Table of Contents
BEST IELTS General Reading Test 312
IELTS GENERAL READING TEST – PASSAGE – 1
IELTS GENERAL READING TEST
READING PASSAGE – 1
FAMILY MEMBERS
Of the three Trickett brothers who left their home in Lincolnshire to fight for the United Kingdom in the First World War, only John would survive. Horace and Billy were among the more than eight million soldiers killed in the Great War, which saw casualties on an unprecedented scale due to the advent of new, more advanced weapons. John, however, was saved by the most ordinary and rudimentary equipment on the entire battlefield: a penny in his breast pocket that deflected a bullet intended for his heart.
The penny, issued in 1889 (10 years before John was born) and severely bent from the bullet’s impact, was sold on March 22, 2019, in Hansons Auctioneers’ Medals and Militaria Auction. Initially, the highest bid was £1,700, vastly exceeding Hansons’ initial estimate of between £100 and £200. Ultimately, it sold for £4500. The lot included a British victory medal as well as Trickett’s 1918 discharge certificate, among other items.
IELTS General Reading Test
Six phone bidders as well as internet bidders battled to own the collection but it was sold to a buyer in the room – Mr. Nigel Trickett, 55, of Owston Ferry, near Doncaster. Mr. Trickett, owner of a carpet business, said: “Private Trickett was my grand-dad and we wanted to keep the medals and penny in the family. It will be handed down. It’s where it belongs and we’ll take a lot of pride in showing it to family members.
“When the story went viral it brought 50 members of the family together – we all got in touch with each other. My grand-dad’s story is very interesting and true. Everything wouldn’t have happened in our family the way it has without that penny
IELTS General Reading Test
While we don’t know precisely when and where Private Trickett had his brush with death, Adrian Stevenson, Hansons’ military expert, says that the incident occurred in 1917, on the war’s Western Front. The bullet, fired by a German soldier, ricocheted off Trickett’s penny and traveled up through Trickett’s nose, exiting through his left ear. Trickett lost hearing in that ear for the rest of his life, his granddaughter Maureen Coulson toid Hansons. Trickett received an honorable discharge from the military in September 1918. After coming home, he got married, had eight children, and worked as a postmaster and switchboard operator.
Coulson answered Hanson’s advertisement for a routine valuation event, bringing the penny and Trickett’s other effects to Stevenson. Ironically, the coin was “one of those real impossible things to value,” says Stevenson, who eventually settled on a relatively low estimate for the item due to the “very modest” value of the metal itself. It’s not the first time in Stevenson’s career that he’s heard of an everyday item blocking a bullet and making the difference between life and death. Bibles, shaving mirrors, and cigarette cases, he says, have all done the same and during the war, some manufacturers even began advertising thicker mirrors, explicitly pitching their life-saving potential.
IELTS General Reading Test
“It’s strange to think,” said Coulson, “that, but for that penny, (Trickett’s] children would not have been born and I wouldn’t be here.” There could be many more families throughout the world who could say the same about other objects: Since Coulson delivered the coin to Hansons, the auction house has also acquired a shrapnel-damaged flask and belt buckle that may have saved their carriers.
“I was born after my grand-dad died but I remember seeing the penny when I was seven. We plan to visit my grand-dad’s grave in Bolton upon Dearne, Yorkshire, on the way home.” The medal was sold by Private Trickett’s grand-daughter Mrs. Maureen Coulson, 63, from Duffield, Derbyshire, who plans to give some of the proceeds to charity.
IELTS General Reading Test
Questions 1-7
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
1. The penny was a piece of equipment issued to all soldiers.
2. The penny that saved Trickett’s life was bought by his grand-son.
3. John Trickett served in the British Army till 1918.
4. The auction house set a low initial price for the penny because it was made of a metal which was not very expensive.
5. But for the penny, there would have been no Mr. Coulson.
6. Thicker shaving mirrors helped to save lives during the war.
7. The auction house had acquired a shrapnel damaged flask that helped save the life of its owner.
IELTS General Reading Test
Read the text below and answer Questions 8 – 14.
Seven Wonders of the World
A. Great Wall of China: The Great Wall of China is a stone-and-earth fortification created to protect the borders of the Chinese Empire from invading Mongols. The Great Wall is actually a succession of multiple walls spanning approximately 4,000 miles, making it the world’s longest manmade structure.
B. Christ the Redeemer Statue (Rio de Janeiro): This statue has been looming over the citizens of Rio de Janeiro from upon Corcovado Mountain in an awe-inspiring state of eternal blessing since 1931. The 130-foot reinforced concrete-and-soapstone statue was designed by Heitor da Silva Costa and cost approximately $250,000 to build.
C. Machu Picchu (Peru): Machu Picchu, an Incan city of sparkling granite is thought by scholars to have been a sacred archaeological center for the nearby Incan capital of Cusco. Built at the peak of the Incan Empire in the mid-1400s, this mountain citadel was later abandoned by the Incas. The site remained unknown except to locals until 1911, when it was rediscovered by archaeologist Hiram Bingham.
IELTS General Reading Test
D. Chichen Itza (Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico): The genius and adaptability of Mayan culture can be seen in the splendid ruins of Chichen Itza. This powerful city, a trading center for cloth, slaves, honey and salt, flourished from approximately AD 800 to 1200, and acted as the political and economic hub of the Mayan civilization.
E. The Roman Colosseum (Rome): Rome’s, if not Italy’s, most enduring icon is undoubtedly its Colosseum. Built between A.D. 70 and 80 A.D., the elliptical structure sat nearly 50,000 spectators, who gathered to watch the gladiatorial events as well as other public spectacles, including battle re-enactments, animal hunts and executions. Earthquakes and stone-robbers have left the Colosseum in a state of ruin.
F. Taj Mahal (Agra, India): A mausoleum commissioned for the wife of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, the Taj Mahal was built between 1632 and 1648. Considered the most perfect specimen of Muslim art in India, the white marble structure actually represents a number of architectural styles, including Persian, Islamic, Turkish and Indian. The Taj Mahal also encompasses formal gardens of raised pathways, sunken flower beds and a linear reflecting pool.
IELTS General Reading Test
G. Petra (Jordan): Petra was the capital of the Nabataean empire of King Aretas IV, and likely existed in its prime from 9 B.C. to A.D. 40. The members of this civilization proved to be early experts in manipulating water technology, constructing intricate tunnels and water chambers. A number of incredible structures carved into ston, a 4,000-seat amphitheater and the El-Deir monastery have also helped the site earn its fame.
IELTS General Reading Test
Questions 8-14
Look at the descriptions of the Seven Wonders of the World.
For which wonders are the following statements true?
8. It has for long been a symbol of not only the city, but also the country where it is located.
9. For a few hundred years, this city was a great commercial hub.
10. This defensive structure protected a country’s borders.
11. This structure encompasses several different styles of construction.
12. This wonder arouses a sense of reverence and seems to be showering its blessings upon the city.
13. This fortress had been deserted by its inhabitants.
14. The capital of an ancient empire, this site has a number of unbelievable structures.
IELTS General Reading Test
ANSWERS ARE BELOW
IELTS General Reading Test
ANSWERS
1. NOT GIVEN
2. TRUE
3. TRUE
4. TRUE
5. FALSE
6. NOT GIVEN
7. NOT GIVEN
8. E
9. D
10. A
11. F
12. B
13. C
14. G
IELTS General Reading Test