General Training Reading 2026-03 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.

Job Vacancies at Green Valley Mall

Questions 1-7 Look at the five job advertisements, A-E. Which job would be most suitable for a person who... Write the correct letter, A-E. NB. You may use any letter more than once.

A. Retail Assistant – Urban Style Clothing: Join our trendy apparel outlet! We're looking for someone energetic and stylish to assist customers and manage stock. Experience not required. Part-time (15 hours/week), weekend shifts required. Pay: $17/hour

B. Café Crew – Brew Buzz: Serve fresh coffee and pastries in a fast-paced café. Flexible hours, morning shifts preferred. Minimum 6 months café or hospitality experience. Pay starts at $18/hour plus tips. Staff discount included.

C. Cleaner – SparklePro Cleaning Services: We need early-morning cleaners for stores within Green Valley Mall. Duties include vacuuming, dusting, and restroom cleaning. Must be punctual and able to work independently. Pay: $20/hour. Mon–Fri, 5 a.m. to 8 a.m.

D. Toy Store Cashier – HappyTots: Greet customers, handle purchases, and keep the shop floor tidy. Weekday evenings and full weekends required. Pay: $16/hour. Friendly personality a must. Previous retail experience desirable but not essential.

E. Security Officer – Valley Mall Watch: Keep the mall secure by patrolling and monitoring CCTV. Full-time (40 hours/week). Must have a valid Ontario Security License and clean record.

1
Is looking for early morning work only on weekdays
2
Has previous café experience and wants a job with flexible timings
3
Is available only on weekends and has no work experience
4
Has security training and wants a full-time position
5
Is interested in working with children's products and has a friendly personality.
6
Wants to earn tips in addition to wages.
7
Wants to avoid evening and weekend shifts.

ORION COMMUNICATIONS INTERNAL MEMO: HANDLING CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS EFFECTIVELY

Questions 8-14 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

To ensure consistent customer satisfaction, all agents must follow the standard complaint-handling procedure outlined below. This applies to all written, phone, or in-person complaints.

Step 1: Listen & Acknowledge: Remain calm and professional. Allow the customer to explain their issue fully without interruption. Respond with phrases like "I understand your frustration" or "Thank you for bringing this to our attention."

Step 2: Record the Complaint: Enter all details into the Customer Issue Tracker (CIT) immediately. Include the customer's account number, date, a clear summary of the issue, and any previous contact notes. Incomplete entries may delay resolution.

Step 3: Determine Responsibility: Complaints related to delivery delays, billing issues, and technical faults should be directed to the appropriate team via internal transfer or messaging. Do not attempt to resolve technical complaints without consultation.

Step 4: Provide a Timeline: Inform the customer how long the resolution process may take. Most complaints are resolved within 72 hours, though technical issues may take up to 5 business days.

Step 5: Follow-up: After resolution, agents must follow up with the customer to ensure satisfaction. Use the feedback tab in CIT to log any final comments or rating provided.

Important Reminders:

Do not promise specific outcomes.

Do not escalate a case unless authorized.

Escalated complaints should be flagged in the system using the red "PRIORITY" tag.

Agents failing to follow the above steps may be subject to retraining.

8
Agents should allow customers to speak without interrupting.
9
Every complaint must include the customer's delivery date.
10
Staff should avoid fixing technical problems on their own.
11
Customers are guaranteed a resolution within 72 hours.
12
A supervisor must approve all complaint escalations.
13
Agents must check if customers are happy after the issue is resolved.
14
Staff who handle complaints incorrectly may lose their jobs.

Our Employee Appraisal Process

Questions 15-21 Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer

The interview: The job description used at the employees' original interview will outline the roles and responsibilities. These will be formulated in the employees' (15) _________

3-month review: This ends the employees' (16) _________ and ensures things are going smoothly.

Before the annual meeting (17) _________ of the annual meeting should be given 2 weeks before, so that the employees can prepare and submit a (18) _________ covering four key points.

The Meeting: Appropriate time should be set aside and it should be fairly (19) _________ to create an effective atmosphere.

The (20) _________ (part of the meeting). Although the employee gives input, the manager only awards this.

Appeal: If desired, employees can use the appeal process laid out in the (21) _________

15
These will be formulated in the employees' (15) _________
16
This ends the employees' (16) _________ and ensures things are going smoothly.
17
(17) _________ of the annual meeting should be given 2 weeks before, so that the employees can prepare and submit a (18) _________ covering four key points.
18
so that the employees can prepare and submit a (18) _________ covering four key points.
19
it should be fairly (19) _________ to create an effective atmosphere.
20
The (20) _________ (part of the meeting). Although the employee gives input, the manager only awards this.
21
employees can use the appeal process laid out in the (21) _________

Using Social Media in companies

Questions 22-27 Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer

22. Domestic and work _________ can become unclear due to social media usage.

23. An excessively formal social media policy at work could be an _________ step.

24. The _________ nature of social media developments means that social media policies can easily become out of date.

25. It can be _________ to check the social media pages of potential employees.

26. Anyone in the workplace should often check their social media _________ to stop unwanted access to their private life.

27. Employers should consider the _________ of their employees when dealing with the sensitive issue of social media in the workplace.

Reading Passage 3 — Emojis

A. Language always changes, of course. This is one of the few constants about it. But it's arguably changing at a faster rate now than at any previous moment in its history. And emojis – the set of picture characters that people use to punctuate their online correspondence – are at the forefront of this frenzy for change. As a form of global communication, emojis only began their growth in 2011. Four years later, it was estimated that they were being used by over 90 per cent of the online population. In excess of six billion were being sent every day. Their prevalence in the culture was such that Oxford Dictionaries recently chose one as their word of the year. 'Words of the Year' are those judged to be reflective of the 'ethos, mood, or preoccupations of that particular year'. They're very much of their time. And often, once that time has passed, they fade from people's consciousness almost as quickly as they arose. There's a good chance, then, that the emoji chosen by Oxford Dictionaries - the 'face with tears of joy' - will also appear to be dated in a few years. But the reasons for this offer a fascinating insight into the way that society is evolving. The little yellow circle with dots for eyes acts as a surprisingly good lens through which to view the history of human communication, and to predict its future.

B. There are two main reasons why language changes. One is to do with the way that language mirrors the changes in how we relate to each other. As an expression of identity, language is adapted by different groups and different generations to reflect their own sense of self. It also needs to constantly assimilate fresh concepts as these evolve. Words are being created for these reasons all the time. But what's interesting about emojis is that they've contributed to this ever-expanding storehouse in a different way. At this point in our history, the gaps in our vocabulary are being filled not simply by new words, but by an absolutely new system of expression.

C. The second major reason that language changes is down to technology – specifically, the ways in which the technologies we use have an effect on the process of communication itself. Both hardware and new technologies result in us subtly changing the way we interact with each other and also altering the shape of the language we use. Emojis have evolved as a solution to the needs of mobile communication. In particular, they compensate for the way that computer-mediated messaging on smartphones can sometimes tend towards the emotionally empty. Whereas face-to-face, or even voice-to-voice, conversations can express emotional closeness through facial expression or tone of voice, this is easy to miss when messages are rendered in a few short words on a small screen. Emojis are a means of restoring this emotional framing to an interaction - punctuating your message with a smile.

D. But unlike almost any other type of language system, emojis have something akin to a built-in obsolescence. Just as smartphones and their operating systems have a frequent refresh rate, emojis also get routine enhancements. The emojis you have on your phone now will undergo subtle redesigns over the course of time, and extra characters will be added. Because of this, their usefulness is artificially limited. In the context of communication systems, this is something that's never previously been the case. Twenty years ago, people might have bought a new landline phone when they were tired of the design of their Old phone or if they wanted to get one with whatever the latest innovation was going around - an inbuilt answering machine, say. But they didn't have to upgrade the language they were using as well. Emojis, on the other hand, are a case study of how technology and the human capacity for communication are working together, how the onward march of technology exists at the intersection of consumerism, innovation, and design. Moreover, the fact that they're at the front line of a relentless wave of technologically driven change in communications practices encourages - if not necessitates – a great amount of creativity in the way they're used.

E. Finally, there's the way they've become implicated in almost all aspects of modern society, from politics and marketing to art and entertainment. Emojis are the subject of musicals and Hollywood films. They're the inspiration for fashion design, art, and architecture. They're a staple in advertising and commerce. Understanding why they've become so popular, and how they work, can not only explain something about the nature of language; it can also help us to understand our relationship with technology, society, and ourselves.

Questions 28–32: Matching headings

The text below has five sections, A-E. Choose the correct heading for each section from the list of headings below. Write the correct number, i-viii LIST OF HEADINGS i. Why emojis may have a short life ii. Ways in which new emojis are designed and made available iii. How words and emojis both fulfil new needs in our society iv. How emojis are regarded in different ways by different cultures v. The use of emojis in different fields and what this means for us vi. The rapid spread of a new way of interacting vii. How and where emojis were first invented viii. The value of emojis for making feelings clear

28
Section A
- i. Why emojis may have a short life
- ii. Ways in which new emojis are designed and made available
- iii. How words and emojis both fulfil new needs in our society
- iv. How emojis are regarded in different ways by different cultures
- v. The use of emojis in different fields and what this means for us
- vi. The rapid spread of a new way of interacting
- vii. How and where emojis were first invented
- viii. The value of emojis for making feelings clear
29
Section B
30
Section C
31
Section D
32
Section E

Questions 33–40: Summary completion

Choose ONE WORD ONLY for each answer

It is probable that before long, an emoji such as the 'face with tears of joy' will seem (33) _________. This is of interest as it tells us about developments in (34) _________ providing an effective way to focus on both the (35) _________ and the future of human (36) _________. Changes in language reflect changes in people's relationships. They reflect the ways in which the (37) _________ of groups and generations changes over time, and they allow new (38) _________ to be included. However, emojis are interesting as they are a system that expresses these ideas in a completely new way. New (39) _________ result in us subtly changing the way we interact with each other and also altering the (40) _________ of the language.

33
It is probable that before long, an emoji such as the 'face with tears of joy' will seem (33) _________.
34
This is of interest as it tells us about developments in (34) _________
35
providing an effective way to focus on both the (35) _________ and the future of human (36) _________.
36
providing an effective way to focus on both the (35) history and the future of human (36) _________.
37
They reflect the ways in which the (37) _________ of groups and generations changes over time,
38
and they allow new (38) _________ to be included.
39
New (39) _________ result in us subtly changing the way we interact with each other and also altering the (40) _________ of the language.
40
and also altering the (40) _________ of the language.

Answer sheet

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Show answer key

1. C
2. B
3. A
4. E
5. D
6. B
7. C
8. TRUE
9. FALSE
10. TRUE
11. FALSE
12. TRUE
13. TRUE
14. NOT GIVEN
15. contract
16. probation period
17. a notice
18. self evaluation statement
19. informal
20. rating
21. company handbook
22. boundaries
23. impractical
24. dynamic
25. discriminatory
26. privacy settings
27. work life balance
28. vi
The answer is vi (The rapid spread of a new way of interacting) because Section A talks about how emojis quickly became popular worldwide, with over 90% of the online population using them within four years, showing their rapid spread.
29. iii
The answer is iii (How words and emojis both fulfil new needs in our society) because Section B explains that language changes to reflect identity and new concepts, and that emojis fill gaps in communication in a new way, not just with words.
30. viii
The answer is viii (The value of emojis for making feelings clear) because Section C discusses how emojis help add emotion to messages that would otherwise be emotionally empty, restoring emotional framing to interactions.
31. i
The answer is i (Why emojis may have a short life) because Section D describes how emojis are regularly updated and redesigned, making their usefulness limited and giving them a 'built-in obsolescence,' which means they may not last long.
32. v
The answer is v (The use of emojis in different fields and what this means for us) because Section E lists how emojis are used in many areas like politics, art, and advertising, and says understanding them helps us understand language and society.
33. dated
34. society
35. history
36. communication
37. identity
38. concepts
39. technologies
40. shape

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