Sustainable Growth At Didcot: The Outline Of A Report By South Oxfordshire District Council - IELTS Reading Answers & Explanations
From IELTS Practice Test Plus 3 Academic Reading Test 6 · Part 2 · Questions 14–26
Reading Passage
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14-26, which are based on Reading Passage 2 below.
Sustainable growth at Didcot: the outline of a report by South Oxfordshire District Council
A The UK Government's South East Plan proposes additional housing growth in the town of Didcot, which has been a designated growth area since 1979. We in South Oxfordshire District Council consider that, although Didcot does have potential for further growth, such development should be sustainable, well-planned, and supported by adequate infrastructure and community services.
B Recent experience in Didcot has demonstrated that large greenfield* developments cannot resource all the necessary infrastructure and low-cost housing requirements. The ensuing compromises create a legacy of local transport, infrastructure and community services deficits, with no obvious means of correction. We wish to ensure that there is greater recognition of the cost attached to housing growth, and that a means is found to resource the establishment of sustainable communities in growth areas.
C Until the 1950s, the development of job opportunities in the railway industry, and in a large, military ordnance depot, was the spur to Didcot's expansion. Development at that time was geared to providing homes for the railway and depot workers, with limited investment in shopping and other services for the local population. Didcot failed to develop Broadway as a compact town centre, and achieved only a strip of shops along one side of the main street hemmed in by low density housing and service trade uses.
D From the 1970s, strategic planning policies directed significant new housing development to Didcot. Planners recognised Didcot's potential, with rapid growth in local job opportunities and good rail connections for those choosing to work farther afield. However, the town is bisected by the east-west railway, and people living in Ladygrove, the urban extension to the north which has been built since the 1980s, felt, and still feel, cut off from the town and its community.
E Population growth in the new housing areas failed to spark adequate private-sector investment in town centre uses, and the limited investment which did take place – Didcot Market Place development in 1982, for instance – did not succeed in delivering the number and range of town centre uses needed by the growing population. In 1990, public-sector finance was used to buy the land required for the Orchard Centre development, comprising a superstore, parking and a new street of stores running parallel to Broadway. The development took 13 years to complete.
F The idea that, by obliging developers of new housing to contribute to the cost of infrastructure and service requirements, all the necessary finance could be raised, has proved unachievable. Substantial public finance was still needed to deliver major projects such as the new link road to the A34 on the outskirts of the town at Milton, the improved railway crossing at Marsh Bridge and new schools. Such projects were delayed due to difficulties in securing public finance. The same problem also held back expansion of health and social services in the town.
G In recent years, government policy, in particular the requirement for developers that forty percent of the units in a new housing development should be low cost homes, has had a major impact on the economics of such development, as it has limited the developers' contribution to the costs of infrastructure. The planning authorities are facing difficult choices in prioritising the items of infrastructure which must be funded by development, and this, in turn, means that from now on public finance will need to provide a greater proportion of infrastructure project costs.
H The Government's Sustainable Communities Plan seeks a holistic approach to new urban development in which housing, employment, services and infrastructure of all kinds are carefully planned and delivered in a way which avoids the infrastructure deficits that have occurred in places like Didcot in the past. This report, therefore, is structured around the individual components of a sustainable community, and shows the baseline position for each component.
I Didcot has been identified as one of the towns with which the Government is working to evaluate whether additional growth will strengthen the economic potential of the town, deliver the necessary infrastructure and improve environmental standards. A programme of work, including discussions with the local community about their aspirations for the town as well as other stakeholders, will be undertaken over the coming months, and will lead to the development of a strategic master plan. The challenge will be in optimising scarce resources to achieve maximum benefits for the town.
* land that has never previously been built on
Questions
Questions 14–19 Matching Information
Reading Passage 2 has nine paragraphs, A–I.
Which paragraph contains the following information?
Write the correct letter, A–I.
Questions 20–23 Matching Features
Look at the following places and the list of statements below.
Match each place with the correct statement, A–F.
Write the correct letter, A–F.
A. It provided extra facilities for shopping and cars.
B. Its location took a long time to agree.
C. Its layout was unsuitable.
D. Its construction was held up due to funding problems.
E. It was privately funded.
F. It failed to get Council approval at first.
Questions 24–26 Sentence Completion
Complete the sentences below.
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.
- A certain proportion of houses in any new development now have to be of the 24 type.
- The government is keen to ensure that adequate 25 will be provided for future housing developments.
- The views of Didcot's inhabitants and others will form the basis of a 26 for the town.
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q14 | H | This report, therefore, is structured around the individual components of a sustainable community, and shows the baseline position for each component | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that the way the report is organized is by looking at every different part of a community one by one. Answer Explanation: The answer is paragraph H because it mentions how the information in the report is arranged or planned. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is H because the paragraph explicitly mentions how the document is put together. It uses the phrase "This report, therefore, is structured around", which is a clear reference to the way the report is organized. In English, when you say a piece of writing is "structured around" something, you are explaining its organization or layout. |
| Q15 | D | However, the town is bisected by the east-west railway, and people living in Ladygrove, the urban extension to the north which has been built since the 1980s, felt, and still feel, cut off from the town and its community | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that the town is split by a railway line going from east to west. Because of this, the people living in the Ladygrove area feel separated from the rest of the town people. Answer Explanation: The answer is paragraph D because it explains why some people in Didcot feel separated from the rest of the town. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is Paragraph D because it mentions that a railway line splits the town into two pieces. This physical barrier makes the residents in the northern area, called Ladygrove, feel 'cut off' or isolated from the main community. Key words to look for are 'bisected,' which means split in two, and 'cut off,' which is a synonym for isolated. |
| Q16 | G | The planning authorities are facing difficult choices in prioritising the items of infrastructure which must be funded by development, and this, in turn, means that from now on public finance will need to provide a greater proportion of infrastructure project costs | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that since the people in charge are having a hard time deciding what the builder's money should pay for, the government will have to pay for more of the building costs from now on. Answer Explanation: The answer is Paragraph G because it explains where the money for building projects will come from in the future. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is G because it discusses a shift in how projects are paid for. It mentions that because of new rules, developers (private builders) cannot afford to pay for as much infrastructure. Therefore, it states that 'from now on' (meaning in the future), 'public finance' (money from the government) will be a larger source of investment for these costs. |
| Q17 | C | Until the 1950s, the development of job opportunities in the railway industry, and in a large, military ordnance depot, was the spur to Didcot's expansion | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that before 1950, new jobs in the train business and at a large military storage site were the reasons why the town of Didcot grew. Answer Explanation: The answer means that Paragraph C is where the writer names two big organizations or industries that gave many people jobs in Didcot. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is Paragraph C because it describes how the town grew in the past due to work. It mentions two specific sources of "job opportunities": the "railway industry" and a "military ordnance depot." These two groups acted as the major employers that caused the town to expand because workers needed homes near these places. |
| Q18 | I | A programme of work, including discussions with the local community about their aspirations for the town as well as other stakeholders, will be undertaken over the coming months, and will lead to the development of a strategic master plan | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that they will have meetings and talks with the people who live in the town and other interested groups. These conversations will help them build a large, official plan for how the town should grow. Answer Explanation: The answer is Paragraph I. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is Paragraph I because it mentions that the government will talk to different groups of people to help create a new plan for the town. In this paragraph, it says there will be 'discussions' (meaning talks or consultations) with the 'local community' and 'other stakeholders' (the groups of people involved). These talks will help them make a 'strategic master plan,' which is a formal term for a new development plan. |
| Q19 | E | In 1990, public-sector finance was used to buy the land required for the Orchard Centre development, comprising a superstore, parking and a new street of stores running parallel to Broadway | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that in 1990, the government used its own money (public-sector finance) to buy the land needed to build a specific group of shops and services called the Orchard Centre. Answer Explanation: The answer is Paragraph E, which explains that money from the government (public-sector finance) was used to pay for new shops and facilities in the middle of the town. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is Paragraph E because it describes how town centre improvements were paid for in the past. It explains that private companies did not invest enough, so in 1990, "public-sector finance" (government money) was needed to buy land for the Orchard Centre. This development added important town facilities like a superstore, shops, and parking. Keywords to notice include "town centre uses," "public-sector finance," and "Orchard Centre development." |
| Q20 | C | Didcot failed to develop Broadway as a compact town centre, and achieved only a strip of shops along one side of the main street hemmed in by low density housing and service trade uses | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that Broadway did not become a proper, busy town center. Instead, it was built with shops on only one side of the road and was stuck between houses that didn't help the town grow, showing that its design was not successful. Answer Explanation: The answer C means that the design and arrangement of Broadway were not good or effective for the town. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is C because the passage describes Broadway's physical arrangement as a failure in town planning. In paragraph C, it mentions that Didcot failed to make Broadway a 'compact town centre.' instead, it just became a 'strip of shops' on one side of the street, crowded by housing that didn't fit well with a business area. Because the shops were spread out in a single line rather than being a central hub, the 'layout' (the way things are arranged) was considered 'unsuitable' (not good or not right). |
| Q21 | E | Population growth in the new housing areas failed to spark adequate private-sector investment in town centre uses, and the limited investment which did take place – Didcot Market Place development in 1982, for instance – did not succeed in delivering the number and range of town centre uses needed by the growing population | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that while there wasn't much money spent by private businesses on the town, the Didcot Market Place was one example of a project that was built using that private-sector money. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the Market Place project was paid for by private companies or businesses rather than the government. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is Choice E because the passage links the Market Place development directly to the term 'private-sector investment'. In paragraph E, the text discusses how there was not enough money coming from businesses (private-sector) to build what the town needed. It then gives the 'Didcot Market Place development' as an example of the small amount of investment that actually happened from those private sources. This contrasts with later projects mentioned in the same paragraph that required government (public-sector) money. |
| Q22 | A | In 1990, public-sector finance was used to buy the land required for the Orchard Centre development, comprising a superstore, parking and a new street of stores running parallel to Broadway | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that the government bought land for the Orchard Centre, which includes a very large store, a parking lot, and a new road lined with smaller shops. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the Orchard Centre was built to give people more places to buy things and a place to leave their cars. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because the text lists exactly what was included in the Orchard Centre. It mentions a 'superstore' and a 'new street of stores', which are shopping facilities. It also mentions 'parking', which is a facility for cars. These details match statement A perfectly. |
| Q23 | D | Substantial public finance was still needed to deliver major projects such as the new link road to the A34 on the outskirts of the town at Milton, the improved railway crossing at Marsh Bridge and new schools. Such projects were delayed due to difficulties in securing public finance | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that projects like the crossing at Marsh Bridge needed a lot of money to be finished, but they were late because finding the money was difficult. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the building of the railway crossing at Marsh Bridge was slowed down because they did not have the money to pay for it. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'D' because the passage explains that certain projects, including the railway crossing at Marsh Bridge, were delayed because it was hard to get 'public finance' (money from the government). The word 'delayed' in the text has the same meaning as 'held up' in the question, and 'difficulties in securing public finance' means there were 'funding problems'. |
| Q24 | low cost / affordable | the requirement for developers that forty percent of the units in a new housing development should be low cost homes | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that there is a rule for people who build new houses: they must ensure that 40 out of every 100 houses are cheap enough for people to afford. Answer Explanation: The answer "low cost" (or "affordable") refers to houses that are priced lower than the usual cost, making them inexpensive enough for people who do not have a lot of money to buy or rent. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is located in Paragraph G, which discusses a government rule for builders. This rule states that "forty percent" (which matches the phrase "a certain proportion" in the question) of all homes in a new building project must be "low cost homes." This explains why a specific type of house is required in new developments. |
| Q25 | infrastructure | The Government's Sustainable Communities Plan seeks a holistic approach to new urban development in which housing, employment, services and infrastructure of all kinds are carefully planned and delivered in a way which avoids the infrastructure deficits that have occurred in places like Didcot in the past | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that the government wants to use a complete plan for new town building. This plan aims to make sure that housing and necessary systems like roads and services (infrastructure) are built together so that there is no lack of these important things. Answer Explanation: The answer "infrastructure" refers to the basic systems and services that a town or city needs to work correctly, such as roads, schools, electricity, and water pipes. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is infrastructure because the passage explains that the government has a plan called the Sustainable Communities Plan. This plan aims to make sure that as towns grow, they have all the necessary parts like jobs, services, and infrastructure ready for the people who live there, avoiding the shortages of these things that happened before. The word "adequate" in the question is a synonym for enough or the right amount, which relates to the goal of providing these components in a way that avoids "deficits" (not having enough). |
| Q26 | strategic master plan | A programme of work, including discussions with the local community about their aspirations for the town as well as other stakeholders, will be undertaken over the coming months, and will lead to the development of a strategic master plan | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that there will be a project to talk to local people and other interested groups about what they want for their town, and these conversations will help designers create a big plan for the town's future. Answer Explanation: The answer 'strategic master plan' refers to a detailed, long-term official document that outlines how a town will be improved and grown in the future. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is found in Paragraph I, which explains that a series of talks will happen soon. During these talks, the local community (the inhabitants) and other stakeholders will share their 'aspirations,' which is another word for 'views.' These talks are intended to result in the creation of a 'strategic master plan' for the town. So, the opinions of the people will be the starting point or 'basis' for this final plan. |