Five Reviews Of The Wellington Hotel & Come And Play Walking Football Or Walking Netball - IELTS Reading Answers & Explanations
From Cambridge IELTS 14 General Training Reading Test 2 · Part 1 · Questions 1–14
Reading Passage
==== Read the text below and answer Questions 1-7. ====
Five reviews of the Wellington Hotel
A My husband and I first stayed at the Wellington a few years ago, and we’ve returned every year since then. When we arrive and check in, we’re always treated like old friends by the staff, so we very much feel at home. Our one disappointment during our last visit was that our room overlooked the car park, but that didn’t spoil our stay.
B The hotel hardly seems to have changed in the last hundred years, and we prefer that to many modern hotels, which tend to look the same as each other. The Wellington has character! Our room was very comfortable and quite spacious. We can strongly recommend the breakfast, though we had to wait for a table as the hotel was so full. That was a bit annoying, and there was also nowhere to sit in the lounge.
C We made our reservation by phone without problem, but when we arrived the receptionist couldn’t see it on the computer system. Luckily there was a room available. It wasn’t quite what we would have chosen, but it was a pleasure to sit in it with a cup of tea, and look out at the swimmers and surfers in the sea.
D We’d be happy to stay at the Wellington again. Although there’s nothing special about the rooms, the view from the lounge is lovely, and the restaurant staff were friendly and efficient. Breakfast was a highlight – there was so much on offer we could hardly decide what to eat. We’d stay another time just for that!
E The staff all did their jobs efficiently, and were very helpful when we asked for information about the area. The only difficulty we had was making our reservation online – it wasn’t clear whether payment for our deposit went through or not, and I had to call the hotel to find out. Still, once we’d arrived, everything went very smoothly, and we had a delicious dinner in the restaurant.
==== Read the text below and answer Questions 8-14. ====
Come and play walking football or walking netball
Walking football and netball have become increasingly popular in recent years, but do you know you can take part in this area? The names make it clear what they are – two of the country’s favourite sports where, instead of running, the players walk. It’s as simple as that.
Walking football was invented in the UK in 2011, but it was a 2014 TV commercial for a bank, showing it providing financial support to someone who wanted to set up a website for the game, that brought it to people’s attention. Since then, tens of thousands of people — mostly, though not only, over the age of 50 — have started playing, and there are more than 800 walking football clubs. Both men and women play walking football, but at the moment the netball teams consist only of women. However, men are beginning to show an interest in playing.
The two games are designed to help people to be active or get fit, whatever their age and level of fitness. In particular, they were invented to encourage older men and women to get more exercise, and to give them a chance to meet other people. Regular physical activity helps to maintain energy, strength and flexibility. You can start gently and do a little more each session. The benefits include lower heart rate and blood pressure, greater mobility, less fat and more muscle.
Many players have given up a sport – either through age or injury – and can now take it up again. They’re great ways for people to enjoy a sport they used to play and love, and keep active at the same time, though people who have never played the standard game before are also very welcome.
The local councils Active Lifestyles Team runs sessions at all the council’s leisure centres. Come alone or with a friend, and enjoy a friendly game on Monday or Saturday afternoons, or Tuesday or Thursday evenings. Each session costs £3 per person, and you don’t have to come regularly or at the same time each week. Our aim is to set up netball and football clubs as soon as there are enough regular players.
Questions
Questions 1–7 Matching Information
Look at the five online reviews of the Wellington Hotel, A-E, above. Which review mentions the following?
Write the correct letter, A-E, in boxes on your answer sheet.
NB You may use any letter more than once.
Questions 8–14 True / False / Not Given
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 if there is no information on this
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | C | It wasn't quite what we would have chosen, but it was a pleasure to sit in it with a cup of tea, and look out at the swimmers and surfers in the sea | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that even if the room was not exactly what they wanted, they still enjoyed sitting there drinking tea and watching the people in the sea, which means they liked the view. Answer Explanation: The answer is C. This means that in review C, the writer talks about enjoying the view from their bedroom window. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is C because the reviewer mentions that they liked sitting in the room with a cup of tea and looking out at the swimmers and surfers in the sea, which shows they enjoyed the view from their bedroom window. |
| Q2 | A | we're always treated like old friends by the staff, so we very much feel at home | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that the staff makes the guests feel very welcomed and comfortable, like they are friends. Answer Explanation: The answer is A. This means that in review A, the writer talks about feeling welcomed by the hotel staff. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because in this review, the writer says they are treated like old friends by the staff. This makes them feel welcome and at home at the hotel. |
| Q3 | B | Our room was very comfortable and quite spacious | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that the room felt nice and had a lot of space. This means the person was happy with the bedroom. Answer Explanation: The answer is B. This means that review B talks about being happy with the bedroom at the hotel. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because in review B, the writer says, "Our room was very comfortable and quite spacious." This shows that they liked the bedroom. |
| Q4 | E | The only difficulty we had was making our reservation online – it wasn't clear whether payment for our deposit went through or not, and I had to call the hotel to find out | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that they had a problem with booking online. They were not sure if their payment went through, so they needed to call the hotel to ask. Answer Explanation: The answer is E. This review talks about having trouble when making a reservation online for a room. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is E because this review explains that there was confusion when they were making their reservation online. They were unsure if the payment for the deposit worked, and this made the booking difficult for them. |
| Q5 | D | Breakfast was a highlight – there was so much on offer we could hardly decide what to eat | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that breakfast was very good, and there were many foods to choose from. The reviewer found it hard to pick what to eat because there were so many options. Answer Explanation: The answer is D. This means that review D talks about being happy with the many food options. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is D because it mentions how the breakfast had a lot of choices and was a highlight of the stay. The reviewer said, 'there was so much on offer we could hardly decide what to eat,' which shows they were impressed by the variety of food. |
| Q6 | A | we've returned every year since then | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says they come back to the hotel every year, meaning they stay there regularly. Answer Explanation: The answer is A. This means the person who wrote review A comes to the hotel every year. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because the reviewer talks about staying at the Wellington Hotel every year since their first visit. They love how the staff treats them like old friends. |
| Q7 | B | though we had to wait for a table as the hotel was so full | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says they had to wait for a table because too many people were at the hotel. This means it was crowded, which made it difficult for them. Answer Explanation: The answer is B. This means review B talks about the hotel being crowded and that was not convenient. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because the reviewer says that they had to wait for a table at breakfast because the hotel was so full. This shows that they found it inconvenient that there were many people in the hotel. |
| Q8 | False | Walking football was invented in the UK in 2011, but it was a 2014 TV commercial for a bank, showing it providing financial support to someone who wanted to set up a website for the game, that brought it to people’s attention | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that walking football was first made popular by a TV advertisement (commercial) in 2014. This is important because it shows that it was not a regular TV show or club that made it famous. Answer Explanation: The answer is False. This means that the statement is not correct. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is False because the passage says that walking football became well-known after a TV commercial in 2014, not a TV programme. A commercial is different from a programme, so the statement does not match what the passage says. |
| Q9 | False | Both men and women play walking football, but at the moment the netball teams consist only of women | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that only women are on the netball teams right now, which means there are no men in the teams. Answer Explanation: The answer is false. This means it is not true that most walking netball players are men. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is false because the passage clearly states that the netball teams consist only of women at the moment. It mentions that men are beginning to show interest in playing, but this does not mean they are the majority of players. |
| Q10 | Not given | In particular, they were invented to encourage older men and women to get more exercise, and to give them a chance to meet other people. | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage tells us that walking football and netball were created to help older men and women exercise and meet new people. This means the sports encourage social interaction, but it does not say that clubs organize specific social activities. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'Not Given'. This means the text does not say if clubs arrange social activities or not. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'Not Given' because the passage discusses how walking football and netball help people meet others, but it does not mention anything about clubs planning social events for their members. Key phrases are 'meet other people' which shows social interaction, but it does not confirm organized activities. |
| Q11 | Not given | Regular physical activity helps to maintain energy, strength and flexibility | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage talks about how regular physical activity is good for your energy, strength, and flexibility. It doesn't say anything about testing players to see how their fitness changes. Answer Explanation: The answer 'Not given' means that the passage does not provide any information about whether players are tested to measure their fitness changes. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'Not given' because the passage mentions the benefits of regular activity but does not say anything about testing players. That's why we cannot know if players are tested or not. |
| Q12 | True | though people who have never played the standard game before are also very welcome | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage means that even if you have never played regular football, you can still join and play walking football. Everyone is welcome to participate, even if they are new to the sport. Answer Explanation: The answer is True. This means that people who have never played football before are welcome to try walking football. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is True because the passage states that walking football is open to everyone, including those who have never played standard football. It says that people who have never played before are also very welcome, which shows encouragement for new players. |
| Q13 | True | you don't have to come regularly or at the same time each week | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that you can come to the sessions whenever you want, and there are no fixed times you have to follow. Answer Explanation: The answer is true. This means people can join the sessions whenever they want. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is true because the passage mentions that you don't have to come regularly or at the same time each week. This means you can choose when to join the sessions. |
| Q14 | True | Our aim is to set up netball and football clubs as soon as there are enough regular players | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that the team wants to create clubs for netball and football when there are enough people who play regularly. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the Active Lifestyles Team plans to create clubs later. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is true because the passage states that the aim is to set up netball and football clubs as soon as there are enough regular players. This shows that they indeed plan to start clubs in the future. |