HOLIDAY PLUS & SYDNEY TRAVEL COLLEGE - IELTS Reading Answers & Explanations
From Cambridge IELTS 08 General Training Reading Test 1 · Part 1 · Questions 1–14
Reading Passage
Read the text below and answer Questions 1-6.
HOLIDAY PLUS
Need a break? Choose from these three wonderful holidays!
| Holiday location | Price* | Number of nights | Daily meals included in package | Comments | Transport to/from airport | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Mountain Lodge
a unique wilderness retreat on the edge of the World Heritage-listed National Park and only 5 km from the sea |
$330 | 1 | mountain buffet breakfast
plus free soft drinks always available |
free canoeing
free talks in the evening free open-air tennis courts horse-riding optional extra |
self-drive auto
1 hour 15 minutes or bus three times/week approx. 2 hours |
| B | Pelican Resort
a true coral island right on the Great Barrier Reef swim straight from the beach |
$580 | 4 | hot breakfast plus
beach picnic lunch plus set 4-course dinner |
refurbishment: resort will close for May
free minibus trip around island plane flights to Wilson Island only $50 |
½ hour by minibus |
| C | Cedar Lodge
a blend of casual sophistication and rich rainforest ambience for those over 25 |
$740 | 4 | tropical breakfast
picnic lunch – optional extra |
oldest living rainforest
free bikes and tennis courts; horse-riding extra |
10 mins by taxi |
* Price: per person, per package, twin share
______________
Read the text below and answer Questions 7-14.
SYDNEY TRAVEL COLLEGE
At this College we recommend the Multiplan policy.
Travel insurance requirements
As this course includes a total of three months' travel outside Australia, travel insurance is compulsory. If you are sick or have an accident in Australia, your medical bills will be fully covered – however, you cannot assume that everything will be covered overseas, so please read the following requirements carefully.
1 Medical
Australia has reciprocal medical arrangements with the governments of the eight nations you will be visiting. This arrangement will cover all emergency hospital treatment. However, students will have to take out insurance such as Multiplan to cover the costs of all visits to doctors, and other non-emergency medical situations.
If you have a serious accident or illness, Multiplan insurance will cover the cost of your flight back to Australia, if required. Depending on the circumstances, this may also pay for either medical personnel or a family member to accompany you home. Multiplan insurance may not cover all pre-existing medical conditions – so before you leave be sure to check with them about any long-term illnesses or disabilities that you have.
If you do require medical treatment overseas, and you want to make a claim on your insurance, the claim will not be accepted unless you produce both your student card and your travel insurance card.
2 Belongings
The Multiplan policy covers most student requirements. In particular, it provides students with luggage insurance. This covers any loss or theft of your everyday belongings. For example, this insurance covers:
- the present value of items that are stolen – provided that you have purchase receipts for every item; if no receipts, no payment can be made
- replacement value of your briefcase or backpack and study books
- portable computers and CD players, if you specifically list them as items in the policy
3 Cancellation
This insurance covers any non-refundable deposit and other costs you have paid if you have to cancel due to 'unforeseen or unforeseeable circumstances outside your control'. It does not provide cover if you change your study or travel plans for other reasons.
Questions
Questions 1–3 Matching Information
Look at the three holidays, A, B and C.
For which holiday are the following statements true?
Write the correct letter, A, B or C.
1
This holiday doesn't cater for young children.
2
This holiday provides a tour at no extra cost.
3
This holiday involves most travel time from the airport.
Questions 4–6 Short Answers
Answer the questions below.
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the text for each answer.
4
When will one of the holiday locations not be open?
5
Which two outdoor activities are provided at no extra cost at Mountain Lodge?
6
What is the fastest way to travel to Mountain Lodge?
Questions 7–14 Matching Features
Classify the following events as being
Write the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
A. covered by government arrangements
B. covered by the Multiplan policy
C. not covered by the Multiplan policy
D. covered in some situations
7
A student travelling overseas suddenly needs hospital treatment.
8
A student consults a doctor regarding a minor problem while abroad.
9
A parent goes overseas to bring an injured or sick student to Australia.
10
A student is treated overseas for an illness he/she had before leaving Australia.
11
A student who requires medical treatment has lost his/her travel insurance card.
12
A student's study books are lost.
13
A student's laptop is stolen.
14
A student changes his/her mind about plans to study and decides not to take the booked flight.
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | C | a blend of casual sophistication and rich rainforest ambience for those over 25 | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage describes Cedar Lodge as a stylish and natural place that is only meant for people who are older than 25 years of age. Answer Explanation: The answer choice C refers to the Cedar Lodge holiday, which does not allow young children to visit. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is C because the description for Cedar Lodge specifically says it is 'for those over 25'. Since the holiday is restricted to adults who are at least 25 years old, it does not accept or cater to children. |
| Q2 | B | free minibus trip around island | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that there is a bus trip to see the island that guests do not have to pay for. Answer Explanation: The answer is holiday B, which is called Pelican Resort. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because the information for Pelican Resort mentions a "free minibus trip around island." A "trip around island" is another way to say a tour of the island. Since it is described as "free," it means it is provided "at no extra cost" to the guests. |
| Q3 | A | self-drive auto1 hour 15 minutes or bus three times/week approx. 2 hours ½ hour by minibus 10 mins by taxi |
Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage lists the travel times for the three holidays: Holiday A takes 1 hour and 15 minutes or more, Holiday B takes half an hour, and Holiday C takes only 10 minutes. This comparison proves that Holiday A has the longest travel time. Answer Explanation: The answer is Holiday A (Mountain Lodge), which is the option that takes the longest amount of time to reach from the airport. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because the table shows its transport time is either 1 hour 15 minutes by car or about 2 hours by bus. When we look at the other holidays, Holiday B takes 30 minutes (½ hour) and Holiday C takes 10 minutes. Since 1 hour 15 minutes is longer than both 30 minutes and 10 minutes, Holiday A involves the 'most' (the highest amount of) travel time. |
| Q4 | for May / in May / May | refurbishment: resort will close for May | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that since the hotel at Pelican Resort needs fixing or updating, it will shut down during the month of May. Answer Explanation: The answer identifies the specific month during which one of the vacation spots will be closed. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is May because the table lists three holiday locations, and for Pelican Resort (location B), the 'Comments' section specifically states that it will close for the month of May due to refurbishment, which means it will be getting repairs or updates. |
| Q5 | canoeing and tennis / canoeing tennis / canoeing,tennis / canoeing,open-air tennis / canoeing,tennis courts | free canoeingfree talks in the eveningfree open-air tennis courtshorse-riding optional extra | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage lists the activities for this hotel. It uses the word 'free' for canoeing and tennis, but says horse-riding is an optional extra that you have to pay for. Answer Explanation: The answer means that guests at the Mountain Lodge can go paddling in a boat and play a racket sport outside for free. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is determined by looking at the 'Comments' column for Mountain Lodge (Holiday A). The text explicitly uses the word 'free' to describe 'canoeing' and 'open-air tennis courts.' These are the two outdoor sports listed that do not require an 'extra' payment. While 'talks' are also free, they are not usually considered an 'outdoor activity' in the same way sports are, and 'horse-riding' is specifically called an 'extra' cost. |
| Q6 | by self-drive automobile / by automobile / self-drive automobile / automobile / by self-drive auto / by auto / self-drive auto / auto | self-drive auto 1 hour 15 minutes or bus three times/week approx. 2 hours | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage compares two ways to travel: driving by yourself takes 1 hour and 15 minutes, while the bus takes 2 hours. Answer Explanation: The answer means the quickest way to get to the location is by driving a car yourself. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'self-drive auto'. In the table under 'Mountain Lodge' (Holiday A), there are two options listed for transport to/from the airport. The first option is driving a car yourself, which takes 1 hour and 15 minutes. The second option is a bus, which takes about 2 hours. Because 1 hour and 15 minutes is a shorter amount of time than 2 hours, driving yourself is the fastest choice. |
| Q7 | A | Australia has reciprocal medical arrangements with the governments of the eight nations you will be visiting. This arrangement will cover all emergency hospital treatment | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that Australia has agreements with the governments of the eight countries you will visit. These agreements will pay for any hospital care needed during an emergency. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the government agreements between Australia and other countries will pay for the hospital costs if a student needs urgent care while traveling. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because the text states that Australia has special agreements (reciprocal medical arrangements) with the eight countries the students will visit. These government-level agreements are specifically designed to pay for all 'emergency hospital treatment.' Since a student 'suddenly' needing hospital treatment fits the description of an emergency, it falls under the government arrangements rather than the private Multiplan insurance policy. |
| Q8 | B | However, students will have to take out insurance such as Multiplan to cover the costs of all visits to doctors, and other non-emergency medical situations | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that the Multiplan insurance policy is required to pay for the money a student spends on doctor visits and medical help that is not for a major emergency. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the Multiplan insurance covers the costs when a student goes to see a doctor for a small health issue while traveling in another country. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because the text explains that government help only covers emergency hospital care. For regular doctor visits or health issues that are not emergencies (like a minor problem), students are required to have Multiplan insurance. The text specifically links Multiplan to the costs of visits to doctors and non-emergency medical situations. |
| Q9 | D | Depending on the circumstances, this may also pay for either medical personnel or a family member to accompany you home | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that, based on the specific details of the event, the insurance might cover the costs for a family member to travel with the student back to Australia. Answer Explanation: The answer 'D' means that whether or not the insurance pays for a parent to help a student return home depends on the specific situation. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'D' because the text uses the phrase 'Depending on the circumstances' and the word 'may' when talking about paying for a family member to travel with a sick student. This indicates that the coverage is not guaranteed for every single accident or illness but happens only in some situations or conditions. |
| Q10 | D | Multiplan insurance may not cover all pre-existing medical conditions — so before you leave be sure to check with them about any long-term illnesses or disabilities that you have | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that the Multiplan insurance might not pay for all health problems that a person already had before they started their trip. It advises students to check with the insurance company about any long-term illnesses they have. Answer Explanation: The answer is D, which means the insurance pays for the treatment only in certain cases or 'some situations'. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is D because the text states that the insurance 'may not cover all' pre-existing medical conditions. An illness someone had before leaving Australia is called a 'pre-existing condition'. Since the text says it may not cover 'all' of them, this means some illnesses are covered while others are not. Therefore, coverage depends on the specific situation. The keyword 'may not cover all' indicates that the rule is not the same for every illness. |
| Q11 | C | the claim will not be accepted unless you produce both your student card and your travel insurance card | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that to receive money from the insurance company for medical care, you must show two specific cards: your student ID and your travel insurance ID card. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the insurance company will refuse to pay for the student's medical treatment costs if the student cannot show their insurance card. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is C because the passage states that for an insurance claim to be successful, a student must show both their student card and their travel insurance card. If a student loses their travel insurance card, they cannot provide it as proof, which means the insurance company will not accept the claim. Therefore, the situation is not covered. |
| Q12 | B | replacement value of your briefcase or backpack and study books | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that the Multiplan insurance will pay for the cost of getting new books if a student's current study books are lost or stolen. Answer Explanation: The answer means that if a student loses their school books while traveling, the Multiplan insurance policy will pay to replace them. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because the text explicitly lists study books under the section for the Multiplan policy's luggage insurance. It explains that this insurance covers lost or stolen items and mentions that it specifically includes the 'replacement value' of study books. This confirms that these items are covered by the Multiplan policy. |
| Q13 | D | portable computers and CD players, if you specifically list them as items in the policy | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that laptops are included in the insurance coverage, but only if the student has already written them down in the list of items for their insurance plan. Answer Explanation: The answer "D" means that the insurance company will only pay for the stolen laptop if certain conditions are met. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "D" because the text explains that portable computers (laptops) are only covered by the Multiplan policy "if you specifically list them" as items. This means coverage is not automatic; it depends on the student’s actions. Furthermore, the passage notes that for any stolen item, the company will only pay if the owner has the original "purchase receipts." Because these specific conditions must be met for the insurance to apply, the event is described as being covered in some situations. |
| Q14 | C | It does not provide cover if you change your study or travel plans for other reasons | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says the insurance does not help you if you choose to change your plans for reasons that are not emergencies. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the insurance company will not pay any money back if a student decides to change their study plans on their own. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is C because the passage explains the rules for cancelling a trip. It says that the insurance policy only covers costs for the student if the cancellation is caused by something bad they cannot control. It specifically mentions that if a person decides to change their travel or study plans for other reasons, like simply changing their mind, the insurance will not pay (it does not provide cover). |