Table of Contents
BEST IELTS General Reading Test 11
GENERAL READING TEST 11
READING PASSAGE – 1
Read the passage below and answer the Question 1-14, which are based on Reading Passage 1 below.
RENOVATING A HOUSE
Renovating a house can be a thrilling experience. However, it is cumbersome always also, as your entire house becomes a mess. The following steps help you to make the renovation process go smoothly:
1. Inspect the house to note which areas need renovation, and whether the renovation, and whether the renovation required is structural or only cosmetic. A structural renovation will require demolishing and rebuilding parts of or the entire house, while cosmetic changes will be like painting the house or repairing parts of it.
2. Make a list of the work that you want to get done and note it in a book.
3. Figure out your budget for the renovation process. You will not want to overspend but you should not fall short of money either.
4. Decide whether you want to renovate yourself or need the help of a contractor. It depends on the kind of work that needs to be done.
5. Estimate whether the cost of renovation fits in your budget. While you calculate the cost for different tasks, remember to add 10% to it, as the final cost differs from the initial estimate.
6. Decide where you will put up while the house is being renovated. If part of the house is being renovated, then you can stay in the other part. Else you might need to rent a place temporarily.
7. For renovation projects likely to last for a long time, try to cover one section at a time, this way you can spread out your expenditure as well.
8. Plan which part to do first and contact the right people to do work accordingly.
Questions 1-4
Complete the sentence below. Use NO MORE THAN ONE WORD from the passage for each answer.
1. Renovation of house causes inconveniences due to the …………………….. created.
2. Changing wallpaper or texture painting is an example of ……………………. change.
3. Assign a budget, as you would not want to ……………………. .
4. You need to decide on your accommodation during the ……………………. process.
Questions 5-7
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text? 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
5. Cost of renovation must stay within your budget.
6. Do not rent another place unless you have undertaken only partial renovation.
7. You should spread out your expenditure.
Read the text below and answer questions 8-14.
MADAME TUSSAUDS LONDON
Madame Tussauds is a wax museum knows for recreating life size wax models of historical and royal figures, Film stars, sports stars and infamous murderers. It was founded by wax sculptor Marie Tussaud. It has branches in a number of major cities of the world.
Inside Madame Tussauds
There are 14 zones, over 300 wax statues, chamber of horrors and screams, spirit of London ride and amazing 4D movie experience with marvel superheroes.
How to reach
There are numerous ways to arrive at Madame Tussauds, from the convenient subway to bus stops to car parks nearby.
Timings
The museum opens at 9:30 am with last entry at 5:30 pm everyday of the year. Weekend timings are 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. If you happen to come in the latter part of the day, you will still be able to explore the place for 90 minutes after the last admission time. The museum is quite packed till 4:00 pm.
Tickets and offers
Don’t miss out on great online discount offers. Book in advance online.
| Age/Group | Spot booking (You may stand in queue) | Online Ticket (Quick entry) |
| Adult (16+) | $25 | $21.50 |
| Children (3-15) | $20 | $15.50 |
| Family | $100.60 | $79.20 |
Under 3’s go free in the company of their parents.
A family ticket comprises 2 adults and 2 children; alternatively 1 adult and 3 children.
A complementary guidebook is included in family pack.
Access to disabled
Guests with disabilities are transported from floor to floor through elevators by trained personnel. Do book in advance; for safety reasons we allow only three wheelchair users at any given time in the building. Hearing loops are also available for a deposit of $20.
Questions 8-10
Choose the appropriate options (A-D) to complete the following statements and write your answers next to questions 8-10.
8. A visitor who seeks to enter Madame Tussauds at 5.00 p.m. on weekdays
A. Is not allowed
B. Has only half an hour
C. Has one and half hours
D. Has a good two hours
9. Discounted online tickets
A. Provide fast entry into the museum
B. Must be availed of the same
C. Offer 20% discount
D. Are not offered at weekends
10. The numbers of persons who can use wheelchair within the premises at a specific time is
A. 3 or less
B. 4 or less
C. No more than two
D. Not mentioned
Questions 11-14
Use No More Than Three Words and/or a Number from the text to answer questions 11-14.
11. In which city is the museum talked about, located?
12. How many hours does the Wax Museum remain open for entry at weekends?
13. Which ticket offers a free tour book?
14. How much is the security deposit for procuring a hearing device?
Reading Passage 2
Read the text below and answer Questions 15—20.
The Murgatroyde Corporation Employee Manual
Chapter 8: Professional Development Requirements
All employees of the Murgatroyde Corporation are required to attend fifteen hours of professional development workshops or classes in each calendar year. While there are many opportunities provided by the company, professional development hours can also be earned externally at local training centers, colleges, and other locations.
Listings of upcoming professional development opportunities offered by the company are posted on the company website and updated frequently. Employees can register for these workshops online. Before signing up for a particular workshop, employees should check with their supervisors to make sure they can be excused from their duties on the date of the workshop.
Employees who wish to receive professional development credit for attending workshops or courses offered elsewhere should provide their supervisor with materials describing the opportunity. The supervisor will determine whether the workshop or course is pertinent to the employee’s work. After obtaining the supervisor’s approval, the employee can apply to the Human Resources Office for tuition reimbursement if tuition is to be paid.
Employees attending any workshop offered by the company will receive a certificate of attendance. The number of professional development hours earned will be reported to the Human Resources Office by the workshop organizer. In order to receive professional development credit for a course or workshop offered outside the company, the employee must have the workshop organizer complete a company Proof of Attendance form, and the employee must then submit the form to the Human Resources Office within one month of the end date of the course. Timely submission of this form is required in order for credit to be granted. There are will be no exceptions.
Questions 15-20
Complete the sentences below.
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the text for each answer.
Write your answers on lines 15—20 on your answer sheet.
15. Employees can choose from professional development workshops and classes offered…………..or at local training centers or colleges.
16. Employees can find out which workshops will be offered by looking at………………………
17. It is the responsibility of…………………. to decide whether a workshop is relevant.
18. Employees who need help paying for a class or workshop can ask the Human Resources Office for……………………………
19. The workshop presenter will let the Human Resources Office know how many ………………..the employee should be credited with.
20. Professional development credit will be granted for workshops taken outside of the company if a special form is filled out by………………………..
Read the text below and answer Questions 21—27.
Hampford College
Work-Study Program
Certain students at Hampford College may be eligible for the college Work—Study Program. To determine eligibility and to apply for the program, read the information below.
* The Hampford College Work—Study Program is open to all full-time Hampford College students, regardless of the particular study program in which they are enrolled. The program is not open to part-time students. Information on financial support programs for part-time students is available in the Counseling Center.
* Before applying for a work—study position, the student must demonstrate financial need. To do this, complete the Statement of Financial Need Form,
* To apply for a work-study position, submit a letter of interest to the Work-Study Program Office, describing your skills and interests. You may also, but are not required to, submit a resume describing any previous jobs you may have held. Students both with and without an employment history are eligible for the program.
* Once you have been approved for the program, look at the help-wanted ads posted on the Counseling Center website. All of the jobs are located at the college. You may apply for any job that you are interested in. Please note that job placement is subject to job availability. While we make every effort to place all Work-Study Program students in a job, there are no guarantees.
* All work-study students must be students in good standing at the college; that is, they must receive passing grades in all their courses in order to continue in the program the following semester.
* Work-study positions are generally for one year. Students wishing to continue in the program after one year must resubmit their applications.
Questions 21—27
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text about the Hampford College Work-Study Program?
On lines 21-27 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
21. The Work—Study Program is available to all students at the college.
22. Work-study students must prove that they require monetary support.
23. Work-study students must choose a job that is related to their study program.
24. Previous work experience is required to participate in the Work-Study Program.
25. All students in the Work-Study Program will be given a job.
26. Work-study students cannot stay in the program if they receive failing grades.
27. Work-study students have to apply for the program every year.
Reading Passage 3
You should spend about 20 minutes on Reading Passage 3 below.
Green Energy
As energy prices rise and the effects of greenhouse gas emissions become more widespread, people everywhere are becoming increasingly concerned about using fossil fuels. More and more people are turning to so-called “green technologies” as a way to reduce dependence on nonrenewable fossil fuels. The ideal alternative energy source would be sustainable (the supply will not be exhausted), clean (no emissions), and reliable. The three most popular alternative energy sources are geothermal power, solar power, and wind power.
Since geothermal energy taps heat from the earth, its resources range from water found just below the surface of the earth, to hot water and hot rock found a few miles below the surface, to even deeper rock of extremely high temperatures. In a process similar to drilling for oil, wells as deep as a mile or more can be drilled into underground reservoirs to tap steam and hot water that are used to run turbines and create energy. Power companies can then transmit this energy over power lines.
Geothermal power on a smaller scale can be used for heating and cooling houses or commercial buildings. Geothermal heat pumps, also known as ground-source heat pumps, rely on the fact that the earth beneath the surface remains at a relatively constant temperature throughout the year. Like a cave, the ground is warmer than the air above it during the winter and cooler in the summer. The geothermal heat pump transfers the heat stored in the earth into the building during the winter, and transfers it out of the building and into the ground during the summer. The ground, in other words, acts as a heat source in winter and a heat sink in summer. While geothermal heat pumps are an emissions- free and reliable source of energy, the biggest disadvantage is that such systems are expensive to install.
Solar energy has come a long way from the clunky boxes of the 1970s. Today, solar energy is commonly collected by sleek and efficient photovoltaic (PV) panels. The photovoltaic cells convert sunlight directly into electricity and are made of semiconductors such as crystalline silicon or other thin-film materials. The benefits of solar power vary according to how much exposure a given building has to the sun. However, one does not need to live in the desert to take advantage of solar power. Cloudy Germany is the worldwide leader in the use of solar power.
Solar power is not as pricey as geothermal power, but having a panel professionally installed can still be costly. Some enterprising home-owners reduce the initial costs by purchasing inexpensive kits and setting up the system on their own. The biggest disadvantage of a solar power system is its dependence on the amount of sunlight collected, but some cutting-edge panels can generate energy even in the rain.
Wind power is created when wind is used to generate mechanical power or electricity. Most wind turbines convert the wind’s kinetic energy into mechanical power. The wind turns the blades, which spin a shaft connected to a generator. A generator then converts this mechanical power into electricity. A group of wind turbines can produce electricity and feed it into the utility grid, where it is sent through transmission lines to homes and businesses. Like solar and geothermal energy, wind is a renewable resource that produces no emissions.
Small wind energy systems can be used by homes, farms, or communities. Such systems can be connected to the larger electrical grid or used for stand-alone energy generation—a particularly attractive option for anyone living far from power company lines. A grid-connected wind turbine can reduce one’s reliance on the power company for electricity . If the turbine cannot deliver the needed energy, the power company then makes up the difference. However, in order to take advantage of wind energy, a turbine must be in an area with average wind speed of at least 10 miles an hour, and such systems can be very expensive.
Whether a given home or business uses wind, solar, or geothermal power depends on a variety of economic and environmental factors. However, experts agree that investing in alternative energy now—whether by individuals or power companies—will pay dividends in the future.
Questions 28—30
Complete the summary below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers on lines 28—30 on your answer sheet.
These days, people are interested in reducing their consumption of 28………………………… They are looking at sources of 29…………………… to supply their power needs. People want sources that are 30………………………do not cause pollution, and can be consistently depended on.
Questions 31-33
Which o f the following facts about geothermal energy are mentioned in the passage?
Choose THREE answers from the list below and write the correct letters, A—E, on lines 31—33 on your answer sheet.
A. is easiest to use where there is a plentiful supply of groundwater
B. is used to run power plants
C. costs a good deal of money to set up
D. requires electricity to power the heat pump
E. is used for cooling as well as heating buildings
Questions 34-36
Which o f the following facts about solar energy are mentioned in the passage? Choose
THREE answers from the list below and write the correct letters, A-E, on lines 34-36 on your answer sheet.
A. can be used even in areas without intense sunlight
B. the panels are usually installed on the roof of the house
C. does not have to be installed by a professional
D. the amount of power generated fluctuates with the amount of exposure to the sun
E. is often used by farmers to power electric fences
Questions 37-40
Which o f the following facts about wind energy are mentioned in the passage?
Choose FOUR answers from the list below and write the correct letters, A—G, on lines 37-40 on your answer sheet.
A. wind turbines are considered unsightly by many people
B. is used by individual home-owners as well as by power companies
C. the energy that it generates cannot be stored for later use
D. must be installed in an area that receives a certain amount of wind
E. wind turbines create a lot of noise
F. can be used in conjunction with electricity supplied by a power company
G. is as clean a source of energy as geothermal and solar systems
ANSWER KEY:-
1. mess
2. cosmetic
3. overspread
4. renovation
5. Not given
6. False
7. Not given
8. D
9. A
10. A
11. London
12. 9/nine hours
13. Family ticket/Family
14. £20
15. by the company
16. the company website
17. the supervisor
18. tuition reimbursement
19. professional development hours
20. the workshop organizer
21. FALSE
22. TRUE
23. NOT GIVEN
24. FALSE
25. FALSE
26. TRUE
27. TRUE
28. fossil fuel
29. alternative energy
30. sustainable
31. B
32. C
33. E
34. A
35. C
36. D
37. B
38. D
39. F
40. G
