General Training Reading 2024-08 Test 3 — IELTS General Training Reading Practice Test with Answers

Rebuilt from test-taker recalls — not official IELTS material. Audio and passages are recreations for practice.

Section 1 — The Pick of This Summer's Outdoor Music Festivals

A. The Snug: The Snug is an annual weekend music festival now in its third year. Held on a farm, it presents a wide range of music, from folk to jazz. There are also lunchtime poetry readings, which are given in a former cowshed converted into a year-round performance space.

B. Hillside Festival: Hillside takes place in a field on a hill in Wales, and rain is almost inevitable! Be prepared for the ground to turn to mud, and don't expect hot showers to be provided on the site. The festival is worth attending, though, as the organisers manage to attract exciting new artists. There's no charge for residents living within ten miles of the venue.

C. Activate: This week-long festival is seeing some changes this year, with more space in the campsite and improved facilities, including hot showers. The highlight of Activate is that it hires the nearby mountain train for an intimate performance by a different star singer each year, with room for only a handful of people in the carriage as it travels along. Tickets are expensive, but highly sought after.

D. Beside the Lake: Beside the Lake weekend festival is noted for its venue, a purpose-built arena with views of Lake Windermere and the nearby mountains. Sunday morning sees an open mic event, when any amateur musician can go on stage and perform. From its original tiny audience, this has grown to be one of the most popular features of the weekend.

E. Heart to Heart: For years the attraction of this festival was that it was small enough for everyone to get to talk to each other. However, this meant it was heading for financial disaster, so last year, the organisers decided to expand. The festival is now far more secure financially, though it's lost that original intimacy.

F. Convivia: Now that the founders of Convivia have retired, the festival has been taken over by the Activate team. From this year, Convivia has been cut to two days, and the talks by authors - previously a popular feature of the festival - have been replaced by more music acts. It'll be interesting to see how that goes down with audiences.

Questions 1–7: Matching (Which section mentions the following?)

The text has six sections A-F. Which section mentions the following? Write the correct letter A - F. NB You may use any letter more than once.

1
People attending this festival will find it difficult to keep clean.
- A. The Snug
- B. Hillside Festival
- C. Activate
- D. Beside the Lake
- E. Heart to Heart
- F. Convivia
2
This festival is under new management.
3
This festival includes non-musical events.
4
Some of the musical performers at this festival are not professional artists.
5
This festival includes an event that is limited to a small audience.
6
One permanent venue at this festival used to have a different purpose.
7
This event is free for a certain group of people.

Section 2 — Westgate Surgery - Welcome to New Patients

Welcome to Westgate Surgery, where we will all do our very best to provide you and your family with excellent care and attention.

Receptionists: Our reception team deals with appointments and will help with any queries you may have. The team includes speakers of several languages spoken by local communities, so please let us know if you would prefer to speak to someone in your language, rather than English.

Doctors: We have six highly qualified and experienced doctors, who see patients in their general surgeries. They also specialize in different fields of medicine, ensuring that you have access to comprehensive medical services. Westgate Surgery and four of our doctors hold Training Accreditations, so we generally have medical students training with us before qualifying as General Practitioners. This benefits all our staff, as it contributes to our culture of continuous learning and development.

Nurses: Westgate Surgery's nurses provide a number of clinics for our patients. They are all trained in dealing with minor illnesses and medical problems, but will of course consult a doctor if an ailment is particularly complicated. In addition, every nurse specializes in a long-term condition, such as asthma or diabetes, and can provide continuing support. These specialist clinics are all led by a nurse, and use a team approach that includes a doctor, a health care assistant and an administrator.

Health Visitors: Our Health Visitors are qualified nurses who have received extra training to become Health Visitors. Their role is to help families, especially ones with babies or young children, to keep healthy and avoid illness. Contact a Health Visitor if you have any worries about your child's growth or development.

Personal Health Trainers: Our Personal Health Trainer service offers specialist advice and support connected with lifestyle, in particular on healthy eating and getting enough exercise. This service is available to anyone registered as a patient with Westgate Surgery, and there is no charge; our receptionists will be pleased to make an appointment for you with one of our Personal Health Trainers.

Questions 8–14: True/False/Not Given

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text. Write TRUE if the statement agrees with the information, FALSE if it contradicts the information, NOT GIVEN if there is no information.

8
Some receptionists can speak languages other than English.
9
Patients can choose which doctor they want to see.
10
Westgate Surgery helps to train people to become General Practitioners.
11
Asthma and diabetes clinics are run by doctors.
12
All nurses can work as Health Visitors.
13
Exercise classes are regularly held at the Surgery.
14
Patients should contact Personal Health Trainers directly to arrange consultations.

Section 3 — Rewards and Benefits for Staff at Pritchard Fashion Stores

We want all our staff at Pritchard Fashion Stores to feel they are well rewarded for their work. This obviously benefits them, by making their work more enjoyable, and it benefits the company, because satisfied staff are less likely to leave. So we offer the staff a package of rewards that have been shown to attract, motivate and retain the best people. This is what you can currently enjoy.

Pay: We benchmark our salaries and wages against other companies in the same sector, in order to ensure we are competitive and keep up with changes in the market. We carry out a pay review every year, and also give all staff a bonus which is a fixed proportion of the company's annual profits.

Pension: It is important for everyone to save for their retirement. To encourage this, we offer the opportunity of joining a pension plan: you contribute 3% of your pay into this, and Pritchard contributes 6%.

Life Assurance: As soon as you start working for Pritchard you will receive life assurance cover to the value of twice your annual salary.

Employee discount: We give all staff a discount of 20% on anything they buy from the company, whether in-store or online. Certain exclusions apply, which are specified on the company intranet. However, there is no limit on how much you can buy using the discount. Family members and partners who permanently live with you are also eligible for the discount.

Holidays: By law, all full-time staff members are entitled to a minimum of 28 days' paid holiday per year, including bank holidays. Pritchard pays 28 days plus the eight days of bank holidays and another two days, meaning that everyone is paid for at least 38 days' leave per year. We carry out an annual review of individual holiday entitlement. If you work part-time, your holiday entitlement will relate to the hours you work each week.

Savings scheme: Our new savings scheme is an easy way to save for the future. Every month, you pay any amount up to £250 into the scheme. After three years, you can choose either to invest your savings in Pritchard shares at a 25% discount, or to get your savings back with interest.

Questions 15–21: Note Completion

Choose ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.

15. 15. Pritchard provides staff with a _________ of benefits.

16. 16. The company aims to pay _________ salaries and wages.

17. 17. Staff are paid a _________ related to the company's profits.

18. 18. Staff and the company may both contribute to providing a _________

19. 19. Staff receive a discount on items they purchase from the company, apart from some _________

20. 20. A _________ of the amount of holiday that employees are entitled to is undertaken every year.

21. 21. The company savings scheme enables to buy _________ after a certain time, if they choose to.

Section 4 — The MIR Orbiter

Mir was a space station that operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, operated by the Soviet Union and later by Russia. Mir was the first modular space station and was assembled in orbit from 1986 to 1996. It had a greater mass than any previous spacecraft. At the time it was the largest artificial satellite in orbit, succeeded by the International Space Station (ISS) after Mir's orbit decayed. The station served as a microgravity research laboratory in which crews conducted experiments in biology, human biology, physics, astronomy, meteorology, and spacecraft systems with a goal of developing technologies required for permanent occupation of space. Mir was the first continuously inhabited lasting research station in orbit and held the record for the longest continuous human presence in space at 3,644 days, until it was surpassed by the ISS on 23 October 2010. It holds the record for the longest single human spaceflight, with Valeri Polyakov spending 437 days and 18 hours on the station between 1994 and 1995. Mir was occupied for a total of twelve and a half years out of its fifteen-year lifespan, having the capacity to support a resident crew of three, or larger crews for brief visits.

Following the success of the Salyut programme, Mir represented the next stage in the Soviet Union's space station programme. The first module of the station, known as the core module or base block, was launched in 1986 and followed by six further modules. Proton rockets were used to launch all of its components except for the docking module, which was installed by US Space Shuttle mission STS-74 in 1995. When complete, the station consisted of seven pressurised modules and several unpressurised components. Power was provided by several photovoltaic arrays attached directly to the modules. The station was maintained at an orbit between 296 km and 421 km altitude and travelled at an average speed of 27,700 km/h, completing 15.7 orbits per day.

The station was launched as part of the Soviet Union's crewed spaceflight programme effort to maintain a long-term research outpost in space, and following the collapse of the USSR, was operated by the new Russian Federal Space Agency (RKA). As a result, most of the station's occupants were Soviet; through international collaborations such as the Intercosmos, Euromir and Shuttle-Mir programmes, the station was made accessible to space travellers from several Asian, European, and North American nations. Mir was deorbited in March 2001 after funding was cut off. The cost of the Mir programme was estimated by former RKA General Director Yuri Koptev in 2001 as $4.2 billion over its lifetime (including development, assembly, and orbital operation). Radio communications provided telemetry and scientific data links between Mir and the RKA Mission Control Centre (TSUP). Radio links were also used during rendezvous and docking procedures and for audio and video communication between crew members, flight controllers and family members. As a result, Mir was equipped with several communication systems used for different purposes. The station communicated directly with the ground via the Lira antenna mounted to the core module. The Lira antenna also had the capability to use the Luch data relay satellite system and the network of Soviet tracking ships deployed in various locations around the world. UHF radio was used by cosmonauts conducting EVAS. UHF was also employed by other spacecraft that docked to or undocked from the station, such as Soyuz, Progress, and the Space Shuttle, in order to receive commands from the TsUP and Mire Crew members via the TORU system.

Questions 22–27: Short Answer

Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR NUMBERS for each answer.

22
The _______ flourished when Mir's orbit perished.
23
Mir was the initial uninterruptedly settled longstanding _______ in the orbit.
24
The Mir orbiter had a provision of _______- members for prolonged stay.
25
There was a total of ______ modules that were launched.
26
Mir was terminated because _______ was clogged.
27
The astronauts in Mir could talk to their family members because of _______.

Section 5 — Joseph Paxton: Gardener and Architect

A. Joseph Paxton was born in 1803 and grew up on a farm 70 km north of London, although his date of birth is sometimes mistakenly given as 1801. After a series of gardening jobs when in his teens, at the age of 20 he claimed to be two years older than he really was to obtain a post as gardener with the Horticultural Society, at Chiswick Gardens, a few miles from London. The gardens were leased from a wealthy aristocrat, the Duke of Devonshire, who had a house nearby. The duke saw and was impressed by Paxton's horticultural achievements, and in 1826 offered him the position of head gardener at his large country house, Chatsworth, in the English midlands.

B. On his first day in his new post, he met Sarah Bown, the niece of Chatsworth's housekeeper. Before long they wed, and had a long and happy marriage. At Chatsworth Paxton designed gardens, fountains, an arboretum - a collection of trees - and even rebuilt a village. His Emperor Fountain involved removing 76,000 m³ of earth from a hill above the gardens, in order to create a lake to feed the fountain.

C. At Chatsworth Paxton also constructed the Great Conservatory, a massive glass structure supported by a cast iron framework, at a time when glass houses were very new. Its purpose was to house plants imported from around the world. Because some came from temperate climates and others from tropical, the plants needed different temperatures. Paxton's solution was to install eight boilers, to gradually increase the temperature from one end of the conservatory to the other. His design for the roof maximised light and heat from the sun, and drained rainwater away through hollow cast iron columns. All the elements that made up the conservatory were prefabricated, and could be produced in large quantities and assembled into buildings of various designs. Completed in 1840, the conservatory was the largest glass building in the world - 69m long by 37m wide. It was lit by 12,000 lamps for a visit by Queen Victoria, when she was driven through the building in a carriage.

D. Ten years later Paxton was responsible for the lily house at Chatsworth, built for a waterlily from the Amazon. He was struck by the strength of the waterlily's huge leaves - reaching 1.4m in diameter - which he demonstrated by standing his daughter on one as it floated on water. He based the design of the lily house on these leaves.

E. Paxton is best remembered for the Crystal Palace, the building he designed for the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London's Hyde Park. The committee responsible for the exhibition hall had examined 245 designs, all of them unsuitable, though one had been accepted as the least bad option, and was well into its planning stage. Paxton happened to be in London to attend a business meeting, and mentioned an idea he had for the hall. He hadn't intended to submit plans, but was encouraged to do so, though it had to be done within the next nine days. He met this deadline, but some members of the committee objected to dropping the current proposal. Paxton's response was to publish his ideas in the Illustrated London News, and the reaction was so favourable that the committee substituted his design for the one previously chosen.

F. The design was a development of the Great Conservatory and lily house at Chatsworth: a modular, prefabricated structure of glass and cast iron. It was 563m long, 124m wide and 33m high. Most importantly, unlike the other proposals it was cheap, easy to erect and remove, and could be constructed quickly; in fact, it took 2,000 men only eight months to build. The Great Exhibition was an enormous success, and Paxton was one of three men knighted for making that possible.

G. Paxton remained as head gardener at Chatsworth: the duke admired and supported him, and left him free to take on many other projects. Besides the Crystal Palace, he designed several country houses and public parks, and was a director of the Midland Railway. His investment in the booming railway industry made him wealthy. In 1858 the duke died and Paxton retired from Chatsworth.

H. One of his most innovative designs, although never implemented, was the Great Victorian Way. Paxton presented his plan to a parliamentary committee in 1855. It was intended as a solution to the severe congestion in the streets of London. It was for a 16km loop around the centre of the city, constructed of iron and glass like the Crystal Palace, and linking London's railway termini. Paxton pointed out that by road it took longer to make an eight-kilometre journey across London than it took to travel by train the 120 kilometres from London to Brighton. Paxton's design contained a glass-roofed roadway, with houses or shops on each side. It also incorporated two levels of atmospheric railway tracks, one for fast trains and one for slow, powered by air pressure. The committee was interested in the plan, but in 1858 the need for a sewer network in London became overwhelming. With both projects requiring major investment, only one could be afforded, and the sewers were the more urgent. From 1854 until his death, Paxton was a member of parliament, and continued working on various projects after retiring from Chatsworth. He died in 1865 at the age of 61, and was buried on the Chatsworth estate. His wife lived until 1871.

Questions 28–35: Heading Matching

The text has eight sections, A-H. Choose the correct heading for each section from the list of headings. Write the correct number, i-x.

List of Headings

i. Why Paxton's proposed structure couldn't be built

ii. A major transformation of the landscape

iii. Paxton travels abroad

iv. Inspiration from nature

v. Inaccurate information helps in getting a job

vi. Making the most of an unplanned opportunity

vii. Accommodating plants with different requirements

viii. Buildings that inspired other architects

ix. Why Paxton's design was the most suitable

x. Support from his employer

28
Paragraph A
29
Paragraph B
30
Paragraph C
31
Paragraph D
32
Paragraph E
33
Paragraph F
34
Paragraph G
35
Paragraph H

Questions 36–40: Note Completion (The Great Conservatory)

Choose ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.

The Great Conservatory was constructed of 36 _________ held in a cast iron structure. It contained several 37 _________ so that one end could be made warmer than the other. Rainwater was brought from the roof down to ground level inside cast iron 38 _________. Every part of the building was 39 _________ and then put together on site to form the conservatory. Queen Victoria visited and travelled through the conservatory by 40 _________.

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Show answer key

1. B
The passage says at Hillside Festival, 'don't expect hot showers to be provided on the site,' so it will be hard for people to keep clean there. Option C (Activate) mentions hot showers, so it is not correct.
2. F
Convivia is now 'taken over by the Activate team,' which means it is under new management.
3. A
The Snug offers 'lunchtime poetry readings,' which are non-musical events.
4. D
Beside the Lake has an 'open mic event, when any amateur musician can go on stage and perform,' so not all performers are professionals.
5. C
Activate features a mountain train performance 'with room for only a handful of people,' so the event is limited to a small audience.
6. A
The Snug holds poetry readings in 'a former cowshed converted into a year-round performance space,' so the venue used to have a different purpose.
7. B
Hillside Festival is 'no charge for residents living within ten miles of the venue,' so it is free for a certain group.
8. TRUE
The passage says the reception team 'includes speakers of several languages,' so some receptionists can speak languages other than English.
9. NOT GIVEN
There is no information in the passage about patients choosing which doctor they want to see.
10. TRUE
The passage says 'we generally have medical students training with us before qualifying as General Practitioners,' so the surgery helps to train them.
11. FALSE
The passage says 'these specialist clinics are all led by a nurse,' so asthma and diabetes clinics are not run by doctors.
12. FALSE
Health Visitors are 'qualified nurses who have received extra training,' so not all nurses can work as Health Visitors.
13. NOT GIVEN
There is no information about exercise classes being regularly held at the Surgery.
14. FALSE
The passage says 'our receptionists will be pleased to make an appointment for you with one of our Personal Health Trainers,' so patients do not contact trainers directly.
15. package
The passage says, 'we offer the staff a package of rewards,' so the answer is 'package.'
16. competitive
The company 'benchmark[s] our salaries and wages...to ensure we are competitive,' so the answer is 'competitive.'
17. bonus
All staff get 'a bonus which is a fixed proportion of the company's annual profits,' so the answer is 'bonus.'
18. pension
The company offers a 'pension plan: you contribute...and Pritchard contributes,' so both staff and company contribute to a 'pension.'
19. exclusions
The staff discount applies to everything 'except for some exclusions,' so the answer is 'exclusions.'
20. review
The company does 'an annual review of individual holiday entitlement,' so the answer is 'review.'
21. shares
After three years in the savings scheme, staff can 'invest your savings in Pritchard shares,' so the answer is 'shares.'
22. international space station
The passage says Mir was 'succeeded by the International Space Station (ISS) after Mir's orbit decayed,' so the answer is 'international space station.'
23. research station
Mir was 'the first continuously inhabited lasting research station in orbit,' so the answer is 'research station.'
24. three
Mir had 'the capacity to support a resident crew of three,' so the answer is 'three.'
25. seven
The passage says 'the station consisted of seven pressurised modules,' so the answer is 'seven.'
26. funding
Mir was deorbited 'after funding was cut off,' so the answer is 'funding.'
27. radio communications
'Radio communications provided telemetry and scientific data links...and for audio and video communication between crew members, flight controllers and family members,' so the answer is 'radio communications.'
28. vi
Paragraph A describes how Paxton 'mentioned an idea he had for the hall' and was encouraged to submit plans, even though he hadn't planned to, showing he made the most of an unplanned opportunity.
29. ii
Paragraph B talks about Paxton's work on the Emperor Fountain, which involved 'removing 76,000 m³ of earth from a hill,' showing a major transformation of the landscape.
30. viii
Paragraph C explains how the Great Conservatory was a new type of building and that 'all the elements...were prefabricated, and could be produced in large quantities and assembled into buildings of various designs,' so it inspired other architects.
31. iv
Paragraph D says Paxton 'was struck by the strength of the waterlily's huge leaves...He based the design of the lily house on these leaves,' showing inspiration from nature.
32. vii
Paragraph E describes how the conservatory 'needed different temperatures' for the plants, and Paxton's solution was to install boilers to accommodate plants with different requirements.
33. x
Paragraph F says 'the duke admired and supported him, and left him free to take on many other projects,' showing support from his employer.
34. v
Paragraph G says Paxton 'claimed to be two years older than he really was to obtain a post,' so inaccurate information helped him get a job.
35. i
Paragraph H says the Great Victorian Way was never built because 'the need for a sewer network in London became overwhelming...only one could be afforded, and the sewers were the more urgent,' so it explains why Paxton's proposed structure couldn't be built.
36. glass
The Great Conservatory was 'a massive glass structure supported by a cast iron framework,' so the answer is 'glass.'
37. boilers
Paxton's solution was 'to install eight boilers, to gradually increase the temperature,' so the answer is 'boilers.'
38. columns
Rainwater was 'drained away through hollow cast iron columns,' so the answer is 'columns.'
39. prefabricated
'All the elements that made up the conservatory were prefabricated,' so the answer is 'prefabricated.'
40. carriage
Queen Victoria 'was driven through the building in a carriage,' so the answer is 'carriage.'

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