BEST IELTS General Reading Test 90

Table of Contents

GENERAL READING TEST 90 – PASSAGE – 1

GENERAL READING TEST – 90

READING PASSAGE – 1

Read the information and answer questions 1- 3 below

Rice Cooker

If you are a student living on your own, a rice cooker is one of the most practical and convenient kitchen appliances you can buy. It is relatively inexpensive and produces perfect rice every time, ready when you are. You can steam your vegetables while the rice is cooking. Healthy eating has never been easier. There are many different types of rice cookers available. Here are some of the features to look for when purchasing yours.

Desirable features

– Glass lid – so you can see what’s happening inside

– Hole in the lid – for steam to escape (otherwise it comes out of the edges of the lid and is messier)

– Steamer Tray – for steaming vegetables and other foods ( though you can make do with a fold up one from the grocery store)

– Removable cord – for easy storage

– Non-stick pan – Very important

– Measuring lines – on the inside of the rice cooker so you can add water without using a measuring cup. You still need a cup to measure rice however.

Questions 1-3

Match each rice cooker feature with the accurate description from the list (A-G).

[1] Non-stick interior surface

[2] Detachable power lead and plug

[3] Indicators for measuring

List of Descriptions

1. to show how much rice to add

2. to hold vegetables for cooking

3. to make storage more convenient

4. to make cleaning easier required

5. to help to release pressure

6. to look inside without opening lid

7. to show the amount of water

Read the reviews and answer the question 4-8

Rice Cooker Reviews

Rice Cooker A

10 cup, 700 watts, $25.99. This one takes up a lot of room because it has 2 big steamer racks. It is great when you want to cook your whole meal in the rice cooker. It has a glass lid with a hole and an attached cord but doesn’t show measuring lines.

Rice Cooker B

10 cup, 700 watts, $39.99. This is a fancy looking, chrome appliance with a flimsy metal lid. There is a steam hole but no measuring lines. It has a good, stainless steel, steamer tray, which sits at the top of the pan and nests inside for storage. It has a removable cord.

Rice Cooker C

1 cup, 500 watts, $29.99. This is the smallest one. It has a glass lid with a hole and is a good size for a small family. The only objection is that it doesn’t come with a steamer tray. It has a sturdy, removable cord.

Rice Cooker D

2 cup, 600 watts, $29.99. This one has a glass lid but no steam hole. It has a sturdy steamer tray which sits on the bottom of the rice cooker pan – less practical than the ones that sit in the top of the cooker, it has a removable cord.

Questions 4-8

Which is the letter of the rice cooker (A-D) which matches each description below.

4. Has a glass cover without a vent in the middle……………………….

5. Has a cord that is fixed to the cooker……………………….

6. Doesn’t have a glass top……………………….

7. Has a steamer located beneath the rice cooker……………………….

8. Has the most space for steaming vegetables……………………….

Read the text below and answer questions 9-14.

How Does A Rice Cooker Know When To Turn Itself Off?

There are a number of appliances that “know” when they should turn off. A rice cooker is one of them. The water-heating portion of a drip coffee maker (as opposed to the burner under the pot) is another. Automatic egg boilers work in the same way. All of these appliances use the same principle. If there is water in a heated container and the water is boiling, the container will maintain a constant temperature.

At sea level, the boiling temperature of water is 212 degrees Fahrenheit or 100 degrees celsius. As soon as all of the liquid water has evaporated ( or, in the case of the rice cooker, as soon as all of the water is absorbed by the rice), the temperature inside the container immediately rises. There is a thermostat in the appliance. When the thermostat detects that the temperature in the container has risen above 212, it turns itself off.

Questions 9 -13

Do order the following (A- F) to show the sequence of events according to the passage. The first event in the sequence has been done for you as an example.