General Training Reading 2025-06 Test 2 — IELTS General Training Reading Practice Test with Answers

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

Reading Passage 1 — Some places to visit

A Beautiful Kingsley House was built in the 18th century, and all the rooms are decorated and furnished in the style of the time. They include the dining room, study and dressing room, which contains a display of 18th-century ladies' clothing. Our volunteer guides in each room bring the house to life with stories of the past.

B The Africa Museum was founded 50 years ago, and to commemorate the event, we have chosen 50 treasures from the permanent collection and put them together to tell the fascinating story of that continent. This exhibition continues until the end of the year. The Folk Art Gallery opens to the public next month, exhibiting traditional paintings and other objects from all over Africa.

C. From the outside, No. 17 Mansfield Street may not look particularly exciting, but come inside, and you'll find yourself in a historic building that started life as a theatre, before becoming a bank and then a restaurant, which is still in operation. On Sundays and Mondays, when the restaurant is closed, a guide is available to show you round the building and its fascinating architectural features.

D The Industrial Heritage Centre tells the fascinating story of a local family firm. Mr John Carroll started his engineering business in this building exactly 150 years ago. The firm closed in 1969, but the factory has been re-created, with machines like those that Mr Carroll was familiar with. See what working life could be like in the 19th century, a life far removed from the elegance of the wealthy.

E The Fashion Museum has only just opened. It is home to an outstanding collection of more than 30,000 objects worn by men, women and children, dating from the 17th century to the present day. You'll see how people used to dress! As well as the permanent exhibits, you can currently see Dressing the Stars, which displays original costumes worn by the stars of many popular films.

F Having spent the best part of two years being refurbished, the Mason Museum has recently opened its doors again. It provides a magnificent setting for its art collection and for the beautiful 18th-century furniture for which the Mason is famous. Open Mondays to Fridays 10am-4pm, and weekends 10am-6pm.

Questions 1–8: Matching information

The text above has six descriptions of places to visit in the same city, A-F. Which description mentions the following information? Write the correct letter A-F. NB You may use any letter more than once.

1
clothes that well-known people have worn
2
a display that cannot be seen yet
3
people who talk in an entertaining way
4
the museum having just reopened
5
a building that has changed its function several times
6
furniture of the same kind that was used when the building was new
7
being open for tours on certain days of the week
8
a special event to mark an anniversary

Learn With Us courses

Learn With Us courses are a great way to learn, because they're so flexible. All our courses are taken online using a computer, so you can work through the course at your own speed, and go back to any session whenever you want to. For some courses there are workbooks, in addition to the computer course, to provide extra written practice.

We offer hundreds of courses in a whole range of subjects from reading, writing and Maths to business and management. Many of these are specially designed for people whose first language isn't English.

Step one: have a chat with a friendly member of staff in one of our 1,500 Learn With Us centres around the country. They can advise you on the most suitable course. They'll also work out whether you qualify for funding, so that you won't have to pay the full fee for the course.

You might want to try a taster lesson first. This is a single computer session in any subject of your choice, and it will show you what learning with LearnWithUs is like.

When you've made your final decision, step two is to register on your course. Once you've done this, a staff member will show you how to get started, whether you're using a computer at home, at work or at a Learn With Us centre.

That's all you need to do! When you start your course, you can contact your Learn With Us centre by phone (we're open during normal office hours) or email if you need help.

Questions 9–14: True/False/Not Given

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text? TRUE - if the statement is true; FALSE - if the statement is false; NOT GIVEN - if the information is not given in the text.

9
You can work through parts of a course more than once.
10
The number of courses offered by Learn With Us has increased enormously.
11
Many staff members have worked through a Learn With Us course themselves.
12
You may have to pay to take a Learn With Us course.
13
Everybody takes the same taster lesson.
14
Learn With Us centres are open seven days a week.

The benefits of having a business mentor

Introduction: If you're starting your own business, you probably need a mentor. This is a business person who volunteers to give their time to help somebody else with their work - particularly somebody who is new to the business. They have a wealth of experience they are willing to share, perhaps from setting up and running their own company. The mentor's role is to support, develop, stimulate and challenge. However, business mentors won't solve your problems for you or tell you what to do: they will talk things over with you, rather than acting as consultants. Many people while setting up their first business have found that a mentor can have a very positive effect on its success.

Why business mentoring is important: If you have a gap in your knowledge or experience, then mentoring could work very well for you. For example, you may have a great concept for a business but need a bit of assistance to turn it into a successful venture.

A mentor can provide you with a number of benefits, such as:

guidance on developing and improving your business

help with decisions - particularly difficult ones

ideas for new products or services, or for working practices that will improve your efficiency

tips for your business that are gained from practical experience

access to a network of contacts with other business people

A business mentor can also help you to:

develop key business skills

improve your problem-solving abilities

build confidence

work on your personal development

Face-to-face business mentoring:

If you decide that face-to-face business mentoring is right for you, mentor and mentee should decide in advance on the nature of the relationship.

You will need to agree on the degree of involvement that suits you both. Some mentors and mentees work extremely closely, keeping in touch with each other most weeks or even most days. In the majority of cases, however, a mentor will provide help every few weeks or months. In either case, they might meet, speak on the phone, or exchange emails. You should also agree on a level of structure to suit you both. Mentoring can be a very formal process with regular meetings which follow a specific agenda and work towards a specific set of goals. It can also be quite a casual arrangement, where the mentee calls on the mentor as and when problems or questions arise.

Questions 15–20: Note completion

Complete the notes below. Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the text for each answer.

A mentor 15 _________ to help a new business person. Mentors have a different role from 16 _________.

A mentor can:

help you turn your idea into a successful business

17. assist when you need to make _________

18. suggest how your business can increase its _________

introduce you to a business network

19. help you to develop your skills, abilities and provide you with more _________

To be agreed:

20. how much _________ the mentor should have

how much structure the mentoring process should have.

A Planning Process for Middle-Sized Projects

Any business project - such as reducing energy costs, or improving efficiency - needs to be planned, and time spent planning will save far more time later on.

The typical stages in this planning process are explained below.

Your first task is to spot what needs to be done. Examine your firm's current position, perhaps making a formal analysis of its strengths and weaknesses. Then think about how you might improve that position: what opportunities are there for achieving this?

The next step is to decide precisely what the aim of your plan is. This is best expressed in a simple single sentence, to ensure that it is clear and sharp in your mind. Doing this helps you to avoid wasting effort on irrelevant side issues.

Next you should work out how to do it. It is tempting just to grasp the first idea that comes to mind, but it is better to consider a wide range of options: this way, you may come up with less obvious but better solutions.

Once you have explored the options available to you, the selection of which option to use is the next step. If you have the time and resources, you might decide to evaluate all options, carrying out some planning, such as costing, for each. Normally you will not have this luxury.

You already have a broad idea of what your project will consist of. Now is the time to work out the full details, identifying the most efficient and effective method of carrying it out, including answering the questions of 'who', 'what' and 'when'.

The next stage is to review your plan and decide whether it will work satisfactorily. This evaluation enables you to change to another option that might be more successful, or to accept that no plan is needed.

Once you have finished your plan and decided that it will work satisfactorily, it is time for implementation. Your plan will cover how this is to be done.

Once you have achieved a plan, you can close the project. At this point, it is often worth assessing the project to see whether there are any lessons that you can learn.

Questions 21–27: Note completion

Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the text for each answer.

Start by identifying opportunities for making improvements to current situation.

21. Define and design the plan's exact _________

22. Identify and consider a _________ of possible solutions.

23. Make a _________ from possible solutions.

24. Plan all the _________ of every aspect of the project.

25. Carry out an _________ of your plan before any action is taken.

26. Carry out the _________ of your completed plan

27. Identify whether the project has provided any _________ for you.

Reading Passage 3 — Marine Ecosystems

A. For some time now, the world's oceans and the people who fish them have been a constant source of bad environmental news: cod is effectively an endangered species of fish in some places now; every year thousands of dolphins are injured by fishing vessels; huge tuna farms are ruining the Mediterranean Sea. What is more, marine biologists recently warned that our seafood is in terminal decline. According to research published in Science last November, stocks of all the fish and shellfish that we currently eat will collapse before 2050. Or at least that's how the media reported it.

B. However, the scientist who led the study has said that the main conclusion of his research has been buried beneath the headlines. While the danger to our seafood supply is real enough, says Boris Worm, assistant professor of marine conservation biology at Dalhousie University, Canada, there is a more serious point: that the way in which we manage the oceans is not only threatening the survival of individual species, it's upsetting the delicate balance of marine communities and thus causing the collapse of entire ecosystems. Research has shown that the number of ecosystems where all higher forms of life are extinct, so-called dead zones, is increasing. The point that many reports failed to highlight, says Worm, is that we have to revolutionise the way our marine resources are run, changing the focus from stocks and quotas to biodiversity and ecosystem protection. And to do that, we must change the way the debate about our marine resources is conducted in the public domain.

C. Around 7,500 years ago, shrinking glaciers and the resulting higher water levels led to the development of what's called the Wadden Sea, a 13,500-square-kilometre area of the North Sea. During the first 5,000 years or so, the sea pulsated with life. There was a high level of biodiversity on the seabed too, and the salt marshes and mud flats on the coast supported millions of birds. This continued until around 2,000 years ago, when human pressure began to affect it. Research has shown that some of the larger creatures disappeared more than 500 years ago. And by the late 19th century, populations of most of the other mammals and fish were severely reduced, leading to the collapse of several traditional fisheries.

D. What's interesting is that overfishing isn't the main agent of the decline, as we might assume. It's due to an ongoing combination of exploitation, habitat destruction and pollution. Coastal development, for example, destroys large areas of wetlands that support a range of species. Pollution fuels a process known as eutrophication, which kills certain seagrasses. Nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus contained in human and industrial waste promote the growth of tiny phytoplankton. This over-enrichment of the sea can ultimately lead to the collapse of the entire system through oxygen starvation. Most marine ecosystems have an inbuilt capacity to deal with a certain amount of pollution because shellfish can absorb phytoplankton. But in many cases, these have been largely removed by fishing, so the effect of any nutrient-rich pollutants entering the system is increased. In a healthy system, coastal wetlands also act as filters, so their destruction causes even more pollution. These processes have been fairly well understood for a number of years.

E. What the Science paper has demonstrated, however, is that the decline in the health of ecosystems is greater where the number of different species is low. The population of marbled rock cod around the South Atlantic island of South Georgia, for example, still hasn't recovered after the fishing industry caused its collapse during the 1970s. By contrast, North Sea cod has withstood very heavy fishing for hundreds of years, says Worm, and although it has declined substantially, it hasn't yet collapsed completely. Worm believes that, 'to have a greater number of species makes an ecosystem more robust'. His theory is backed up by evidence from experiments into how ecosystems react to change.

F. And some positive news came from the study. Worm and his colleagues were able to show that it's possible to reverse such damage as long as there are enough species. A survey of 44 protected areas revealed increases in biodiversity and fish catches close to the reserves. Worm says, 'We should be focusing our attention on protecting all of our marine resources at the ecosystem level, and managing levels of fishing, pollution and habitat disturbance to ensure that crucial services that maintain the health of the ecosystem continue to function.' To anyone who knows anything about ecology, it would appear that Worm is just stating the obvious. And many protected areas on land are now managed in this way.

G. However, there has long been a tendency to view our oceans as a limitless resource, combined with a widespread failure to make an emotional connection with most marine wildlife. True, we have created a small number of marine protected areas. 'We seem to have understood the value of protecting ecosystems in areas such as the Australian Great Barrier Reef that we consider to be particularly beautiful' says John Shepherd, Professor of Marine Sciences at Southampton University in the UK. 'Human nature will always draw us towards those species or habitats that are more aesthetically pleasing. That's why there will always be support for protecting pandas and very little for worms, even though nematodes play a vital role in maintaining the health of an ecosystem.'

Questions 28–34: Heading matching

Choose the correct heading for each section from the list of headings below. Write the correct number, i–viii.

List of Headings

i. Plans for more marine protected areas

ii. A historical overview of one specific area

iii. Why more has not been done to save marine creatures

iv. What the press has missed

v. Where biodiversity has been shown to help

vi. Who is currently being blamed

vii. A reason for some optimism

viii. Various factors other than fishing

28
Section A
29
Section B
30
Section C
31
Section D
32
Section E
33
Section F
34
Section G

Questions 35–37: Multiple choice

Choose the correct letter A, B, C or D.

35
Boris Worm's main concern is that
- A. marine ecosystems will completely break down.
- B. insufficient attention is being paid to fish numbers.
- C. there will no longer be enough seafood for people to eat.
- D. politicians will be unwilling to discuss marine resources.
36
What point does John Shepherd make?
- A. Marine conservation areas are not high on the list of visitor attractions.
- B. People know very little about how different species actually live.
- C. The public are much less likely to help unattractive creatures
- D. The marine environment was better understood in the past.
37
Which of the following best summarises the text as a whole?
- A. Scientists disagree about the state of the world's oceans.
- B. A radical review of marine resource management is needed.
- C. The fishing industry is mainly responsible for today's problems.
- D. The natural systems of our seas will not be able to repair themselves.

Questions 38–40: Summary completion

Complete the summary below. Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the text for each answer.

The Wadden Sea

The Wadden Sea was created when the sea rose as a consequence of 38 _________ slowly contracting. The waters were full of different species of marine creatures, and there were large numbers of 39 _________ living on the wetlands along the shore. This continued until species began to decline 2,000 years ago. Overfishing was partly responsible for the changing circumstances, and so was pollution. At the same time, there has been an increase in some nutrients in the Wadden Sea which can also destroy marine creatures and vegetation by depriving them of 40 _________ which is essential for their survival.

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1. E
The passage says the Fashion Museum displays 'original costumes worn by the stars of many popular films,' which means clothes that well-known people have worn.
2. B
The Folk Art Gallery 'opens to the public next month,' so its display cannot be seen yet.
3. A
Kingsley House has 'volunteer guides in each room [who] bring the house to life with stories of the past,' meaning people who talk in an entertaining way.
4. F
The Mason Museum 'has recently opened its doors again,' showing it has just reopened.
5. C
No. 17 Mansfield Street 'started life as a theatre, before becoming a bank and then a restaurant,' so it has changed its function several times.
6. A
Kingsley House has rooms 'decorated and furnished in the style of the time,' meaning the furniture is like what was used when the building was new.
7. C
At No. 17 Mansfield Street, 'on Sundays and Mondays, when the restaurant is closed, a guide is available to show you round,' so tours are only on certain days.
8. B
The Africa Museum 'was founded 50 years ago, and to commemorate the event, we have chosen 50 treasures,' so there is a special event to mark an anniversary.
9. TRUE
The passage says you can 'go back to any session whenever you want to,' so you can repeat parts of a course.
10. NOT GIVEN
There is no information about whether the number of courses has increased, so the answer is NOT GIVEN.
11. NOT GIVEN
The passage does not mention if staff members have taken a course themselves, so the answer is NOT GIVEN.
12. TRUE
It says staff will check 'whether you qualify for funding, so that you won't have to pay the full fee,' which means you may have to pay.
13. FALSE
It says 'a taster lesson...is a single computer session in any subject of your choice,' so not everyone takes the same lesson.
14. FALSE
The passage says you can contact the centre 'during normal office hours,' not seven days a week.
15. volunteers
A mentor is 'a business person who volunteers to give their time to help somebody else with their work.'
16. consultants
Mentors 'will talk things over with you, rather than acting as consultants,' so their role is different from consultants.
17. decisions
Mentors provide 'help with decisions - particularly difficult ones,' so they assist with decisions.
18. efficiency
Mentors give 'ideas for new products or services, or for working practices that will improve your efficiency.'
19. confidence
Mentors help you 'build confidence' as part of developing your skills and abilities.
20. involvement
Mentor and mentee need to 'agree on the degree of involvement that suits you both.'
21. aim
You need to 'decide precisely what the aim of your plan is,' so you define and design the plan's exact aim.
22. range
It is better to 'consider a wide range of options,' so you identify and consider a range of possible solutions.
23. selection
After exploring options, 'the selection of which option to use is the next step.'
24. details
You need to 'work out the full details, identifying the most efficient and effective method,' so you plan all the details.
25. evaluation
The next stage is to 'review your plan and decide whether it will work satisfactorily,' which is an evaluation.
26. implementation
'Once you have finished your plan...it is time for implementation.'
27. lessons
At the end, 'it is often worth assessing the project to see whether there are any lessons that you can learn.'
28. vi
Section A is about 'bad news for the world's oceans,' so heading vi 'Bad news for the world's oceans' fits best.
29. iv
Section B discusses 'the need for a new approach,' so heading iv 'The need for a new approach' is correct.
30. ii
Section C describes 'the creation and early history of the Wadden Sea,' so heading ii fits.
31. viii
Section D explains 'how various factors combine to cause damage,' so heading viii is correct.
32. v
Section E is about 'the importance of diversity,' so heading v fits.
33. vii
Section F gives 'evidence that damage can be reversed,' so heading vii is correct.
34. iii
Section G discusses 'why marine conservation is so difficult,' so heading iii fits.
35. A
Boris Worm's main concern is that 'the way in which we manage the oceans...is causing the collapse of entire ecosystems,' so A is correct. Option C is tempting but focuses only on seafood, not the whole ecosystem.
36. C
John Shepherd says 'there will always be support for protecting pandas and very little for worms,' meaning the public is less likely to help unattractive creatures. Option B is tempting but not directly stated.
37. B
The whole text argues that 'we have to revolutionise the way our marine resources are run,' so B is the best summary.
38. glaciers
The Wadden Sea was created when 'shrinking glaciers and the resulting higher water levels' caused the sea to rise.
39. birds
The wetlands 'supported millions of birds,' so large numbers of birds lived there.
40. oxygen
Eutrophication can 'lead to the collapse of the entire system through oxygen starvation,' so oxygen is essential for survival.

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