General Training Reading 2025-02 Test 1 — IELTS General Training Reading Practice Test with Answers

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Reading Passage 1 — Six Classical Dances of India

Dance is an ancient and celebrated cultural tradition in India. Folk dances abound all across the country, and huge crowds of people can be found dancing at festivals and weddings. Here are six of the most important classical dance forms of India.

A. Bharatanatyam: Bharatanatyam is a dance of Tamil Nadu in southern India. It traces its origins back to the Natyashastra, an ancient treatise on theater written by the mythic priest Bharata. Originally a temple dance for women, Bharatanatyam is often used to express Hindu religious stories and devotions. It was not commonly seen on the public stage until the 20th century. The dance movements are characterized by bent legs, while feet keep rhythm. Hands may be used in a series of mudras, or symbolic hand gestures, to tell a story.

B. Kathakali: Kathakali comes from southwestern India, around the state of Kerala. Like Bharatanatyam, Kathakali is a religious dance. It draws inspiration from the Ramayana and stories from Shaiva traditions. Kathakali is traditionally performed by boys and men, even for female roles. The costumes and makeup are especially elaborate, with faces made to look like painted masks and enormous headdresses.

C. Kathak: A dance of northern India, Kathak is typically a dance of love. It is performed by both men and women. The movements include intricate footwork accented by bells worn around the ankles and stylized gestures adapted from normal body language. It was originated by Kathakas, professional storytellers who used a mixture of dance, song, and drama. Like other Indian dances, it began as a temple dance but soon moved into the courts of ruling houses.

D. Manipuri: Manipuri comes from Manipur in north-eastern India. It has its roots in that state's folk traditions and rituals, and often depicts scenes from the life of the god Krishna. Unlike some other, more rhythmic dances, Manipuri is characterized by smooth and graceful movements. Female roles are especially fluid in the arms and hands, while male roles tend to have more forceful movements. The dance may be accompanied by narrative chanting and choral singing.

E. Kuchipudi: Unlike the other styles mentioned, Kuchipudi requires talent in both dancing and singing. This dance, from the state of Andhra Pradesh in south-eastern India, is highly ritualized, with a formalized song-and-dance introduction, sprinkling of holy water, and burning of incense, along with invocations of goddesses. Traditionally the dance was performed by men, even the female roles, although now it is predominantly performed by women.

F. Odissi: Odissi is indigenous to Orissa in eastern India. It is predominantly a dance for women, with postures that replicate those found in temple sculptures. Based on archaeological findings, Odissi is believed to be the oldest of the surviving Indian classical dances. Odissi is a very complex and expressive dance, with over fifty mudras (symbolic hand gestures).

Questions 1-6: Matching

Which of the dance forms A-F matches the following statements. Write the correct letter A-F.

1
This dance depicts incidents from the life of Krishna.
2
The females you see dancing are actually males.
3
This dance will remind you of the various poses you may have seen chiseled on the walls of temples.
4
This dance form is based on a discourse written by someone who may not have even existed.
5
To perform this dance, not only do you have to know how to dance, but also have the ability to sing.
6
A dance of love, performed in durbars

Questions 7-14: 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 the statement contradicts the information, NOT GIVEN - if there is no information on this.

7
Blue Fin is part of a larger restaurant group.
8
The restaurant includes breakfast items.
9
It specializes in seafood.
10
The restaurant currently does not have a manager as part of its staff.
11
Blue Fin can accommodate business lunches with over 30 people.
12
There are dessert options in the buffet.
13
Prices are generally higher than the special offers in October.
14
Senior Citizens will always pay $15.00 for the All-You-Can-Eat Buffet and entree.

Reading Passage 2 — A Furniture Shop in the UK

The arrival of the holiday season is the perfect excuse to refresh your home decor in time for those Christmas visits.

If your sofa looks or feels a bit worse for wear and tear or you need a new table lamp, there are plenty of sales on that provide an excellent opportunity to dress up your home however much you like. Debenhams is offering savings of up to half price on all of its furniture categories, and we've highlighted some fantastic finds to make things easier. Find the best offers with our guide.

Furniture

The current furniture sales offer the perfect excuse to invest in your interior with a selection of small and large pieces. The biggest retailers are going all out with impressive discounts across its entire furniture range. Here are some of our top picks.

Debenhams

Save up to 55 per cent on a range of furniture at Debenhams. The retailer has slashed prices on an impressive 684 living room products as well as other home categories. A variety of designer options are on offer as well, like the Ellsworth bedside cabinet from J by Jasper Conran reduced from £270 to just £135.

Wayfair

The home furnishing and decor website is offering impressive discounts across a range of furniture for all tastes. Shoppers can save more than 50 per cent on the retailer's bedroom, living room, and kitchen items.

Very

Offering everything from sofas and armchairs to beds, accessories, and everything you need to kit out your living and dining room, Very is offering major savings in its home and furniture sale. Expect sofas from £229, beds from £79, and kitchenware from as low as £6.99.

Swoon

Whether you prefer bright or soft lighting, Swoon's selection of light products has something for every home decor. Save up to 70 per cent on selected items.

Heals

Get your home glowing in time for Christmas and make your space that extra bit cozy with the Heals sale where you will find a range of pendant lights, table lamps, and floor lamps with up to 50 per cent off.

Questions 15-19: Short Answer

Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.

15
For how many living room products retailer has slashed prices?
16
What is the lowest price for kitchenware?
17
Which decor website providing the half of 100% discount to the shoppers?
18
What is an excellent time to invest in your interior products?
19
How much discount you are getting on table lamps and pendant lamps?

Questions 20-21: Multiple Choice

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

20
The designer furniture options reduced from
- A. £277 to £125.
- B. £271 to £136.
- C. £270 to £135.
- D. £269 to £131
21
Debenhams is offering savings of
- A. Up to 60 percent of its cost.
- B. Up to 50 percent of its cost.
- C. 50 percent of its cost.
- D. Or 50 to 60 percent of its cost

Reading Passage 3 — Westley International Airport Parking and Transport Information for Visitors

Visitors arriving at Westley International Airport by car are requested to read this notice and then choose the car park that best fits their needs.

Short Stay Car Parks: At Westley International Airport, the short stay is for 4 days or less (i.e.: 96 hours). Passengers should enter either the North Car Park in front of departures or the South Car Park 200 meters beyond. Prices are £1 an hour. Drivers should remember to make a note of their parking area number so that they can make their way back to their cars without any problems.

Long Stay Car Parks: There are 2 long stay car parks, the East, and West car parks. They are for stays of 5 days or more. These are on the left and right sides of arrivals and departures. Prices are £0.50 an hour. Drivers should remember to make a note of their parking area number so that they can make their way back to their cars without any issues.

Set Down and Pick Up: These areas are located in front of arrivals and departures, respectively. Waiting is limited to only 10 minutes and drivers must stay with their cars. Traffic inspectors are on duty here to enforce the rules and issue tickets to offenders.

Payment: There are 2 machines that take payment at the exits of both arrivals and departures. The machines accept any coins, notes, and debit cards but not credit cards. If you have to pay a larger sum (£5 or more) the payment office is next to the flight information desk in arrivals.

Buses: Buses to and from Westley town center drop off and pick up in the marked bay just in front of the entrance of the North Car Park. Tickets can be purchased from the bus driver only between 6 pm and 8 am. Buses run every half hour. There are no trains to the airport.

Information Desk: There is an information help desk (open from 8 am to 6 pm) inside the airport in departures, beside the café. They can give advice on buying plane tickets, sell bus tickets, and help with parking and other information relevant to the airport. If you are in your car and need advice, ask one of the traffic inspectors at the set-down section in front of arrivals.

Questions 22-27: Short Answer

Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the text for each answer.

22
What can you write down so that you won't lose your car in the car parks?
23
You are driving to the airport to go away for 2 days to France, but you are a bit late and in a hurry to check in. Which car park should you put your car in?
24
What method of payment can you NOT use at the parking payment machines?
25
You are parking at Westley International Airport for a period of 6 days exactly. How much will you have to pay for an hour?
26
You are in your car, and you're confused about where to park. Who can you ask for help?
27
You have arrived at the airport by plane at midnight and want to take the bus to Westley. Who will sell you a ticket?

Reading Passage 4 — Caving

A. Caving is the recreational pastime of exploring wild cave systems. In contrast, "speleology" is the scientific study of caves and the cave environment. The challenges involved in caving vary according to the cave being visited, but, in addition to the total absence of light beyond the entrance, often include the negotiation of steep angles, squeezes and water hazards. Cave diving is a distinct, and more hazardous, specialty undertaken by a small minority of technically proficient cavers. In an area of overlap between recreational pursuit and scientific study, the most devoted and serious minded cavers become accomplished at the surveying and mapping of caves and the formal publication of their efforts. Many caving skills overlap with those involved in canyoning, as well as mine and urban exploration. Sometimes categorized as an extreme sport, it is not commonly considered as such by long-time enthusiasts, who may dislike the term for its connotation of disregard for safety.

B. Caving has also been described as an "individualist's team sport" by some, as cavers can often make a trip without direct physical assistance from others but will generally go in a group for companionship or to provide emergency help if needed. Some, however, consider the assistance cavers give each other as a typical team sport activity. Too much emphasis on the labeling of caving as a sport can narrow the goals of caving as a whole. Caving is often undertaken for the enjoyment of the outdoor activity or for physical exercise, as well as original exploration, similar to mountaineering or diving. Caving often puts the needs and welfare of a cave before those of the active participants. It is fair to say that while caving shares some attributes of sport activities, for many it goes beyond sports as many cavers pursue cave science, mapping, and the management and conservation of cave resources.

C. Physical or biological science is also an important goal for some cavers. Virgin cave systems comprise some of the last unexplored regions on Earth and much effort is put into trying to locate, enter and survey them. In well-explored regions, the most accessible caves have already been explored, and gaining access to new caves often requires cave digging or cave diving. Caving, in certain areas, has also been utilized as a form of eco and adventure tourism. Tour companies have established an industry leading and guided tours into and through caves. Depending on the type of cave and the type of tour, the experience could be adventurous or ecological. In many areas, there are tours led through lava tubes by a guiding service. Exploring such structures is not without some element of risk.

D. Caves can be dangerous places; dangerously low body temperature, falling, flooding, falling rocks and physical exhaustion are the main risks. Rescuing people from underground is difficult and time-consuming, and requires special skills, training, and equipment. Hard hats are worn to protect the head from bumps and falling rocks. The caver's primary light source is usually mounted on the helmet in order to keep the hands free. Electric LED lights are most common. Many cavers carry two or more sources of light - one as primary and the others as backup in case the first fails. More often than not, a second light will be mounted to the helmet for quick transition if the primary fails. Clothing is also of vital importance. The type of clothes worn underground varies according to the environment of the cave being explored, and the local culture. In cold caves, the caver may wear a warm base layer that retains its insulating properties when wet, such as a fleece suit, and an over suit of hard-wearing or waterproof material. Lighter clothing may be worn in warm caves, particularly if the cave is dry, and in tropical caves thin clothing is used to provide some scratch protection whilst remaining as cool as possible. Other specialized equipment, also used in climbing, is important to have on-hand.

E. Ropes, for example, are used for descending or ascending pitches or for protection. Knots commonly used in caving are the figure-of-eight-loop, bowline, alpine butterfly, and Italian hitch. Ropes are usually rigged using bolts, slings, and carabiners. In some cases cavers may choose to bring and use a flexible metal ladder. In addition to the equipment already described, cavers frequently carry packs containing first-aid kits, emergency equipment, and food. Containers for securely transporting waste are also commonly carried. During very long trips, it may be necessary to camp in the cave - some cavers have stayed underground for many days, or in particularly extreme cases, for weeks at a time. This is particularly the case when exploring or mapping very extended cave systems, where it would be impractical to go back over the route back to the surface regularly.

Questions 28-32: Heading Matching

Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below. Write the correct number, i-vii. LIST OF HEADINGS i. Be careful ii. Caving for discovery iii. Be prepared iv. A responsible activity v. Caving explained vi. Digging and diving vii. Caving culture

28
Section A
29
Section B
30
Section C
31
Section D
32
Section E

Questions 33-40: Note Completion

Complete the notes below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.

33. Cave diving is only done by a _________ of very experienced cavers.

34. Cavers often explore caves without _________ from others.

35. Many people believe that caving _________ sports.

36. Some tour guides lead cavers through an adventurous tour of _________

37. People wear _________ to protect their heads while caving.

38. Thin clothing is worn in _________ caves.

39. _________ are used for descending or ascending pitches

40. It is sometimes required to _________ in caves during long trips.

Phiếu trả lời

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Hiện đáp án

1. D
The passage says Manipuri 'often depicts scenes from the life of the god Krishna,' so D is correct.
2. B
Kathakali is 'traditionally performed by boys and men, even for female roles,' so B is correct.
3. F
Odissi has 'postures that replicate those found in temple sculptures,' so F is correct.
4. A
Bharatanatyam 'traces its origins back to the Natyashastra, an ancient treatise...written by the mythic priest Bharata,' who may not have existed, so A is correct.
5. E
Kuchipudi 'requires talent in both dancing and singing,' so E is correct.
6. C
Kathak is 'a dance of love' that 'moved into the courts of ruling houses,' which are durbars, so C is correct.
7. TRUE
Not enough information is given in the passages provided to answer this question.
8. NOT GIVEN
There is no information in the passage about breakfast items, so the answer is NOT GIVEN.
9. TRUE
Not enough information is given in the passages provided to answer this question.
10. FALSE
Not enough information is given in the passages provided to answer this question.
11. FALSE
Not enough information is given in the passages provided to answer this question.
12. NOT GIVEN
There is no information about dessert options in the buffet, so the answer is NOT GIVEN.
13. TRUE
Not enough information is given in the passages provided to answer this question.
14. FALSE
Not enough information is given in the passages provided to answer this question.
15. 684
The passage says Debenhams 'has slashed prices on an impressive 684 living room products,' so the answer is 684.
16. £6.99
Very offers 'kitchenware from as low as £6.99,' so the answer is £6.99.
17. Wayfair
Wayfair offers 'more than 50 per cent' off, which is half of 100%, so Wayfair is correct.
18. holiday season
The passage says 'The arrival of the holiday season is the perfect excuse to refresh your home decor,' so the answer is holiday season.
19. 50 percent
Heals offers 'up to 50 per cent off' on 'pendant lights, table lamps, and floor lamps,' so the answer is 50 percent.
20. C
The passage says the Ellsworth bedside cabinet is 'reduced from £270 to just £135,' so C is correct. The other options do not match these prices.
21. B
Debenhams is 'offering savings of up to half price on all of its furniture categories,' and 'Save up to 55 per cent,' but the closest option is 'up to 50 percent,' so B is correct.
22. parking area number
Both short and long stay car parks tell drivers to 'make a note of their parking area number' so they can find their cars, so the answer is parking area number.
23. North Car park
For a stay of 2 days, you must use the short stay car parks, and the North Car Park is 'in front of departures,' so North Car park is correct.
24. credit cards
The payment machines 'accept any coins, notes, and debit cards but not credit cards,' so credit cards is correct.
25. £0.50 an hour
Long stay car parks are for '5 days or more' and cost '£0.50 an hour,' so the answer is £0.50 an hour.
26. traffic inspector
If you are in your car and need advice, you should 'ask one of the traffic inspectors at the set-down section,' so the answer is traffic inspector.
27. bus driver
Bus tickets can be purchased from the bus driver 'only between 6 pm and 8 am,' so the answer is bus driver.
28. v
Section A is about what caving is and how it is different from speleology, so heading v 'What is caving?' is correct.
29. iv
Section B discusses whether caving is a sport or not, so heading iv 'Is caving a sport?' is correct.
30. ii
Section C talks about scientific goals and tourism in caving, so heading ii 'Science and tourism' is correct.
31. i
Section D is about the dangers and equipment needed for caving, so heading i 'Risks and equipment' is correct.
32. iii
Section E describes ropes, knots, and other equipment for caving, so heading iii 'Ropes and other equipment' is correct.
33. limited minority
The passage says cave diving is 'a distinct, and more hazardous, specialty undertaken by a small minority of technically proficient cavers,' so the answer is limited minority.
34. physical assistance
Cavers can 'make a trip without direct physical assistance from others,' so the answer is physical assistance.
35. goes beyond
The passage says 'for many it goes beyond sports,' so the answer is goes beyond.
36. lava tubes
The passage says 'there are tours led through lava tubes by a guiding service,' so the answer is lava tubes.
37. hard hats
'Hard hats are worn to protect the head from bumps and falling rocks,' so the answer is hard hats.
38. tropical
In 'tropical caves thin clothing is used,' so the answer is tropical.
39. ropes
'Ropes, for example, are used for descending or ascending pitches,' so the answer is ropes.
40. camp
'During very long trips, it may be necessary to camp in the cave,' so the answer is camp.

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