Table of Contents
BEST IELTS General Reading Test 232
IELTS GENERAL READING TEST 232 – PASSAGE – 1
IELTS GENERAL READING TEST – 232
READING PASSAGE – 1
Read the text below and answer Questions 1— 8.
Melas of India
A. Kumbh Mela is celebrated every twelve years at four holy places: Prayagraj (Allahabad), Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik. The grand event is held by rotation, on the banks of the sacred rivers: Godavri, Kshipra, Yamuna and the Ganges, where pilgrims gather for a holy bath. The major attractions of this biggest religious fair are the procession of Naga Sadhus.
B. Sonepur Mela is cattle fair held on a full moon day in Bihar, on the confluence of riven Ganges and Gandak. This fair is also known as the Harihar Chhetra Mela, and is the only one of its kind in the world. Haathi Bazaar is one of the major attractions of the fair, where elephants are lined up for sale. Apart from this, all breeds of buffaloes, donkeys, ponies and birds are also available for sale. The largest animal fair in Indian attracts peoples from all around the Asia.
IELTS General Reading Test
C. Pushkar Fair is one of the world’s largest camel fairs, held in the oldest city of Rajasthan, Pushkar. The fair, held on the banks of the Pushkar Lake, attracts a large number of visitors from all around the world, especially from Israel. It is an important tourist attraction.
D. The Hemis Gompa Fair is a religious fair and one of the most auspicious occasions for the Buddhist community in India. The grand fair is held in the months of January/February at the world famous Hemis Gompa, the biggest Buddhist monastery in Ladakh. The most esoteric of festivities are the mystic mask dances, referred collectively as Chams Performance, which is essentially a part of Tantric tradition, performed only in those gompas which follow the Tantric Vajrayana teachings.
E. Chandrabhaga Mela also known as Magha Saptam Mela, is held in February at Khandagiri near Bhubaneswar Orissa. This important fair is celebrated every year during the full moon phase. During the seven day fair thousands of pilgrims gather to bathe in the holy Chandrabhaga river.
IELTS General Reading Test
F. Ganeasaear Mela is the second largest congregation of mankind after the holy Kumbh mela. This big religious fair is held annually where the holy river Ganges meets the Bay of Bengal in West Bengal. During the time of the fair, thousands of people congregate here for a holy bath.
G. Ambubasi Fair: The Ambubasi Fair is one of the numerous religious fairs and festivals celebrated across India. This three-day traditional fair is organized every year during the monsoons in the Kamakhya temple at Guwahati, Assam. Tens of thousands of devotees from different parts of the country throng the Kamakhya Temple for the three-day fair.
H. Baneshwar Fair: The Baneshwar fair is most popular tribal fair held in Dungarpur district in Rajasthan during the month of February. This is a religious fair with simple and traditional rituals to worship Lord Shiva. This fair attracts a large number of tribe’s from the neighboring state of Madhya Pradesh.
IELTS General Reading Test
Questions 1— 8
Look at the 7 descriptions of popular Melas of India.
For which Melas are the following statements true?
Write the letter A-H in columns 1-8 of your answer sheet.
You may repeat any letter more than once.
1. From start to finish, this mela lasts seven days.
2. The banks of a lake are witness to this mela.
3. This mela witnesses the largest congregation of mankind.
4. This mela is held during the rainy season.
5. This mela is held at a junction of two rivers.
6. A lot of people from different tribes come to this mela.
7. Only this mela witnesses a larger gathering of visitors.
8. You cannot see the faces of the people dancing at this fair.
IELTS General Reading Test
Read the text below and answer Questions 9 — 14.
The Origins of the Oscar: How the Prized Statue Got Its Name Since 1929, Hollywood has revolved around the golden Oscar statue. The prized award has gone through facelifts since first debuting as a knight figure. Here are five fun facts about the history of Hollywood’s little golden man.
The first Oscar statue sketch was not how it looks today: MGM art director Cedric Gibbons sketched the first figure of a knight holding a sword and standing on a reel of film with spokes representing the five branches of the Academy (actors, directors, producers, technicians and writers). The sword represented the protection for the welfare and advancement of the industry. Later, Los Angeles sculptor George Stanley redesigned the statue with an improved knight figure, but removed the reel of film.
IELTS General Reading Test
One popular story suggests the “Oscar” was named after someone’s uncle: It’s been said that Academy librarian and eventual executive director Margaret Herrick thought the statue resembled her Uncle Oscar. In 1934, Sidney Sko!sky used the name in his Hollywood column to describe Katharine Hepburn’s first best actress win. The name caught on and the Academy made the name official in 1939. The Oscar was first officially named the Academy Award of Merit. It stands 13.5 inches tall and weighs 8.5 pounds.
Over 3,000 statuettes have been presented: R.S. Owens & Company produces new statuettes each January in Chicago, but this year Polich Tallix Fine Art Foundry will take on the Job and hand-cast the trophies in bronze before they receive their 24-karat gold finish. R.S. Owens & Company, who has been casting the Oscar mold since 1982, will continue to service existing Oscars and create other awards for the Academy.
IELTS General Reading Test
The Oscar was first gold-plated solid bronze and later gold-plated metal: Due to a metal shortage during World War II, Oscars were made of painted plaster for three years. Following the war, the Academy invited recipients to redeem the plaster figures for gold-plated metal ones.
The Academy keeps a second set of additional Oscar statues on hand lust in case: Weeks before the Oscars in 2000, the annual shipment of Oscars were stolen. The Academy now stays prepared and locks extra trophies from the ceremony in a vault to be used the next year.
IELTS General Reading Test
Questions 9 — 14
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text?
In boxes on your answer sheet, write
TRUE – if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE – if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN – if there is no information on this.
9. The Oscar derives its name from director Margaret Herrick’s Uncle Oscar.
10. During World War 2, the Oscars were not made of metals due to a shortage of money.
11. The first Oscar was given in 1929.
12. The design and material of the statuette has changed five times since it was first introduced.
13. The Oscars to be awarded in the year 2000 were stolen one week before the event.
14. The Oscar had a different name earlier.
IELTS General Reading Test
ANSWERS ARE BELOW
IELTS General Reading Test
ANSWERS
1. E
2 C
3. A
4. G
5. B
6. H
7. F
8. D
9. FALSE
10. FALSE
11. TRUE
12. NOT GIVEN
13. FALSE
14. TRUE