General Training Reading 2025-10 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.

Adorable Knitwear-Online customer reviews

A. Mary-Anne

I spent a while thinking about buying this sweater because of the price, but I'm glad I finally did. It's a long sweater but that's good as I'm quite tall. I normally find that the sleeves are too short when I try on a top, but not with this one. I tend to take medium but went for large, which was a wise decision as there is plenty of room for a T-shirt underneath when I wear it with jeans.

B. Davina

These sweaters are an ideal weight for office wear. The purple one is pretty, though I expected a lighter shade from the picture. I wear a US size 12 / UK 16, and the medium is big enough to fit over a shirt with room to spare. It has long sleeves that I love to roll up at the wrist. I'm now trying to resist the temptation to buy it in grey too.

C. Naga

This knitted sweater looks great in the pictures. I ordered the olive green with stripes and, although I wasn't sure it was going to look right on me, I was pleasantly surprised when I put it on. It's very soft and I love the long past-the-wrist sleeves too. I opted for the medium, but it was too tight so I exchanged it.

D. Libby

This is the third of your sweaters that I've bought over the past two years. It's true to size and perfect for the winter months, though I should add that its loose knit means it's best to avoid playing with cats or young dogs when you're wearing it as they could pull threads in the body or sleeves.

E. Laura

I couldn't decide which colour to get so I bought the deep blue and the charcoal grey, with every intention of sending one of them back. That didn't happen, of course! I would say both colours match the online pictures. I bought size small, and the length is perfect for me, despite the unnecessarily long sleeves! These sweaters are lovely to wear with jeans but also stylish enough to wear to work.

Questions 1-7: Matching customer reviews

Look at the five online customer reviews of sweaters, A-E. For which review are the following statements true? Write the correct letter, A-E. NB You may use any letter more than once.

1
The colour of the sweater did not match the website image.
2
The customer took some time to decide on the purchase.
3
The customer initially bought the wrong size.
4
The customer changed her mind about returning a sweater.
5
The customer bought a bigger size than she usually does.
6
The sweater can be worn for smart or casual occasions.
7
The customer was worried that the sweater wouldn't suit her.

Gobridge Tramlink – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are some of the frequently asked questions about the tram service in Gobridge town

When do the trams run?

Gobridge Tramlink operates a network of trams that run throughout the year and provide links to main services, stations and the airport. Timetables are reviewed in October and March, and may alter slightly so check before you travel. Our first tram from the city centre leaves from Marvin Square at 6.30 am, half an hour after the first city bus service.

Can I get a tram from the airport?

Trams from the airport to the city centre start running at 6.15 am and leave every fifteen minutes until 7.30 pm when the evening schedule takes over. Trams then run to the main railway station at 35-minute intervals and end at 11.35 pm. If your flight arrives later than this, the number 207 airport bus runs every hour through the night.

What do I do if I don't have a ticket?

Tickets are not sold by anyone on the tram. Ticket vending machines are located at all tram shelters. Check your route and make sure you buy the correct price ticket. If the vending machine does not work, you should push the red button on the machine and speak into the microphone. A member of staff will either fix the machine straight away or contact the tram inspector onboard your tram. He or she cannot sell you a ticket, but you will not be obliged to pay the £8 on-board fine for not having one.

Can I take my bike on the tram?

Each tram is licensed to carry a maximum of two bicycles, though drivers may refuse to allow cyclists to get on if the tram is crowded. Bicycles may only be taken on the trams during off-peak travel periods: up to 7.30 am, between 10 am and 2.30 pm and after 7 pm. Festivals and other large events may also mean that bicycles are prohibited as trams carry extra passengers at these times. Once on board, riders should remain with their bicycles throughout the journey and ensure they do not obstruct the entrance, exit or any other area of public access.

Questions 8-14: 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.

8
The city buses start operating later than the trams.
9
You can get a tram from the airport to the city centre up to midnight.
10
The 207 bus service stops at the main railway station.
11
The cost of a tram ticket varies depending on your journey.
12
Bicycles are allowed on the trams between 7.30 am and 10 am.
13
Additional trams run during the Gobridge festival period.
14
Cyclists may be asked to leave the tram if they block the exit.

Marketing Advice for New Businesses

If you're setting up your own business, here's some advice on getting customers.

Know where your customers look

Your customers aren't necessarily where you think they are. So if you're advertising where they're just not looking, it's wasted money. That's why it pays to do a bit of research. Every time someone contacts your company, ask them where they found out about you. And act on this information so you're advertising in the right places.

Always think like a customer

What makes your customers tick? Find out, and you're halfway to saying the right things in your advertising. So take the time to ask them. A simple phone or email survey of your own customers, politely asking why they use you, what they really like and what they don't, is invaluable.

Make sure customers know you're there

If a customer can't see you, they can't buy from you. There are loads of opportunities to promote your business - print, press, direct mail, telemarketing, email and the internet - and using a mix of these increases your chances of being seen (and remembered). Ignore your customers and they'll go away. It sounds obvious, but companies who talk to their customers have much better retention rates than those that don't, so it's worth staying in touch. Capture your customers' email addresses upfront. Follow up a transaction to check they're happy with the service and, if possible, send them updates that are helpful, informative and relevant.

Know what works (and what doesn't)

Do what the professionals do, and measure all your advertising. That'll tell you what you're doing right - and where there's room for improvement. You never know, it might just throw up some information that could change your business for the better.

Remember word-of-mouth: the best advertising there is

A recent survey found that consumers are 50% more likely to be influenced by word-of-mouth recommendations than by TV or radio ads. So your reputation is your greatest asset. If your current customers are impressed with your company, they'll be more inclined to recommend you to others. On the flip side, if they experience bad service they probably won't complain to you - but you can be sure they will to their friends.

Questions 15-20: Sentence completion

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

15
Some .................. will help you to discover the most effective places to advertise.
16
A .................. of your customers will show you how they feel about your company.
17
A .................. of forms of advertising will make it more likely that potential customers will find out about you.
18
If you can, provide customers with useful .................. about your business.
19
Measuring the effects of your advertising can give you .................. that will improve your business.
20
Success in finding new customers largely depends on your ...................

Working Time Regulation for Mobile Workers

These rules apply to drivers and crew of heavy goods vehicles or public service vehicles. The rules limit the amount of time that can be worked. Those defined in the Regulations as being self-employed are currently not covered by the Regulations.

What are the limits?

An average of 48 hours' work per week.

In any single week up to 60 hours can be worked so long as the 48-hour average is maintained.

Night work is limited to 10 hours per night, unless there is a workforce agreement to work longer.

Statutory annual leave and any sick leave and/or maternity/paternity leave counts as working time.

What counts as work?

In general, any activity performed in connection with the transport operation counts as work, for example, driving, loading/unloading and those checks that are the responsibility of drivers, such as checking lights, brakes, etc.

There are a number of periods of time that do not count as work, for example, travelling between home and your normal place of work, lunch or other breaks, and periods of availability.

Periods of availability are periods of time during which the mobile worker is not required to remain at their workstation but is required to be available for work, the foreseeable duration of which is known about in advance, for example:

Delays at a distribution centre.

Reporting for work then being informed that no duties are to be undertaken for a specified period.

Accompanying a vehicle being transported, for example by train.

A period of availability can be taken at the workstation when the driver has a reasonable amount of freedom (e.g. they can read and relax) for a known duration; this could satisfy the requirements of a period of availability.

Situations when a period of time should not be recorded as a period of availability:

Hold-ups due to congestion, because the driver would be stopping and starting the vehicle.

Frequently moving up within a queue (e.g. in order to load or unload) every other minute.

Questions 21-27: Note completion

Complete the notes below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS ONLY from the text.

Working Time Regulations for Mobile Workers

21. These apply to people working on lorries, buses, etc. They don't apply to _________ Workers.

22. Maximum working hours: 60 hours a week, provided the _________ is no more than 48 hours.

23. Night work can be more than 10 hours with the _________ of the workers.

24. Work includes driving, loading and unloading, and carrying out various _________ of the vehicle.

25. Periods of availability include: going on a _________ or other form of transport with a vehicle

26. a period at the workstation when the driver has some _________ might count as a period of availability.

27. Periods of availability exclude: time spent stopping and starting the vehicle when _________ causes delays

being in a queue, e.g. in order to load or unload.

Recreated diagram for questions 20, 21, 22, 23, 24

A UNIQUE GOLDEN TEXTILE

A. A rare textile made from the silk of more than a million wild spiders has gone on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. To produce the golden cloth, 70 people spent four years collecting golden orb spiders from telephone poles in Madagascar, while another dozen workers carefully extracted about 24 meters of thread from each of the arachnids. The resulting 11-foot by 4-foot textile is the only large piece of cloth made from natural spider silk existing in the world today.

B. Spider silk is very elastic and strong compared with steel or Kevlar, said textile expert Simon Peers, who led the project. Kevlar is a lightweight synthetic fabric which is often compared to nylon. It is very tough and durable and used in bullet-proof vests. Spider silk is resistant to wear, tear, and heat and has absolutely no melting point. But the tensile strength of spider silk is even greater than Kevlar's and maintains elasticity, like a strand of high-grade steel. Most importantly, spider silk is extremely lightweight: a strand of spider silk long enough to circle the Earth would weigh less than 500 grams (18 oz). It is also especially ductile, able to stretch up to 140 percent of its length without breaking, and can hold its strength below -40 c. This gives it a very high toughness, which equals that of commercial fibers.

C. Researchers have long been intrigued by the unique properties of spider silk. Unfortunately, spider silk is extremely hard to mass produce. Unlike silkworms, which are easy to raise in captivity, spiders have a habit of chomping off each other's heads when housed together. According to Peers, there's scientific research going on all over the world right now trying to replicate the tensile properties of spider silk to apply it to all sorts of areas in medicine and industries, but no one has yet succeeded in replicating 100 percent of the properties of natural spider silk.

D. Peers came up with the idea of weaving spider silk after learning about the French missionary Jacob Paul Camboué, who worked with spiders in Madagascar during the 1890s and 1900s. Camboué built a small, hand-driven machine to extract silk from up to 24 spiders at once, without harming them. The spiders were temporarily restrained, their silk extracted, and then let go. Peers managed to build a replica of this 24-spider silk-spinning machine. It was used at the turn of the century, said Nicholas Godley, who collaborated on the project with Peers. As an experiment, the pair collected and restrained about 80 spiders. When we stuck them in the machine and started turning it, a lot of them started to spin beautiful gold-colored silk straight onto our machine, Godley said.

E. But to make even the tiniest significant size, the silk experts had to drastically scale up their plan. Fourteen thousand spiders yield about an ounce of silk, Godley said, and the textile weighs about 2.8 pounds. The numbers are overwhelming. To achieve their goal, Godley and Peers began hiring dozens of spider handlers to collect wild arachnids and carefully harness them to the silk extractors. When they needed people who were willing to work with spiders, Godley said, because by the end of the project, the team had spent more than 1 million spider lifetimes. In return, they produced a beautiful yet absolutely impractical cloth, passion fueled by love and obsession. Once the spiders had been silked, they were released back into the wild, said Godley. Godley said it takes them about a week to regenerate their silk. We can go back and get more from the same spiders, he said. It's like the gift that never stops giving.

F. Of course, spending four years to produce a single textile of spider silk isn't very practical for scientists trying to study the properties of spider silk, or companies that want to manufacture the fabric for use as a biomedical product, or an alternative to Kevlar armor. Several groups have tried inserting spider genes into bacteria or even cows and goats to produce silk, but so far, the attempts have been only moderately successful. Part of the reason it's so hard to generate spider silk in the lab is that it starts out as a liquid protein that's produced by a special gland in the spider's abdomen. Using their spinneret, spiders apply force to rearrange the protein's molecular structure and transform it into solid silk. When we talk about a spider spinning silk, we're talking about how the spider applies force to produce a transformation from liquid to solid, said spider silk expert Todd Blackledge of the University of Akron, Ohio, US, who was not involved in creating the textile. Scientists simply can't replicate the efficiency with which a spider produces silk. Every year we're getting closer and closer to being able to mass-produce it, but we're not there yet. For now, it seems we'll have to be content with one incredibly beautiful cloth, graciously provided by the silk of more than a million spiders.

Questions 28-33: Matching headings

Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below. Write the correct number, i-ix. LIST OF HEADINGS i. Experimenting with an old idea ii. Life cycle of Madagascar spiders iii. Advances in the textile industry iv. Resources needed to meet the project's demands v. The physical properties of spider silk vi. A scientific analysis of spider silk vii. A unique work of art viii. Importance of the silk textile market ix. Difficulties of raising spiders in captivity

28
Section A
- i. Experimenting with an old idea
- ii. Life cycle of Madagascar spiders
- iii. Advances in the textile industry
- iv. Resources needed to meet the project's demands
- v. The physical properties of spider silk
- vi. A scientific analysis of spider silk
- vii. A unique work of art
- viii. Importance of the silk textile market
- ix. Difficulties of raising spiders in captivity
29
Section B
30
Section C
31
Section D
32
Section E
33
Section F

Questions 34-37: Matching researchers

Match each statement with the correct researcher, A, B, or C. NB You may use any letter more than once. LIST OF RESEARCHERS A. Simon Peers B. Nicholas Godley C. Todd Blackledge

34
It takes a tremendous number of spiders to make a small amount of silk.
- A. Simon Peers
- B. Nicholas Godley
- C. Todd Blackledge
35
Scientists want to use the qualities of spider silk for medical purposes.
36
Scientists are making some progress in their efforts to manufacture spider silk.
37
Spider silk compares favorably to materials known for their strength.

Questions 38-40: Sentence completion

Choose ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.

38
Some researchers have tried to grow silk by introducing genetic material into 38 .................. and some animals.
39
It is difficult to make spider silk in a lab setting because the silk comes from a liquid protein made in a 39 .................. inside the spider's body.
40
When a spider spins silk, it causes a 40 .................. that turns this liquid into solid silk.

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1. B
The passage says Davina 'expected a lighter shade from the picture,' meaning the colour did not match the website image.
2. A
Mary-Anne says, 'I spent a while thinking about buying this sweater,' showing she took some time to decide.
3. C
Naga writes, 'I opted for the medium, but it was too tight so I exchanged it,' showing she first bought the wrong size.
4. E
Laura says she bought two colours 'with every intention of sending one of them back. That didn't happen,' so she changed her mind about returning one.
5. A
Mary-Anne says, 'I tend to take medium but went for large,' meaning she bought a bigger size than usual.
6. E
Laura says the sweaters are 'lovely to wear with jeans but also stylish enough to wear to work,' so they suit both smart and casual occasions.
7. C
Naga says, 'although I wasn't sure it was going to look right on me, I was pleasantly surprised,' showing she was worried it wouldn't suit her.
8. FALSE
The FAQ says the first tram leaves at 6.30 am, 'half an hour after the first city bus service,' so buses start earlier, making this statement FALSE.
9. FALSE
Trams from the airport end at 11.35 pm, not midnight, so you cannot get a tram up to midnight; this is FALSE.
10. NOT GIVEN
There is no information about whether the 207 bus stops at the main railway station, so the answer is NOT GIVEN.
11. TRUE
It says, 'Check your route and make sure you buy the correct price ticket,' showing ticket cost depends on your journey, so this is TRUE.
12. FALSE
Bicycles are allowed only up to 7.30 am, between 10 am and 2.30 pm, and after 7 pm, so between 7.30 am and 10 am they are not allowed; this is FALSE.
13. NOT GIVEN
The passage says festivals may mean bicycles are prohibited, but does not mention extra trams running, so NOT GIVEN.
14. NOT GIVEN
It says cyclists must not obstruct entrances or exits, but does not say they may be asked to leave if they do, so NOT GIVEN.
15. research
The passage says, 'it pays to do a bit of research... ask them where they found out about you,' so 'research' helps you find the best places to advertise.
16. survey
It says, 'A simple phone or email survey... is invaluable,' so a 'survey' will show how customers feel.
17. mix
It says, 'using a mix of these increases your chances of being seen,' so a 'mix' of advertising forms helps customers find you.
18. updates
It says, 'send them updates that are helpful, informative and relevant,' so 'updates' is the answer.
19. information
It says, 'measure all your advertising... it might just throw up some information that could change your business,' so 'information' is correct.
20. reputation
It says, 'your reputation is your greatest asset... they'll be more inclined to recommend you,' so 'reputation' is the answer.
21. self-employed
It says, 'Those defined in the Regulations as being self-employed are currently not covered,' so the answer is 'self-employed'.
22. average
It says, 'up to 60 hours can be worked so long as the 48-hour average is maintained,' so 'average' is the answer.
23. agreement
It says, 'unless there is a workforce agreement to work longer,' so 'agreement' is correct.
24. checks
It says, 'checks that are the responsibility of drivers, such as checking lights, brakes, etc.,' so 'checks' is the answer.
25. train
It says, 'accompanying a vehicle being transported, for example by train,' so 'train' is correct.
26. freedom
It says, 'when the driver has a reasonable amount of freedom (e.g. they can read and relax),' so 'freedom' is the answer.
27. congestion
It says, 'Hold-ups due to congestion... the driver would be stopping and starting,' so 'congestion' is correct.
28. vii
Section A describes the golden textile as 'the only large piece of cloth made from natural spider silk existing in the world today,' so 'a unique work of art' (vii) is correct. Other options like 'experimenting with an old idea' do not fit because the focus is on the uniqueness of the textile.
29. v
Section B talks about the 'elastic and strong' properties of spider silk, its toughness, and how it compares to Kevlar and steel, so 'the physical properties of spider silk' (v) is correct. Options about textile industry advances or scientific analysis are not the main focus here.
30. ix
Section C explains why spider silk is hard to mass produce, mainly because 'spiders have a habit of chomping off each other's heads when housed together,' so 'difficulties of raising spiders in captivity' (ix) is correct. The section does not focus on scientific analysis or textile industry advances.
31. i
Section D describes how Peers built a replica of Camboué's spider silk machine and experimented with it, so 'experimenting with an old idea' (i) is correct. The section is not about the life cycle of spiders or the textile market.
32. iv
Section E discusses the huge number of spiders and workers needed to make the textile, saying 'the numbers are overwhelming,' so 'resources needed to meet the project's demands' (iv) is correct. The focus is not on the textile industry or scientific analysis.
33. vi
Section F explains why it is hard to make spider silk in the lab and describes the scientific process, so 'a scientific analysis of spider silk' (vi) is correct. The section does not focus on the textile market or the life cycle of spiders.
34. B
Nicholas Godley says, 'Fourteen thousand spiders yield about an ounce of silk,' showing it takes a huge number of spiders to make a small amount.
35. A
Simon Peers says, 'there's scientific research... trying to replicate the tensile properties of spider silk to apply it to all sorts of areas in medicine,' showing scientists want to use it for medical purposes.
36. C
Todd Blackledge says, 'Every year we're getting closer and closer to being able to mass-produce it,' showing scientists are making progress.
37. A
Simon Peers says, 'Spider silk is very elastic and strong compared with steel or Kevlar,' showing it compares favorably to strong materials.
38. bacteria
Section F says, 'Several groups have tried inserting spider genes into bacteria or even cows and goats to produce silk,' so 'bacteria' is the answer.
39. gland
Section F says, 'it starts out as a liquid protein that's produced by a special gland in the spider's abdomen,' so 'gland' is correct.
40. force
Section F says, 'spiders apply force to rearrange the protein's molecular structure and transform it into solid silk,' so 'force' is the answer.

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