Table of Contents
BEST IELTS General Reading Test 18
GENERAL READING TEST 18
GENERAL READING TEST 18
READING PASSAGE – 1
Read the text and answer Questions 1 – 7
Regulations for the Use of the Auditorium of Macao Museum of Art
1. To provide suitable management and use of the Auditorium the Macao Museum of Art (the Museum) has established regulations in this document.
2. Standard rental terms for the Auditorium of the Museum and its facilities are as follows:
2.1. The conference room can seat 108. Facilities include: sound system, lighting, air-conditioning, microphone/s, screen, videocassette recorder, projector, visualizer, DVD player, CD player and recorder. Such facilities are suitable for seminars, lectures and audio-visual activities.
2.2. One session is classed as four hours, and is charged at $3,000. Less than four hours is deemed one session.
2.3. If application is made 90 days prior, a $1,000 deposit will be charged; if less than 30 days, a $1,500 deposits will be charged. The balance must be paid prior the day of use.
2.4. After the application is approved, the applicant cannot cancel the booking without just cause. If the applicant decides not to use the facilities, the fee cannot be refunded. The pre-paid deposit and/or rental are non refundable. However, if due to certain unavoidable circumstance, such as a natural disaster, and the applicant cannot use the facilities, it can write to the Museum and state the reason with a request for refund.
3. Applications from organisations, schools, private organisations (users) except the Museum must fit the following criteria:
3.1. Promote art and cultural activities
3.2. International art and cultural exchange activities
3.3. Academic and educational activities
3.4. Conferences and celebration activities organised by the Government
4 The time for the use of the Auditorium is from Tuesday to Sunday: 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Questions 1 – 7
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text?
TRUE – if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE – if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN – if there is no information on this
1. The document provides general information for use of the Auditorium of Macao Museum of Art.
2. The conference room is equipped with a DVD recorder.
3. The price for 4 hours and the price for under 4 hours are the same.
4. The deposit increases for later bookings.
5. If a natural disaster occurs the Museum will give a refund.
6. Not all applications from schools will be accepted.
7. The Auditorium closes at 7 pm on Mondays.
Read the text and answer Questions 8 – 14
Our Art Specialists
A 20th Century Design
With the advent of a young generation of designers in the decorative arts from the 1960’s onwards, this trend to focus on visual communication and presentation in the decorative arts has led to some of the most striking results in furniture, ceramic and glass making. Our design specialist is an art historian and registered valuer. After working as a decorative arts specialist for Sotheby’s for more than 10 years, he established himself as an independent consultant, valuer and broker within his field of expertise. Working for private collectors as well as museums, he has curated several exhibitions on design and is actively involved in scholarly research on this subject, resulting in various publications and lectures. Design has long been regarded as the ‘future collecting field’. Our specialist says: the future is now
B Toys and Dolls
Our expert worked for Sotheby’s, in Sussex for 25 years where she catalogued and valued dolls, teddy bears and other childhood memorabilia. Passionate about her field of expertise, she has seen the market change over the last 30 years, where dolls and toys have become increasingly collectible by the widest possible variety of audience ranging from 1900’s Steiff teddy bears to the more recent Star Wars memorabilia.
C Coins
Our coins expert has had an interest in this subject since childhood and from 1990 to 2005 worked as auctioneer and cataloguer for two of London’s main numismatic auctioneers (Glendining’s and Baldwin’s). With his main speciality in commemorative coins, he has a deep knowledge of his subject and market and will be able to advise you on the value of your coins.
D Arms, Armour & Militaria
We have two experts in this field. Our expert in Arms, Armour and Militaria was formerly Head of Sotheby’s Worldwide Department of Arms, Armour and Militaria and assisted Sotheby’s with sales in London, New York, Denmark, Zurich, Billingshurst and Hanover. The sale of works of art from the Royal House of Hanover included arms and armour which sold for £4,764,004 ($8,392,610) which continues to stand as a World Auction Record for an ancestral collection in this field. Now running his own business, he is an authority in the military collecting field. We also have a specialist in 20th century, mainly World War I and II, militaria which have become increasingly more collectable in recent years.
E Medals
Our medal specialist commenced his career as a member of the Coin & Medal Department at Sotheby’s in 1980, cataloguing British & foreign orders, decorations & medals – a date that now makes him the longest-served auction specialist in this field. He was appointed an auctioneer in 1987, and later became head of a newly created department for medals & militaria. Reverting to a consultancy role in 1992, he moved to another well-known company in 1997 and thence to Dix Noonan Webb, in Mayfair, London, in 2002, an independent auction company that has achieved highest annual turnover in this field ever since 2000.
F Jewellery
The jewellery auction market is a rather fluctuating one, and even though very strong sales can be achieved, it is one where deep knowledge is required to be able to tell what sells and doesn’t. Apart from the intrisic market value of the diamonds and gold, the design and saleability is dependent on fashion and trendiness. Our Jewellery expert has worked for over 15 years at Sotheby’s London and will be able to give you the best advice and valuation of your items.
Questions 8 – 14
The text contains six paragraphs, A – F
Which paragraph contains the following information?
8. an art specialist whose interest started very early in life
9. an art specialist who has worked for organisations and individuals
10. a category of art whose value can be particularly hard to predict
11. a category of art in which Sotheby’s has more than one specialist
12. a specialist who has a record period of service in his field
13. a specialist who is now his own boss
14. a specilaist who has witnessed significant changes in the last three decades
READING PASSAGE – 2
Read the text and answer Questions 15 – 21
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF HOSPITALWATCH
• To create security awareness
• To remove or reduce the risk of crime
• To prevent criminal injury or distress to staff and patients
• To protect property against theft or criminal damage
• To maintain the working relationship between the hospital and the police.
SECURITY IN THE HOSPITAL
• ASK strangers to identify themselves
• ALL visitors to wards or departments should identify themselves and state the nature of their business
• DON’T allow the removal of ANY equipment without proper authorisation
• KEEP offices, windows and storerooms locked outside normal working hours
• CHECK that there is no-one left in the office or department
•ENSURE that portable items are locked away when not in use. Make sure they cannot be seen from outside the window
•ENSURE that all equipment is security marked by the Estates Department
• REPORT vandals immediately
• DON’T remove NHS property from the hospital – this is theft
• DO report anything suspicious.
REPORTING SECURITY INCIDENTS
• All incidents/attempted incidents must be reported
• When an incident has occurred a Trust Incident Report form must be completed
• If you or a colleague are involved in a serious physical attack/threat and are requiring immediate assistance, use the panic attack’ alarm where fitted or ring Switchboard on 2222
• In the case of theft or other serious crime it is the responsibility of the individual involved to report to the Police and then complete an Incident Report form Minor incidents should be reported on an Incident form
• In either case the Site Manager/Line Manager must be informed.
PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY
• DON’T leave your handbag where it invites theft. Lock it away
• DON’T leave your purse in a shopping basket, in an office or empty room. Lock it away
• DON’T leave money or other valuables in your coat or jacket pocket. If you take your jacket off, take your wallet with you
• DO use clothes lockers in cloakrooms, where they are provided. Otherwise use a lockable drawer or cupboard.
PROTECT YOURSELF
• DO avoid ill-lit streets and car parks, wasteland and unoccupied compartments on trains
• DO consider keeping a personal attack alarm in your hand or pocket
• DON’T leave house or car keys in your handbag – put them in your pocket
• DO check your car – an unnecessary breakdown could put you at risk.
YOUR CAR
• DO make sure your car is locked, windows shut and valuables kept out of sight
• DO remove the ignition key
• DO display your permit/parking ticket in the windscreen
• DON’T leave valuables in the car. Lock them in the boot.
SECURITY IN STAFF RESIDENCES
• Watch out for prowlers
• Inform the police immediately
• Keep all ground floor windows closed or locked
Questions 15 – 21
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text?
TRUE – if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE – if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN – if there is no information on this
15. One aim of hospital watch is to avoid patients feeling anxious.
16. Visitors are expected to state why they are in the hospital.
17. If you see a security incident, you should contact the switchboard immediately.
18. It’s advisable for women to keep an attack alarm in their handbags.
19. It’s not a good idea to keep your keys on your person.
20. You shouldn’t leave your parking ticket in the car.
21. There are policemen stationed in staff accommodation areas.
Read the text and answer Questions 22 – 27
Community Survey
Most people are satisfied with their local area as a place to live, feel that they belong there, and believe that people in their community get on well with each other, survey results show. The figures suggest that people feel a positive connection to their local area – a strong foundation on which the Big Society can develop. The gap between the number of people who feel able to influence local decisions and those who think it’s important to be able to (37 per cent and 73 per cent respectively) provides a good indication of the appetite in people for greater participation.
Measures in the Localism Bill will devolve power to local communities and make it easier for people to get involved in civic participation and volunteering.
Communities Minister Andrew Stunell said:
“For the Big Society to work well, it’s important that people get on with one another, feel some kind of attachment to the area in which they live and are involved in the decisions that affect them. The figures out today suggest that, while there is an appetite for getting involved, there are lots of people out there who want to do something but either don’t know how or feel they can’t. We want this to change. The measures in the Localism Bill and our drive to bust bureaucratic barriers will help to close this gap. Our actions will help create active, engaged communities, where the local people who know what’s best for an area are trusted and equipped to get on with it and aren’t held back by needless obstacles.”
The Localism Bill contains a radical package of reforms that will devolve greater power and freedoms to neighbourhoods, establish powerful new rights for communities, revolutionise the planning system, and give communities control over housing decisions. These reforms will give individuals and community groups the freedom and tools to improve their local areas to build their vision of the Big Society.
Today’s findings, based on interviews conducted between April and September last year, show that more people than in recent years believe their area is improving and fewer are worried about being a victim of crime.
Questions 22 – 27
Complete the summary below.
Choose NO MORE THAN ONE WORD from the text for each answer.
From a recent survey it seems that there is a healthy appetite.
A recent survey shows that the majority of residents are (22………….) with life in their local community. In fact it seems that many people have a healthy (23…………) for a higher level of participation in the running of the community. The new Localism Bill attempts to facilitate this desire by basically giving local people more (24…………..). Andrew Stunell, the Communities Minister, believes that the bill will remove the unnecessary (25……….) which currently exist and which prevent local people from taking positive (26……………). Some of the measures included in the bill include a complete change in the way (27…………….) is carried out, along with locals having more control over issues such as Housing.
READING PASSAGE – 3
Read the text and answer Questions 28 – 40
Fighting poverty in emerging markets
A. At the recent food summit in Rome, former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva donned a pair of bright-red boxing gloves labelled “Hunger Free” and waved to the cameras. They were his prize-if that is the right term-for Brazil’s success in topping a league table drawn up by Action Aid, a British charity, of countries that have done most to reduce hunger. The occasion was a stunt, of course, but had a serious purpose: to show that even the poorest places can mitigate poverty and hunger. Brazil is not in that category, but Ghana, Vietnam and Malawi, which came third, fourth and fifth, are.
B. Action Aid’s list was inevitably influenced by the sort of things that NGOs love: social-protection programmes, constitutional and legal guarantees against poverty, the rejection of free markets. But now comes a more rigorous assessment of poverty-reduction in Brazil, China and India by Martin Ravallion, the director of the World Bank’s Development Research Group. It also suggests that hunger is not simply something that growth will take care of. Mr Ravallion shows that the performance of the giants varies a lot more than their growth. And he too regards Brazil’s performance as exceptional.
C. Between them, Brazil, China and India account for half the world’s poorest people and an even bigger share of those who have escaped poverty. In 1981, 84% of China’s population was below the poverty line of $1.25 a day (in 2005 prices); in 2005 the share was just 16%. This amounted to a 6.6% proportionate annual rate of poverty reduction-the difference between the growth rates of the number of poor and the total population.
D. Nobody did as well as China. Brazil’s share of those in poverty fell by half from 17% to 8%, an annual reduction of 3.2%. India did least well, cutting the share below the poverty line from 60% to 42% between 1981 and 2005. This implies an annual reduction of 1.5% a year, though there are problems with Indian statistics; using different consumption figures yields an annual reduction of 3%, comparable to Brazil’s.
E. As Mr Ravallion points out, these figures do not mirror growth rates. Brazil cut poverty by more than India despite much lower growth, just over 1% a year in 1993-2005, compared with India’s 5%. If you calculate the rate of poverty reduction for each unit of GDP growth per person, Brazil did even better than China: the ratio is 4.3 for Brazil, 0.8 for China and 0.4 for India (0.8 if you use the adjusted consumption figures). Per unit of growth, Brazil reduced its proportional poverty rate five times more than China or India did.
F. How did it do so well? The main explanation has to do with inequality. This, as measured by the Gini index, has fallen sharply in Brazil since 1993, while it has soared in China and risen in India. Greater inequality dampens the poverty-reducing effect of growth. Government policy played a big role in reducing inequality. Brazil’s main cash-transfer programme, called Bolsa Familia, provides help to 11m families, or 60% of all those in the poorest tenth. In contrast, social security in China is still provided largely through the enterprise system (i.e. companies), so it tends to bypass those not in work. And government interventions in India are extraordinarily perverse. People in the poorest fifth are the least likely to have any kind of ration card, the key to public handouts, whereas the richest fifth are the most likely to.
G. Mr Ravallion concludes with some useful lessons. In all three countries, economic stability made a big difference for the better. China cut poverty the most, but did best early on, when agriculture was growing fastest. As growth shifted towards the cities and manufacturing, inequality rose. It might have done even better with Brazilian-style “progressive” policies. India had both growth and social policies, yet did worst because its policies in fact did rather little to help the poor. With its caste system, and bad state schools, India may be a more unequal society than the numbers alone suggest. Both Asian countries could learn some lessons from Brazil. But Brazil, in turn, will not be able to match China’s record in reducing the number of poor people without higher growth.
Questions 28 – 40
The text has seven paragraphs, A-G.
Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below.
i. The impact of a stable economy
ii. Similarities between China And India
iii. The role of equality
iv. The top three
V. China leads
vi. Relationship between growth and poverty
vii. A symbol of success
viii. A more stringent test
28 Paragraph A
29 Paragraph B
30 Paragraph C
31 Paragraph D
32 Paragraph E
33 Paragraph F
34 Paragraph G
Questions 35-40
Complete the summary below.
Choose NO MORE THAN ONE WORD from the text for each answer.
One of the reasons why (35……………)did so well in its fight against (36……………..) is because it was able to reduce the levels of (37………………) in the country. In doing so (38…………….) was higher than it would otherwise have been. It managed to achieve this partly due to the initiative Bolsa Familia which aims to (39…………….) some of the country’s (40……………. ) people.
ANSWER KEY:-
1. FALSE
2. FALSE
3. TRUE
4. TRUE
5. NOT GIVEN
6. TRUE
7. NOT GIVEN
8. C
9. A
10. F
11. D
12. E
13. D
14. B
15. TRUE
16. TRUE
17. FALSE
18. NOT GIVEN
19. F
20. F
21. NOT GIVEN
22. satisfied
23. appetite
24. power
25. obstacles
26. actions
27. planning
28. vii
29. viii
30. iv
31. V
32. vi
33. iii
34. i
35. Brazil
36. poverty
37. inequality
38. growth
39. help
40. poorest
