For Exam Practice

Readings
IELTS General Training

READING TEST 10
GT

SECTION 1
Questions 1-14
Questions 1 - 7
Read the text below and answer

NOT KNOW ABOUT CACTI

SOME THINGS YOU MAY

think that cacti live in deserts. Nothing can live in

Cacti are special in many ways. Many people and sometimes hot places
in many ways to Iive in dry
adapted ce
real desert, but 'desert' cacti are

Are they indestructible?

killed a cactus you are not alone. The easiest way is by over watering, por
No, if you've ever

potting compost holds water well, which is a

drainage and using the wrong compost. Ordinary
need very good drainage.
huge bonus for most plants but not for cacti, they
2. Do they flower?
Cacti are all flowering plants, but some have more prominent blooms and there are a few, such
as Mammillaria, Gymnocalycium and Parodia, that will flower quite easily with impressive,

colourful displays.
How do I get them to flower?
Cacti flower on fresh growth, so if your plant just sits there, unchanging year after year, its vey

unlikelyto flower. What you should do is to get the plant to follow its natural cycle. It growth
needs to go dormant in winter and then wake up in spring. So, put it somewhere dry and cold,

but not dark, over winter, and stop watering all together. In spring give it as much sunshine
possible and start to water it.
4. Which are the best varieties for beginners?
is
Moon cacti have very colourful tops, usually red oryellow. These aren't flowers so the col
ur

there all year round. Bunny ears, also known

ristles
as polka dot cacti, have spots of golden Dii
against a green background so they look modern and geometric. Probably the most
m m o n

variety is a tiny 'pin cushion cactus, it's easy to grow and has lovely little pink flowers.
co
5. Are all cacti prickly?
usually think ol d> cacti are the
What we desert cacti, but there also forest cacti
are witn
hristles, however the range avalabie as
houseplants is quite small.
6. How long do they live?
in the wild cacti can live
forhundreds of years. Indoors or
more
they may survive
survive for 10 Y
ears

The trouble with old ones is

The trouble wit a e y Single knock, scratch or blemish they get stay> h the
them

so they tend to look less aling as they get

older.

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 IELTSGeneral Training Readings For Exam Practice
Questions 1 - 7

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text?
In boxes on your answer sheet, write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN it there is no information on this.

1. Cactus plants live in real deserts.

2. If you water a cactus too much you are likely to kill it.

3. Most cactus plants will flower.

4. If the cactus has not flowered for a few years it is hardly likely to flower.

5. Cacti grown as houseplants are very small in size.

6. Cacti can live for two hundred years in the wild.

7. All cacti have bristles which can prick.

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 IELTS General Training Readings For Exam Practice

Read the text below and answer Questions 8 14

TRY THIS FUN TEST OF SPEED AND ACCURACY, USING RIFLES, PISTOLS AND
SHOTGUNS

One of the fastest growing shooting sports in the country right now is the action-packed multi
gun competition commonly known as "3-gun."

he reason for the name is somewhat obvious; competitors use three different firearms-a

modern sporting rifle (MSR) that is a rifle built on an AR-platform; a pistol; and a shotgun.
Matches generally involve courses where the shooter must move through different stages and
engage targets in a variety of different positions. Each stage will generally require the use of
different firearms and require the shooter to transition between them.

The targets might include clay pigeons, cardboard silhouettes, steel targets of varying sizes and
anything else designated as a target. Distances of the targets might vary from 1 yard to 500 yards
or anything in between. The shooter who hits the most targets - and avoids certain "no shoot"

ones i n the least amount of time is the winner.

Although local ranges might opt to alter the rules somewhat, most abide closely by those set up
by the international Multi-Gun Association (IMGA) or the United States Practical Shooting
Association (USPSA), which regulates some matches. Each of these organizations has guidelines
and rules, but the ability to adapt them for specific matches is what makes 3-gun competition
dynamic and exciting.

Just as it is with the practical pistol matches, 3-gun simulates combat or self-defence situations.
A stage provides a certain scenario for using one or more of the guns in a specific sequence. Each
stage in each match will usually be different than any you've shot before.

Rifles: Most serious competitors choose MSR in.223 calibre with fairly short barrels in the 18-to
20-inch range and 30-round magazines. But any semi-automatic rifle that will handle larger
magazines is normally permitted.

Shotguns: Any reliable auto-loading or pump-action shotgun will work. For serious competition,
it should have an extended magazine tube, a good set of sights and interchangeable chokes. Botn
shot-shells and slugs are used in most 3-Gun matches.

Pistols: Most shooters use 9mm semi-autos, but the .38 Super and 40 S&W are also popularin
some divisions.

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 IELTS General
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Getting started in 3-gun competition is easy. Find a shooting range in your area that puts on

gun matches. Ihen spend some time to watch and to

learn; also, don't be afraid to ask questions.
Once you deciae to take the plunge, go easy and don't spend a lot of money on anything too

fancy. It's a learning process, and it's about having fun.

Questions 8 14
Use not more than ONE WORD ONLY to fill in the blanks below.
s. 3-gun is a sport where one shoots through different stages and competes in a
competition.
9. Since the competition requires the use of a rifle, a pistol and a shot-gun, its name is more or less
************ **

10. There are three stages and in each stage, the shooter has to usea. fire-arm.
11. Each stage creates a . .. in which the shooter has to shoot using one or two or three of
his guns.
12. The 3-gun createsa situation as if you are in a.
13. A semi-automatic rifle with a magazine capacity of more than 30 rounds may be
*********"*'** *********.

14. Before you start engaging in this sport, you should go to a range as a spectator to . ***************

about it.

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SECTION 2
Read the text below and answer Questions 15 27
Questions 15 21
WRITING THE RIGHT RESUME
Hiring managers and recruiters alike say they've seen more poorly written resumes cross their
desks recently than ever before. Attract offers for more interviews and ensure your resume
doesn't eliminate you from consideration by following these six key tips:

1 Format Your Resume Wisely

No matter how well written, your resume won't get a thorough reading the first time through.
Generally a resume gets scanned for 25 seconds. Scanning is more difficult if it is hard to read,

poorly organized or exceeds two pages.

Use a logical format and wide margins, clean type and clear headings
Selectively apply bold and italic typefaces that helps to guide the reader's eye
Use bullets to call attention to important points (i.e. accomplishments)

2.ldentify Accomplishments not Just Job Descriptions

Hiring managers, especially in technical fields like engineering, seek candidates that can help
them solve a problem or satisfy a need within their company. Consequently, you can't be a
solution to their problems without stating how you solved similar problems in other companies
and situations
Focus on what you did in the job, NOT what your job was: there's a difference.
include a one or two top line job description first, and then list your accomplishments.
For each point ask yourself, What was the benefit of having done what I did?
Accomplishments should be unique to you, not just a list of what someone else did
Avoid using the generic descriptions of the jobs you originally applied for or held.

3 Quantify Your Accomplishments

Q: What's the most common resume mistake?
Making too many general claims and using too much industry jargon that does not market the
candidate. A resume isa marketing document designed to sell your skills and strengths rather
than just portray a bio of the candidate.
include and highlight specific achievements that present a comprehensive picture of your

marketability.
Quantify your achievements to ensure greater confidence in the hiring manager and thereby

generate interest; use percentages, dollars, number of employees, etc.

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 IELTS General
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Work backwards to
quantify your accomplishments by asking, IfI had not done X, what coulo
have happened?

Cater Your Resume for the Industry

Uniike advertising and design professionals who have greater creative license in designing their
resume for those fields, the mechanical engineering industry won't be impressed and may De
turned of by distinctive resume design
.Er on the side of being conservative stylistically
.Your accomplishments, error-free writing, grammatically-correct, clean, crisp type and paper will
make the impression for you

Replace your Objective" with a"Career Summary"

A Career Summary is designed to give a brief overview of who you are and what you do. Most
Objectives sound similar: Seeking a challenging, interesting position in Xwhere I can use my skills
of X, Y, and Z to contribute to the bottom line. Not telling at all.
Grab a hiring manager's attention right from the beginning, remembering you
have only 25 few seconds to make a good impression.
Spend time developing a summary that immediately gets their attention, and accurately and
powerfully describes you as a solution to their problems.

6Network.Network. Network.
For unempioyed candidates, handing out resumes should be a job. The majority of mid-
full-time
know
to senior-level positions are filled through networking, so contact absolutely everyone you
recruiters who are in a position to hire you or share insights. Networking
can
in addition to

include

Personal business contacts, people you've worked for or who worked for you.

Vendors and sales representatives you've dealt with in the past five years.

alma mater.
People listed in the alumni directory of your

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Questions 15-21
Use NOT MORE THAN ONE WORD from the text above to fill in the blanks.
15. If your resume is not written poorly, and you follow the guidelines given in this article, you will

be able to get called for more.

16. Using different. .... helps to guide the reader on to specific parts of the resume.

17. Candidates who can solve problems are sought after in the . . field.
18. A resume is not just a list of positions held; it should be written such that it helps to . *****

the candidate.

19. All organizations have challenges, and they look for people who are a . . .. to these

problems.
20. If your resume is well written, without spelling mistakes, mistakes of tenses or usage of verbs,

and punctuated correctly, it will make a good..

21. It is important to..************ all those you have worked in the past as part of your net-working
effort in your search for a job.

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Read the text below and answer Questions 22 27

ALL ABoUT BEARRS
Understanding bear behaviour is an essential part of creating safe environments for both bears
bear
and people. More often than not, bear behaviour is misinterpreted. To truly understand
bear fears.
behaviour, you must interpret bear and vocalizations in terms of what the
postures

a
The more you can learn about bears and how they behave, the less likely you will be to have
negative encounter or
misinterpret interactions. Bears are predictable. In fact, bears are usually
their
more predictable than people. If you learn more about bears and how to interpret
behaviour, you will be able to react appropriately if you bump into them and avoid a negative

encounter.

area around them that they

Bears, like humans and other animals, have a "critical space" an
-

have forced the bear to act

may defend. Once you have entered a bear's critical space, you
either to run or be aggressive. The size of the critical or personal space is different for every
away
bear and every situation.

to
some common traits, it's important
Although black bears and grizly bears do share
threats. Each species has evolved
understand the difference in the way they react to perceived
are usually less aggressive
and more
different strategies for survival. Black bears, for instance,
whereas grizzly bears prefer to stay
tolerant of people. They often live near human settlements,
from heavily used or populated areas.
away from human settlements and are often extirpated

tree.
from the perceived threat or goes up a
When black bear is threatened he usually runs
a
defences that risk
bears don't have to make vigorous
With cubs out of danger, female black
Brown (or grizzly) bears tend to live
in coastal or mountain forests, but they
potential injury. threats. As
influenced their behavioural response to perceived
evolved in treeless habitat that
to note they can climb trees. A black
not good tree climbers, though it is important
such, they are
be very
but grizzlies, especially sows with cubs,
can
bear's first line of defence is retreat,
threats.
bears and people they perceive as
aggressive towards other

asocial when wolves, chimps or lions, but to use the

compared to
Bears are often described as
in extended family groups
bears is incorrect. While bears do not live
term "asocial" to describe
to each other and in fact form alliances
can co-exIst in very close proximity
or join in hunts, they

and friendships.

dominance hierarchy age, size and temperament. Mature males are at

based on
Bears live in a
and sub-adults and cubs at the bottom. Bears establish and maintain
the top of the hierarchy,
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females
their social position and place in the hierarchy by posturing or acting aggressively. Single
submissive to mature males but have a loose hierarchy within
and sub-adults are almost always
their own group.

not always aware of what

Bears are always aware. Bears, particularly adult brown bears, are
not

is going on around them. A bear following a trail doesn't always look

ahead. He may be distracted
sounds of rushing water or
by a yummy food source or may not be able to hear over the loud
blowing wind. A bear can literally blunder into an unsuspecting person.

Questions 22-27
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C:

22.Ifyou are familiar with how bears behave:

a) More often than not, you will misinterpret their behaviour.
b) You are less likely to have a bad experience if you come across a bear.

c) You can avoid bumping into them.

23. Bears are

a) Fond of retiring early.
b) Wary of the critical space around them
c) Very shy and will not react under provocation.

24. Under threat, the most likely action of a bear is:

a) Run away
b) A grizzly bear may climb a tree.
c) A black bear will opt to back-off.

25. As far as social interactions of bears are concerned

a) They are not as social as wolves or lions.
b) They form alliances when they go hunting together.
c) Bears of a region are usually familiar with each other, while those from different regions are

not.

26. Single female bears are

a) Subservient to grown up male bears.
b) Are equal in hierarchy to sub-adult bears.
c)Act aggressively to maintain their position in the hierarchy.

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27. When walking down a track in the forest

al A bear may not be conscious of his surroundings
b) A bear does not look straight ahead
c) A bear is unable to hear cleartly.

SECTION 3
Read the text below and answer questions 28 - 40

Questions 28 -35
The text has 8 SECTIONS, marked A to H. Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from

the list of headings below.

Investigation & analysis
. The gastronomic challenge
Raising them at home
The challenge of keeping them healthy
. The relevance of zoos in our world
VI. Swap and barter
Vii. Summers and winters co-exist here

vit. How it all began

28. Paragraph A..
29. Paragraph B . .
30. Paragraph C.

31. Paragraph D.
32. Paragraph E.
33. Paragraph F.
34. Paragraph G.
35. Paragraph H . .

ALL ABOUT ZOOS

is an old practice. But today zoos seem more popular than ever.
A Keeping wild animals in zoos
to zoos than to all the professional baseball, football
Each year more people in North America go
combined.
and basketball games

Why are 2005 so popular? One reason may be that more people now live in cities and towns,
where they see little wildlife. They seek places where they can have some contact with nature.
In many z005, you can see more kinds of animals in a day than you might see in weeks of travel

to faraway places.
com
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Zoos teach people about the importance of nature. They provide scientists with opportunities to
of wild animals are
study wild animals. And they are also important because thousands of species
in danger of dying out. Saving these endangered species is one of the many purposes of modern

zoos
B. Traditional zoo exhibits include mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians from all over the world.
The animals may be grouped according to type--a building for monkeys or reptiles, for example.
Some zoos group their exhibits according to the continents or geographic regions of the earth.

This is called zoogeographic exhibition.

Natural Habitat exhibits show animals in settings that mimic their natural homes. For example, a
zoo may feature an African grasslands exhibit, in which zebras, giraffes and ostriches roam about
in open spaces with grass, a water hole, and perhaps some trees. Ducks, turtles, and otters may
be shown in a wetlands exhibit that contains a pond or a marsh. In many zoos, you can visit polar
ice caps, blistering deserts, and steamy jungles-all in a day.

Nocturnal displays are featured at some zoos. Some zoos are using special lights to reverse the
animals' sleeping patterns. Bright lights are kept on at night, so that the animals sleep. In daytime,
the exhibit is lit by red light that the animals can barely detect. The animals behave as if it was
night, and zoo visitors can see them.

C. Breeding wild animals can be difficult. Some kinds of animals, such as wild sheep and even tigers,
breed readily in zoos. But others require special attention. Monkeys and apes, for example, often
have strong preferences for mates of the right appearance and personality. Sometimes female
monkeys need to observe breeding and infant care when they are young, so that they can behave
naturally as mates and parents when they become adults.

Zoos often study the natural habits of animals to breed them successfully. For example, research
has helped zoos breed cheetahs, which are slender, graceful spotted cats from Africa. Zoos
previously kept male and female cheetahs in pairs for years without breeding taking place. But
scientists studied cheetah behavior and learned that females need to come in contact with
several males during the breeding season. Males, it seems, are also more successful breeders if
they have to compete to mate with a female

D. When zoos are successful in breeding animals, they often sell animals to other zoos or exchange
them with one another. Every year thousands of animals, such as snow leopards, antelopes,
penguins, and monkeys, are exchanged. Loans between zoos for breeding purposes are another

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way in which zoos obtain animals. These loans are important because they permit zoos to find
unrelated animals for mating.

Breeding, exchanges, and loans demonstrate one of the ways that zoos take part in wildire

conservation. These activities can make collecting wild animals unnecessary.

E. More kinds of food are probably served in a zoo than in most restaurants. To feed their livestock,
2005 are always buying large quantities of grain, fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, and other foods.
lions, eagles, and
Zoos often announce the feeding times for such animals as big cats, sea

crocodiles because these animals are fed on regular schedules

to
Many z0oanimals, especially those that eat a wide variety of foods in nature, are fairly easy
for example, eat
feed in captivity because they thrive on a diet that is easy to obtain. Raccoons,
well
carrots, grapes, bananas, hard-boiled eggs, and fish,
as as
familiar foods such as apples,
commercial livestock feed.

and need special diets. It eats only

Some animals, like Australia's koala, are picky eaters in nature
Diet plays an important part in keeping
fresh leaves of eucalyptus trees from its native land.
as scientists learn more about
the
animals healthy, and zoo diets are constantly being improved
food
nutritional needs of animals in zoos. Zoos often add vitamin and mineral supplements to the
arise if these substances are lacking.
to prevent the problems that can

for zoo animals were based on knowledge of dogs, cats,

F. Years ago, most veterinary treatments
medicine all
research is advancing knowledge of wild animal
and other domestic animals. Today
the time.

full-time staff of animal health professionals,

including veterinarians and
Most big zoos have a

even when a zoo has a

full-time veterinarian, it may occasionally
animal health technicians. But
dentist, bacteriologist, or surgeon.
need the assistance of a specialist, such asa veterinary
health programs, animals occasionally get hurt and need
Even in zoos with the best animal
to restrain the animal--wild animals
emergency treatment.
In these cases, it is often necessary
veterinarian. If the animal cannot be held still,
the veterinarian uses a
do not sit still for the
general anesthetic. Ihis can be risky because the proper doses for
or even a
tranquilizing drug
of animals are not always known.
different sizes and species

of the modern z00, although many zoo visitors are not aware of
G. Research is an important goal
these activities.

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Zoo research usually falls into three categories: breeding biology, veterinary medicine, and
nutrition. Research into breeding biology is important to conservation, especially in efforts to
breed endangered species. Research into veterinary care and nutrition is essential to improving
wild animal care. At the Bronx Zoo, for example, a professional nutritionist has conducted studies
that have helped the zoo formulate better diets for leaf-eating monkeys. At some zoos, research
into animal behavior is also becoming common, as curators seek to understand how animals use
natural habitat exhibits.

H. Throughout history, people have had various reasons for keeping collections of wild animals. In
ancient times, rulers kept wild animals to show off their wealth, entertain their subjects, or
present as gifts to other kings and queens. The first step toward the modern zoo may have been
taken 3,000 years ago, when a Chinese emperor developed a collection of animals for study
rather than amusement. There were public zoos in Europe as early as the AD 900's, but they were
mostly small. In the 1700's, however, zoos expanded their collections and began to be involved
in research. In recent years the goals of conservation, education, and research have become
more important to zoos, leading to many changes in the way zoos work.

Questions 36 40
Fill in the blanks with NOT MORE THAN ONE wORD from the text above.

36. Zoos are not just for the entertainment of human beings, they have several other. .
37. When animals from the same part of the world are kept together in a zoo, the layout is called

38. Zoos may loan their animals to other zoos to enable. . and thus increase their animal

head count.

39. Many animals which eat a wide variety of foods are not. eaters.

40. ....... s .*
i*n t o their food and how to take care of the animals is very important; it helps to

look after them better.

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