general reading p t

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IELTS Portal General Reading Test

Total Time: 60 minutes.

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Reading Passage 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-12 which are based on Reading Passage 1 below.

General Information andStrategies

AThe reading texts will come from avariety of sources including British,American and Australian English.Minor differences of spelling andvocabulary e.g. between British and

American English should not affectyour understanding.Your reading skills will be tested by avariety of tasks. These can includeCompletion, Matching,True/false/does not say, Multiplechoice and Labelling tasks.

BA major challenge of the reading testis the ability to read large amounts of

text in a short time. One passagemay be up to 900 words in lengthand the passages together could hitthe 2700 word mark. The passagescould also include diagrams andgraphs. You do not have time to readthe whole text in detail, this is notneeded and will waste time howeverit is essential to form a general ideaof the content of the passage andhow the information is organized.

One way to to do this is to read theheadings, sub-headings, firstparagraph, last paragraph and thefirst line of each paragraph inbetween. This will help you form ageneral picture of the content andorganization of the text.

CYou are not expected tounderstand every word in thepassage and so deciding whether aword or expression is necessary tocomplete the task is an importantskill. If understanding of a word isnot necessary to answer the

question then the unknown wordcan be ignored. For importantunknown vocabulary try to guessthe meaning through contextualand grammatical clues.

Multiple Choice Questions

DThere are several different types of

multiple choice questions. You maybe asked to choose one optionfrom a list of four or two or moreanswers from a longer list. In thelatter type it may count as onequestion or more depending on thedifficulty. When they count as onequestion all parts are needed to getone point.

E

The general approach to answerthese questions is as follows.Firstly, study the options anddecide which you think are likely tobe correct. Secondly, find therelevant part of the text and read itin detail. There are three keyquestions to ask yourself for each





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option. Is the option mentioned in thearticle, is it true according to thearticle and is it relevant? The optionsmay look true or logical but are they

right according to the text.

Completion tasks

FThere are several types ofcompletion task in the exam. Thegeneral strategies are as follows. It isvery important to read the questionsand to think about what information

is missing before you look back atthe text. Your final answer must belogical, true according to the text andgrammatically correct.

GIn summary completion tasks youhave to complete a short summary ofthe text either with your own words,words or phrases from a list or wordsyou take directly from the text. It is

important to read the summaryquickly for general understandingand then to read it in more detail.When reading in more detail youshould look at the words before andafter each gap and decide if themissing word is a verb, noun etc.You must then find the relevantsection of the text and read itcarefully to find the answer. Youranswer must be true according to the

text and grammatically correct.

HWith sentence completion tasks youhave to complete sentences bychoosing the best endings from alist. The questions will appear in thesame order as the information in the

text so you should answer them inorder. Here you should analyseeach question whilst underliningkey words. Next find the relevant

section of the passage and read itcarefully looking for parallelexpressions. Sentences withparallel expressions contain thesame information as the answerbut it is worded in a different waye.g. synonyms are used. Thecorrect answer will be both trueaccording to the passage andgrammatically correct.

IYou may be asked to completetables, diagrams or charts. It isextremely important to understandthe organization of the table ordiagram and to form an idea of theinformation you are looking for.You then scan the text, locate keytopics and read around them verycarefully. Use words from thepassage in your answers.

True/false or does not say

JIn this type of task you have toanswer true if the statement exactlymatches the information in the text,false if the statement is opposite tothe information in the text and not given if the information is notmentioned in the text. To answer

this type of question you shouldread each question carefully, findthe relevant section of the text andstudy it carefully to see if theinformation matches the statement.You are looking for expressionswhich mean the same as the wordsin the question. Be extra careful to





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distinguish between false and doesnot say answers .

Matching Tasks

KIn this type of task it is common to beasked to match names to achievements or opinions or tomatch headings to paragraphs . Inthe first type of task you should readthe text and highlight each name.You should then read around onename very carefully looking for

matching information in the answerlist on the question paper. You

should choose an answer and thencontinue like this with the nextname.

LWhen matching headings toparagraphs you should read thefirst section of the text carefullybefore looking at the list ofheadings. You should then lookthrough the list carefully andchoose the correct answer. Youshould continue like this until theheadings and paragraphs are allmatched.

Questions 1-4

Look at the article about IELTS reading passages and answer questions (1-4)below.

TRUE if the statement is true

FALSE if the statement is false NOT GIVEN if the information is not given in the passage

1) The text will come from different sources including New Zealand Englishtexts.

2) One of the most difficult challenges in the reading is the time limit.

3) It is important to read the complete passage in detail to be able to find thecorrect answers to the questions.

4) Context and grammar can give you important clues to the understandingof unknown words.





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Now answer questions 5-8

Match the headings to the paragraphs A-L in the text.

Example Answer

Places where the reading passages may be drawn from A

5) The approach to answering sentence completion tasks.

6) An introduction to the different types of matching task.

7) The importance of understanding the vocabulary during the exam.

8) Advice on how to answer table and graph completion tasks.

Now answer questions 9-13

Look at the guidelines for completion tasks and complete the sentences belowwith no more than three words for each answer.

9) With completion tasks it is vital to read the questionsand……………………………missing information.

10) Your answer must be true according to the text and must not………………………….

11) ………………………………contain the same information but it will beexpressed in a different way.

12) It is important to ……………………and read around them in detail.

13) Use words…………………………in your answer.





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Reading Passage 2

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14-27 which are based on Reading Passage 2 below.

Myhotel Bloomsbury, London WC1

By Ginny McGrath from Times Online August 21, 2006

First impressions

Myhotel Bloomsbury looks good for its

seven years and is clearly still a hit - the

lobby and bar were buzzing when Ivisited. Guests are both leisure and

business and are mostly couples, with

the odd trendy young family. In the bar

guests mix with a fashionable Sohocrowd who come for the cocktails and

sophisticated surroundings, just a few

minute's walk from Tottenham CourtRoad. The Conran décor still looks up-

to-date, with neutral walls and statement

furniture and soft furnishings, as well asmodern and Asian art in the lobby and

bar. The suffix owes to a sister property

in Chelsea, currently the only othermyhotel, although there are plans to

open up to a further eight propertiesacross Europe by 2010.

Why it's special

The location is unbeatable for shoppersand night-owls, who won't need to worry

about getting a taxi home from Soho or

Oxford Street. The ambience is cool, theservice slick and personal and the bar

lively - everything you'd expect from a

boutique city hotel.

Hitting the sack

In the 78 rooms the modern décorcontinues - my room featured a single

wallpapered wall, a sleek low bed and

brightly-coloured bedspreads andcushions. The quiet air conditioning and

black-out curtains made for a good

night's sleep and there was a flat-screen

television, CD player, safe, radio, trouserpress and hairdryer. The addition of

local listings magazine, Time Out

London, whose headquarters is nearby,was thoughtful, and there was also a free

daily newspaper and travel magazine.

The bathroom was cream and red andwas spotless with a good shower and a





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generous selection of Aveda toiletries.

The room service menu (served 7.30am-10.30pm) is extensive with dishes from

£4 to £10 including gazpacho, chicken

satay and club sandwiches.

Sampling the fare

Mybar serves an excellent breakfast

although it was a bit of a bun-fight on aSaturday morning, with the buffet laid

out on a relatively small two-tiered table.

Food included fresh fruit, smoothies,yoghurt, cereals, pastries, toast and a la

carte dishes, priced at around £9, such as

eggs benedict (£7.50) and French toast(£4.50). But with charges of £14 for acontinental breakfast and £18 for the

Full English, it's probably worth popping

into a café nearby if you just want aquick snack (breakfast is served Mon-Fri

7am-10am, Sat-Sun 7am-11am).

The lunch and dinner menu (11am-10.30pm) includes snacks such as spring

rolls (£5) and more substantial offerings

such as grilled tuna steak (£13.50),which in my experience have always

been fresh and tasty.

My only gripe with mybar was when

VAT and service was added to a drink that I ordered from the bar. The £5 drink

had two separate charges added to it:

£2.06 for VAT and 63 pence for service.VAT should have been included and

although there was a warning on the

menu of a 12.5 percent service charge, Ifelt that a hotel with such a personalapproach should think to remove these

sorts of charges to such minor purchases

to avoid grumbles at check-out.

Access all areas

The hotel has a ramp that it can place

over the steps at the entrance for guests

in a wheelchair. It also has a lift andwheelchair-accessible toilets, but thereare no rooms with bathrooms

specifically adapted for guests in a

wheelchair.

Added attractions

The hotel has a small gym with

cardiovascular and weights machines.

There is also a treatment room where

guests can get facials, massages andbeauty treatments. Also in the basement

is a library, which is open 24 hours and

has bottled water and hot drinks as wellas newspapers and magazines. Next door

the Yo!Sushi restaurant offers an

alternative for lunch or dinner between11am and 11.30pm.

What we think

You can't fault the location, service andambience of this trendy boutique

property. My only gripe was the quibble

over the bill.

Bottom line

Rooms start from £146 including taxes,but not including breakfast for a double,

£182 for a superior room and £240 for a

suite.

Need to know

Myhotel Bloomsbury, 11-13 Bayley

Street, Bedford Square, London, WC1B

3HD, tel. 020 7667 6000,

www.myhotels.co.uk ,[email protected]

http://www.myhotels.co.uk/

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.myhotels.co.uk/





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Look at the article about The Bloomsbury Hotel and answer questions (14-27)below.

Questions 14-18

TRUE if the statement is trueFALSE if the statement is falseNOT GIVEN if the information is not given in the passage

14) The Hotel Bloomsbury is over 7 years old.

15) It is a great place to stay if you enjoy a late night out.

16) Having the Full English Breakfast is good value for money.

17) Many disabled people stay at the hotel due to its easy wheelchair access.

18) The author of the article generally found the hotel a great place.

Questions 19-20

Choose the appropriate answer A-D

19) In the third paragraph the author implies that

A: the bathroom was a generous size.B: the air conditioning could be rather noisy.C: the bathroom was exceptionally clean.D: you had to pay extra for a newspaper to be provided.

20) In general the author felt that

A: the hotel was a bit too expensive.B: the service, area and decoration of the hotel were excellent.C: the service was a bit impersonal.D: the décor was a bit dated.





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Questions 21-24

In the part of the text entitled Sampling the fare which four of the following does the author imply:

A: The breakfast buffet was a bit crowded on Saturday morning.B: There is waiter service at breakfast time.C: Nearby cafes are worth visiting for a quick, cheaper snack at breakfast.D: Service at breakfast is excellent.E: The fish served at lunch is fresh and delicious.F: The hotel bar overcharged for his drink.G: Breakfast is served from 6.30am during the week.H: Both continental and English breakfasts are served.

Question 22-14

Complete the sentences below with no more than four words for each answer.

25) The Bloomsbury offers ……………………………..from this type of city hotel.

26) The black-out curtains contribute to …………………………………………..

27) The bar bill received was the………………………………………………





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Reading Passage 3

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 28-39 which are based on

Reading Passage 2 below.

Mentor for Cyprus

Nigel, a business

consultant who escapedthe rat race in 2002, has

previously lived and

worked in Hong Kong,Australia, South Africa and the

Netherlands.

He first visited Cyprus in 1982 and

moved to the island permanently in

2002. He and his wife Pat live in Erimi,

a village close to the town of Limassol.

Since moving to Cyprus, Nigel has

written and published a detailed guide

for those wishing to buy property on the

island.

Cyprus is the third largest island in the

Mediterranean Sea. It has an area of 3,572 square miles and is about 120

miles to the west of Syria and 500 miles

to the east of Greece. Nicosia is thecapital and the island's largest city with a

population of some 190,000.

Since 1974 Cyprus has been divided

between Greek Cypriot and Turkish

Cypriot communities. A UN buffer zone,known as the "Green Line" currently

separates the two separate states.

The island has a typical Mediterraneanclimate. The summers are hot and dry

and the cooler, rainy season extends

from October to March. The average

annual temperature is 21°C and the

average annual rainfall is less than 500

millimetres.

Summer temperatures in the inlandcapital of Nicosia can reach over 40

degrees Celsius while in the coastalregions they can reach a more modest 35

to 38 degrees

Paphos is situated on the west coast of

the island and is the site of the island'ssecond international airport. It is a resort

town having a fishing harbour as its

focal point next to the Paphos Fort

It has proved to be particularly popular

with foreigners and much developmentcontinues to take place in and around the

town and its nearby villages to satisfythe increasing demand for retirement,

holiday, and investment properties.

Limassol is the island's second largestcity and is located on the south coast. It

is the island's main port, the centre of the

wine industry, and a holiday resort. It

hosts the island's two top festivals, the

pre-lent Carnival and the Wine Festivalin September.

Larnaca is situated towards the eastern

end of the island and is home to theisland's main international airport. It has

a marina and its salt lake is home to

colonies of flamingos and other





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migratory birds that visit Cyprus during

the cooler months of the year.

Its old-world charm and excellent

transport links make it popular withmany people seeking a home in the sun.

Agia Napa is situated on the island'seast coast and was once a small fishing

village. Since the mid 1970s it has been

redeveloped to become the largest resortarea on the island with many hotels,

shops, tavernas, discos and bars.

Nicosia is the capital city and it is,

roughly, in the centre of the island andwithin easy reach of the main towns.Strong walls built by the Venetians in

the 16th century encircle the ancient city

centre through which runs part of the

UN "Green Line".

In complete contrast to the main towns

and the capital city is the Troodos

mountain range that stretches across thecentre of the island. Capped with snow

in the winter and covered with pinetrees, the mountain areas of the Troodosprovide a cool retreat from the hot

summer sun.

The area is popular for those wishing toenjoy the clear air, space and dramatic

landscapes.

There are literally hundreds of villages

scattered throughout the island. These

vary in size from a few dozen houses toa thousand or more, some of which are

literally miles from anywhere.

In the more remote villages, the onlypeople you are likely to see are your

neighbours and perhaps the occasional

lost tourist.

Property market: As well as being a

prime holiday destination, Cyprus hasbecome a popular place for people

wishing to enjoy their retirement in the

sun and for those buying holiday andinvestment property.

After Spain and France, it is the most

popular place for Britons seeking a place

in the sun with more than 60,000 owning

property on the island.

This popularity is due to many factors,

including: the warmth and generosity of the Cypriot people, the relaxed way of

life, the warm Mediterranean climate,the low levels of crime, the fact that

many Cypriots are fluent in English and

the lowest level of income tax in Europe.

Although the Cyprus Government

controls the amount of property that can

be legally owned by non-resident EU

citizens and other foreigners, its

popularity continues to grow.

Currently, house prices in the Republicrepresent good value for money. Theyare approximately 20% lower than

equivalent properties in Portugal, 30%

lower than those in Spain and 50% lower

than those in Italy and France.

Cyprus' accession to the EU will lead to

the eventual removal of the restrictions

placed on the foreign ownership of

property.

As well as further increasing demand by

British sun-seekers, the removal of theserestrictions should also increase demand

from citizens of other EU member states.

This will undoubtedly help to push upCyprus property values.





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Questions 28 to 32.

Match the different towns and cities to the statements below.

Example Answer

It hosts the islands second largest airport. Paphos

28 The city is divided between Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities.

29 There is a continuing boom in property development.

30 It is the major wine producing area on the island.

31 It is a good place for bird watching out of the summer months.

32 There has been a large amount of development since 1974.

Questions 33 to 37

Do the following statements agree with the information in the passage?

True if the statement is trueFalse if the statement is falseNot Given if the information is not given in the passage

33 Cyprus is larger than the island of Corsica.

34 The island’s capital city has the second largest population on Cyprus.

35 The island has been divided since i974.

36 The island has very distinct seasons.

37 The temperature can drop to below 0 degrees in the winter months.





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Questions 38-39

Choose the appropriate letters A-D .

38 What can we learn about the island in the paragraph Property Market.

A The government has no control over foreigners buying property.

B Cyprus is the 3rd most popular place for British to buy properties abroad.

C The houses can be very expensive in relation to Britain.

D Property prices are expected to drop in the near future.

39 What can we learn about the Troodos mountains.

A They are snow covered all year round.

B The author thinks they are amazing and beautiful to look at.

C They receive few visitors in the winter months.

D They stretch the length of the island.

general reading p t

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