BEST IELTS General Reading Test 443

Table of Contents

IELTS GENERAL READING TEST 443 – PASSAGE – 1

IELTS GENERAL READING TEST

READING PASSAGE – 1

Avebury

It is only during the Saxon period that any evidence of a village at Avebury began to appear. When the henge was enjoying its golden age, the beginnings of the village we now know lay over 3,000 years in the future. The builders of the henge could never have imagined the controversy that the result of their labor was to create amongst the later inhabitants of the area, and the treatment it was to receive, as a result of religious zeal and financial gain. The effect the village was to have on the more recent history of the monuments and considerably to the fascination of the Avebury story.

Although a large portion of Avebury village now lies within the henge, throughout the period that the village has existed, the disposition of its buildings has changed. The village of the early Saxon period appears to have lain further to the west, traces of its buildings still being visible today between the present village and the hamlet of Avebury Trusloe. As the village grew, its buildings approached and eventually spread into the interior of the henge itself.

IELTS General Reading Test

It wasn’t until the last century that the historical value of Avebury came to be fully appreciated when Alexander Keiller began to reveal what lay hidden beneath the ground. At this point the history of the village was to change dramatically as the henge, with the help of its owners, was to fight back against the suffering it had endured at the hands of the earlier villagers. The past began to override the future when it was deemed expedient to remove many of the buildings that now existed within its confines. Most of the displaced inhabitants were to be relocated to Avebury Trusloe.

It is believed that Keiller’s intention was to ultimately remove all modern buildings from within the henge, but when World War ii intervened, and his work at Avebury came to an end, this dramatic and controversial change was never to be completed. The buildings that remain within the henge now exist in juxtaposition with the stones that serve to emphasize the remoteness of the culture that built the monument.

IELTS General Reading Test

The village itself holds much interest including the church of St. James which has a long history going back to Saxon times. Within is a rare example of a medieval rood-loft once hidden but rediscovered in 1810. It also contains a notable font believed to be of Saxon origin and later adorned with some interesting carvings during the Norman period.

There is also a fine manor house, alongside which is the Alexander Keiller Museum. This contains detailed information regarding the archaeology of the monuments and has fascinating artefacts from the area on display. Supplementing the Keiller museum is the Barn Gallery also contains some interesting hands-on exhibits and other information
supplied by the National Trust under whose care the monuments now fall.

IELTS General Reading Test

Questions 1-8

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.

The village at Avebury dates back to the 1___________, a time that came many years after the construction of 2__________. The original village was located outside of the existing monuments, and its 3___________ can still be found. When the true importance of Avebury was shown by Alexander Keiller, many villagers were forced to move to 4______. However, his plan to clear the henge of everything was thwarted by 5________.

AIthough younger than the henge, the village is home to many interesting things. Of particular interest is the 6_________ found in the early nineteenth century in St. James’s church. Norman carvings can also be found there. The Alexander Keiller Museum, next to the 7_________ exhibits attractive 8___________ and provides archeological information.

IELTS General Reading Test

Read the text below and answer Questions 9-16.

Directions for purchasing Bees

The best time to establish an Apiary is from the middle of February to the middle of March, the stocks will have passed in safety through the winter, the combs are then empty of brood, the light of honey, and the removal safe and easy. Stocks should be selected by a competent judge, as the weight alone cannot be relied on, a swarm of the preceding year should be selected, and one that contains not less than twelve pounds of honey; there are few commodities in which a person can be so easily deceived as in a hive of Bees.

I would therefore recommend the young Apiarian to take the opinion of some experienced person before he makes his purchase, a hive of the preceding year can only be known by a close inspection of the combs, which but few persons have the courage to engage in; if the hive is not of the preceding year its weight is no criterion of its value, for an old hive always contains a large quantity of the pollen or dust of flowers which the Bees carry home on their legs, especially in the Spring and Autumn, it is an essential ingredient in the food with which they nourish their young, but good for nothing else, indeed the Bees will die of hunger upon the combs that are filled with it:—”Yet,” says Gelieu, “they lay up useless hoards of it, which they go on augmenting every year, and this is the only point on which they can be accused of a want of that prudence and foresight so admirable in every other respect.”

IELTS General Reading Test

The Bees appear to be aware of the perishable nature of this substance, for they never fill a cell entirely with it, but leave room for a small quantity of honey in each cell containing pollen, before it is sealed up, by this means the air is most effectually excluded, and the pollen preserved for a considerable time; should, however, the Bees be compelled to consume the honey from those cells containing pollen before they can make use of it for their young, it moulds and becomes of no value, and causes them great labour to remove it.

For when in this state, they have no means of displacing it but by eating away the cells in which it is contained, and conveying it out of their hives in small pieces, about the size of peas, hard and mouldy. I have seen the entrance of old hives in the month of April almost filled up with the pellets of mouldy farina.

IELTS General Reading Test

The process is tedious, takes up much time, and the ravages made by it upon the combs appear irreparable; still in a short space of time, if the weather is favourable, the combs are repaired, as if no injury had befallen them, and filled with honey or brood. It is a very heavy substance, so that if weight be the only criterion, farina will be purchased instead of honey, therefore in the purchase of old stocks it will be necessary they should weigh eight pounds more than swarms of the preceding year; in the purchase of swarms less experience is necessary, and by attending to the following rules the young Apiarian will not be imposed upon.1st. That the swarm is purchased before the 14th of June, the longer before that time the better.

2ndly. That it does not weigh less than three pounds and a half. I have known some swarms to weigh six pounds, but this is of rare occurrence.

IELTS General Reading Test

It is very important to observe, that when a swarm of Bees is purchased it must be removed to the place in which it is to remain, upon the evening of the day it swarmed, for should the removal be delayed even till the next day, the combs will in all probability be broken and the stock destroyed.

I should recommend the purchaser to send his own hive to the person of whom he intends to buy a swarm and to desire him not to put any sticks across the interior of the hive, as is the usual custom, for they cause much trouble to the Bees in forming their combs, and render their extraction almost impossible. The prosperity of the hive will much (perhaps entirely) depend upon its being finally placed upon the evening of the day it swarmed.

IELTS General Reading Test

Questions 9-16

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.

From the middle of February to the middle of 9 ___________ is the best time to establish an 10____________. Bees leave room for a 11_____________ quantity of honey with even a single cell containing pollen. A 12 __________ of the preceding year should be selected is not only depending on the weight, the one that, does not have less than 13___________ pounds of honey.

The young 14______________ recommended to take opinion on some experienced person before make his purchase. It is very important to observe, when a swarm of Bees is purchased it must be removed to the place in which it is to remain, upon the 15__________ of the day it swarmed, for should the removal be delayed even till the next day… The hive 16__________ will much depend upon its being finally placed upon the evening of the day it swarmed.

IELTS General Reading Test

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