Table of Contents
BEST IELTS General Reading Test 413
IELTS GENERAL READING TEST 413 – PASSAGE – 1
IELTS GENERAL READING TEST – 413
READING PASSAGE – 1
Read the information below and answer Questions 1-7.
Water-wise rebates
This government scheme encourages homeowners to use water more wisely. You can now receive generous rebates if you buy any of these water-saving products for your home.
Water-efficient showerhead
Everyone takes showers, but some showerheads are much better at regulating the flow of water, and this can build up considerable water savings. If you purchase a low-flow showerhead with a rating of 3 stars or more, you can claim up to $30.
IELTS General Reading Test
Dual-flush toilet
Dual-flush toilets enable you to make considerable savings in water use. If you replace your current single flush system with a dual-flush toilet suite with a star rating of 3 stars or more, you are eligible for a rebate of $150.
Water-efficient garden goods
Certain types of mulch or soil improver products help to improve the water retention qualities of your soil and this reduces the amount of watering that you need to do on hot, dry summer days. If you buy water efficient garden goods, you are eligible for a rebate of up to $200.
IELTS General Reading Test
Rainwater tanks
Rainwater tanks help you to build up a secondary store of water for your garden, or even for your home in an emergency. If you buy and fit a plumbed-in rainwater tank (connected to your house) of a minimum of 3000 litres capacity you are eligible for rebates of between 200 and 1000.
For full terms and conditions and how to apply – phone 1800 888 900.
Questions 1-7
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the text for each answer.
1. Who is offering the water-wise rebates?
2. What are water-wise shower heads better at controlling?
3. How much cash can you receive for having a dual-flush suite fitted?
4. With what aspect of water efficiency do some kinds of garden goods help the soil?
5. What type of rainwater tank is eligible for a rebate?
IELTS General Reading Test
6. What is the minimum capacity of a water tank needed to claim the rebate?
7. If you phone the number given you will receive details of how to make a claim, a complete explanation of what is being offered, and what else?
Read the text and answer Questions 8-14.
How To Shop Green
Considering “going green”? You’re probably not the only one.
Enter almost any grocery store and you’re bound to find so-called green cleaning products next to traditional ones. Take Tide Cold Water detergent. Procter & Gamble claims it deep cleans clothes in cold water, cutting down on your energy use, not to mention your energy bill. Car buyers have plenty of environmentally friendly models from which to choose, and energy-efficient appliances get prominent placement on showroom floors. Even retailers are getting in on the act. Sweden-based fashion emporium H&M introduced a green line in spring 2007, offering frocks and tops made with organic cotton.
IELTS General Reading Test
But while an ever-growing range of “green” consumer products are finding their way into our homes, there is very little in the way of industry standard. One manufacturer’s green product may have been produced in an entirely different manner than another’s. As a result, experts say it’s good to maintain a healthy dose of skepticism when choosing environmentally friendly products, and to rely on a select group of organizations monitoring the practices of certain industries.
Do Your Homework
Dig a bit and you’ll likely come across the word “greenwashing.” This, according to Julia Cosgrove, deputy editor of ReadyMade, a San Francisco-based magazine that focuses on do-it-yourself, sustainable projects, entails marketing a product as environmentally conscious without enough evidence that it really is. “Much of what we’re seeing now is just spin,” she says. “When you look further, many of these companies are still making a big environmental footprint.” Translation: Even if a retailer offers clothes made with organic cotton, chances are they are being shipped via huge, gas-sucking airplanes.
IELTS General Reading Test
Another example is vinyl. It is used in a great deal of vegan shoes, but the production of the material can create dioxin, a known carcinogen. Clothing company Edun has experienced a case of greenwashing. Although some of its products are made of organic cotton, the company’s main objective is to produce ethical (fairly traded, socially responsible) – not green – clothing. Although both concepts are positive, they certainly don’t mean the same thing. Edun is an ethical clothing company, and although they take measures to protect the environment, they should not be categorized as green. How to tell one from the other? Look to several watchdog organizations for a real education.
Digging Deeper
Netherlands-based Made-By tracks a garment’s environmental footprint from the first thread on, and the International Forest Stewardship Alliance certifies wood-made products by ensuring that manufacturers collecting lumber are making the best use of forest resources, reducing damage and waste, and avoiding overconsumption and overharvesting. You can find a complete listing of their findings on www.fscus.org.
IELTS General Reading Test
The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) labeling system, Design For The Environment (DfE), ensures that the chemicals in DfE-certified products–like Earth Choice’s new range of household cleaners–are environmentally preferable, which means such products are created with lower volatile organic compounds. High levels of these materials can damage soil and groundwater, and emit greenhouse gasses, contributing to global warming.
Kitchen appliances now possess one of the most widely recognized labels, EnergyStar, another EPA-run unit. These labels ensure an appliance meets energy-efficient guidelines set by the EPA and the Department of Energy. Criteria for each appliance differs and can be found on www.energystar.gov under the Products tab.
IELTS General Reading Test
“It’s a fairly well-known metric that will reduce your energy use and save you money,” says Ron Jones, founder of Greenbuilder, a development, media and consulting firm dedicated to sustainable development and green building, of EnergyStar. Often, buying a new, energy-saving air conditioner will save you in the end since older models not only cost more to run but often don’t work as well.
Whether you’re buying one piece of green clothing or remodeling your entire home with energy-efficient appliances, Jones says it’s important to note how your everyday activities affect the environment.
“If you start to look at a person in terms of their individual footprint, which includes their transportation habits, eating habits, clothing and housing, it starts to get very complex,” he says. “Think through everything. Determine how it will affect your everyday living conditions, and your quality of life going forward.”
IELTS General Reading Test
Questions 8 – 14
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
8. In many car showrooms you can find
A. ‘green cars on special offer
B. ‘green cars’ are easy to notice
C. green cars in short supply
9. These days like-for-like green products
A. are manufactured in very similar ways
B. must meet the requirements of a ‘standards’ organisation
C. could be produced very differently
IELTS General Reading Test
10. Julia Cosgrove believes that
A. the majority of companies are producing genuinely green products
B. many companies do not tell consumers the full story
C. are doing the best they can to be greener
11. Made-By is able to monitor
A. the carbon footprint for the manufacture of clothes
B. the complete manufacturing process for all products
C. the carbon footprint for the early stage of clothes manufacture
IELTS General Reading Test
12. Earth’s Choice
A. is an environmental protection agency
B. produces cleaning products
C. is an EPA partner
13. Ron Jones thinks that
A. you should use your exisiting air-conditioner for as long as possible
B. more modern air-conditoners will cost you less
C. we should avoid using air-conditioners as much as possible
14. Jones also says that
A. we should all calculate our individual carbon footprint
B. it is too difficult to calculate an individual’s carbon footprint
C. we need to be more aware of the carbon footprint we create
IELTS General Reading Test
IELTS General Reading Test
ANSWERS
1. (THE) GOVERNMENT
2. FLOW/FLOW OF WATER/WATER FLOW
3. $150 / 150
4. WATER RETENTION/WATER RETENTION QUALITIES
5. PLUMBED-IN (TANK) / CONNECTED (TANK)
6. 3000 LITRES / LITERS
7. (THE) CONDITIONS
8. B
9. C
10. B
11. A
12. B
13. B
14. C
IELTS General Reading Test