IELTS General Reading Practice Test 48 with Answers

This IELTS General Reading Practice Test consists of multiple reading passages in 3 Sections. Section 1 consists of 2 passages, "School Admission Advertisements” and “Imperium Trading Co.” Section 2 covers "The Charm Of Glenwood Springs" along with “Human Empowerment Centre Memorandum”; and finally, Section 3 focuses on "A Beach Calling For Attention". The test includes a variety of question types, such as True/False/Not Given, Matching Features, Matching Information, and Summary Completion, Yes/No/Not Given. You have 60 minutes to complete the entire test.

Section 1 {Q1-Q13}

School Admission Advertisements

IELTS Matching Information (Q1–Q7)

Imperium Trading Co.

IELTS True/False/Not Given (Q8–Q13)

Section 2 {Q14-Q27}

The Charm Of Glenwood Springs

IELTS Matching Features (Q14–Q17)

Human Empowerment Centre Memorandum

IELTS True/False/Not Given (Q18–Q27)

Section 3 {Q28-Q40}

A Beach Calling For Attention

IELTS Yes/No/Not Given (Q28–Q32)

IELTS Summary Completion (Q33–Q40)

READING GENERAL: TEST PAPER 48

Section 1

Read the paragraph and answer questions 1-7.

School Admission Advertisements 

Question 1-7

Look at the three private school advertisements.

Example

It lays special stress on classical languages. 

1. It has an excellent linguistic lab.

2. It has a well-equipped maths lab.

3. It has an arrangement for vocational training.

4. It charges reasonable fees

5. It is a training centre for some competitive examinations.

6. It does not have access to the internet

7. Admission/ Registration here closes the earliest.

Read the paragraph and answer questions 8-13.

Imperium Trading Co.

Mega Trade Fair At Minerva, A Banquet Hall, 18, Circular Road, London

You’ll be glad to learn that Imperium Trading Co is holding a Mega Trade Fair at Minerva Banquet Hall from 10 October to 30 October.

• A discount of 20 per cent will be allowed on most of the items except gold and silver jewellery, crockery and glassware.
• Whereas there’ll be a 10 per cent discount on cutlery, crockery and glassware, a 5 per cent discount will be permissible on artificial jewellery.
• While a special discount of 10 per cent on the purchase of stationery items, toys and books worth more than £ 20 will be allowed, such a concession will not be available on furniture, electronic goods, readymade garments, cosmetics, and handicrafts.

Visit For

• Breath-taking variety
• Excellence & elegance
• Unique quality
• Dirt-cheap rates
• Enviable modernity

Timing: 10 am to 10 pm

Open on Sundays

Note: No bargaining will be allowed.

* Terms are cash. Ph. 97455708

Question 8-13

Look at the information about the MegaTrade fair.

In boxes 8-13 on your answer sheet, write:

Example

The trade fair is being held at Minerva Banquet Hall.- TRUE

8. A 10% discount on artificial jewellery will be allowed.

9. Rates are negotiable for shopkeepers only.

10. No special discount on electronic goods will be allowed.

11. There is an arrangement for home delivery.

12. The fair will be open on Sundays.

13. Special discount on the purchase of toys, books, and stationery items worth below £20 cannot be allowed.

Section 2

Read the paragraph and answer questions 14-17.

The Charm Of Glenwood Springs

A. If you find the world’s one of the most famous skiing sites, Aspen, to be highly expensive, you can opt for Glenwood Springs in Colorado, US, just 65 km away. You can reach this place by road or rail, as both options are available. Then there are about 14 direct air services, but the three airports in Eagle County, Aspen and Grand Junction are about 50, 65 and 145 km respectively from here.

B. To be more adventurous or enterprising, you can go from Denver through Vail, another ski destination on the most eco- friendly highway called 1-70. This way, you’ll cover about 250 km. Before you reach Glenwood Springs, you’ll have an exciting experience when you wade through a serpentine mountainous tract, which is said to be one of the tentacles of awe. inspiring, huge red rock, the Grand Canyon.

C. The name Glenwood Springs was given to the place by Sarah Cooper, wife of one of the town’s founding fathers, Issac Cooper. Before this, the town was discovered as a gold mine. It is situated at the confluence of the Roaring Fork and Colorado rivers and was known as ‘Defiance'. Earlier, the tourists were attracted only towards the ‘Fairy Caves’ with grottos and labyrinthine ducts. The place became famous for its curative hot water springs only when, in the late 1800s, Walter Devereaux and his brothers created here the world’s largest hot water pool, which was dotted with nearly three score such springs.

D. Among the people who visit this place are skiiers, rafters, hikers, mountain bikers, hunters, fishermen, snowmobilers and of course ‘yampah’ tasters. ‘Yampah’ means ‘big medicine’. Such is the attraction for the hot springs that the pool remains full to capacity even in rain and snow. The water is captured at 122°F and then toned down to 93 to 104 F. There are two pools with temperatures slightly different from each other. There are continental eateries all around, besides the typically American ones. Then the accommodation here is fairly cheap, being about one-fourth of that in Aspen.

E. Glenwood Springs is situated at the height of 5700 feet, but the average altitude of the mountains around reaches up to 13000 feet. If you stand on the rooftop of a high building, you can have a view of fascinating sights all around. On the western side, you can have a captivating view of the Red Mountain. To the east, you can see the famous Cavern Adventure Park, which can be approached by a cable car. If you go there, you’ll be happy to find the world’s first Alpine coaster sliding through the downhill park at a speed of about 80 km per hour. On the southern side, you’ll find the famous ski destination called Sunlight Mountain Resort, offering snowmobiling and ice-skating. If you take a view from the park of the Roaring Fork Valley, you’ll feel the marvel of a sight. Here you’ll find America’s world-famous Amtrak railhead, which can enable you to reach the historical downtown and the Hot Springs pool. About a 20 km stretch of the Roaring Fork River has been declared the Gold Medal River, where you’re allowed to fish to lay your hands on the best of trout and here at some places you can also bring your pets if you like.

Questions 14-17

Look at the “The Charm of Glenwood Springs” paragraph.

Each paragraph A-E describes a different experience in Glenwood Springs.

From the list below (i-viii), choose the most suitable summaries for paragraphs B-E.

Summaries

i. Glenwood Springs is a versatile tourist centre.

ii. The Importance of Glenwood Springs for the USA.

iii. The name and creation of the Glenwood Springs.

iv. Sights around the Glenwood Springs.

v. Walking is the best way to get to Glenwood Springs.

vi. Different options for reaching Glenwood Springs.

vii. The mysteries of the Glenwood Springs.

viii. Reaching Glenwood Springs through Vail.

Example

Paragraph A- (vi)

14. Paragraph B-

15. Paragraph C-

16. Paragraph D-

17. Paragraph E-

Read the paragraph and answer questions 18-27.

Human Empowerment Centre Memorandum

The centre appeals to all concerned as under:
Although the World Health Days are now celebrated all over the world regularly, that’s not enough. The governments, the NGOs, the educational institutions and the media the world over, should take specific steps to awaken the people in the matter of health.

People should be advised to take a balanced diet. The wealthy should be told about the harmful effects of overeating and a rich diet. The poor should be told how they can keep healthy even by taking certain kinds of food which are not so expensive but contain lots of vitamins and minerals, such as carrots, amla, skimmed milk, guava, leafy vegetables, etc. The importance of the use of iodised salt should be brought home to all. People should also be told about the benefits of drinking a lot of water daily.

People should be advised to take regular exercise. They should be told about the ill-effects of drinking, smoking, drug-taking, consumption of fast foods, soft drinks, excessive fat and sugar. Special arrangements for milk, fruit and other nutritious food items for poor children and expectant mothers should be made.

Pollution should be brought to the lowest level by taking all necessary steps. Drug peddlers and adulterators should be given exemplary punishments. The use of toxic chemicals should be banned or regulated. Also, arrangements for people’s participation in tension-releasing programmes such as yoga, meditation, etc., on a large-scale should be made.

Questions 18-27

Look at the Human Empowerment Centre’s Memorandum paragraph. In boxes 18-27 of your answer sheet, write:

18. Mere celebration of World Health Days is not enough.

19. The UN must step in to ensure health for people.

20. Even some less expensive food items can ensure health.

21. Exercise is not at all necessary to keep healthy.

22. It is the duty of the government to supply free iodised salt to the poor.

23. People should be discouraged from taking skimmed milk as it has no nutritional value.

24. Drinking a lot of water daily is good for health.

25. The rich people need no advice, as all kinds of food items are available to them.

26. Expectant mothers should be given special attention in the matter of diet.

27. Consumption of foods containing less fat but lots of vitamins and minerals is good for health.

Section 3

Read the passage on the following pages and answer questions 28-40.

A Beach Calling For Attention

It is said that when Vasco da Gama landed at Calicut in India, he was stinking. The local Indian chief gave him some common salt, besides some other elements and asked him to have a bath and wash his clothes to move the obnoxious smell emanating from his body. The route used by Vasco da Gama was used by an adventurous Dutch navigator, Cornelius Houtman, in 1596, but instead of reaching Calicut, he reached Bhimli, a beach about 25 km from Vishakhapatnam, generally called Vizag.

Bhimli, itself a short form of Bheemunipatnam, and the stretch from Vizag have a fine motorable road running along the seacoast. The area has, all along, a hilly terrain on one side and a vast expanse of golden sand on the other. Bhimli offers a picturesque sight with its sandy beaches located where the Gosthani River flows into the Bay of Bengal.

In India, beaches such as those of Goa and Chennai, especially the former, are among the internationally famous tourist centres, but Bhimli deserves to be tried, having not been discovered as a tourist spot by some renowned persons. The place offers a stunning view for all the valid reasons which make a good beach worth visiting. You can find there coconut trees lining the coast and mounds of red sand interspersed between small fishermen's huts and boats, as things out of an art movie. You have seafood there in small stalls selling fresh prawns and pomfret dishes all around the beach. Walking there is a retreat, and bathing there is fun, and then, above all, Bhimli has one of the safest beaches for swimming and water sports, as the water there is shallow. Though it is a small place, you can get there coconut, fruits, plastic buckets, nylon ropes, vegetables and all other necessary things.

If you go after mythology and history, Bhimli has both. It is said that it was here that the Pandava prince Bhima slew Bakasura. Hence, the name of the place is Bhimli. The place passed hands from the early rulers to the Kalinga Empire in the 3rd century, then to Pallavas of Kanchi and then to Cholas of Tanjore, from whom it passed on to the Qutubshas of Golconda and later to the Dutch in the 17th century. The Dutch made it their settlement for trade and set up a port there. The Dutch had to bring several ships here, and they could capture the place only after fighting pitched battles with locals. Then the port traded in tropical fruits, birds, animals, cloth, diamonds, emeralds, and other items.’ Later, the discovery of iron ore around Bhimli made the Duch realise the hold over Bhimli to be even more meaningful. Then, besides iron ore, cotton fabric woven by the artisans of Bhimli was traded at the port town.

Later, by the middle of the 18th century, the British had wrested many of the Dutch settlements in India. Accordingly, the Dutch gave up their colonies in India, including Bhimli, to the British in exchange for the British islands in Sumatra. Once a flourishing seaport, today Bhimli is reduced to just a small village of fishermen. Its beaches especially call for serious attention from lovers of vast sandy expanses on sea coasts and safe swimming and water sports.

Questions 28-32

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage under section 3 above?

In boxes 28-32 of your answer sheet, write:

Example

Cornelius Houtman was a Dutch navigator. YES

28. Bhimli is short for Bheemunipatman

29. Vasco da Gama landed at Pondicherry in India.

30. Besides iron ore, copper mines were also discovered near Bhimli.

31. Bhimli is at a distance of 25 Km from Vizag.

32. Even today, Bhimli is a large, flourishing town.

Questions 33-40

Complete the summaries below.

33. The route used by Vasco da Gama was used by Cornelius Houtman in………………………..

34. Besides the charm of its sandy beaches, Bhimli offers the spectacular sight of the flow of the……………………… river into the Bay of Bengal.

35. For its shallow waters, Bhimli’s beaches are very………………………… for swimming and water sports.

36. Bhimli’s mythological significance arises out of the belief that he was slain…………here by one of the Pandava princes. 

37. It was in the………………………….. century that the Kalinga rulers got control of the place.

38. The Dutch got control of Bhimli in the………………………… century.

39. Finally, the British became the owners of Bhimli in exchange for their islands in………………..

40. You get the impression of………………………. as you sight the coastal coconut trees and mounds of red sand among other things.

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