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IELTS General Training Volume 1

Reading Practice Test 1

READING PASSAGE 1
Read the four advertisements below and answer Questions 1-5.

WHERE TO STAY, ACCOMMODATION

A. COUNTRY COMFORT INN, HUNTER VALLEY

The Country Comfort Inn, Hunter Valley, is a beautifully restored 125-year-old building
just 20 minutes from the vineyards.

Formerly an orphanage, the Inn is set on 10 acres of landscaped gardens complete with
pool, sauna, tennis court, spa, gym, billiard room, guest lounge, fireplace, cocktail bar,
and two restaurants, Special packages available.

New England Highway, Maitland.

Call toll free 1800 065 064 or (02) 4932 5288

Access https://ieltsonlinetests.com for more page 1


practices
B. SIESTA MOTEL

'Spend a night - not a fortune'

That’s the Budget Motel chain motto. The Siesta Motel, rated 3-star, is conveniently
placed at the gateway to the winery district and nearby to the historic towns of Morpeth
and Wollombi.

The family-owned and operated Siesta offers airconditioned comfort and a friendly
atmosphere. A free light breakfast is delivered to your suite, and excellent meals are
available at the Maitland City Bowling Club next door.

Quality of accommodation is assured, yet our room rates are the lowest in the district.

258 New England Highway, Maitland. Phone

(049) 32 83 22

C. ENDEAVOUR EAST MAITLAND MOTEL

28 modern, comfortable 3-star units which open onto the swimming pool and barbeque
area. All units feature flatscreen TVs and DVDs, airconditioning, 2 with spas.

Fully licensed restaurant with cocktail bar and lounge is open 7 nights. Close to all
amenities.

New England Highway, East Maitland.

Phone (02) 4933 5488

D. ESKDALE COUNTRY COTTAGES

Rustic cottages secluded amongst gum trees on 200 acres provide peace and quiet,
and privacy. The cottages are located on the historic beef cattle property,
'Eskdale', nestled in the Williams Valley.

Each cottage is completely self-contained having 2 bedrooms, full kitchen facilities, and
sitting rooms with TV and DVD, and offers comfortable rural accommodation to those
who enjoy the delights of the country yet still wish to have access to the city. Situated
dose to the towns of Morpeth, Maitland, Port Stephens and rainforests around Dungog.

Nelson Plains Road, Seaham NSW 2324. Phone (02)

4988 6207 Fax (02) 4988 6209


Read the passage below and answer Question 6-8
Morpeth is today a small town about two hours’ drive north of Sydney. The town
of Morpeth grew from an original 2000 acres of land given to an English army
officer, Lieutenant Edward Close (1790-1866), in 1821.

During the 1830s and 1840s, Morpeth became a major river port due to its
favourable location. Produce, leather goods and timber were brought to Morpeth
from inland New South Wales and shipped down the Hunter River to the coast and
then to Sydney.
However, in 1870 a railway line reached the town, and the importance of river shipping
began to decline. Today, Morpeth, with its beautiful old buildings, is a popular tourist
destination.

The best way to sec Morpeth is to take the Morpeth Heritage Walk. This covers about
three kilometres, and takes visitors past many beautiful historic buildings. Starting at
Fig Tree Hill, which has picnic facilities, stroll past the Surgeon’s Cottage, built in 1845,
formerly home of the local doctor, now shops. From there you will come to
Morpeth Bridge, erected in 1870, which replaced a ferry boat. Opposite it on the right
is the Courthouse, still in use today. Continue your walk past the historic railway
station, then turn into George Street. Stroll past gracious houses until you come to the
Church of the Immaculate Conception on your right, built of bricks made in Gosford.
Continuing up George Street, you come to the shopping district where you can browse
through the shops or stop for refreshment. Your tour of Morpeth finishes at
magnificent Closebourne House, built in 1826 by Lieutenant Edward Close.
Read the text below and answer Question 9-13

CLASSIFIEDS
BUSY PHARMACY in Eastern Suburbs urgently needs energetic, friendly assistant.
Experience required, driver’s licence helpful. Ability to deal with the public essential.
Great job for the right person. Apply in writing to P.O. Box 236, Elmdale South 2987.

CHILDMINDING Responsible teenager wanted to mind two school-age children Mon. to


Fri. 3pm to 6pm. References necessary and experience with young children preferred.
Phone 9776 5489.

SALES Tired of selling all day with little to show for it? Looking to improve your sales
skills? We can brush up your selling performance so that every potential customer is a
sure sale. Contact Eric on 0412 425 789 during business hours for any queries.

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT required for busy publishing company. Word


processing skills an advantage. Must be willing to work flexible hours and in different
sections of the company. Apply in writing, naming two referees, to Recruitment Division,
Wall and Fixture Press, P.O. Box 375, Dunsmore 2777.

EXPERIENCED WAITER required for exclusive city restaurant. Lunches and dinners.
Good appearance essential, plus knowledge of Japanese an advantage. Phone 0408 233
188 after 5pm for interview.

ARE YOU a bright, cheerful person? Do you enjoy creative work? Are you willing to
work hard in a very pleasant environment? If so, Beecroft Hearts and Flowers, a busy
florist and gift shop in a major shopping centre needs you. Experience isn’t necessary
but a driver’s licence is. Contact Ellen, 0422 123 766 after 7am.

...

For all your Classified Advertising phone 97976666 Classifieds get

results!
Questions 1-5
For which advertisement are the following statements True? Write the

appropriate letter, A-D, in boxes 1-5 on your answer TWO places to

stay have restaurants.

The place claims to offer the cheapest rate.

2
You can ring the place without charge for more information.
3
Guests can cook their own food.

4
The place was not originally used by holiday

makers. 5

Questions 6-8
Choose the appropriate letter, A, B or C.

Write the appropriate letter in boxes 6-8 on your answer sheet.

6 Morpeth developed into a town because

A it was serviced by a railroad line.

B of Lieutenant Close's planning.

C it was conveniently situated on a waterway.

7 The town of Morpeth was known for

A the goods and services it provided.

B transporting goods to Sydney.

C bringing goods inland.

8 Morpeth is popular with visitors today because of

A the historic railway line of 1870.

B the many historic shops.

C the many attractive historic buildings.


Questions 9-13
Answer the questions below.

Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the


text for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 9-13 on your answer sheets.

When should you call to ask about selling

techniques? 9

How should you apply for the position in the chemist shop?

10
What number should you ring for the job being offered after school?

11
What qualification is essential for the position with Beecroft Hearts and
Flowers?

12
What names do you need to provide for the job in

publishing? 13
Reading passage 2
Read the passage below and answer Questions 14-22.

NUMERACY CENTRE
Many business and marketing courses require a knowledge of introductory statistics,
computing or mathematics. If you feel inadequately prepared for your course, you can
get help from the Numeracy Centre, which offers FREE help in mathematics and
statistics. Grab a timetable from the Centre and drop in when it suits you.

COURSE A

The first course available to students is a Revision Course in Basic Maths. This three-
hour lecture will review mathematical concepts such as ratios, averages and
percentages that will be necessary for any courses requiring elementary statistics.
Knowledge of Year 10 Maths is a must. Booking is not necessary.

COURSE B

For those students doing marketing courses and other courses requiring statistical
analysis, there is the Bridging Course in Statistics for Marketing. This course introduces
ideas in elementary statistics to provide a starting point for further developments in
statistical skills later on in other courses. The course is run in sessions of three hours,
in the form of a one-hour lecture followed by a two-hour tutorial. Examples will be
drawn from reference books. The tutorials will be interactive where possible (e.g.
drawing random samples from the population of numbered cards in class) with hands-
on experience of data manipulation using MINITAB on a bank of PCs.

COURSE C

Statistics for the Practitioner is slightly different to the previous course, which must be
completed before this course. This course is largely non-mathematical. It will instead
concentrate on the interpretation and application of statistics rather than on
computation. The statistical package MINITAB will be used as a teaching tool. This
course will be conducted over two days in the form of workshops and small
group discussions, with a strong emphasis on hands-on experience of data manipulation
using computers.

COURSE D

Another course of interest to many students is this refresher Course in Basic


Computing Skills designed specifically for business and marketing. Students who need
more practise using and creating graphs, managing table data, setting up
spreadsheets or embedding Excel data are encouraged to enrol in this 8-hour course.
Students will learn through workshops giving hands-on experience. Course notes and
practice files provided.
Read the text below and answer Questions 23-27.

WRITING A RESUME
GUIDELINES

A resume is a summary of your skills and abilities, education and employment history,
including your experience. It needs to be concise, informative and presented
effectively so as to create a good first impression. A good resume can help to open the
door for an interview.

For an effective resume, six information sections should be delineated. PERSONAL


INFORMATION

Head your resume with personal details, including your name, address, telephone
number(s) and email address. This information is generally centred on the page.

CAREER OBJECTIVE

Write a career goal statement to define what you want to achieve in your chosen
career and the direction you are taking to achieve it. This statement should be placed
directly under your personal details. Stating your goal not only articulates to the
potential employer that you have given some thought to your future career but how
your employment may work to the advantage of both parties. For example, if you have
excelled in computer-based technologies, you might state that you are seeking an
opportunity to both use your IT skills and further develop them for the advancement
of the business or company, ie the potential employer.

SKILLS, EXPERIENCE AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

In this section, highlight specific skills and abilities acquired through work experience
and which are relevant to the position you are applying for. Demonstrate how you
developed them and in what capacity, and how others have benefited from your
expertise. Ability to get the job done is what a potential employer wants to see. Include
any special accomplishments as well. For example, completing a major project ahead of
schedule and to budget is a significant achievement.

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

Provide a listing of your work experience, starting from your most recent job, showing
each of the following: employment dates, your job title or role, employer's name and
location of the company or organisation.

Just below this, using bullets, list your main responsibilities or duties, such as the
number of people you have managed or supervised, budgetary responsibilities and
maintenance of databases.

EDUCATION

Start by listing your highest level of school or university education and then any
training or workplace certificates that are relevant to the job you are applying for. The
latter may include leadership training programs or certification in technologies.

REFERENCES

References are provided so that your credentials can be verified.


It is important to get permission beforehand from the referee(s) to be certain they are available and willing to provide a posi

Questions 14-17
Complete the table below.

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

answers in boxes 14-17 on your answer sheet.

Course Previous Courses


COURSE Teaching Method
Duration Required

A 3 hours 14 lecture

B 3 hours none lecture and 15

workshops and small group


C 2 days
16 discussions

D 17 none workshops
Questions 18-22
Look at the following statements containing the different needs of students.

Match each student need with the appropriate course A, B, C or D.

Write the appropriate letter, A, B, C or D in boxes 18-22 on your answer sheet.

18 Catherine, who has difficulty presenting data,


needs some help with importing and inserting graphs in her
assignments for marketing.

19 Joe, who completed high school 10 years ago, wants to


brush upon his mathematics skills before ho starts his studies in business.

Pamela needs to know how to analyse the statistical significance of


data in marketing surveys.

19 Geoff, who has to read many articles containing


statistics, needs to know how to interpret and apply the facts and
figures.

20 Bob needs to know how to perform some of the


basic statistic equations for the assignments in his business course.
Questions 23-27
Complete the following sentences.

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

your answers in boxes 23-27 on your answer sheet.

Creating an interesting resume can secure an 23 for


a candidate.

Having a career goal also 24 to a possible employer


that you have carefully considered your future career
prospects.

Providing an example of an important 25 demonstrates


you are capable of doing a job well.

Make sure that your work 26 shows what types of task


you were responsible for.

Be sure to have 27 prior to listing your


nominated referee(s).
Reading passage 3
Read the text below and answer Questions 28-34.

BUSINESS PLANNING

What is a Business Plan?

A business plan is probably best described as a summary and evaluation in writing of


your business idea.

Preparation of a business plan is the first and most important task for the business
starter. The plan should include details concerning the industry in which you operate,
your product or service, marketing, production, personnel and financial strategies.

What purpose does it serve?

A business plan allows you to think through all the factors of a business, and to solve
potential problems. It will identify strengths and weaknesses and help to assess
whether the business can succeed. It is a blueprint for starting, maintaining or
expanding a business. It is a working plan to use in comparing your achievements to
the goals you set. It should provide information required by financial institutions when
finance is sought.

How to produce a Business Plan


Step 1: Gathering Information
Gather as much relevant information as possible concerning the industry in which you
intend to operate (the number of businesses already operating, the size of their
operations and where they are located). Use books, industry associations, and existing
business owners to help you.

Collect all possible information regarding the market/s you are aiming for (who buys,
why do they buy and what are the key features the customer looks for).
Learn all you can about the product/s or services you intend to produce, distribute or
offer.

Step 2: Analysis

Read over all the material you have collected and decide what is relevant to your
business idea. You may have to modify your idea depending on what your research
shows. The key question to ask is:

'Can you design a business that will earn enough to cover costs and pay a wage and
reasonable profit to you as the proprietor?'

When Steps l and 2 are completed, you should have decided if there is a market for
your product or service which is large enough and sufficiently accessible to make your
new business financially worthwhile. Now you are ready to commit your plan to paper.

Step 3: Strategy Formulation

Decide how the business will operate. You should describe how the business will be
managed and the staff and organisational structure that will be in place. Diagrams may
be useful to show how these areas will work. Don't forget to include the areas of
responsibility for each member of staff. This is especially important if some of your
staff will be family members.

There are three further parts that go together to make a comprehensive business plan:

• A Marketing Plan, which includes location, method of selling, packaging and


pricing. In all these areas you must be aware of consumer trends to make sure that
your business does not become outdated or irrelevant.

• An Operational Plan, which describes the day-to-day running of the business. You
should include supply sources, cost and quantities of materials, processes,
equipment and methods of extending the services or products offered.

• A Financial Plan, which is a master budget for the operation and includes:

- cash flow forecast

- balance sheet

- profit and loss statement

- sources of finance

- sales forecast and target.

The financial aspects of the plan are most important and you should develop or access
financial skills to make sure this part of your plan is accurate and realistic. Don't forget
set-up costs and the money needed to see you through an initial period of low cash
flow when calculating your first year's budget.

Update your Business Plan

Nothing remains constant in business: circumstances change, markets change, fashions


change, methods change.
From time to time you must check your sources of information and reassess your business plan. What is relevant when you s
Keep your information up-to-date and be prepared to change as circumstances demand. A business plan should be thought o

Questions 28-34
In boxes 28-34 on your answer sheet, write:

if the statement agrees with the


YES
views of the writer

if the statement contradicts


NO the views of the writer

if it is impossible to say what the


NOT GIVEN
writer thinks about this

28
Creating a business plan is only necessary for a new
business.

29
A business plan should include a diagram of your
proposed office or shop layout.

30 A business should generate enough money to


pay salaries, and some profit to the owner.

31 The roles of relatives in the business must be


clearly defined in the business plan.

32 It is necessary to seek financial expertise


when working on business strategies.

33 You should expect not to earn much money in the first


year
34 Once a business plan is finished, no further
changes will need to be made to it.

Questions 35-40
Complete the flow chart using the list of headings, A-J, below.

A Accounting

B Revise your business plan

C Find information

D Create a sample product

E Find a good location

F Organisational structure

G Can my business survive?

H Operations

I Create your business plan

Can my business make enough


J money?

Write the appropriate letter, A-J, in boxes 35-40 on your answer sheet.

PRODUCING A BUSINESS PLAN

35

Sources: books, industry associations, other people


ANALYSE INFORMATION

36
Ask:

37

Areas to describe:

38

Marketing
39

Finance

40
Solution:

1 A,C 2 B

3 A 4 D

5 A 6 C

7 B 8 C

9 during business hours 10 in writing

11 97765489 12 driver's
licence
13 two referees 14 year 10 Maths

15 tutorial 16 Course B

17 8 hours 18 D

19 A 20 B

21 C 22 B

23 interview 24 articulates

25 achievement 26 experience

27 permission 28 NO

29 NOT GIVEN 30 YES

31 YES 32 NO

33 YES 34 NO

35 C 36 J

37 I 38 F

39 H 40 B

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