IELTS General Training Reading Actual Test with answers.
SECTION 1 Questions 1 – 14 Read the text below and answer Questions 1 – 6 Gold’s Gyms
THE GOLD’S GYM FITNESS EXPERIENCE: Members enjoy access to the best coaches, personal trainers, and group exercise instructors in the business. That means access to motivating and knowledgeable experts dedicated to your success. Whatever your goal or experience level, our wide range of fitness classes and offerings can help you reach your goals. And you’ll join a supportive community of members who share your aspirations. All of that adds up to an experience you won’t find anywhere else. To see group exercise classes, personal training offerings, BOOTCAMP locations, GOLD’S STUDIO programs & more, find a gym near you.
GOLD’S GYM CHALLENGE: The Gold’s Gym Challenge is a 12-week body transformation challenge exclusively available to Gold’s Gym members. By committing to 12 weeks you have the opportunity to experience the best of our coaching, our community and most of all – you’ll experience change. In January, participants begin their new year Challenge journey with initial measurements and photographs. Then, 12 weeks later, final measurements and photographs will be taken to document results. Each participating Gold’s Gym will choose their local winners who will then be eligible for the national prize pool featuring 30 cash prizes totaling $100,000.
GOLD’S GYM PERSONAL TRAINING: There’s nothing better than having your very own coach, mentor and cheerleader. Need an extra push? That’s why we’re here. Our personal trainers are certified experts in exercise physiology, anatomy, training program development, exercise application and fitness assessments. And they excel at applying that knowledge to your own goals, no matter your age or fitness level.
GOLD’S GYM GROUP EXERCISE CLASSES: Achieve physical, emotional and spiritual well-being while strengthening your body in a Yoga class. Or challenge yourself with a Zumba class where Latin rhythms join cardiovascular exercise to create an aerobic routine. We offer classes that appeal to all interests and fitness levels.
GOLD’S GYM BOOTCAMP: It’s time to change up your routine and your scenery both in gym and outdoor BOOTCAMP classes. BOOTCAMP offers a full-body, large group training workout led by a Certified Gold’s Gym Coach and geared for all fitness levels. Not a Gold’s Gym Member? Take advantage of a Free Pass at participating BOOTCAMP locations to see where your workout can take you.
Questions 1-6 Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text? In boxes on your
answer sheet, write TRUEFALSE NOT GIVEN
(1). The New Year Challenge will begin in January: (2). Bootcamp is geared for beginners only:
(3). Personal trainers are certified in assessing fitness: (4). Bootcamp offers a full body workout:
(5). Zumba classes are held on alternate days: (6). The first prize in Gold Gym challenge is $100,000:
Read the text below and answer the questions 7 – 14
{A} RICHMOND EXPERIMENTAL THEATRE ‘Learn to act introduces people to a broad range of acting techniques. It is specially geared topeople with little or no aging experience. The atmosphere is relaxed and unthreatening andgreat emphasis is placed on developing the confidence and abilities of people who may initiallybe a little apprehensive.
{B} WORLD CULTURE DAY Brazilian street percussion2.30 – 4.30: Samba percussion workshop. Lift your spirits with the taste of carnival! It doesn’t matter whetheryou are an experienced musician or complete beginner, you’ll be creating complex exoticrhythms in no time.
African storytelling 3:45 to 4:45: The magical African story-telling tradition of narration, poetry and proverbs (mainly from Ghanaand Nigeria). A.. event for all the family.
{C} SCOTTISH DANCING IT’S FUN: IT’S GOOD EXERCISE We have classes for dancers of all abilities. Previous experience is not essential. All you need to bring is a pair of soft shoes and enthusiasm. Classes are held in a number of places and at different times. We guarantee you a warm welcome.
{D} THE RENAISSANCE SINGERS New singers are invited to join our choir, formed in 1993, to perform a wide variety of music inCambridge. We meet every Wednesday evening from 7:30 to 9:30 pm and this term we arerehearsing for a special concert with audience participation on Saturday 1st December.An ability to sight read previous experience in choral singing is desirable, although not essential.
{E} DRAWING WITH COLOUR An intensive workshop for beginners Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th October
The unusual workshop offers instructions in effective ways to draw in colour. Activities will include study of light and shade and ways to express mood and emotion in colour. The smart class (12 students) assures maximum attention for each student. Professional quality materials are included in the fee of $95
Question 7 – 14 For which section are the following statements true? Write type correct letter A – E in boxes 7-14
NB: You may use any letter more than once
(7). Some relevant skills are preferred
(8). The activity could cheer you up.
(9). The activity is suitable for a variety of ages.
(10). Individual guidance will be provided
(11). Participants can take part in the public performance
(12). This activity could help someone who wants to overcome shyness.
(13). This activity promises rapid progress.
(14). This activity is not held during the day.
Questions 15-21 Read the information about applying for a job.
Employment at ABC, Inc.We are always interested in hearing from qualified applicants interested in working at ABC, Inc. You must apply for a specific position as we do not accept general applications. Review the job openings listed on our website. If you see a position you are interested in, complete the Application for Employment form. Please do not apply for more than one position at a time. We ask that you do not call or email us after submitting your application. We receive a large number of applications and cannot personally reply to them all. Be assured that we will read your application and, if we feel you are qualified for the position you have applied for, we will contact you by email. You can expect to hear from us within four weeks of receipt of your application. At that time, we will ask you to make an appointment for an interview. All interviews are conducted at our downtown office. When you come in for your interview, please dress in appropriate business attire and bring the names of references who are familiar with your business experience and qualifications. Depending on the type of position you are applying for, you may be asked to take a language, office skills, or other type of test. Arrangements for this will be made at the time of your interview. Thank you for your interest in ABC, Inc. We look forward to hearing from you. Complete the summary of information about applying for a job at ABC, Inc.
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the text for each answer.
First, look at the 15 …………… online. Then fill out 16 …………… If you qualify for the position, the company will send you 17 …………….. You may have to wait until 18 ………… before you hear from the company. You will need to go to the 19…………… for your interview. During your interview, you will be asked for 20 ……………. who know you and your work. Some job
applicants may have to be 21 ……………… This depends on the kind of job you apply for.
SECTION 2 Questions 22 – 27 Read the text below and answer Questions 22-27 Job brief: Receptionist
We are looking for a Receptionist to manage our front desk on a daily basis and to perform a variety of administrative and clerical tasks.
What does a Receptionist do? As a Receptionist, you will be the first point of contact for our company. Our Receptionist’s duties include offering administrative support across the organization. You will welcome guests and greet people who visit the business. You will also coordinate front desk activities, includingdistributing correspondence and redirecting phone calls.To be successful, you should have a pleasant personality, as this is also a customer servicerole. You should also be able to deal with emergencies in a timely and effective manner, whilestreamlining office operations. Multitasking and stress management skills are essential for thisposition. This role may require working in shifts, so flexibility is a plus.Ultimately, your duties and responsibilities are to ensure the front desk welcomes guestspositively, and executes all administrative tasks to the highest quality standards
Responsibilities
• Greet and welcome guests as soon as they arrive at the office • Direct visitors to the appropriate person and office
• Answer, screen and forward incoming phone calls • Provide basic and accurate information in-person and via phone/email
• Receive, sort and distribute daily mail/deliveries • Maintain office security by following safety procedures and controlling access via the reception desk (monitor logbook, issue visitor badges) • Order front office supplies and keep inventory of stock• Arrange travel and accommodations, and prepare vouchers • Keep updated records of office expenses and costs • Perform other clerical receptionist duties such as filing, photocopying, transcribing and faxing
Requirements
• Proven work experience as a Receptionist, Front Office Representative or similar role • Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite
• Hands-on experience with office equipment (e.g. fax machines and printers) • Professional attitude and appearance
• Solid written and verbal communication skills • Excellent organizational skills • Multitasking and time-management skills, with the ability to prioritize tasks • Customer service attitude • High school degree; additional certification in Office Management is a plus
Questions 22-27 Choose no more than two words from the text above for each answer.
(22). Whenever a visitor comes into the office, you will be the………. person to meet him or her.
(23). The position of a Receptionist is also a …….. .. role.
(24). Since the role requires……………, you should be able to work in shifts.
(25). One of the responsibilities is to keep track of the……………. in the office.
(26). The tasks required to be performed are not only administrative in nature, but also…………..
(27). The computer SW that you should be well versed in is……..
SECTION 3 Questions 28 – 40 Read the text below and answer Questions 28-40 The last March
{A} THE emperor penguin is an impossible bird. It breeds in the middle of winter in some of the coldest places on Earth, surviving temperatures as low as -50 °C and hurricane-force winds. In March or April, just as the Antarctic winter begins, the birds waddle across the sea ice to their colonies, where they mate. After the egg is laid, the females head back to sea to feed, leaving the males behind to incubate it. By the time the females return in July or August, when the eggs hatch, the males will have spent almost four months huddling together in the bitter cold without eating, losing half of their body weight. This extraordinary lifestyle has made the emperors famous. They have even been held up as role models by evangelical Christians. But these breathtaking birds will soon have to face the one thing they haven’t evolved to cope with: warmth. Fast-forward a few decades, and many colonies will be on the road to extinction. Are we witnessing the last march of the emperor penguins?
{B} Finding out what’s going on with emperor penguins is a huge challenge as almost all of their colonies are exceedingly difficult to get to. In fact, it was only this year that the first global census of the birds was published, based on an automated analysis of satellite images by the British Antarctic Survey. This revealed four previously unknown colonies, bringing the total to 46 (see map), and put the number of adults at 600,000, nearly double earlier estimates. That might sound like good news, but it’s impossible to say whether the overall number of birds is rising or falling. “It’s simply that we now have a better method to find them – remote sensing,” says team member Phil Trathan.
{C} By far the most comprehensive insight into the highs and lows of emperor populations comes from just one colony, which happens to be next to the Dumont d’Urville research station on the Adélie coast of Antarctica. “After a snowstorm, they can see how many eggs have got frozen, and how many chicks have died,” says biologist Stephanie Jenouvrier of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts, who studies the birds. This relatively small colony of 2500 birds featured in the 2005 blockbuster documentary March of the Penguins.
{D} The Dumont d’Urville emperor’s have been closely monitored since 1962. During the 1970s and early 80s, the average winter temperature was -14.7 °C, compared with a more typical -17.3 °C. This “warm spell” reduced the extent of winter sea ice by around 11 per cent – and the penguin population by half. “When sea ice decreased, it caused strong mortality of emperor penguins,” says Jenouvrier. Why are emperors so sensitive to changes in sea ice? Well to start with, most never set foot on land. They aren’t agile enough to scale the steep rocks and ice precipices that guard most of Antarctica’s shoreline. All but two of the 46 colonies are on fast ice – sea ice stuck fast to the shore. So if the sea ice forms late or breaks up early, it won’t last for the eight months or so these large birds need to breed and raise chicks.
{E} “Early break-up of sea ice can cause catastrophic breeding failure,” says Trathan. Emperors live around 20 years, so colonies can survive a few bad breeding seasons, but persistent changes can be disastrous. What’s more, emperors moult every year in January or February. The birds would freeze to death if they tried to swim during the 30 or so days it takes to grow new feathers, so they must find ice floes to shelter on that are large enough to survive this period. This may be an even more demanding period in the emperors’ lives than the winter, because they have little time to fatten themselves up beforehand. “The adults are reliant on stable sea ice for moulting, and for me, that’s the greatest concern,” says Gerald Kooyman of Scripps Institution of Oceanography, one of the world’s leading emperor penguin biologists. “They don’t have any options. They have to moult.’
{F} Last, but not least, the source of much of the penguins’ energy, directly or indirectly, is krill – and krill also depend on sea ice. Young krill shelter and feed under it. “The sea ice is the basis of the Antarctic ecosystem,” says Jenouvrier. For now, there is still plenty of sea ice. In fact, the extent of Antarctic sea ice in winter has increased slightly over the last 30 years. This has been caused by stronger winds blowing sea ice further away from the land, with more ice forming in the open water exposed by this movement. The stronger winds are thought to be a consequence of ozone loss, rather than global warming.
{G} But unlike the Arctic Ocean, where thick sea ice used to survive from year to year, in Antarctica almost all the sea ice melts every year. That means the extent of winter sea ice changes rapidly in response to any change in conditions. This can be seen around the rapidly warming Antarctic Peninsula, where winter sea ice extent is falling 1 or 2 per cent each year. Here one small emperor colony, on the Dion Islands, has already died out. When it was discovered in 1948 it was home to 300 adults. By 1999, just 40 remained and 10 years later they were all gone. Though no one knows for sure what caused the colony’s demise, it coincided with a decline in the duration of winter sea ice. On the peninsula, populations of the other Antarctic native penguins, the Adélie and chinstrap, are also plummeting, probably because of the changing environment and declining krill. Matters haven’t been helped by an invasion of non-native gentoo penguins, and other species like the king and macaroni penguins could follow.
{H} What’s happening on the peninsula today could be happening all around Antarctica in the decades to come. “With a doubling of greenhouse gas concentrations over the next century, we estimate that the extent of Antarctic sea ice would decrease by about one third,” says John Turner, a climatologist with the British Antarctic Survey. Earlier this year the emperor penguin was added to the IUCN’s Red List for species threatened with extinction in the near future – “near” meaning in a century or two. When Jenouvrier’s team used the observations at Dumont d’Urville to predict what will happen as the continent warms, they concluded that the colony is likely to decline by 81 per cent by 2100 and be heading towards extinction.
{I} That is in line with a 2010 study by a team including Jenouvrier and David Ainley of the California-based ecological consultants H. T. Harvey and Associates. It predicted that all emperor colonies north of 70 degrees latitude – about 35 percent of the total population – would decline or disappear if the world warms by 2 °C, although a few colonies south of 73 degrees might grow a little. This might not sound too bad, but both these studies are based on what increasingly appear to be overly optimistic assumptions. If we continue as we are, the global temperature will climb above 2 °C before 2050, on course to a 5 or 6 °C rise by 2100. “If the earth warms by 5 or 6 degrees, I can’t see that there’s going to be much sea ice left anywhere on Earth,” says Ainley. And if the sea ice vanishes, the emperor penguins will vanish too.
Questions 28-33 Use the information in the passage to match the people (listed A-E) with opinions or deeds below. Write the appropriate letters A-E in boxes 28-33 on your answer sheet. NB you may use any letter more than once
(A) Stephanie Jenouvrier
(B) Gerald Kooyman
(C) Phil Trathan
(D) David Ainley
(E) John Turner
(28) Penguin breeding is threatened by sea ice melting in advance.
(29) About 30% of sea ice would disappear in the future.
(30) Penguin needs constant sea ice for feather changing (31) Dead chicks are easy to count after a storm.
(32) No sea ice left in case global temperature increased certain degrees.
(33) Sea ice provides the foundation for Antarctic ecology.
Questions 34-37 In boxes 34-37 on your answer sheet, write TRUE FALSE NOT GIVEN
(34) It is the female emperor penguin that carried more incubation duty.
(35) Evangelical Christian lives a similar lifestyle as penguin.
(36) With the advanced satellite photographs, fluctuation of penguin number is easily observed.
(37) Strong winds caused by Ozone depletion, blow away the sea ice.
Questions no more than two words Write your answers in boxes 38-40 on your answer sheet.
There are several reasons why emperor penguins are vulnerable to sea ice transformation.
First of all, they are not 38__________ to walk on steep rocks all over Antarctica. They
wouldn’t be able to breed. Next, emperors need to 39___________ at a certain time of year,
which protects them from being killed by freezing water. Finally, emperor penguin’s food called
40____________ is also connected to availability of sea ice.
