres, but the Chinese used fibres from the white mulberry tree, which yielded a tough, flexible material that could be folded, stretched, and compressed. The adoption of this paper by western cultures soon rendered papyrus obsolete.

Despite dreams of paper-free societies, western cultures still use enormous quantities of paper, often in ways that it would be inconceivable to use papyrus for. As a paper substitute, the role of the papyrus sedge in western cultures has been superseded; papyrus is little more than a niche product for the tourist market. What makes papyrus noteworthy for western societies nowadays is its use as the surface upon which our ancient ancestors recorded their lives, their art and their science. In the words of the ancient Roman philosopher Pliny the Elder, it is ‘the material on which the immortality of human beings depends’.

 

Questions 33-37

IELTS General Reading Practice Test 10 With Answers

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Write the correct letter in boxes 33-37 on your answer sheet.

33.  What was the problem with using animal skins and wood strips for writing on?

A They did not last for a long time.
B They were not easy to store.
C They were insufficiently flexible.
D They could be destroyed by fire.

34.  Why did papyrus manufacturers hammer the papyrus?

A to remove water from the pith strips
B to join the layers of pith strips together
C to allow the pith strips to be easily cut
D to position the layers of pith strips at the correct angle

35.  When referring to burning libraries and books, the writer is suggesting that

    A information can be used for harm as well as for good.
    B new ways must be found to ensure information is not lost.
    C cultural knowledge depends on more than written texts.
    D those in power may Wish to keep others in ignorance.

36.  The writer refers to Thor Heyerdahl to illustrate the point that

A papyrus could be used as a food on long sea voyages.
B the ancient Egyptians already had advanced navigation skills.
C papyrus could be used to build boats for long sea journeys.
D the ancient Egyptians knew of the environmental benefits of papyrus

37.  What does the writer conclude about papyrus today?

A It is better for the environment than using paper.
B Its significance is restricted to its role in the past.
C It is still the best writing surface for some purposes.
 D More efforts need to be made to ensure it stays in use.

Questions 38-40

IELTS General Reading Practice Test 10 With Answers

Complete the summary below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the text for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 38-40 on your answer sheet.

How papyrus documents have survived

Papyrus, rich in cellulose and in some conditions will be destroyed by fungal growths or be consumed by 38 ………………. However, it can survive for long periods in an environment that is dry. It has found within 5,000-year-old 39 ………………….. in Egypt, and in Herculaneum, many papyrus documents were preserved following a huge 40 ……………………. in 79 CE. in the town of Oxyrhynchus, unwanted administrative documents were left on rubbish dumps which were covered with sand, preserving them for many years.

Five reviews of the Wellington Hotel Reading Answers

SECTION 1

1. C
2. A
3. B
4. E
5. D
6. A
7. B
8. FALSE
9. FALSE
10. NOT GIVEN
11. NOT GIVEN
12. TRUE
13. TRUE
14. TRUE

SECTION 2

15. Hospitality Department
16. academic calendar
17. 1st October
18. nominated contractor
19. permits
20. Concorde Building
21. 26 weeks
22. 6 weeks/ six weeks
23. £112.75
24. 39 weeks
25. antenatal clinics
26. personal circumstances
27. Grants

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SECTION 3

28. ii
29. viii
30. vii
31. iii
32. vi
33. A
34. B
35. D
36. C
37. B
38. insects
39. tomb
40. eruption