Summer Activities At London’s Kew Gardens & City Park And Ride - IELTS Reading Answers & Explanations
From Cambridge IELTS 11 General Training Reading Test 3 · Part 1 · Questions 1–14
Reading Passage
==== Read the text below and answer Questions 1-6. ====
Summer activities at London’s Kew Gardens
A Climb up to the walkway among the trees, 18 metres above the ground, for a spectacular experience. Feel as tall as the trees and enjoy a bird’s-eye view over the gardens.
B The Nash Conservatory displays stunning images from leading wildlife photographer Heather Angel. Each photograph explores the wealth of biodiversity at Kew Gardens, from foxes to birds, tiny insects to towering trees.
C A world of pollination comes to life in the Princess of Wales Conservatory. Find yourself in a tropical environment whilst walking through clouds of colourful butterflies as they fly around the Conservatory! Come face-to-face with gigantic sculptures of insects, birds and bats, which will help tell the fascinating stories of how they interact with plants.
D An extraordinary sound installation created by Chris Watson. On the hour throughout the day, the Palm House is filled with the sound of the dawn and dusk choruses of birds that live in the Central and South American rainforests.
E Come and see the fantastic outdoor exhibition of garden, wildlife and botanical photography. Walk amongst enlarged photographs and admire the wonderful garden photos – all taken by children aged 16 and under from all round the country. If you are in this age category and fancy yourself as a photographer, then you can enter for the next show!
F Young explorers can discover the new children’s outdoor play area, shaped like a plant, in Kew’s magical Conservation Area. As you journey through this interactive landscape, discover the functions of every part of a plant. Tunnel through giant roots, get lost among the leaves and hide amongst the large fungi, whilst solving puzzles along the way!
G What is biodiversity all about? Did you know that every breath we take and every move we make depends on plants? Take a guided tour to discover what biodiversity means and why it matters so much.
H Visit our exciting and colourful exhibition of South American botanical paintings, which brings the continent’s exotic and lush plants to life in works from two hundred years ago and from this century.
==== Read the text below and answer Questions 7-14. ====
City Park and Ride
We have six purpose-built Park and Ride sites serving the city, more than almost anywhere else in the UK. Established for over 40 years, they provide around 5,000 parking spaces for cars. The sires are located on the main routes into the city centre. More than 3,000,000 passengers a year take a bus from a Park and Ride site into the city, reducing congestion and helping to improve the air quality in the city centre.
Parking at the sites is available only for those travelling from the site on a Park and Ride or other scheduled bus service, and is free. No overnight parking is permitted. Heavy goods vehicles are not permitted at the Park and Ride site at any time.
It’s simple to use. Just park your car and buy your bus ticket from the bus driver, with the correct money if possible. An individual adult daily return purchased prior to 12:30 hrs for use that day costs £2.40. If purchased after 12:30 hrs it costs £2.10.
Up to four children under 16 travel free with an adult or concessionary pass holder. The return fare for unaccompanied children under 16 is £1.10.
Cycle and Ride for just £1.10 a day. Just park your cycle, motorcycle or scooter in the allocated space, and buy your ticket from the site office. You may be asked to provide evidence that you have travelled to the Park and Ride site by cycle, motorcycle or scooter.
Return tickets for concessionary bus pass holders cost El after 09:30 Monday to Friday and any time at weekend or bank holidays (when open). At other times there is no reduction for holders of concessionary bus passes.
Questions
Questions 1–6 Matching Information
The text has eight sections, A-H. Which sections contain the following information?
Write the correct letter, A-H, in boxes on your answer sheet.
Questions 7–14 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 | F | Young explorers can discover the new children's outdoor play area, shaped like a plant, in Kew's magical Conservation Area. As you journey through this interactive landscape, discover the functions of every part of a plant | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that children can play in a special area designed like a plant, and while they play, they can learn what each part of the plant does. Answer Explanation: The answer is F, which means Section F talks about learning the parts of a plant and what each part does. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is F because this section describes a children's outdoor play area where kids can learn about the functions of every part of a plant while playing. It mentions activities like tunneling through giant roots and solving puzzles, which help children understand how different parts of a plant work. |
| Q2 | H | Visit our exciting and colourful exhibition of South American botanical paintings, which brings the continent's exotic and lush plants to life in works from two hundred years ago and from this century | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says there is a special display showing paintings of plants from South America. These paintings are bright and represent the unique plants from that part of the world. Answer Explanation: The answer is H. This means that part H talks about paintings of plants from South America. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is H because this section mentions an exhibition of South American botanical paintings, which shows plants from that region. It is about beautiful and colorful art related to plants. |
| Q3 | E | Come and see the fantastic outdoor exhibition of garden, wildlife and botanical photography. Walk amongst enlarged photographs and admire the wonderful garden photos – all taken by children aged 16 and under from all round the country. If you are in this age category and fancy yourself as a photographer, then you can enter for the next show | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage talks about an exciting outdoor exhibition of photos that children took. It says that children can enter their own photos for the next show, which means they have a chance to show their work. Answer Explanation: The answer is E. This means that section E talks about showing your work in an exhibition. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is E because section E mentions a fantastic outdoor exhibition of photography taken by children. It invites young photographers to enter for the next show and have their work displayed, which relates directly to the possibility of having your work exhibited. |
| Q4 | G | What is biodiversity all about? Did you know that every breath we take and every move we make depends on plants? Take a guided tour to discover what biodiversity means and why it matters so much | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage asks what biodiversity is and tells us that we need plants for every breath and action. It invites people to learn more about why biodiversity is important. Answer Explanation: The answer is G. This means that section G talks about why humans need plants. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is G because this section explains what biodiversity means and why it is important for human life. It says that everything we do and every breath we take depends on plants, showing why humans need plants. |
| Q5 | D | On the hour throughout the day, the Palm House is filled with the sound of the dawn and dusk choruses of birds | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that every hour, the Palm House plays bird sounds in the morning and evening. This means it happens at the same times every day. Answer Explanation: The answer is D. This means that something happens every day at the same times in section D. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is D because it describes an event that occurs every hour throughout the day. The text says, 'On the hour throughout the day, the Palm House is filled with the sound of the dawn and dusk choruses of birds.' This shows that it happens at the same times every day. |
| Q6 | C | Come face-to-face with gigantic sculptures of insects, birds and bats, which will help tell the fascinating stories of how they interact with plants | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that you can see big models of insects and birds. These models help explain the interesting ways that these animals and plants are connected. Answer Explanation: The answer is C. This means that in section C, you can learn about how different creatures, like insects, birds, and plants, work together. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is C because it talks about a place where you can see butterflies and big sculptures of insects and birds. This section shows how these creatures interact with plants, which helps us learn about their relationships. |
| Q7 | NOT GIVEN | We have six purpose-built Park and Ride sites serving the city, more than almost anywhere else in the UK | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says this city has six special Park and Ride places. It also mentions that this number is more than in many other places in the UK, but it does not say if the city was one of the first to have them. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'NOT GIVEN'. This means the text does not tell us if this city was one of the first in the UK to have a Park and Ride scheme. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'NOT GIVEN' because the passage talks about the Park and Ride sites in the city but does not say anything about whether this city was one of the first to start this type of transportation scheme. |
| Q8 | TRUE | More than 3,000,000 passengers a year take a bus from a Park and Ride site into the city, reducing congestion and helping to improve the air quality in the city centre | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that many people use buses from Park and Ride sites, which helps to lower traffic and make the air better in the city center. Answer Explanation: The answer means that less traffic is in the city center now. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is TRUE because the passage mentions that Park and Ride sites help to reduce congestion. This means there is less traffic in the city center, which shows that the amount of congestion has fallen. |
| Q9 | FALSE | Heavy goods vehicles are not permitted at the Park and Ride site at any time | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that heavy vehicles cannot park at the Park and Ride. This means they do not have a special area. Answer Explanation: The answer is FALSE. This means there is no area in the car park for heavy goods vehicles. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is FALSE because the passage states that heavy goods vehicles are not allowed at the Park and Ride site at any time. This means there is definitely no special section for them. |
| Q10 | FALSE | Just park your car and buy your bus ticket from the bus driver, with the correct money if possible | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says you should buy your ticket from the driver with the correct money if you can. This does not mean the driver will not give change. Answer Explanation: The answer is FALSE. This means the statement is not true. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is FALSE because the passage does not say that bus drivers do not give change. It suggests that it is better to have the correct money but does not confirm they don't give change at all. |
| Q11 | TRUE | An individual adult daily return purchased prior to 12:30 hrs for use that day costs £2.40. If purchased after 12:30 hrs it costs £2.10 | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that if you buy a ticket before 12:30, it costs £2.40, but if you buy it after 12:30, it only costs £2.10. This means the price changes depending on the time. Answer Explanation: The answer is TRUE. This means that the ticket prices change based on what time it is during the day. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is TRUE because the passage mentions that if you buy a ticket before 12:30 it costs £2.40, but if you buy it after 12:30, it costs £2.10. This shows that the time of day affects the price of the ticket. |
| Q12 | FALSE | The return fare for unaccompanied children under 16 is £1.10 | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that if a child under 16 travels alone, they have to pay £1.10 for their tickets. Answer Explanation: The answer is FALSE. This means that children under 16 cannot travel alone for free. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is FALSE because the text states that unaccompanied children under 16 must pay £1.10 for their return fare. This means they cannot travel for free by themselves. |
| Q13 | NOT GIVEN | Just park your cycle, motorcycle or scooter in the allocated space, and buy your ticket from the site office | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says you should park your bike or motorcycle in a special place and then go to the site office to buy a ticket. It does not say where this parking space is. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'NOT GIVEN' because the passage does not say where the cycle, motorcycle, or scooter parking is located. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'NOT GIVEN' because the passage mentions a space for cycles, motorcycles, or scooters, but it does not provide information about its location in relation to the site office. Therefore, we cannot confirm if it is close or not. |
| Q14 | TRUE | At other times there is no reduction for holders of concessionary bus passes | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that at certain times, people with special bus passes do not get a lower price and have to pay the full fare. Answer Explanation: The answer is TRUE. This means that people with special bus passes have to pay the full price during some times. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is TRUE because the passage says that at some times, people with concessionary bus passes do not get a discount and must pay the full fare. |