Harvey’s Storage & Local Museums - IELTS Reading Answers & Explanations
From Cambridge IELTS 15 General Training Reading Test 2 · Part 1 · Questions 1–14
Reading Passage
==== Read the text below and answer questions 1-6 ====
Harvey’s Storage
Harvey’s Storage is a well-established independent company. We are centrally located in the city and provide excellent facilities for all your storage requirements.
We provide safe and secure units for both long- and short-term storage dependent on your needs. Our rates are competitive and tailored to your specific requirements and your choice of storage unit. Heavy-duty locks and keys are provided to all of our customers and included in the prices listed. You can hire the unit with the storage capacity you need, for the period of time that the storage is required, in a sound and secure environment, monitored by CCTV. With 24-hour access, customers can deliver and collect items when it is convenient to do so, unrestricted by business or office hours. Tarmac roadways allow customers to park cars and lorries immediately outside their units, minimising the effort required to collect or drop items off.
Household storage: Self-storage is ideal for families or individuals with either a short- or long-term need to store their belongings. Some of our clients are de-cluttering, or they may be getting their property decorated, or planning to go abroad for a time.
Student storage: You may be travelling or going home to see family and friends in the vacation, or need time to find a place to stay. You may want to store all your books and personal items, or just a few boxes or a musical instrument. We offer no-nonsense competitive pricing with flexible hire periods and with no hidden extras. We can provide you with short- or long-term affordable hire in a safe and secure environment. You are responsible for organising transport but we can also recommend local van and driver hire companies.
Business storage: Free up your expensive retail space with affordable self-storage. We have three different business storage centres to choose from so you can choose the location that is most convenient for you.
==== Read the text below and answer questions 7-14 ====
Local Museums
A Whittlesey Museum
The museum is located in the Old Town Hall, which was originally built to house horse-drawn fire engines. It has eight rooms, and the exhibits cover topics such as archive photographs, costume, domestic life and local celebrities.
B Octavia Hill’s Birthplace House
Built in 1740, this is the birthplace of pioneer social reformer Octavia Hill, who was active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in social housing and the arts, as well as in conservation issues. Visitors are taken on a guided tour and are then free to explore the gardens.
C Chatteris Museum
The old market town of Chatteris was largely rebuilt, after two serious fires in 1706 and 1864 destroyed many of the town’s ancient buildings. The museum’s exhibits illustrate traditional aspects of the life of local farmers as well as the railway boom of the 19th century. The museum has a touch-screen kiosk which contains over 9,000 historic photographs and texts, reproductions of which can be made on request.
D March and District Museum
Located in the middle of the market town of March, the museum is housed in a former school built in 1851. Its wide-ranging collections include reconstructions of an early 20th-century kitchen, sitting room and nursery. There is also an interesting display of historic cameras and radios, and a medal which was awarded to train driver Ben Gimbert for his bravery in preventing loss of life when a train full of explosives caught fire in 1944.
E Wisbech and Fenland Museum
This 19th-century gem holds collections from around the world including Ancient Egypt. Its library, which is open to the public on the first Saturday of each month, contains the manuscript of Great Expectations by the 19th-century novelist Charles Dickens, and the Research Room can be booked for researching local records.
Questions
Questions 1–6 True / False / Not Given
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text? In boxes, 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
Questions 7–14 Matching Information
Look at the five descriptions of the museums A-E, in one area of England. For which museum are the following statements true? NB You may use any letter more than once.
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | False | Heavy-duty locks and keys are provided to all of our customers and included in the prices listed | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that strong locks and keys are given to every customer and that they are part of the price. This means you do not pay more for them. Answer Explanation: The answer is false. This means that there is no extra charge for locks and keys. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is false because the passage says that locks and keys are included in the prices listed. This means there is no additional cost for them. Keywords to notice are 'included in the prices' which shows there is no extra charge. |
| Q2 | Not given | We provide safe and secure units for both long- and short-term storage dependent on your needs | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says they give safe storage units for your needs, but it does not say anything about sharing them with another person. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'Not given' because the passage does not say anything about sharing storage units. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'Not given' because the text explains the options for storage but does not mention if you can share a storage unit with someone else. |
| Q3 | True | With 24-hour access, customers can deliver and collect items when it is convenient to do so | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that customers can go to their storage units at any time of the day or night. Answer Explanation: The answer means that you are allowed to get your things from the storage unit at night. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is true because the passage says customers can access their storage units 24 hours a day. This means you can go to the storage unit anytime, including night-time. |
| Q4 | True | Tarmac roadways allow customers to park cars and lorries immediately outside their units | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says there are roads where you can park cars and lorries right next to your storage unit. Answer Explanation: The answer means you can park your car next to where you keep your things. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is TRUE because the passage says that customers can park cars and lorries immediately outside their units. This means you can drive your vehicle right next to your storage unit. |
| Q5 | False | You may be travelling or going home to see family and friends in the vacation, or need time to find a place to stay | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that students might store their things when they travel home or need time to find a new place. This means they can store their items at other times, not just during vacations. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'False', which means that students can store their things at other times, not just during vacation. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'False' because the passage says that students may store their belongings when they travel or go home, which means they can also use storage outside of just vacation times. The passage mentions the need for storage at different times, showing it is not only during vacations. |
| Q6 | False | You are responsible for organising transport but we can also recommend local van and driver hire companies | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that students must arrange their own way to transport their things. The storage company can suggest local services but will not do the transport for them. Answer Explanation: The answer is False. This means that the storage company does not collect and deliver students' things. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is False because the passage says that students are responsible for organizing their own transport. It does not mention that the storage company will collect or deliver their belongings. |
| Q7 | C | The museum's exhibits illustrate traditional aspects of the life of local farmers as well as the railway boom of the 19th century | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage tells us that Chatteris Museum shows how local farmers lived and also talks about trains that helped farming in the 19th century. Answer Explanation: The answer means that Chatteris Museum has things to show about farming history in the area. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is C because Chatteris Museum talks about local farmers' lives and the history of farming, especially during the railway boom. This means it has exhibits related to agriculture. |
| Q8 | A | The museum is located in the Old Town Hall, which was originally built to house horse-drawn fire engines | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that the museum is in a building called the Old Town Hall. This building was made to store fire engines, which are vehicles used to fight fires. Answer Explanation: The answer is A. This means that the building we are talking about was used to keep equipment to stop fires. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because the passage says that the museum is located in the Old Town Hall, which was originally built to house horse-drawn fire engines. This shows it was used to keep fire-fighting equipment. |
| Q9 | C | The museum's exhibits illustrate traditional aspects of the life of local farmers as well as the railway boom of the 19th century | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that Chatteris Museum shows how farmers lived and also talks about how trains became popular in the 1800s. Answer Explanation: The answer is C, which means Chatteris Museum. This museum has information about the growth of railways. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is C because the Chatteris Museum discusses traditional farming life and also the railway boom, which is the rise of train transport. This shows its importance in the history of transportation. |
| Q10 | B | Visitors are taken on a guided tour and are then free to explore the gardens | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says visitors can go on a tour inside and also look around the gardens outside. This means you can see and do things in both the inside and outside areas of the museum. Answer Explanation: The answer is B, which means Octavia Hill's Birthplace House has things to see both inside and outside. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because this museum offers guided tours inside the building, and then visitors can explore the gardens outside. This shows that there are activities and sights available in both places, which matches the question's requirement. |
| Q11 | C | The museum has a touch-screen kiosk which contains over 9,000 historic photographs and texts, reproductions of which can be made on request | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that Chatteris Museum has a computer screen where you can see a lot of old pictures and words, and you can ask to get copies of them. Answer Explanation: The answer is C, which means Chatteris Museum is the correct place. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is C because the passage says that Chatteris Museum has a touch-screen kiosk with over 9,000 historic photographs and texts, and reproductions of these can be made on request. |
| Q12 | E | Its library, which is open to the public on the first Saturday of each month, contains the manuscript of Great Expectations by the 19th-century novelist Charles Dickens | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that the museum's library has a real copy of a book called 'Great Expectations.' This book is written by Charles Dickens and you can see it on specific days. Answer Explanation: The answer means you can see a real book by a famous writer at Wisbech and Fenland Museum. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is E because it says that this museum has a manuscript of 'Great Expectations,' which is a book written by Charles Dickens, a famous fiction writer. |
| Q13 | B | Built in 1740, this is the birthplace of pioneer social reformer Octavia Hill, who was active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in social housing and the arts, as well as in conservation issues. | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage talks about Octavia Hill, who worked for better housing and cared about the environment. She lived here and is important for these reasons. Answer Explanation: The answer is B. This means that the person cared about the environment and lived in the place related to museum B. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because Octavia Hill, a person who worked on social housing and was interested in environmental issues, was born in the location of this museum. The passage mentions her involvement in conservation, which connects her to the topic of environmental matters. |
| Q14 | D | There is also an interesting display of historic cameras and radios, and a medal which was awarded to train driver Ben Gimbert for his bravery in preventing loss of life when a train full of explosives caught fire in 1944 | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage talks about a medal given to train driver Ben Gimbert. He was brave because he stopped a fire on a train full of explosives, which saved lives. Answer Explanation: The answer is D, which means March and District Museum. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is D because it mentions a special medal awarded to a train driver for bravery when he stopped a fire from causing more harm. This is a heroic achievement. |