BEST IELTS General Reading Test 493

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IELTS GENERAL READING TEST 493 – PASSAGE – 2

IELTS GENERAL READING TEST – 493

READING PASSAGE – 2

THE CORAL SEA ISLANDS TERRITORY

The Coral Sea Islands Territory is made up of many small islands spread over an extensive geographic area extending east and south from the outer edge of the Great Barrier Reef and including Heralds Beacon Island, Osprey Reef, the Willis Group and 15 other reef/island groups. However, the coral and sand islands are quite small and the total area of all the islands making up Australia’s Coral Sea Islands Territory is only seven square kilometers. The Coral Sea Islands, which are administered by the Territories section of the Attorney-General’s Department, became a Territory of the Commonwealth in 1969 through the Coral Sea Islands Act.

Discovered in 1803, the islands were briefly exploited for guano in the 1870s and 1880s but subsequently were abandoned. During the 19th century many ships were wrecked in the area as a result of constantly shifting sand cays and many of the reefs and islands have been named after the ships which foundered. They are still uninhabited but are home to a large population of sea birds. Two species of sea turtle nest in the area and at least 24 bird species have been recorded. A Migratory Birds Ordinance is in force and gives effect to the Australia-Japan and Australia-China agreements on endangered and migratory birds.

IELTS General Reading Test

In 1982, the Lihou Reef Nature Reserve and Coringa-Herald Nature Reserve were declared by the Commonwealth Government to protect the wildlife in that part of the Territory. In 1987, the Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs Marine National Nature Reserve was declared and now all wildlife in the Territory is legally protected under the National Parks and Wildlife Regulations. Tropical cyclones sweep over the islands occasionally from around November to April. As a consequence there are a number of unmanned weather stations, beacons and a lighthouse located on several islands and reefs which are monitored by the Bureau of Meteorology.

On 30 September 1969, Australia officially acquired its tenth external territory with the Coral Sea Island Bill coming into force in accordance with the normal procedure. It is Australia’s only external territory that was neither transferred to Australia by the UK nor administered by Australia under a mandate or trusteeship agreement. Coringa-Herald and Lihou Reef were declared Marine National Nature Reserves on the 16 August 1982. In December 1987 Middleton and Elizabeth Reefs were declared Marine National Nature Reserves under the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1975. In 1997 the Coral Sea Islands Act was amended to extend the territory to include Elizabeth and Middleton reefs.

IELTS General Reading Test

Questions 15-21

Write NO MORE THAN ONE WORD for each answer.

YEAR	EVENT
16 August 1982	Coringa-Herald and Lihou Reef were declared Marine National Nature 15…………….
1803	The islands were 16…………….
1969	Became a 17……………. of the Commonwealth through the Coral Sea Islands Act.
30 Sep 1969	The Coral Sea Island Bill came into 18…………….
December 1987	Middleton and 19……………. Reefs were declared Marine National Nature Reserves
1997	The Coral Sea Islands Act was 20……………. to extend the territory.
1870-1890	The islands were briefly exploited for 21…………….

IELTS General Reading Test

Read the text below and answer Questions 22-27.

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND PROCEDURES AT A COMPANY

Saudi Aramco

Our behavior is what defines us as a company, as employees and as people. Everything we do is anchored by our corporate values like citizenship, safety, accountability, excellence and integrity. By living our values and sound business practices, we consistently achieve high levels of performance and efficiency, delivering value not only for our company, but for our customers, partners and the communities in which we operate.

Excellence

At Saudi Aramco, excellence translates into all aspects of our workplace. It is our personal and group commitment to do what we do well. We drive for best results and are agile in addressing new challenges. As a business, we drive excellence in challenging projects by setting goals, rewarding top performance, committing ourselves to developing our people, encouraging innovation, creativity and diversity of thought and fostering teamwork and open communication.

IELTS General Reading Test

Safety

Safety is an integral part of Saudi Aramco’s culture. We are committed to providing a safe and respectful working environment for all with the appropriate safety procedures and policies in place onsite and within the community. We define safety as protecting ourselves, protecting others and protecting our future.

Integrity

The integrity of business at Saudi Aramco is based on the ethical standards of our employees in our everyday operations. Integrity is a precious asset, it is our reputation and the foundation of corporate integrity is personal integrity. We treat people with fairness and respect, we embrace diversity and accept differences and we do not tolerate misconduct.

IELTS General Reading Test

Citizenship

No matter where in the world we are conducting business, it is important to be known as a good corporate citizen and to be a positive influence within communities. As a global company in Saudi Arabia, we take this role seriously. We define citizenship as acting as a catalyst for economic growth, demonstrating social responsibility, supporting our communities and serving as role models in building solid relationships with our customers and partners.

Accountability

Accountability means all employees at Saudi Aramco take responsibility for their actions in meeting corporate objectives. Accountability for achieving the company’s overarching business objectives starts with the goals and objectives outlined by the president & CEO for the company’s business lines, and pervades through the entire company. Our employees place authority where responsibility lies, deliver on commitments and seek and provide constructive feedback.

IELTS General Reading Test

Saudi Aramco provides good and safe environments for their employees and their families and also provides free healthcare and free schools and free access to the Gymnasium. If you like the challenge and explore the best out you, Saudi Aramco provides solutions to energy, a multi-culture company that drives you to think outside the box.

A company that has the ability to get people to work together, despite their personal differences; and to create an environment where people agree to disagree but are nevertheless able to move projects forward.

IELTS General Reading Test

Questions 22-27

Choose NO MORE THAN ONE WORD from the above text for each answer.

Saudi Aramco is a great 22……………… to be associated with. The culture was an awesome and the type of projects to be involved with were 23……………… New employees usually are placed in transactional roles in business 24……………… to learn how the business works and become familiar with safety policies and 25……………… The work culture has corporate 26……………… like humility, respect, politeness and friendliness. They also value mental toughness and resiliency encouraging innovation, creativity and diversity of thought, fostering teamwork and open 27……………… Mentoring and helping some of the young professionals was the most rewarding part of the job for me.

IELTS General Reading Test

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