Manly Beaches & Sydney Water: Advice For Customers Paying A Bill - IELTS Reading Answers & Explanations
From Cambridge IELTS 18 General Training Reading Test 3 · Part 1 · Questions 1–14
Reading Passage
==== Read the text below and answer questions 1-7 ====
Manly Beaches
Next time you visit Manly, 30 minutes by ferry from the centre of Australia’s biggest city, Sydney, try some of these less famous beaches
A Fairy Bower
Located in a marine protection area, the water is perfect for paddling, snorkelling or even scuba diving. There is a small gift shop for unusual souvenirs, and a kiosk that rents stand-up paddleboards. Buses do not stop nearby so a walk is necessary.
B North Steyne
This popular beach is a little further from the ferry than the main beach and it always feels less crowded. North Steyne has professional lifeguards on duty, but the surf can be hazardous so check conditions if swimming with young ones. If you want to try surfing for the first time, Manly Surf School operates out of the surf club located on the beach. Please note that boards are reserved for students and are not available for rent.
C Delwood
Delwood’s secluded cove is a scenic walk from the ferry along the harbour walkway. There are no shops, so bring a picnic and have a peaceful swim off the rocks. You’ll probably have the beach to yourself.
D Little Manly
This popular harbour beach has a net that encloses the swimming area. It is a good option for families as the protected area makes it easy to keep an eye on kids playing in the water. There is also a large playground, a public barbecue that anyone can use and toilet facilities, which make this a great spot for a family day out.
E East Esplanade
Located next to Manly Wharf, East Esplanade is a popular spot all day. There is no beach closer to the ferry or buses than this one. Kayakers meet for a paddle here as the sun rises, and daytrippers sit on the sand during the day. People get together on the grass after work, and bring drinks, snacks and music to watch the sun go down.
F Shelly Beach
This is the best spot if you don’t like big waves. Rent a beach chair or head straight to the Boathouse Cafe, the perfect place for breakfast or lunch. Please note that Shelly Beach gets overly crowded at times, so avoid it on a sunny weekend afternoon.
==== Read the text below and answer Questions 8-14 ====
Sydney Water: advice for customers paying a bill
About your bill
Sydney Water services over five million people in greater Sydney, and if you own a property, you’ll get a bill from us. Generally, this is just for your water and wastewater services, but there could be other charges. We send most bills quarterly, after we’ve read the meter. If your property has no meter, we send the bill at the start of each quarter.
When do we send the bill?
If you’d like monthly bills, simply ask us to read your meter monthly. It costs $32.52 a quarter to be billed this way and this additional fee will appear on the first bill each quarter. To arrange it, just call us on 13 20 92.
What if you can’t pay the bill?
We understand that it might be hard to pay your bill. If you’re having difficulties, we have a range of options to help. If you receive a pension, we may give you a reduction on your bill, but you must own and live in your home to qualify for this.
How can you get your billing history?
• Register for eBill. When you register for Sydney Water’s online billing facility, eBill, you’ll be able to see your past bills at any time. Once you’re registered, you’ll stop getting paper bills and start getting electronic ones.
• Still want paper bills? Simply cancel your registration after you have saved the electronic bills you need. Then you’ll go back to paper bills, but you won’t have access to the online bills after you cancel.
• Contact us. Simply contact us and we’ll give you a statement that shows the amounts we charged you and the payments we received on your last five bills.
• Need more history? If you need information that’s older than your last five bills, you need to pay $28.04 for a ‘billing record search statement’.
How do you stop a charge on a bill?
We’ll stop a fixed charge on your bill if a licensed plumber cuts off your water or wastewater service. Your plumber must apply for this disconnection and follow Sydney Water’s standard procedures.
Questions
Questions 1–7 Matching Information
Look at the six beach descriptions, A-F. For which beaches are the following statements true?
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 | F | Rent a beach chair or head straight to the Boathouse Cafe, the perfect place for breakfast or lunch. | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says you can rent a chair or go to the Boathouse Cafe to get breakfast or lunch at Shelly Beach. Answer Explanation: The answer is F. This means you can buy food at Shelly Beach. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is F because Shelly Beach has the Boathouse Cafe, which is a place where you can buy breakfast or lunch. This is the only beach described in the passage where you can buy food. |
| Q2 | B | If you want to try surfing for the first time, Manly Surf School operates out of the surf club located on the beach. | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that if you want to learn how to surf, you can do this at North Steyne beach. There is a surf school there that helps you learn. Answer Explanation: The answer shows that at North Steyne beach, you can learn a sport. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because at North Steyne beach, there is a surf school where people can learn to surf. It is mentioned that the school operates out of the surf club located on the beach, making it clear that you can learn a sport there. |
| Q3 | F | Please note that Shelly Beach gets overly crowded at times, so avoid it on a sunny weekend afternoon. | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage tells us that Shelly Beach can have too many people at certain times, especially when the weather is nice on weekends. Answer Explanation: The answer is F, which means Shelly Beach can get very busy and crowded sometimes. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is F because the passage says that 'Shelly Beach gets overly crowded at times.' This means that there are many people there, making it uncomfortable for some. |
| Q4 | D | This popular harbour beach has a net that encloses the swimming area. It is a good option for families as the protected area makes it easy to keep an eye on kids playing in the water. | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that Little Manly beach has a net in the water. This helps keep children safe and lets parents watch them without any problems. Answer Explanation: The answer is D. This means that at Little Manly beach, adults can watch their kids easily. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is D because Little Manly beach has a net that keeps the swimming area safe. This makes it simple for parents to keep an eye on their kids while they play in the water. |
| Q5 | E | East Esplanade is a popular spot all day. There is no beach closer to the ferry or buses than this one. | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage tells us that East Esplanade beach is very popular. It also says there is no beach that is nearer to the ferry or buses than East Esplanade. Answer Explanation: The answer is E. This means East Esplanade beach is the closest beach to buses and ferries. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is E because it mentions that East Esplanade is 'located next to Manly Wharf,' which is where ferries and buses arrive. This makes it the easiest beach to reach using public transport. |
| Q6 | B | North Steyne has professional lifeguards on duty | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that North Steyne has lifeguards. Lifeguards are people who help keep swimmers safe at the beach. Answer Explanation: The answer is B, which means 'North Steyne' beach is supervised by lifeguards who watch over the people swimming there. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because it mentions that North Steyne has 'professional lifeguards on duty'. This means there are people there whose job is to keep swimmers safe while they are in the water. |
| Q7 | A | There is a small gift shop for unusual souvenirs, and a kiosk that rents stand-up paddleboards. | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage tells us there is a shop where you can rent paddleboards, which are sports equipment used for paddling on water. Answer Explanation: The answer is A, which means at A Fairy Bower beach, you can rent sports equipment. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because it states in the description that A Fairy Bower has a kiosk that rents stand-up paddleboards. This shows that you can hire sports equipment there. |
| Q8 | True | Sydney Water services over five million people in greater Sydney, and if you own a property, you'll get a bill from us. | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that Sydney Water provides services to many people, and if someone owns a property, they will receive a bill from Sydney Water. Answer Explanation: The answer means that every person who owns a property gets a bill from Sydney Water. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is true because the passage states that Sydney Water services over five million people in greater Sydney, and if you own a property, you'll get a bill from them. This clearly indicates that all property owners receive bills. |
| Q9 | Not given | If your property has no meter, we send the bill at the start of each quarter. | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that if you don't have a water meter, you will get a bill, but it does not say anything about paying more money. Answer Explanation: The answer means we don't know if customers without a water meter have to pay more money. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'Not Given' because the passage does not tell us if there is an extra charge for customers without a water meter. It only explains that customers receive bills at the start of each quarter if they don't have a meter. |
| Q10 | True | If you’d like monthly bills, simply ask us to read your meter monthly. It costs $32.52 a quarter to be billed this way | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that if you want to get your bills every month, you need to ask for it and pay an extra fee of $32.52 every three months. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'True'. This means that if customers want to get their bills every month instead of every three months, they have to pay an additional fee. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'True' because the text says that if someone wants monthly bills, there is a cost of $32.52 every three months for this service. This means getting monthly bills costs extra money. |
| Q11 | True | If you receive a pension, we may give you a reduction on your bill, but you must own and live in your home to qualify for this. | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that if you are a pensioner, you might get a lower bill. But, it also says you have to own your home and live in it. This means pensioners who live in rented homes cannot get this discount. Answer Explanation: The answer means that pensioners, who are people receiving money from the government because they are older or retired, can get a lower bill only if they own and live in their own home. So, the statement is true because it says pensioners in rented places could have a discount, which is not said in the text. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is TRUE because the passage states that pensioners may receive a reduction on their bill, but they must own and live in their home to qualify. Therefore, the statement about pensioners living in rented accommodation getting a discount is not supported by the text. |
| Q12 | False | Once you're registered, you'll stop getting paper bills and start getting electronic ones. | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage means that after you sign up for eBill, you will not receive paper bills anymore. You will only receive bills online. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'False'. This means that customers who use eBill do not get both types of bills. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'False' because the passage says when you register for eBill, you will stop getting paper bills and receive only electronic ones. This shows that eBill users do not get both paper and electronic bills. |
| Q13 | True | If you need information that's older than your last five bills, you need to pay $28.04 for a 'billing record search statement'. | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that if you want old bill information (older than five bills), you have to pay a fee of $28.04. Answer Explanation: The answer is True. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is True because the passage says that if you need information older than your last five bills, you have to pay a fee of $28.04 for a 'billing record search statement.' This means customers must pay if they want to see bills from before their last five. |
| Q14 | True | We'll stop a fixed charge on your bill if a licensed plumber cuts off your water or wastewater service. | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that if a plumber stops your water service, you will not have to pay the fixed charge on your bill. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'True'. This means the statement is correct. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'True' because the text says that if a licensed plumber cuts off your water, Sydney Water will stop the fixed charge on your bill. This means you can avoid the charge if the water supply is disconnected by a plumber. |