Diagnostic Test IELTS General Training

READING

SECTION 1               Questions 1-14

Read the texts below and answer Questions 1-8

A. Hotel Cala Vinas, Majorca

This all-inclusive, 4-star hotel is reserved exclusively for adults. Facilities include a buffet-style restaurant, outdoor and indoor pools and spa.

Live entertainment 4 nights a week.

Porterage at your hotel included in package. Single rooms available with a supplement.

B. Hotel Miguel, San Miguel Bay, Ibiza

Perched above inviting San Miguel Bay in north Ibiza, this superb 4-star hotel commands fabulous coastal views. Facilities at the hotel include a restaurant with table service, an outdoor solar-heated swimming pool with terrace and indoor gym. Stays can be upgraded to all-inclusive from half-board on request. Included and optional excursions available; please refer to your travel representative for more details.

C. Costa Marina Apartments, Minorca

Modern self-catering apartments situated in the family-friendly resort of Costa Marina. All apartments are fully furnished with fully equipped kitchens and spacious open-plan lounge and sleeping areas. Apartments are located around a large, heated communal pool with poolside bar.

Optional excursions can be arranged with your travel representative who will be on site 2 days per week.

D. Hotel Playa Azul, Marinas de Nerja, Spain

Located in a tranquil setting, this hotel is ideally situated for the beach and nearby fishing village of Fuengirola.

A complimentary shuttle bus operates between the hotel and the town of Nerja, which is a 20-minute journey away. Stays are on a full-board basis only. Facilities include a self-service restaurant, indoor heated plunge pool and spa.

E. Hotel Quintamar, Asturias, Spain

Stay in a less well-trodden area of Spain and enjoy a warm welcome in this family-run hotel. Board is on a bed & breakfast basis.

Extra meals available by prior arrangement with the management.

A regular local bus service connects the hotel with the small village of Barro, 10 km away.

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.

You may use any letter more than once.

1. free transport

2. all meals included (not drinks)

3. willingness to accommodate children

4. free luggage assistance

5. waiter service

6. all food and drinks included

7. an elevated location

8. a remote location

Read the text below and answer Questions 9-14

How your breakfast habits may reveal more about you than you realise

Incredible though it may seem, your breakfast habits may reveal your innermost personality. At least, that's according to a recent study jointly commissioned by Duerr's Marmalade and Robert's Bakery. The study uncovered 15 personality types in all, ranging from 'Thrill-Seeker' and 'Perfectionist' to the more eyebrow-raising 'Status Quo Lover' and 'Tribal Chief'. Quite what the latter 2 types are exactly is left to speculation.

The test itself was the brainchild of Dr. Sandi Mann, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Central Lancashire. Apparently the reasoning, for there is one, behind the test IS that subconscious motives prompt even the simplest of choices. 'How we eat our toast and marmalade might seem intuitive but the fact is we each individually make a series of choices at breakfast, based on learnt preferences, innate behaviour and conditioned learning, which could underscore your personality type/ claims Dr. Mann. Key factors analysed in the test were butter-spreading techniques, amount of butter applied and the subject's conserve of choice.

Certainly, Mann's analysis makes for interesting reading. In particular, a handful of personality types had intriguing breakfast habits that in most cases were somewhat predictable in hindsight. 'Perfectionists', for example, gave themselves primarily away by their butter-spreading techniques. Those falling into the Perfectionist category ensured total coverage of toast when spreading it with butter. 'Intolerant' types, however, first removed crusts before eating, whilst so-called 'Achievers' tended to be a sloppy bunch preferring to dip their butter knives in the jam and eat the crusts on their bread. Finally the 'Thrill-Seekers' were the ones who always went for the novelty jams on offer.

If you have not yet identified your personality type from any of the above, you can reveal your innermost character traits by doing the online version of this test to find out where you sit on the scale. Have fun and Bon Appetit!

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text?

In boxes 9-14 on your answer sheet, write

       TRUE                  if the statement agrees with the information

      FALSE                if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN       if there is no information on this

9. Some personality types mentioned are not clearly defined in Dr. Mann’s analysis

10. The writer clearly believes the test is a valid measure of personality.

11.  Mann believes that nothing we do is by chance.

12. The test fails to account for environmental factors.

13    The online version of this test is offered for free.

14   Several contributors devised the test.

SECTION 2               Questions 15-28

Read the text below and answer Questions 15-21

Lunar Cycles and Sleep

A. Sleep specialist Professor Wiseman recently set out to determine if sound could affect dream content. However, he also ended up uncovering an uncanny correlation between lunar cycles and sleep processes.

B. Volunteers in his study were played a variety of sounds ranging from bird song to traffic. If sensors detected the subject was sleeping, shortly before the alarm was set to go off, the sounds were played. The reasoning behind this was that sleepers recall dreams more accurately just after waking and so would still remember sound-induced dreams.

C. Whilst the content of dreams was found to remain constant with the seasons or the days of the week, it showed considerable variation with the full moon. Dreams became increasingly bizarre, bearing little relation to the usual pedestrian dreams we normally have about being late for work or losing personal items. In some cases, subjects became superheroes such as Batman or Superman.

D. The findings build on research that had previously demonstrated a link between lunar cycles and duration and quality of sleep rather than content. These earlier findings revealed a more fitful sleep in subjects during the full moon and difficulty initially falling asleep.

E. Biologically, an inability to sleep soundly during a full moon is probably attributable to low levels of the sleep hormone melatonin. The waxing and waning of the moon can directly affect melatonin levels and hence sleep quality.

F. Wiseman believes that the evolutionary advantage conferred on our predecessors by such sensitivity to lunar rhythms was incalculable. Sleeping lightly at the full moon would have heightened our awareness to predators. In addition, a full moon may have been the optimum conditions for our ancestors to go hunting by. This accounts for the lunar influence on our sleeping habits today.

G. Sensitivity to the moon's rhythms and concurrent lack of good quality sleep is likely, however, to be seen as a source of irritation to most. This is because contemporary Man is unlikely to derive the same benefit from moon-induced sleep changes compared to his ancestors.

Questions 15-21

The text on the next page has seven sections, A-G.

Choose the correct heading for each section from the list of headings below.

Write the correct number, i-x, in boxes 15-21 on your answer sheet.

15. Section A

16. Section B

17.Section C

18.Section D

19. Section E

20. Section F

21. Section G

Read the text below and answer Questions 22-28.

Different ways to exercise and get healthy

As the pounds pile on we may become more complacent about keeping fit. However there is a lot at stake if you resign yourself to an indolent lifestyle. Cosmetic concerns as to increasing girths and flabby abdomens aside, there is also your health to consider. Many diseases such as Type 2 diabetes and cancer arise from obesity and an unhealthy lifestyle. So here are some suggestions to kick start your exercise regime, focusing on body-specific areas that you might wish to improve upon.

If you are seeking to improve stamina and cardiovascular fitness, then interval training is a good way to start. Activities are completed at high intensity for a specific length of time, followed by another cycle of low intensity exercises termed 'sets' which are repeated throughout the routine.

For those desiring speedy results and wanting to simultaneously boost overall fitness levels, then practising squats is the answer. Squats not only help burn fat but also build muscle strength and aid suppleness throughout the entire body, which in turn helps prevent injuries. Performing this exercise that is heavily focused on working the muscles along the hips and upper thighs can help streamline your body. Lunges are another ideal choice for toning and building thigh muscles. They are also regarded by fitness experts as one of the best functional activities during which the body is exercised through multiple planes of motion. Because the entire body is involved, lunges are a great exercise choice for hectic days as they offer multiple benefits within a short time frame. If your focus is more on improving your chest and torso then you would be better off doing push ups. In addition to working on the chest and torso, push ups also help define the shoulders, triceps and oblique muscles.

If increasing body bulk takes precedence over improving fitness levels and general mobility, then weight training is for you. This activity aims to develop the size and strength of the skeletal muscles by using weight stacks, dumbbells and weighted bars to create gravity resistance, thereby increasing muscle mass. Since individual target goals will vary with regard to what muscle groups need to be developed, weight training programmes need to be adjusted to the individual concerned.

Questions 22-23

Complete the sentences below.

Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the text for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 22-23 on your answer sheet.

There is too much if you fail to keep to a healthy fitness regime.

apart, there is also the matter of your health to think about.

Questions 24-28

Look at the following descriptions and the list of terms in the box below.

Match each description with the correct term, A-E.

Write the appropriate letter, A-E, in boxes 24-28 on your answer sheet.

List of Descriptions

24. Works on the upper body only

25. Requires the individual to follow a tailor-made programme

26. High impact exercises are interspersed with low impact ones.

27. General mobility is improved in addition to fitness levels and overall appearance.

28. A workout simultaneously affecting several areas of main body

SECTION 3               Questions 29-40

The process of cheesemaking

When it comes to cheese we are spoilt for choice. From the milder cheeses such as Gouda and Emmental to the more pungent-tasting blue cheeses such as Danish Blue and Stilton, all tastes are catered for. Whilst cheeses may vary greatly in taste and texture, they are all manufactured following the same 6-stage cheesemaking process: acidification, coagulation, separating curds and whey, salting, shaping and ripening. There is more than an element of art in this process, however, since cheesemakers will temper the process according to their own senses of sight, touch and smell.

In the first stage, milk is inoculated with lactic acid bacteria. The purpose of the lactic bacteria is to convert milk sugar (lactose) into lactic acid in what is known as the acidification process.

Next, a substance that is known as rennet, which is obtained from the stomach lining of ruminants (or Cud-chewing herbivores, like cows), is used in the coagulation process causing milk protein to solidify. Rennet contains the active enzyme, rennin, and it is this enzyme that acts on the milk protein caseinogen to turn it into an insoluble milk protein known as casein. Since casein is insoluble, it precipitates out of the milk as a gel-like substance or curd, which contains milk solids, fats and proteins. The lactic acid added earlier on in the process facilitates the curdling process. As casein precipitates out from milk, forming curds, the watery substance left surrounding the curds is known as whey.

In the following stage, the insoluble curds are removed from the whey in the separation process. The curds are then removed and cut. Cutting encourages the curds to expel further liquid or whey, making them more solid as a result. Harder cheeses like Cheddar and Gruyere are created by being cut into small pieces. Conversely, softer cheeses like Camembert and Brie are hardly cut, creating a much softer texture.

Salt is then added to the cheese and serves a dual purpose both as flavour enhancer and preservative. It is important to preserve the cheese to avoid spoiling during long months or years of ageing cheese to produce a more mature flavour. How salt is added is up to the cheesemaker. Cheese may be fully immersed in a vat of brine, or salt may be rubbed onto the cheese rind. Another option is to add salt in the actual cheesemaking process itself.

Once the cheese is fully formed, it next has to be shaped. The cheese is placed into a basket or mould that will form the cheese into a specific shape. During this process any remaining liquid is removed by applying weights to the cheese to squeeze out the excess liquid.

Finally the cheese is left to ripen or age until it reaches its optimal ripeness. Close monitoring of the temperature where the cheese is stored is vital at this stage, otherwise the cheese will not develop the proper flavour and texture. According to the cheese being manufactured, the cheese will be subject to different processes at this stage. Mould is added to Brie cheeses by spray and by injection into blue cheeses. Other cheeses will need to be turned whilst others to be brushed with oil or washed with brine and alcohol.

Questions 29-32

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text?

In boxes 29-32 on your answer sheet, write

29   Cheesemaking doesn’t just rely on purely scientific methods.

30   Solids are initially separated from liquids through a mechanical process.

31   Whey contains dissolved milk solids.

32   Harder cheeses need more maturation than soft cheeses.

Questions 33-40

Complete the summary below.

Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the text for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 33-40 on your answer sheet.

The Production Process