Online Roommate Finder: Toronto & Smartphone Fitness Apps - IELTS Reading Answers & Explanations
From Cambridge IELTS 13 General Training Reading Test 2 · Part 1 · Questions 1–14
Reading Passage
==== Read the text below and answer Questions 1-7. ====
Online roommate finder: Toronto
I have one room available in a large apartment located just off Queen and Bathurst in Toronto. The room is fully furnished with a double bed, desk, shelf and wardrobe.
About us: I’m Sasha! I’m Canadian, and I’ve been living in this apartment since I was a teenager. I’m 23 and work in a restaurant. These past two years, my best friend has been living here but as she’s now moving to Europe there is a room available as of October 1. The third room is occupied by Simon, who is from Australia. He works part-time in a music shop downtown and is a great drummer. We both like keeping the place neat and tidy – I actually enjoy cleaning in my spare time and sometimes we do it together as a roommate team (we make it fun!). I love watching movies, exploring, getting out of the city and into the outdoors, and listening to music.
The apartment itself is very large and comes equipped with unlimited wi-fi, a fully stocked kitchen, cable television, and Netflix. The bedroom is a long way from the living room, so it shouldn’t disturb you if people come round and besides, we are certainly very respectful. Oh! We also have two cats who are well-behaved but they might be a problem if you have allergies. If you have a pet, that’s no problem – these cats get along with other animals.
We love having people coming from other countries as it’s really fun having the opportunity to show them around the neighborhood (it’s a great neighborhood – lots of character and plenty to do). That said, we’re certainly interested in living with Canadians too! We’re very easy-going and open-minded and just hope that our new roommate will be the same.
==== Read the text below and answer Questions 8-14. ====
Smartphone fitness apps
A Pacer
Although they were previously split into ‘pro’ and ‘free’ versions, Pacer’s developer now generously includes all the features in one free app. That means you can spend no money, yet use your smartphone’s GPS capabilities to track your jogging routes, and examine details of your pace and calories burned.
B Beat2
There are a wealth of running apps available, but Beat2 is a good one. This free app monitors your pace – or if you have a wrist or chest-based heart rate monitor, your beats per minute – and offers up its specially curated playlists to give you the perfect music for the pace you’re running at, adding a whole new dimension to your run. The best bit is when you explode into a sprint and the music pounds in your ears. Or if you fancy something different, the app also has In-App Purchases, including tales of past sporting heroes you can listen to while you run.
C Impel
If you’re serious about the sport you do, then you should be serious about Impel. As smartphone fitness tools go it’s one of the best, allowing you to track your performance, set goals and see daily progress updates. If you’re ever not sure where to run or cycle you can find user-created routes on the app, or share your own. All of that comes free of charge, while a premium version adds even more tools.
D Fast Track
There are plenty of GPS running apps for smartphones, but Fast Track is an excellent freebie. Although you naturally get more features if you pay for the ‘pro’ version, the free release gets you GPS tracking, a nicely designed map view, your training history, music, and cheering. Yes, you read the last of those right – you can have friends cheer you on as you huff and puff during a run. If you can afford the ‘pro’ version, you can add possible routes, voice coaches, smartwatch connectivity and more; but as a starting point, the free app gets you moving.
Questions
Questions 1–7 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
Questions 8–14 Matching Information
Look at the four reviews of smartphone fitness apps, A-D. For which app are the following statements true?
Write the correct letter, A-D, in boxes on your answer sheet.
NB You may use any letter more than once.
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | False | The room is fully furnished with a double bed | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that the room has one double bed, so it does not have two beds. Answer Explanation: The answer is false. This means the room does not have two beds. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is false because the passage states that the room is fully furnished with a double bed, which means there is only one bed. There is no mention of two beds in the available room. |
| Q2 | True | The third room is occupied by Simon, who is from Australia. He works part-time in a music shop downtown and is a great drummer | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that Simon, who is from Australia, works in a music shop and plays the drums very well. This shows he is a musician. Answer Explanation: The answer is True. This means that the information says that the Australian in Sasha's apartment is a musician. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is True because the passage tells us that Simon, who is from Australia, works part-time in a music shop and is a great drummer. Here, musician means someone who makes music, and being a drummer fits this description. |
| Q3 | False | We both like keeping the place neat and tidy – I actually enjoy cleaning in my spare time and sometimes we do it together as a roommate team (we make it fun!) | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that both Sasha and Simon work together to keep the apartment clean, which shows they share the cleaning tasks, not just Sasha all by herself. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'False'. This means that Sasha does not do all the cleaning by herself. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'False' because the passage says that both Sasha and Simon like to keep the apartment clean and sometimes they clean together as a roommate team. This means Sasha does not do all the cleaning; they share the cleaning work. |
| Q4 | True | I love watching movies, exploring, getting out of the city and into the outdoors, and listening to music | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says Sasha enjoys watching movies, exploring, going outside the city, and being in nature, which means she likes being in the open air. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'True'. This means that Sasha enjoys spending time outside. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'True' because the passage mentions that Sasha loves 'exploring, getting out of the city and into the outdoors.' This shows that she likes being outside. |
| Q5 | True | The bedroom is a long way from the living room, so it shouldn't disturb you if people come round and besides, we are certainly very respectful | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says the bedroom is far from the living room, so it will be quiet. Also, Sasha and Simon are very respectful, meaning they won't make loud noises. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'True', which means the room is good for someone who likes quiet. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'True' because the passage says the bedroom is far from the living room, which helps it be quiet, especially if people visit. It also mentions that Sasha and Simon are respectful, which suggests they will not make too much noise. |
| Q6 | Not given | We love having people coming from other countries as it's really fun having the opportunity to show them around the neighborhood (it's a great neighborhood – lots of character and plenty to do) | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that Sasha and her roommate love showing people the neighborhood and that it is great with many things to do, but it does not say it is the best part of Toronto. Answer Explanation: The answer means that we do not know if Sasha thinks her apartment is in the best part of Toronto. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'Not given' because the passage does not say Sasha believes her apartment is in the best part of Toronto. She talks about her neighborhood being great and having lots of character, but she does not say it is the best. |
| Q7 | Not given | That said, we're certainly interested in living with Canadians too | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that Sasha enjoys having people from other countries live with her. She also says she would like to live with Canadians, but it does not say if she has lived with Canadians before. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'Not Given' because the text does not say if Sasha has had a roommate from Canada before or not. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'Not Given' because the passage mentions that Sasha is open to living with Canadians, but it does not provide information about her past roommates being Canadian or not. The passage states, 'We love having people coming from other countries... That said, we're certainly interested in living with Canadians too!' This means she is open to having Canadian roommates, but we do not know if she has had any before. |
| Q8 | C | If you're serious about the sport you do, then you should be serious about Impel. As smartphone fitness tools go it's one of the best, allowing you to track your performance, set goals and see daily progress updates. If you're ever not sure where to run or cycle you can find user-created routes on the app, or share your own | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that Impel is a great tool for fitness. It helps you keep track of how well you are doing in your sport, set goals, and see how you are getting better every day. You can find routes for running or cycling, so it can be used for different sports. Answer Explanation: The answer is C. This means that the Impel app can be used for more than one sport. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is C because the passage mentions that Impel allows you to track your performance, set goals, and find routes, which means it can be used for different kinds of sports like running and cycling. It is designed for serious athletes and supports various activities. |
| Q9 | D | Although you naturally get more features if you pay for the 'pro' version, the free release gets you GPS tracking, a nicely designed map view, your training history, music, and cheering | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that the free version of Fast Track gives you some features, but if you want more like suggested routes, you need to pay for the 'pro' version. Answer Explanation: The answer is D. This means that for the Fast Track app, you have to pay to get more suggestions about where you can run. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is D because the passage says that with the Fast Track app, if you pay for the 'pro' version, you can add more features like possible routes. This means you need to pay for these extra suggestions. |
| Q10 | D | Although you naturally get more features if you pay for the 'pro' version, the free release gets you GPS tracking, a nicely designed map view, your training history, music, and cheering | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that even the free version of the Fast Track app has well-made maps and can track your runs. This shows it has good visuals. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the app Fast Track has attractive and clear designs for its maps and information. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is D because the passage states that Fast Track is an excellent free app and it mentions having a 'nicely designed map view', which indicates that it has good visuals. |
| Q11 | A | Although they were previously split into 'pro' and 'free' versions, Pacer's developer now generously includes all the features in one free app | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that Pacer used to have a paid version and a free version, but now it is all free. This means you can use everything without paying. Answer Explanation: The answer means that you can use this app without paying any money. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because the passage says that Pacer includes all the features in one free app. This means you do not have to pay for anything on this app. |
| Q12 | B | the app also has In-App Purchases, including tales of past sporting heroes you can listen to while you run | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that you can buy stories about famous athletes in the Beat2 app, which you can listen to while exercising. Answer Explanation: The answer is B. This means that in the app called Beat2, you can pay to listen to true stories. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because it says in the passage that Beat2, the app, has 'In-App Purchases, including tales of past sporting heroes you can listen to while you run.' This means you can buy real stories. |
| Q13 | C | If you're ever not sure where to run or cycle you can find user-created routes on the app, or share your own | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage tells us that if you don't know where to run or cycle, you can look for paths that other users have made. You can also share your own paths. Answer Explanation: The answer is C, which means that the app Impel lets you find running or cycling paths created by other users. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is C because the passage says that Impel allows you to 'find user-created routes on the app, or share your own.' This means you can get ideas about where to go from other people. |
| Q14 | A | you can spend no money, yet use your smartphone's GPS capabilities to track your jogging routes, and examine details of your pace and calories burned | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that with Pacer, you can use the app for free to look at your running speed and see how many calories you have used. Answer Explanation: The answer is A. This means that the app called Pacer shows you how much energy you have used when you exercise. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because the passage says that Pacer allows you to examine details of your pace and calories burned. Calories burned is a measure of the energy you have used during exercise. |