Table of Contents
BEST IELTS General Reading Test 339
IELTS GENERAL READING TEST – PASSAGE – 2
IELTS GENERAL READING TEST – 339
READING PASSAGE – 2
Leisure Survey
Recently, students at the city’s university carried out a survey about free-time activities and holidays as part of their course. They wanted to find out if city residents like to be active in their free time. They also wanted to find out which sporting activities are the most popular and if different types of people prefer different activities.
The students asked a sample of local inhabitants to take part in the survey and asked them all the same questions. The students were quite surprised by some of the things they found. But if you compare their findings with national statistics, the people taking part in the survey are not unusual.
IELTS General Reading Test
The first question the students asked people was about their favourite sporting activity. About 12% of the people they asked said that the leisure activity they enjoyed doing most in their free time was walking. This was the most popular activity. In second place in the list was swimming. Nine per cent of the people said that they liked doing that best, and in third place came keep-fit exercises. The next questions the students asked were about how often people did their favourite activity and how long they spent on it.
They discovered, for example, that people who like walking spend 108 minutes each month on average on their hobby. These people walk for an average of about five miles per month. But some walkers do less than that. For instance, a lot of people just go fora walk round their local park after lunch at the weekend. And, of course, some walkers do a lot more. For example, the statistic includes a few very keen walkers who go for long walks in the countryside most weekends.
IELTS General Reading Test
The students asked the people in their survey about holidays too. Activity holidays, where people go on a holiday to do a sporting activity, are very popular in Britain, and walking holidays are the most popular of all. The students found that this was just as true of local people as it is nationally. But what type of people take these holidays? The students found out that most people who go on walking holidays are under 35 years of age.
The majority of these people have jobs, and more than 50% of them are single. There were an equal number of men and women going on walking holidays, and the same is true of cycling holidays. Golfing holidays, however, were different. Eighty per cent of people who said they went on golfing holidays were male. Boating holidays, on the other hand, are the ones where you find the largest number of single people.
Not everybody likes activity holidays, however. Sixty-two per cent of the people in the survey have not been on this type of holiday in the last five years. However, 12% of these people said they would like to go on one in the future.
IELTS General Reading Test
Questions 11-20
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text?
Write, TRUE, FALSE OR NOT GIVEN
11. The survey was part of the students’ course.
12. The people who answered the students’ questions all live in the same city.
13. The students sometimes asked different questions.
14. The students were surprised at how difficult the survey was to do.
15. Most people said that walking was their favourite activity.
IELTS General Reading Test
16. Swimming is more popular than keep-fit exercises.
17. Most people who like walking prefer to do it in the countryside.
18. Walking holidays are more popular than other types of activity holiday.
19. More men than women go on walking holidays.
20. Boating holidays and golfing holidays are equally popular with unmarried people.
IELTS General Reading Test
Read the text below and answer Questions 21-29.
Eco Escapes: Cycling Holidays
A. Are you worried about the amount of pollution you cause when you go away on holiday? Both public transport and cars can cause real damage to places that lots of tourists visit, and some people think that this is wrong.
Many British people fly to seaside resorts in places like Spain and Greece on what are called ‘package holidays’, which can leave quite a big carbon footprint. That’s why more and more people are choosing a different type of holiday. Cycling holidays are much greener than holidays by car, train or plane — and you get lots of good exercise as well. So, as well as having a break and seeing different places, you can keep fit too.
IELTS General Reading Test
B. There are different ways of going on a cycling holiday. Of course, there is nothing to stop you going on your own if you want, but often groups of people travel together and plan a route in advance, which may be more fun. Or you may prefer to book a holiday that has been put together by a company which makes all the arrangements in advance, so that you have no worries. On this type of holiday, you also have the chance to make friends with other people who are on the same trip.
C. And there are different types of cycling holiday on offer. Serious cyclists sometimes want to travel a long distance every day, because for them the joy of cycling at speed is part of the fun of the holiday. Other people are more interested in seeing the scenery and exploring the places they pass through, and so they are happy to travel more slowly. It’s up to you what distance you want to cover every day, and most holiday companies offer a range of possibilities to suit the needs of different types of people.
IELTS General Reading Test
D. Many people who go on cycling holidays use a bicycle regularly and choose this type of holiday because they know that they enjoy cycling. So what about if you have never cycled, or if you haven’t been on a bike since you were a young child?
It’s a good idea to do some training before your holiday, especially if you are new to cycling or out of practice. It isn’t necessary to be very strong to ride a bike, but you should be in good health. Cycling in Scotland, for instance, where there are lots of hills, will give you a good physical workout. But if that sounds too much like hard work, choose an area like East Anglia where the landscape is mostly flat.
IELTS General Reading Test
E. There are also a range of options when it comes to how long to stay away and how to make sure you have a bed for the night. Some people prefer what’s known as a ‘centre-based’ holiday, for example, where you return to the same hotel every evening and can have a good meal and a shower. Other people prefer to follow a continuous route — so that they sleep in a different place each night, sometimes carrying a tent with them so that they can go camping.
F. Clearly, it is not practical to cycle with lots of luggage. Holiday companies sometimes arrange for your suitcases to be sent on to your next destination, so that they are there waiting for you when you arrive in the evening. This means that you only need to carry a few things with you every day. Some different types of clothing are a good idea in case the weather changes suddenly, and a good map and an emergency repair kit for your bike are essential.
G. How much your holiday costs will depend on which type you choose. If you want to explore another country or another continent, like Africa or Australia, then you have to travel there before you can start cycling, and that can be expensive. However, camping can be a way of keeping accommodation costs down. But, generally speaking, you will find there is a cycling holiday to suit every pocket.
IELTS General Reading Test
Questions 21-27
Choose the correct heading (ii—ix) in boxes 21-27 on your answer sheet.
List of Headings
i. How fit must I be?
ii. What about overnight accommodation?
iii. Are these holidays expensive?
iv. What must I take with me when I’m cycling?
v. How far can I cycle on this type of holiday?
vi. Are these holidays good for all ages?
vii. What can go wrong on cycling holidays?
viii. Are cycling holidays good for the environment?
ix. Who organises cycling holidays?
IELTS General Reading Test
21. Section A
22. Section B
23. Section C
24. Section D
25. Section E
26. Section F
27. Section G
IELTS General Reading Test
IELTS General Reading Test
ANSWERS
11. TRUE
12. TRUE
13. FALSE
14. NOT GIVEN
15. FALSE
16. TRUE
17. FALSE
18. TRUE
19. FALSE
20. FALSE
21. viii
23. v
24. i
25. ii
26. iv
27. iii
IELTS General Reading Test