IELTS GENERAL READING TEST 28

SECTION 1

Read t he t ext below and answer Quest ions 1-5.

Is Yo ur Child at Scho o l To day?

Scho o l Atte ndance Inf o rmatio n f o r Pare nts/Care rs

Intro ductio n

Receiving a good full-t ime educat ion will give your child t he best possible st art in life. At t ending school regularly

and punct ually is essent ial if children are t o make t he most of t he opport unit ies available t o t hem. The law says

t hat parent s must ensure t hat t heir child regularly at t ends t he school where he/she is regist ered.

What yo u can do to he lp

• Make sure your child arrives at school on t ime. This encourages habit s of good t imekeeping and lessens any

possible classroom disrupt ion. If your child arrives aft er t he regist er has closed wit hout a good reason, t his will be

recorded as an ‘unaut horised’ absence for t hat session.

• If your child has t o miss school it is vit al t hat you let t he school know why, preferably on t he first morning of

absence. (Your child’s school will have an at t endance policy explaining how t his should be done.)

• If you know or t hink t hat your child is having difficult ies at t ending school you should cont act t he school. It is

bet t er t o do t his sooner rat her t han lat er, as most problems can be dealt wit h very quickly.

Autho rise d and Unautho rise d Abse nce

If your child is absent and t he school eit her does not receive an explanat ion from you, or considers t he explanat ion

unsat isfact ory, it will record your child’s absence as ‘unaut horised’, t hat is, as t ruancy.

Most absences for accept able reasons will be aut horised by your child’s school:

• Sickness

• Unavoidable medical or dent al appoint ment s (if possible, arrange t hese for aft er school or during school

holidays)

• An int erview wit h a prospect ive employer or college

• Except ional family circumst ances, such as bereavement

• Days of religious observance.

Your child’s school will not aut horise absence for t he following reasons:

• Shopping during school hours

• Day t rips

• Holidays which have not been agreed

• Birt hdays

• Looking aft er brot hers or sist ers or ill relat ives.

Que stio ns 1-5

Do t he following st at ement s agree wit h t he informat ion given in t he t ext on pages 18 and 19? In boxes 1-5 on your

answer sheet , writ e

TRUE if t he st at ement agrees wit h t he informat ion

FALSE if t he st at ement cont radict s t he informat ion

NOT G IVEN if t here is no informat ion on t his

1. Children must go t o t he school where t hey are regist ered.

2. All arrivals aft er t he regist er has closed are recorded as ‘unaut horised’ absences.

3. If your child is absent from school, you must send t he school a let t er t o explain why.

4. St aff who t hink a child is having difficult ies at school will cont act t he parent s.

5. Schools will cont act ot her aut horit ies about children who t ake frequent unaut horised absences.

Read t he t ext below and answer Quest ions 6-14.

HOLIDAY APARTMENTS TO LET

A Sleeps 2-3. One-bedroom apart ment wit h unint errupt ed sea views. This is a small first floor apart ment in a well-

est ablished apart ment complex cont aining a range of leisure facilit ies and a supermarket for resident s. On t he

edge of t he t own but close t o cafés and rest aurant s. On-st reet parking is generally available.

B Sleeps 2-4. Spacious one-bedroom apart ment in a complex t hat has only just opened, five minut es’ walk from

t he sea. Privat e parking in front of building. It is locat ed in a quiet , unspoilt village wit h a local market , banks, cafés

and rest aurant s. There are some fabulous championship golf courses wit hin easy walking dist ance.

C Sleeps 2+child. One-bedroom cot t age (child’s bed can also be provided), large t errace wit h unint errupt ed views

of t he river and mount ains. A t ruly peaceful locat ion in a pict uresque village, but less t han t en minut es’ drive from

t he coast and all t he amenit ies of a t own. Owners live nearby and are happy t o help in any way t hey can.

D Sleeps 2-5. Two-bedroom apart ment in a complex wit h it s own pool and beaut iful views of t he nat ional park. A

peaceful locat ion just 3 km from t he t own cent re, where t here are plent y of shops and excellent sport s facilit ies.

Superb local golf courses wit hin easy reach.

E Sleeps 2-4. Modern one-bedroom first floor apart ment in house, owners resident on ground floor. This great

locat ion offers easy access t o all t hat t his fant ast ic t own has t o offer, a few minut es’ drive from it s supermarket ,

bank, cafés, rest aurant s. The ferry t o t he island beach leaves from 100 m away. Ten minut es walk from t he new

shopping cent re, which has many shops, food hall, cinema and mult i-st orey car park.

F Sleeps 2. One-bedroom first floor apart ment . Beaut ifully furnished, offering a high st andard of comfort . Sit uat ed

in a peaceful locat ion on t he edge of an inland village, wit h at t ract ive views of t he golf course. Many rest aurant s,

bars, shops et c. are wit hin easy walking dist ance. Garage available by arrangement wit h t he owners.

G Sleeps 2-4. Two-bedroom apart ment in cent ral locat ion in busy st reet wit h shops, rest aurant s et c. not far from

t he beach. The t own has ideal facilit ies for holidays all year round, including swimming pool, t ennis court s and golf

course.
Que stio ns 6-14

The t ext on page 21 has seven sect ions, A—G. For which apart ment are t he following st at ement s t rue?

Writ e t he correct let t er, A-G, in boxes 6-14 on your answer sheet .

NB You may use any let t er more t han once.

6. It overlooks a golf course.

7. It has it s own parking space.

8. It is in t he cent re of a t own.

9. The sea can be seen from it .

10. There is a swimming pool for resident s of t he apart ment complex.

11. It is in a new apart ment complex.

12. It is part of an apart ment complex wit h it s own supermarket .

13. It has a privat e out door area where you can sit .

14. The owners will organise parking on request .

SECTION 2

Read t he t ext below and answer Quest ions 15-21.

G ZJ Trave l – Re cruitme nt Inf o

We’re looking for keen and effect ive people who are passionat e about t ravel t o work as Travel Sales Consult ant s

in our rapidly-growing t eam. Our recruit ment process has five st ages. Here’s how it works:

The first st age is t o use our online applicat ion form t o apply for a current vacancy. This is your chance t o t ell us

about yourself, and t he qualit ies and experience you have t hat make you t he ideal person for t he job. For t he

Travel Sales Consult ant role, you’ll need t o provide us wit h evidence t hat you have ext ensive experience in a

market ing environment , as well as a solid academic background. If you’re int erest ed in a career as a Corporat e

Travel Consult ant , you’ll need at least one year’s experience as a Travel Consult ant .

If you reach St age Two, we’ll arrange a t elephone discussion, where you can find out more about us, including t he

rewards on offer. For inst ance, once a year we like t o acknowledge out st anding effort s and celebrat e successes

wit h our co-workers, and we have prize-giving ceremonies designed t o do just t his.

In St age Three we’ll be able t o give you more informat ion about GZJ Travel, and find out more about you, at an

int erview which you’ll at t end wit h a small group of ot her applicant s. We’ll be asking you about your ambit ions and

of course your sales abilit y, t he most vit al qualit y for our business You’ll also be required t o complet e a

psychomet ric t est so we can find out more about your working st yle and charact erist ics. We’ll also t ell you about

some of t he perks – for example, as a Flight Cent er employee you can t ake advant age of t he free consult at ions

conduct ed by our in-house healt h and wellbeing t eam, Healt hwise.

Next , in St age Four, you’ll be int roduced t o t he Area Leader and you’ll also visit one of our shops, where you’ll meet

t he t eam and find out more about t he sort of work t hat ’s involved. If you successfully pass St age Four, you’ve

reached t he final st age of t he process and we’ll be in t ouch wit h a job offer! And if you accept , we’ll book you int o

our Learning Cent er t o get your t raining under way as soon as possible. Careerwise, t he depart ment responsible

for t he t raining, will t hen organise individual coaching t o assist in set t ing goals for your career pat h.

Que stio ns 15-2 1

Complet e t he flow-chart below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from t he t ext for each answer.

Writ e your answers in boxes 15-21 on your answer sheet .

Read t he t ext below and answer Quest ions 22-27.

Hilto n Labo rato ry

He alth and saf e ty in the wo rkplace

Pe rso nal saf e ty

You must be familiar wit h t he emergency procedures in your building so t hat you know what t o do in t he event of

fire, spillages or ot her accident s. Do not ent er rest rict ed areas wit hout aut horizat ion, and at all t imes observe t he

warnings given. Do not wedge open fire doors or t amper wit h door closures, and do not block doorways, corridors

or st airs, as obst ruct ions may affect access in t he event of a fire. Avoid leaving drawers and doors open

unnecessarily and do not t rail cables or flexes across t he floor.

Ho w to dispo se o f rubbish saf e ly

We aim t o prot ect t he environment by saving and recycling glass, wast e paper, and an increasing range of ot her

mat erials. It is import ant t o check mat erials carefully for cont aminat ion before placing t hem in recycling

cont ainers. Never put sharp object s such as razor blades or broken glass int o wast e bins wit hout having wrapped

t he it ems carefully t o prot ect t hose empt ying t he bins. Ot her wast e procedures may vary — cont act your Building

Manager or Divisional Safet y Officer for advice wit h regard t o your part icular depart ment .

Ho w to handle he avy o bje cts

Make sure t hat shelves are not overloaded and t hat glass and heavy object s are st ored at working height where

t hey will be easier t o reach. Use st eps or ladders t o reach it ems at height ; never climb on benches, t ables or

chairs. Never move anyt hing t hat is beyond your capabilit y. Wherever possible you should use t he t rolleys provided
in t he workplace t o do t he job for you. If repet it ive manual operat ions are rout ine in your work, your depart ment will

ensure you receive appropriat e inst ruct ion on safe working pract ices and post ure.

Staying ale rt

If you become ment ally or physically t ired during t he working day, and find t hat you’re feeling drowsy or not

concent rat ing properly, you could be at risk of causing an accident or making a mist ake t hat could harm you or

your colleagues. To prevent t his, make sure t hat you t ake regular breaks when necessary.

Que stio ns 2 2 -2 7

Complet e t he sent ences below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from t he t ext for each answer.

Writ e your answers in boxes 22-27 on your answer sheet .

22. There are cert ain places in t he building t hat st aff should avoid unless t hey have……….……..

23. To ensure people can get out easily, it is import ant t hat t here are no…………….. t o exit s.

24. It ems which could cause injury must be……….…….before t hey are disposed of.

25. Not all depart ment s have t he same syst em for dealing wit h………….. so you need t o check before t hrowing t hings

away.

26. ……..…… are available t o make t asks which require moving object s easier.

27. You should have…….…….. while you are working.

SECTION 3

Que stio ns 2 8-34

The t ext on pages 28 and 29 has seven sect ions. A-G. Choose t he correct heading for each sect ion from t he list

of headings below.

Writ e t he correct number i-x, in boxes 28-34 on your answer sheet .

List o f He adings

i A decrease in t he zebra populat ion

ii An obst ruct ion on t he t radit ional rout e

iii An unknown species

iv Some confusing informat ion

v St aying permanent ly in t he Makgadikgadi

vi Nearly a record in t he zebra world

vii Three different ways of living

viii The original aim of t he work

ix How was t he informat ion passed on?

X Why it is import ant t o st udy zebras

28 Sect ion A

29 Sect ion B

30 Sect ion C

31 Sect ion D
32 Sect ion E

33 Sect ion F

34 Sect ion G

The Ze bras’ lo ng walk acro ss Af rica

James Gifford invest igat es some int erest ing new research int o migrat ion pat t erns of zebras living in Bot swana in

sout hern Africa

A For any animal t o t ravel over 270 km in Bot swana part ly across t he sand and low bush t errain of t he Kalahari

Desert is a remarkable achievement . But t o do so in 11 days and wit hout any obvious mot ivat ion, as t his zebra

populat ion does, is quit e ext raordinary. On average t heir journey involves an exhaust ing round-t rip of 588 km —

bet ween t he Makgadikgadi salt pan area and t he Okavango river — making it second only t o t he great t rek

undert aken by t he zebra herds in t he Serenget i Nat ional Park. However, what is even more incredible st ill in my view

is t hat unt il recent ly it was complet ely unheard of.

B Hat t ie Bart lam, a researcher, discovered t his migrat ion while she was t racking zebra groups, officially known as

harems, by t he Okavango river for her PhD. Each harem consist s of a st allion and his seven or eight mares wit h

juvenile foals. There is no loyalt y bet ween zebras beyond t his social group, t hough harems oft en gat her t oget her

int o so-called herds. For her st udy, Hat t ie had planned t o compare t he small-scale movement pat t erns of 11

different zebra herds in t he area.

C In December, when t he annual rains had t ransformed t he roads int o rivers, Hat t ie was, t herefore, more t han a

lit t le surprised when she checked t he dat a sent by t he radio collars she fit s t o t he zebras she is t racking t o find

t hat six of t he harems were 270 km away on t he edge of t he Makgadikgadi, a huge mineral-rich area where salt

has collect ed over t he years as wat er evaporat es in t he heat . Then, when t he last of t he moist ure from t he rains

had disappeared in May t he following year, five of t hose harems came wearily back t o t he Okavango. This raised

t he quest ion: why, despit e a plent iful supply of food and wat er, were t he zebras being drawn east wards t o t he salt

pans? Even more difficult t o underst and was what made six of t he groups t ravel so far, while t he ot her five

remained by t he Okavango.

D This discovery creat ed quit e a buzz in t he research communit y. I decided t o visit Hat t ie and she explained t hat

a cent ury ago t he large number of Bot swana’s zebra and wildebeest herds and t he result ing compet it ion for grass

made migrat ion essent ial. One of t he migrat ion t racks went from t he Okavango t o Makgadikgadi. But in t he lat e

1960s, giant fences were put up t o st op foot and mout h and ot her diseases spreading bet ween wildlife and

domest ic cat t le. One of t hese went across t he migrat ion t rack. Though t he animals could get round t he obst acle,

each leg of t heir journey would now be 200 km longer – an impossible dist ance given t he lack of permanent wat er

on t he ext ended rout e. Even t oday, wit h t he fence gone (it was t aken down in 2004), t here is dangerously lit t le

drinking wat er t o support t he zebras on t he ret urn journey t o t he Okavango.

E As a zebra can live up t o 20 years, t he migrat ion must have skipped at least one generat ion during t he 40 or so

years t hat t he fences were up. This prompt s anot her quest ion: it has always been assumed t hat t he young of

social herbivores like zebras learn migrat ory behaviour from t heir parent s, so how did t he lat est generat ion learn

when and where t o go? Not from t heir parent s, who were prevent ed from migrat ing. Did t hey follow anot her

species, such as elephant s? We may never know.

F Hat t ie’s dat a point s t o t he conclusion t hat t here are several zebra populat ions adopt ing different behaviour.

The first , like t he vast majorit y of t he Okavango zebras, t ake it easy, spending t he ent ire year by t he river. The

second group, 15,000-20,000 st rong, work a bit harder. They divide t heir t ime bet ween t he Makgadikgadi salt pans

and t he Bot et i River, which is reasonably near by. They somet imes st ruggle t o find wat er in t he Bot et i area during

t he dry season, oft en moving 30 km in search of fresh grazing. Their reward: t he juicy grass around t he

Makgadikgadi aft er t he rains. The final group of zebras, whose numbers are more modest (t hough as yet

unknown), must surely be considered as among t he animal kingdom’s most remarkable at hlet es. By moving

bet ween t he Okavango and t he salt pans, t hey enjoy t he best of bot h worlds. But t he price t hey pay is an

ext raordinary journey across Bot swana.

G Endangered species nat urally t end t o grab t he headlines, so it ’s refreshing for a relat ively abundant animal like

t he zebra t o be t he cent re of at t ent ion for once. Zebras are a vit al part of t he food chain: underst anding t heir

migrat ion in t urn helps us t o int erpret t he movement s of t heir predat ors, and Hat t ie’s research has shed light on

t he impact of fences on migrat ory animals. So what t riggered her int erest in zebras? She explains t hat it is easier

t o get funding t o st udy excit ing animals like lions. Crucial as t hat undoubt edly is, she believes t hat herbivores like

zebras are key t o underst anding any ecosyst em. The scient ific communit y is fort unat e t hat people like Hat t ie are

willing t o t ake t he hard opt ion.

Que stio ns 35-37

Complet e t he summary below. Choose ONE WORD ONLY from t he t ext for each answer.

Writ e your answers in boxes 35-37 on your answer sheet .

So cial be havio ur in ze bras

Zebras t end t o live t oget her in small unit s, which expert s call 35………… Here, a male zebra has charge of a number of

adult 36……….. and t heir young. These unit s somet imes assemble in bigger groupings or 37………… but it is st ill clear

t hat t he zebras’ loyalt y only ext ends t o t he small unit t hey live in.

Que stio ns 38-40

Choose t he correct let t er, A, B, C or D. Writ e t he correct let t er in boxes 38-40 on your answer sheet .

38 How did Hat t ie feel when she heard some of t he zebras had t ravelled so far?

A annoyed because she would have t o follow t hem t o Makgadikgadi

B disappoint ed t hat not all of t hem made it back t o Okavango

C frust rat ed as t he rains had made t he roads unusable

D unsure as t o t heir real mot ivat ion for going

39 When describing t he different Bot swana zebra populat ions, t he writ er indicat es

A his admirat ion for t he ones who migrat e t he furt hest dist ance.

B his sympat hy for t he ones who st ay by t he Okavango River.

C his disbelief t hat t hose by t he Bot et i have difficult y finding food.

D his anxiet y t hat t heir migrat ion pat t erns may not be able t o cont inue.

40 What does t he writ er suggest in t he final paragraph?

A Too much t ime has been wast ed on research int o t he predat ors like lions.

B It is somet imes necessary t o go against t he t rend in research mat t ers

 C Research will result in a ban on fences in areas where zebras live.

D Research int o animals which are not endangered will increase.

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