IELTS test preparation online | IELTS General Reading Test 32

SECTION 1

Questions 1 – 6
There are 5 advertisements A – E on the next page.

Answer the questions below by writing the letters of the appropriate advertisement in boxes 1 – 6 on your answer sheet. Your answer may require more than one letter.

1. Which advertisement is NOT for a restaurant?

2. Which restaurant can cater for parties?

3. Which restaurant does NOT offer a takeaway service?

4. Which restaurant will give you extra food if you give them a coupon?

5. Which restaurant cannot sell alcohol?

6. Which advertisement is valid for only 2 weeks?

Questions 7 – 13
Read the advertisements for events at the Sunshine Hotel below and then answer the questions that follow.

SUNSHINE HOTEL
CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE FOR WEEK BEGINNING 7th JULY

Monday 7.7
Kids Club on the beach with Kathy. Games and activities from 9.30 – 12.30 and then 2.00 – 5.00. Don’t forget your swimming costume! Evening video: Hercules Saves the Day. The intrepid pony saves his rider when he falls into a river.

Tuesday 8.7
Kids Club on the beach with Kathy. Timings as on Monday. Evening video: Jake’s Party. Jake throws a party for his friends when his parents go away.

Wednesday 9.7
Kids Club outing to Westlands Adventure Park. All day trip so, Mums and Dads, don’t forget to order the special kids packed lunches from the hotel the day before and $8 extra each entrance money. Leaving from in front of the Hotel at 10.00 and coming back at 4.30. Evening video: The Day of the Lion. Adventure yarn about a boy living on a farm in South Africa.

Thursday 10.7
Kids Club on the beach with Kathy. Timings as on Monday. In the evening, singing songs on the beach while sitting round the fire. Andrew will do some night fishing off the beach.

Friday 11.7
Sports Day Contests from 10.00 – 12.00. Running, swimming and a host of other races. Then trekking in the afternoon from 2.00 – 5.00. Evening video double bill: The Masked Sheriff followed by The Masked Sheriff Rides Again. The 2 Hollywood blockbusters on one night.

Saturday 12.7
Kids club on the beach with Kathy. Timings as on Monday. Snorkling lessons in the afternoon. Evening: fancy dress party round the pool (6.00 – 9.00). Prizes for best outfits. Games and gifts galore.

Sunday 13.7
Late start on the beach for Kids Club (10.00) and then normal timings. Evening video: The Lost Ship. Swashbuckling pirate movie.
* * * * *
All activities included in the week’s price ($45) except where indicated. All videos start at 7.00 pm. In the case of bad weather, all outdoor activities will be held in the Hallows function room.

Questions 7 – 10
Read the schedule for children’s events at the Sunshine Hotel on the previous page.
Answer the questions below by writing the appropriate day in boxes 7 – 10 on your answer sheet. Your answer may require more than one day.

7. On which TWO days are there competitions?
8. Which day’s afternoon activities finish the earliest?
9. Which day’s film is about a horse?
10. On which day are the food arrangements different?

Questions 11 – 13
Answer the following questions using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 11 – 13 on your answer sheet.

11. Where will the kids go on Thursday morning if it’s raining?
12. What is the full, inclusive price for all activities for the week?
13. What time does Kids Club finish on Sunday?

SECTION 2

Questions 14 – 17
Read the Information for Students notice for the Westley School of English on the next page and look at the statements below (Questions 14 – 17).
In boxes 14 – 17 on your answer sheet write:

TRUE if the statement is true
FALSE if the statement is false
NOT GIVEN if the information is not given in the passage

14. Students may not use their own floppy discs in the school’s computers.
15. Students can go into the Language Lab at 8.30 on Thursday mornings.
16. Students can have a cooked breakfast in the cafe before their morning classes.
17. The police will visit any student not completing the required attendance levels

Questions 18 – 20
Read the Information for Students notice for the Westley School of English again. Using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS , answer the following questions. Write your answers in boxes 18 – 20 on your answer sheet.

18. What time does school open on Wednesday mornings?
19. Where are the computer booking rules?
20. What is the minimum deposit to book a place on a course?

WESTLEY SCHOOL OF ENGLISH
Information for Students

Timings
The school is open Mon – Fri from 7.30 am to 9.00 pm and on Saturday from 9.00 am to 12.30 pm.
CLASS TIMINGS (Mon – Fri) Lesson 1 8.45 am – 10.15 am
Lesson 2 10.45 am – 12.15 pm
Lesson 3 2.00 pm – 3.30 pm

Computer Room
The school has a fully equipped computer lab with a free 24-hour internet connection. Students may use the computers at any time during school opening hours unless any class or activity is scheduled. In the evenings there is a booking system for the computers. Please read the rules for this in the computer room. Be advised that, due to the risk of viruses, students are not allowed to bring in and use their own disks or CDs.

Self Access and Language Lab
The lab is open and available for all students during school opening hours. There are tapes and self-study materials available for all levels. In the break times and the evenings there is a teacher on duty who can assist students with accessing material.

Cafeteria
The school cafeteria is open from 8.15 am to 5.00 pm. The cafeteria only sells hot food at lunchtime. A selection of sandwiches, snacks and hot or cold drinks are available at other times during the rest of the day.

Attendance
All students who come to the UK on student visas are required by law to attend a minimum of 85% of their scheduled courses. The school is required to inform the Department of Immigration of any student not fulfilling his visa obligations. A minimum attendance of 85% is also required for students to receive their course certificate.

Fees
All fees must be paid in full before the start of any course. A non-returnable deposit of 10% will secure a reservation on a course but the balance must be paid before classes begin.

Questions 21 – 24
Read the the Westley Central Surgery Information Leaflet on the next 2 pages and look at the statements below (Questions 21 – 24).

In boxes 21 – 24 on your answer sheet write:

TRUE if the statement is true
FALSE if the statement is false
NOT GIVEN if the information is not given in the passage

21. Ten minutes is the maximum available length for an appointment.
22. If you have had an x-ray, call the surgery no earlier than one week following the date of the x-ray for the result.
23. You cannot order a repeat prescription over the phone.
24. One of the practice’s four doctors will conduct a New Patients Health Check with any new patients to the practice.

Westley Central Surgery Information
Opening Hours

Monday to Friday 8.30 am – 6.00 pm
Saturday 9.00 am – 10.00 am (emergencies only)

Surgeries
Ten-minute appointments are given, although longer periods can be allocated on request. Morning surgery is between 8.30 am and 11.00 am, and afternoon surgery between 3.00 pm and 5.30 pm. These times may change during holiday periods and for staff training. We will always see you the same day for an urgent problem, although we cannot guarantee that this will be with the doctor of your choice. An urgent appointment is intended for matters that cannot wait until the next available routine appointment. Giving our staff an outline of the nature of the problem may help them organize the most appropriate response. We will often ask the doctor to ring you back to help decide the most appropriate way to deal with your problem. If you are unable to attend an appointment, please let us know so that we can offer the appointment to someone else.

Results of Tests
If you are asked to phone for results, please ring between 11.30 and 12.30. Please allow at least three working days for the results to be available. X-ray results take two weeks to arrive back at the surgery.

Prescriptions
Please allow at least two full days’ notice of your prescription requirements. With every prescription issued a printed sheet is given showing details of all your medicines. Please retain this. When you require a further prescription, please use this sheet as a tick list to request the medicines you require or obtain a request slip from reception. You can come in to order your prescription or post or fax your request. If you would like us to post your prescription to you, please include a stamped, self-addressed envelope. We do not accept telephone requests for repeat prescriptions as this can result in errors.

Home Visits
If you require a doctor to visit you at home, please ring the surgery before 10.00 am if possible. The doctors usually visit patients between 12.00 pm and 3.00 pm.

New Patients
To register with the Practice, please attend reception with your medical card if you have it, as well as the details of your previous doctor. You will be encouraged to attend a “New Patients Health Check” with one of our practice nurses.

Emergency calls
To speak to the doctor urgently you can ring the main surgery telephone number or ring the emergency mobile phone. For the mobile, please allow 25 seconds for connection. If the mobile phone is in use, or the doctor is in an area of poor reception, your call will be transferred to an answer phone. The emergency doctor will be alerted and will call you back.

Practice Area
Unfortunately we can only accept registration from patients who live within our practice area. If you move outside this area, you will be asked to register with another doctor. If you are in any doubt as to whether you are in our area, please speak to the reception staff.

Charges
There is a charge for some medical services that fall outside those provided by the NHS. These services include private sick notes, passport forms, holiday cancellation forms, insurance reports and employment medicals. Some travel vaccinations are also charged for and we charge for issuing a private prescription.

Questions 25 – 27
Read the Westley Central Surgery Information Leaflet again. Complete the following statements (Questions 25 – 27) with words taken from the leaflet. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 25 – 27 on your answer sheet.

25 When a prescription is given, the surgery will also provide a document detailing your ………………______
26 If the main surgery telephone line is busy and you have an urgent problem, call the ………………______.
27 Only patients who live in the ………………______ can register at the Westley Central Surgery.

SECTION 3
Read the following passage and answer Questions 28 – 40.

CHOCOLATE – THE FOOD OF THE GODS

A The story of chocolate begins with the discovery of America in 1492. Columbus was the first European to come into contact with cacao. On August 5th, 1502, on his fourth and last voyage to the Americas, Columbus and his crew met some natives in a canoe that contained beans from the cacao tree. Columbus was struck by how much value the Indians placed on them as he did not know the beans were used for currency. It is unlikely that Columbus brought any of these beans back to Spain and it was not until about twenty years later that Cortez grasped the commercial possibilities when he found the Aztecs using the beans to make the royal drink “chocolate”.

B The Spanish, in general, were not fond of the bitter drink so Cortez and his followers made it more palatable by adding cane sugar and later cinnamon and vanilla were added. Spanish monks let the secret out back home and, although the Spanish hid it from their neighbours for a hundred years, finally chocolate’s popularity grew until it was the fashionable drink at the French court and the discerning choice of customers at London meeting houses.

C The cacao beans are harvested from pods grown on the cacao tree. The pods come in a range of types since cacao trees cross-pollinate freely. These types can be reduced to three classifications. The most common is Forastero, which accounts for nearly 90% of the world’s production of cacao beans. This is the easiest to cultivate and has a thick-walled pod and a pungent aroma. Rarest and most prized are the beans of the Criollo. These beans from the soft, thin-skinned pod have an aroma and delicacy that make them sought after by the world’s best chocolate makers. Finally, there is the Trinitario, which is believed to be a natural cross from strains of the other two types. It has a great variety of characteristics but generally possesses a good, aromatic flavour and the trees are particularly suitable for cultivation.

D The cacao tree is strictly a tropical plant thriving only in hot, rainy climates. Thus, its cultivation is confined to countries not more than 20 degrees north or south of the equator. The cacao tree is very delicate and sensitive. It needs protection from the wind and requires a fair amount of shade under most conditions. This is true especially in its first two or three years of growth. A newly planted cacao seedling is often sheltered by a different type of tree. It is normal to plant food crops for shade such as bananas, plantain, coconuts or cocoyams. Rubber trees and forest trees are also used for shade. Once established, however, cacao tree can grow in full sunlight, provided there are fertile soil conditions and intensive husbandry. With pruning and careful cultivation, the trees of most strains will begin bearing fruit in the fifth year. With extreme care, some strains can be induced to yield good crops in the third and fourth years.

E The process of turning cacao into chocolate hasn’t changed much since the Swiss made the major breakthroughs in the process in the late 1800s. First the beans (up to twelve varieties harvested from all over the world) go through a process of fermentation and drying. They are then sorted by hand before cleaning and then roasting. Winnowing follows which removes the hard outer hulls and leaves what is known as the “nibs”. A crushing and heating process known as Hunte’s Process is then used to remove nearly half of the cocoa butter from the nibs. This makes unsweetened chocolate (also known as cooking chocolate). Basic eating chocolate is made from a blending of the unsweetened chocolate with some of the cocoa butter along with other ingredients such as sugar and vanilla. The resulting product is then “conched” and this conching gives chocolate the velvet texture that we know so well. The finished result is then moulded, cooled, packaged by machine, distributed, sold and, of course, eaten!

F Where methods of manufacturing are concerned, manufacturers have a completely free hand and have developed individual variations from the pattern. Each manufacturer seeks to protect his own methods by conducting certain operations under an atmosphere of security. No chef guards his favourite recipes more zealously than the chocolate manufacturer guards his formulas for blending the beans. Time intervals, temperatures and proportions are three critical factors that no company wants to divulge.

G Apart from the taste, one of the most pleasant effects of eating chocolate is the “good feeling” that many people experience after indulging. Chocolate contains more than three known chemicals including caffeine, theobromine and phenlethylamine which are stimulants. Some researchers believe that chocolate contains pharmacologically active substances that have the same effect on the brain as marijuana and that these chemicals may be responsible for problems such as the psychoses associated with chocolate craving. However, eating too much of anything can obviously cause health problems and as long as moderation is exercised, chocolate should not cause the average person any harm.

Questions 28 – 33
The reading passage on The Story of Chocolate has 7 paragraphs A – G.
From the list of headings below choose the most suitable headings for paragraphs B – G.
Write the appropriate number (i – xi) in boxes 28 – 33 on your answer sheet.
NB There are more headings than paragraphs, so you will not use them all.

i Growing The Tree
ii Problems With Manufacture
iii Why We Like It
iv How the Aztecs Discovered Chocolate.
v Chocolate Spreads to Europe
vi First Contact
vii The Countries that Grow Cacao Trees
viii Secrecy Issues
ix Recipes for Using Chocolate
x Varieties of Cacao
xi From Bean to Bar

28 Paragraph B
29 Paragraph C
30 Paragraph D
31 Paragraph E
32 Paragraph F
33 Paragraph G

Questions 34 – 37
Do the following statements agree with the information given in The Story of Chocolate?
In boxes 34 – 37 on your answer sheet write:

YES if the statement agrees with the information
NO if the statement contradicts the statement
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this in the passage

34 Most early Spaniards did not particularly like the chocolate that the Aztecs originally drank.
35 The Forastero bean is generally regarded as making the best chocolate.
36 Cacao trees need a lot of looking after to be used commercially.
37 Some chocolate companies have been known to steal chocolate recipes from other companies.

Questions 38 – 40
Using the information in the passage, complete the flow chart below.
Write your answers in boxes 38 – 40 on your answer sheet.

Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.