IELTS General Training
Reading Sample Tasks
The IELTS General Training Reading test includes a variety of tasks. The task types are:multiple-choice questions, identifying information, identifying writer’s views/claims,
matching information, matching headings, matching features, matching sentence
endings, sentence completion, summary completion, note completion, tablecompletion, flow-chart completion, diagram label completion, short-answer questions.
Read the details of each task type on our Test format page.

IELTS is jointly owned by the British Council; IDP IELTS; andCambridge University Press & Assessment

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Contents
General Training Reading Sample Task – Flow-chart Completion ................................ 3
General Training Reading Sample Task – Flow-chart Completion (Answers) ............... 5
General Training Reading Sample Task – Identifying Information ................................ 6
General Training Reading Sample Task – Identifying Information (Answers) .............. 9
General Training Reading Sample Task – Matching Information ............................... 10
General Training Reading Sample Task – Matching Information (Answers).............. 12
General Training Reading Sample Task – Matching Features ..................................... 13
General Training Reading Sample Task – Matching Features (Answers) ................... 16
General Training Reading Sample Task – Matching Headings .................................... 17
General Training Reading Sample Task – Matching Headings (Answers) .................. 19
General Training Reading Sample Task – Note Completion ....................................... 20
General Training Reading Sample Task – Note Completion (Answers) ...................... 22
General Training Reading Sample Task – Sentence Completion ................................ 23
General Training Reading Sample Task – Sentence Completion (Answers) ............... 25
General Training Reading Sample Task – Short-answer Questions ........................... 26
General Training Reading Sample Task – Short-answer Questions (Answers) .......... 27
General Training Reading Sample Task – Summary Completion: productive ........... 28
General Training Reading Sample Task – Summary Completion: productive(answers) .......................................................................................................................... 30
General Training Reading Sample Task – True, False, Not Given ............................... 31
General Training Reading Sample Task – True, False, Not Given (Answers) .............. 33

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General Training Reading Sample Task – Flow-chart
Completion

ROBOTS AT WORKAThe newspaper production process has come a longway from the old days when the paper was written,edited, typeset and ultimately printed in one building
with the journalists working on the upper floors andthe printing presses going on the ground floor. Thesedays the editor, subeditors and journalists who put the
paper together are likely to find themselves in a
totally different building or maybe even in a different
city. This is the situation which now prevails in
Sydney. The daily paper is compiled at the editorial
headquarters, known as the prepress centre, in theheart of the city, but printed far away in the suburbs atthe printing centre. Here human beings are in theminority as much of the work is done by automatedmachines controlled by computers.

day’s paper and the publishing order are determinedat head office, the information is punched into thecomputer and the LGVs are programmed to go about
their work. The LGVs collect the appropriate size
paper reels and take them where they have to go.
When the press needs another reel its computer alerts
the LGV system. The Sydney LGVs move busily
around the press room fulfilling their two key
functions to collect reels of newsprint either from thereel stripping stations, or from the racked supplies in
the newsprint storage area. At the stripping station
the tough wrapping that helps to protect a reel ofpaper from rough handling is removed. Anydamaged paper is peeled off and the reel is thenweighed.

E
B
Once the finished newspaper has been created for the
next morning’s edition, all the pages are transmitted
electronically from the prepress centre to the printing
centre. The system of transmission is an update on thesophisticated page facsimile system already in use on
many other newspapers. An imagesetter at theprinting centre delivers the pages as film. Each pagetakes less than a minute to produce, although forcolour pages four versions, once each for black, cyan,
magenta and yellow are sent. The pages are thenprocessed into photographic negatives and the film isused to produce aluminum printing plates ready forthe presses.

Then one of the four paster robots moves in.
Specifically designed for the job, it trims the paper
neatly and prepares the reel for the press. If required
the reel can be loaded directly onto the press; if notneeded immediately, an LGV takes it to the storage
area. When the press computer calls for a reel, an
LGV takes it to the reel loading area of the presses. It
lifts the reel into the loading position and places it in
the correct spot with complete accuracy. As each reelis used up, the press drops the heavy cardboard core
into a waste bin. When the bin is full, another LGV
collects it and deposits the cores into a shredder forrecycling.

FC
A procession of automated vehicles is busy at the newprinting centre where the Sydney Morning Herald isprinted each day. With lights flashing and warning
horns honking, the robots (to give them their correct
name, the LGVs or laser guided vehicles) look for all
the world like enthusiastic machines from a science
fiction movie, as they follow their own random paths
around the plant busily getting on with their jobs.
Automation of this kind is now standard in all modern
newspaper plants. The robots can detect unauthorised
personnel and alert security staff immediately if theyfind an “intruder”; not surprisingly, tall tales are
already being told about the machines starting to takeon personalities of their own.

The LGVs move at walking speed. Should anyone
step in front of one or get too close, sensors stop thevehicle until the path is clear. The company has
chosen a laser guide function system for the vehicles
because, as the project development manager says
“The beauty of it is that if you want to change theroutes, you can work out a new route on yourcomputer and lay it down for them to follow”. Whenan LGV’s batteries run low, it will take itself off line
and go to the nearest battery maintenance point for
replacement batteries. And all this is achieved withabsolute minimum human input and a much reduced
risk of injury to people working in the printing
centres.

G
D
The robots’ principal job, however, is to shift thenewsprint (the printing paper) that arrives at the plantin huge reels and emerges at the other end
some time later as newspapers. Once the size of the

Page 3 of 33

The question newspaper workers must now ask,
however is, “how long will it be before the robots are
writing the newspapers as well as running theprinting centre, churning out the latest edition every
morning?”

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Questions 33 – 40
Complete the flow-chart below.
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the text for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 33-40 on your answer sheet.

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General Training Reading Sample Task – Flow-chart
Completion (Answers)
33

transmitted (electronically)

34(photographic) film/negative(s)35(aluminium) printing plates

36

programmed

37

damaged paper/wrapping38

weighed39

paster robot(s)40storage area

Words in brackets are optional - they are correct, but not necessary. Alternative answers are
separated by a slash (/).

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General Training Reading Sample Task – Identifying
Information
Read the text below and answer Questions 1-8.

London to Brighton Bike Ride
The start
The bike ride starts at Clapham Common tube station.
• Your Start Time is indicated by the colour of your body number in thispack. It is also printed on the address label of the envelope. Please arrive
no earlier than 30 minutes before that time.
• We allocate an equal number of cyclists for each Start Time to ensure asteady flow. Please keep to the time you've been given so we can keep
to our schedule and avoid delaying other riders and prevent 'bunching'further down the route.
• An Information Point, toilets and refreshment stands will be open fromvery early in the day.
Ride carefully
We put together as many facilities as possible to help ensure you have a
trouble-free day. But we also rely on you to ride safely and with due
consideration for other cyclists and road users. Although many roads areclosed to oncoming traffic, this is not always the case and you should be awareof the possibility that there could be vehicles coming in the opposite direction.
Please do not attempt reckless overtaking whilst riding – remember it is NOT
a race.
Follow all instructions
Every effort is made to ensure that the route is well signed and marshalled.
Please obey all directions from police and marshals on the route. If you heara motorcycle marshal blow his/her whistle three times, move left.
Wear a helmet
Every year we are delighted to see more riders wearing protective helmets, but
we would like to see every cyclist on the ride wearing one. More than half ofreported injuries in cycling accidents are to the head, and a helmet gives thebest protection when the head hits the ground.
Attracting assistanceIf you have an accident, ask a marshal for help; they are in contact with thesupport/emergency services. To call for help from our motorcycle
marshals, give a 'thumbs down' signal. The marshal will do all he/she
can to help, providing he/she is not already going to a more serious
accident. If a motorcycle marshal slows down to help you, but you havejust stopped for a rest and don't need help, please give a 'thumbs up' signal
and he/she will carry on. Remember – thumbs down means 'I need help'.

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In case of breakdown
Refer to your route map and make your way to a Mechanics Point. Mechanicalassistance is free when you show your Rider Identity Card; you just pay for theparts.
Refreshment stops
Look out for these along the route. Most are organised by voluntary clubs andtheir prices give you real value for money. They are also raising money for theirlocal communities and the British Heart Foundation, so please give them yoursupport.
Rain or shine – be preparedIn the event of very bad weather, watch out for signs to wet weather stations
en route. Good waterproofs, like a cycle cape, are essential. Our first aid staff
can only supply bin liners and by the time you get one you may be very wet.
However, the English summer is unpredictable – it may also be hot, so don't
forget the sun protection cream as well!
If you have to drop out
We will try to pick up your bike for you on the day. Call Bike Events (01225
310859) no more than two weeks after the ride to arrange collection. Sorry, we
cannot guarantee this service nor can we accept liability for any loss or damage
to your bike. Bike Events will hold your bike for three months, after which it
may be disposed of. You will be charged for all costs incurred in returning yourcycle.

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Questions 1 – 8
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text?
In boxes 1-8 on your answer sheet, write
TRUE
FALSE
NOT GIVEN

if the statement agrees with the information
if the statement contradicts the information
if there is no information on this1

You should not arrive more than half an hour before your allocated starting time.

2

Your Rider Identity Card will be sent to you before the event.

3

Some roads may have normal traffic flow on them.

4

Helmets are compulsory for all participants.

5

Refreshments are free to all participants during the ride.

6

If you need a rest you must get off the road.

7

First aid staff can provide cycle capes.

8

Bike Events will charge you for the return of your bike.

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General Training Reading Sample Task – Identifying
Information (Answers)
1

TRUE

2

NOT GIVEN

3

TRUE

4

FALSE

5

FALSE

6

NOT GIVEN

7

FALSE

8

TRUE

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General Training Reading Sample Task – Matching
Information
Questions 1 – 8
Look at the five advertisements, A-E.
Which advertisement mentions the following?
Write the correct letter, A-E, in boxes 1-8 on your answer sheet.
NB
You may use any letter more than once.

1

up-to-date teaching systems

2

that the institution has been established for a significant time3

examination classes

4

that arrangements can be made for activities outside class5

the availability of courses for school students

6

language teaching for special purposes

7

a wide variety of language choices

8evening classes

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General Training Reading Sample Task – Matching
Information (Answers)
1

B

2

E

3

E

4

C

5

D

6

B

7

A

8

D

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General Training Reading Sample Task – Matching
Features[Note: This is an extract from a General Training Reading text on the subjectof the history of cinema. The text preceding this extract gave a general overview.]

Although French, German, American and British pioneers have all been creditedwith the invention of cinema, the British and the Germans played a relatively
small role in its worldwide exploitation. It was above all the French, followed
closely by the Americans, who were the most passionate exporters of the newinvention, helping to start cinema in China, Japan, Latin America and Russia. In
terms of artistic development it was again the French and the Americans who
took the lead, though in the years before the First World War, Italy, Denmarkand Russia also played a part.
In the end it was the United States that was to become, and remain, the largest
single market for films. By protecting their own market and pursuing a vigorous
export policy, the Americans achieved a dominant position on the world market
by the start of the First World War. The centre of filmmaking had moved
westwards, to Hollywood, and it was films from these new Hollywood studiosthat flooded onto the world’s film markets in the years after the First World War,and have done so ever since. Faced with total Hollywood domination, few film
industries proved competitive. The Italian industry, which had pioneered thefeature film with spectacular films like “Quo Vadis?” (1913) and “Cabiria” (1914),
almost collapsed. In Scandinavia, the Swedish cinema had a brief period ofglory, notably with powerful epic films and comedies. Even the French cinema
found itself in a difficult position. In Europe, only Germany proved industriallycapable, while in the new Soviet Union and in Japan, the development of thecinema took place in conditions of commercial isolation.
Hollywood took the lead artistically as well as industrially. Hollywood films
appealed because they had better constructed narratives, their special effects
were more impressive, and the star system added a new dimension to screen
acting. If Hollywood did not have enough of its own resources, it had a great dealof money to buy up artists and technical innovations from Europe to ensure its
continued dominance over present or future competition.
From early cinema, it was only American slapstick comedy that successfully
developed in both short and feature format. However, during this ‘Silent Film’era, animation, comedy, serials and dramatic features continued to thrive, alongwith factual films or documentaries, which acquired an increasing distinctivenessas the period progressed. It was also at this time that the avant-garde film firstachieved commercial success, this time thanks almost exclusively to the French
and the occasional German film.
Of the countries which developed and maintained distinctive national cinemas in
the silent period, the most important were France, Germany and the Soviet
Union. Of these, the French displayed the most continuity, in spite of the war
and post-war economic uncertainties. The German cinema, relatively
insignificant in the pre-war years, exploded on to the world scene after 1919. Yet
even they were both overshadowed by the Soviets after the 1917 Revolution.
They turned their back on the past, leaving the style of the pre-war Russian

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cinema to the émigrés who fled westwards to escape the Revolution.
The other countries whose cinemas changed dramatically are: Britain, which
had an interesting but undistinguished history in the silent period; Italy, which
had a brief moment of international fame just before the war; the Scandinavian
countries, particularly Denmark, which played a role in the development of silent
cinema quite out of proportion to their small population; and Japan, where acinema developed based primarily on traditional theatrical and, to a lesser
extent, other art forms and only gradually adapted to western influence.

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Questions 34 – 40
Look at the following statements (Questions 34-40) and the list of countries
below. Match each statement with the correct country, A-J.
Write the correct letter, A-J, in boxes 34-40 on your answer sheet.
NB You may use any letter more than once.
34

It helped other countries develop their own film industry.

35

It was the biggest producer of films.

36

It was first to develop the 'feature' film.

37

It was responsible for creating stars.

38

It made the most money from 'avant-garde' films.

39

It made movies based more on its own culture than outside influences.

40

It had a great influence on silent movies, despite its size.

List of Countries
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J

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FranceGermanyUSA
Denmark
SwedenJapan
RussiaItaly
Britain
China

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General Training Reading Sample Task – Matching
Features (Answers)
34

A

35

C

36

H

37

C

38

A

39

F

40

D

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General Training Reading Sample Task – Matching
Headings
Questions 27 – 32
The text has seven paragraphs, A-G.
Choose the correct heading for paragraphs A, B and D-G from the list ofheadings below.
Write the correct number, i-ix,in boxes 27-32 on your answer sheet.

List of Headings
i
ii
iii
iv
v
vi
vii
viii
ix

27

Paragraph A

28

Paragraph B

Robots working together
Preparing LGVs for takeover
Looking ahead
The LGVs’ main functions
Split location for newspaper production
Newspapers superseded by technology
Getting the newspaper to the printing centre
Controlling the robots
Beware of robots!

ExampleParagraph C
29

Paragraph D

30

Paragraph E

31

Paragraph F

32

Paragraph G

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ix

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ROBOTS AT WORKAThe newspaper production process has come a longway from the old days when the paper was written,edited, typeset and ultimately printed in one building
with the journalists working on the upper floors andthe printing presses going on the ground floor. Thesedays the editor, subeditors and journalists who put the
paper together are likely to find themselves in a
totally different building or maybe even in a different
city. This is the situation which now prevails in
Sydney. The daily paper is compiled at the editorial
headquarters, known as the prepress centre, in theheart of the city, but printed far away in the suburbs atthe printing centre. Here human beings are in theminority as much of the work is done by automatedmachines controlled by computers.

day’s paper and the publishing order are determinedat head office, the information is punched into thecomputer and the LGVs are programmed to go about
their work. The LGVs collect the appropriate size
paper reels and take them where they have to go.
When the press needs another reel its computer alerts
the LGV system. The Sydney LGVs move busily
around the press room fulfilling their two key
functions to collect reels of newsprint either from thereel stripping stations, or from the racked supplies in
the newsprint storage area. At the stripping station
the tough wrapping that helps to protect a reel ofpaper from rough handling is removed. Anydamaged paper is peeled off and the reel is thenweighed.

E
B
Once the finished newspaper has been created for the
next morning’s edition, all the pages are transmitted
electronically from the prepress centre to the printing
centre. The system of transmission is an update on thesophisticated page facsimile system already in use on
many other newspapers. An imagesetter at theprinting centre delivers the pages as film. Each pagetakes less than a minute to produce, although forcolour pages four versions, once each for black, cyan,
magenta and yellow are sent. The pages are thenprocessed into photographic negatives and the film isused to produce aluminium printing plates ready forthe presses.

Then one of the four paster robots moves in.
Specifically designed for the job, it trims the paper
neatly and prepares the reel for the press. If required
the reel can be loaded directly onto the press; if notneeded immediately, an LGV takes it to the storage
area. When the press computer calls for a reel, an
LGV takes it to the reel loading area of the presses. It
lifts the reel into the loading position and places it in
the correct spot with complete accuracy. As each reelis used up, the press drops the heavy cardboard core
into a waste bin. When the bin is full, another LGV
collects it and deposits the cores into a shredder forrecycling.

FC
A procession of automated vehicles is busy at the newprinting centre where the Sydney Morning Herald isprinted each day. With lights flashing and warning
horns honking, the robots (to give them their correct
name, the LGVs or laser guided vehicles) look for all
the world like enthusiastic machines from a science
fiction movie, as they follow their own random paths
around the plant busily getting on with their jobs.
Automation of this kind is now standard in all modern
newspaper plants. The robots can detect unauthorised
personnel and alert security staff immediately if theyfind an “intruder”; not surprisingly, tall tales are
already being told about the machines starting to takeon personalities of their own.

The LGVs move at walking speed. Should anyone
step in front of one or get too close, sensors stop thevehicle until the path is clear. The company has
chosen a laser guide function system for the vehicles
because, as the project development manager says
“The beauty of it is that if you want to change theroutes, you can work out a new route on yourcomputer and lay it down for them to follow”. Whenan LGV’s batteries run low, it will take itself off line
and go to the nearest battery maintenance point for
replacement batteries. And all this is achieved withabsolute minimum human input and a much reduced
risk of injury to people working in the printing
centres.

G
D
The robots’ principal job, however, is to shift thenewsprint (the printing paper) that arrives at the plantin huge reels and emerges at the other end
some time later as newspapers. Once the size of the

Page 18 of 33

The question newspaper workers must now ask,
however is, “how long will it be before the robots are
writing the newspapers as well as running theprinting centre, churning out the latest edition every
morning?”

IELTS.org

General Training Reading Sample Task – Matching
Headings (Answers)
27

v

28

vii

29

iv

30

i

31

viii

32

iii

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General Training Reading Sample Task – Note
Completion

Read the text below and answer Questions 1-6.

CITY MEDIA INTERNSHIPS
We are a proudly Canadian organization offering six annual internships, valued at $10,000
each, to deserving persons from minority groups. We offer career assistance, and an
opportunity for these individuals to demonstrate the talent they have and get hands-on
experience in broadcasting. We hope that our commitment to these groups becomes anindustry-wide model of acceptance. Our goal is to have the City Media family mirror thediversity that makes our nation strong.
The internship winners will work at one of our two speciality TV stations. The Connect station
provides programming on regional events, while the emphasis at Transview is on instructionalshows. Each intern will work in an entry-level position within an area that meets therequirements of the company and be paid at the opening rate set by the company for that
position. If the assignment makes relocation necessary, a maximum $1,500 grant is provided toassist with these expenses.
Interested broadcasting applicants should provide evidence of full-time enrolment in the field of
broadcasting at an accredited post-secondary institution. An official transcript from theeducational institution is also required. Mature students may replace this transcript with a onepage typewritten statement of their goals. References from three teachers or employers will benecessary if the application proceeds.
Once your application is accepted, you will receive a confirmation letter by mail from Personnel.
The application is then referred to a Canada-wide panel of City Media employees. These
individuals are familiar with the positions that would be considered a complementary fit withyour stated career path. They will put together a shortlist of promising candidates and conduct
an in-person or telephone interview. The type of interview will vary with the distance of eachcandidate. The hiring decisions of the panel are final.
If a candidate is not eligible, the application will be removed from the competition, as will those
whose applications and accompanying documents are received later than the deadline forsubmission. No exceptions can be made for delayed, lost or misdirected mail.

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Questions 1 – 6
Complete the notes below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the text for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet.

CITY MEDIA INTERNSHIPS•

internships:- allow minorities to gain 1 ................ and show their talents- further City Media’s aim to reflect the 2 ................. of people in Canada•

internship at Transview focuses on educational broadcasting•an additional amount of money is given if 3 ................ is required•

support application with:- proof of present 4 ............... in broadcasting studies- a 5................ issued by your school•a panel decides which jobs are a good fit for each intern•interview method depends on 6 ………….

•

company strict about the deadline stated for applications

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General Training Reading Sample Task – Note
Completion (Answers)
1. experience
2. diversity
3. relocation
4. enrolment ■ enrollment
5. transcript
6. distance

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General Training Reading Sample Task – Sentence
Completion[Note: This is an extract from a General Training Reading text on the subject ofunderstanding bee behaviour. The text preceding this extract described Karl von
Frisch's experiments and his conclusions about two bee dances.]

At first, von Frisch thought the bees were responding only to the scent of the food.
But what did the third dance mean? And if bees were responding only to the scent,
how could they also ‘sniff down’ food hundreds of metres away from the hive*, food
which was sometimes downwind? On a hunch, he started gradually moving thefeeding dish further and further away and noticed as he did so that the dances of the
returning scout bees also started changing. If he placed the feeding dish over nine
metres away, the second type of dance, the sickle version, came into play.
But once he moved it past 36 metres, the scouts would then start dancing the third,
quite different, waggle dance.
The measurement of the actual distance too, he concluded, was precise. For
example, a feeding dish 300 metres away was indicated by 15 complete runs
through the pattern in 30 seconds. When the dish was moved to 60 metres away,
the number dropped to eleven.
Von Frisch noted something further. When the scout bees came home to tell theirsisters about the food source, sometimes they would dance outside on the horizontal
entrance platform of the hive, and sometimes on the vertical wall inside. And,depending on where they danced, the straight portion of the waggle dance would
point in different directions. The outside dance was fairly easy to decode: the straight
portion of the dance pointed directly to the food source, so the bees would merely
have to decode the distance message and fly off in that direction to find their food.
But by studying the dance on the inner wall of the hive, von Frisch discovered a
remarkable method which the dancer used to tell her sisters the direction of the foodin relation to the sun. When inside the hive, the dancer cannot use the sun, so she
uses gravity instead. The direction of the sun is represented by the top of the hive
wall. If she runs straight up, this means that the feeding place is in the same
direction as the sun. However, if, for example, the feeding place is 40º to the left ofthe sun, then the dancer would run 40º to the left of the vertical line. This was to be
the first of von Frisch’s remarkable discoveries. Soon he would also discover anumber of other remarkable facts about how bees communicate and, in doing so,
revolutionise the study of animal behaviour generally.
* Hive – a ‘house’ for bees; the place where they build a nest and live

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Questions 38 – 40
Complete the sentences below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the text for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 38-40 on your answer sheet.
38

Von Frisch discovered the difference between dance types by changing theposition of the .................. .

39

The dance outside the hive points in the direction of the ............... .

40

The angle of the dance from the vertical shows the angle of the food from the............... .

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General Training Reading Sample Task – Sentence
Completion (Answers)
38

feeding dish39

food (source)

40

sun

Words in brackets are optional - they are correct, but not necessary.

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General Training Reading Sample Task – Shortanswer Questions
Questions 4 – 8
Answer the questions below.
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the text for eachanswer.
Write your answers in boxes 4-8 on your answer sheet.
4

What has been found in some Fancy Foods products?

5

Where can you find the batch number on the jars?

6

How much will you receive for an opened jar of contaminated Chicken Curry?

7

If you have eaten Chicken Curry from a jar with one of the batch numbers listed, whomshould you contact?

8

What is the maximum reward Fancy Foods is offering for information about who
contaminated their product?

IMPORTANT NOTICE: PRODUCT RETURN
Fancy Foods wishes to inform the public that pieces of metal have been found in some jars of Fancy
Foods Chicken Curry (Spicy). The batches of the jars involved have numbers from J6617 to J6624. The
batch number is printed on the bottom of each jar.
If you have any jars with these batch numbers, please return them (preferably unopened) to thesupermarket where you purchased them. You can also return them to the factory (Fancy Foods
Retailers, Blacktown). Fancy Foods will pay $10 for each jar returned unopened and $5 for each jar
already opened.
No payment will be made for empty jars, which do not need to be returned. However, the RetailingManager will be interested to hear from people who have consumed chicken curry from any of the above
batch numbers. In particular, it will be helpful if they can give information about the place of purchase of
the product.
Jars of Fancy Foods Chicken Curry (Coconut) and Fancy Foods Chicken Curry (Mango) have not been
affected and do not need to be returned.

REWARD
Fancy Foods will pay a reward of $10,000 to $50,000 for information which leads to the conviction of
any person found guilty of placing metal pieces in its products. If you have such information, pleasecontact the Customer Relations Manager, Fancy Foods Retailers, Blacktown.

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General Training Reading Sample Task – Shortanswer Questions (Answers)
4

pieces of metal5(on) the bottom

6

$5

7

(the) Retailing Manager

8$50,000

Words in brackets are optional - they are correct, but not necessary.

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General Training Reading Sample Task – Summary
Completion: productive[Note: this is an extract from a General Training Reading text on the subject of political units in
the history of West Africa.]

Read the text below and answer Questions 1-5.

Political units in the history of West Africa
Ife, perched at the edge of Nigeria’s forest, is thought to have come to prominence
through its control of local products – including ivory, gold and pepper – in external
trade. By AD 1300, its walled capital was at the peak of its wealth, with many
shrines featuring elaborate pavements made of pieces of pottery, and a richtradition of creating brass and terracotta sculptures, including ones of people richly
adorned in ceremonial regalia. Many of these have survived. Subsistence for thelarge elite and artisan population appears to have been based upon small livestockand the cultivation of vegetables. Around AD 1500, the city of Ife declined, and theregion’s center of power shifted to Benin without any appreciable break in cultural
tradition.

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Questions 1 – 5.
Complete the summary below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the text for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet.

Ife
The state of Ife adjoined the 1 ............... in Nigeria, and traded a variety of goods, including
metals such as 2 ................. . Floors in religious buildings were made from bitsof 3 ………… . There are many surviving examples of 4................ made of brass or
terracotta. The population lived on animal products, and crops such as 5 ………… .

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General Training Reading Sample Task – Summary
Completion: productive (answers)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

forestgold
pottery
sculptures
vegetables

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General Training Reading Sample Task – True, False,
Not Given
Read the text below and answer Questions 1-6.

Railway Season Tickets
Types of Season Tickets
Standard season tickets allow unlimited travel between the two train stations shown on the ticket
for the full duration of their validity. You can break your journey at any train station between theorigin and destination station on your season ticket.
Combined rail-and-bus season tickets are available from some rail stations. This means if you
can make your main journey by rail, you can then complete it by bus. Two separate season tickets
may be required for some destinations.

Ticket Duration
7-day
These normally cost less than five standard day-returns. They are valid for a full seven days’ rail
travel between the points shown on the train ticket.
MonthlyMonthly season tickets are priced at less than four times the cost of 7-day train tickets and are
valid for a full calendar month from the date of commencement.
Annual Card
This gives you a full calendar year’s weekday travel for the price of only 40 weekly tickets. Annual
Card holders can also save a third on the price of most Standard Class train fares in the region
at weekends and on Bank Holidays. You can also take up to three adults with you at the same
discount, while up to four children (aged 5–15) may accompany you for a minimum of £1 each.
How do I buy my first season ticket?
Your season ticket is not valid without a photocard, and both must always be carried together. A
photocard will be issued to you free of charge when you first purchase a season ticket. You justneed to take a passport-sized photograph to a ticket office and we’ll do the rest. As long as yourphoto remains a good likeness, you can continue to use the photocard with any subsequentseason tickets that you buy.

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Questions 1 – 6
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text on page 1?
In boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet, write
TRUE
FALSE
NOT GIVEN

if the statement agrees with the information
if the statement contradicts the information
if there is no information on this1

You are allowed to stop off at an intermediate station when making a journey using astandard season ticket.

2

When using a combined rail-and-bus season ticket, the major part of your journeymust be by train.

3

It is more expensive to buy four 7-day tickets than a monthly season ticket for thesame journey.

4

Annual Card season tickets entitle you to savings on other rail journeys outside of theworking week.

5Children under the age of 5 are charged one third of the full ticket price whenaccompanying you on an Annual Card journey.

6

The photo you supply at the time of application is displayed on your season ticket.

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General Training Reading Sample Task – True, False,
Not Given (Answers)
1. True
2. True
3. True
4. True
5. Not Given
6. False

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