The Comic Store - IELTS Reading Answers & Explanations
From IELTS Trainer 2 General Training Reading Test 5 · Part 3 · Questions 28–40
Reading Passage
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 28-40, which are based on Reading Passage 3. Read the text below and answer Questions 28-40.
The Comic Store
The Comic Store in Canterbury, UK, is a specialist bookshop established in 2008 by The Kent Consortium co-founder, Joe Lane. As well as establishing The Comic Store itself, Lane donated dozens of pieces of artwork from his private collection to decorate the walls and provide a permanent exhibition. The 8,000 m² building was designed by the well-known Hungarian architect, Zoltan Nagy.
It contains several display areas and has held many successful temporary exhibitions, some of which have since toured across Europe and internationally.
The Comic Store was formerly called the Cartoon Archive Project (CAP). Kasper Andersen, the curator at the time of the name change, explained that, besides art exhibits, the museum has a manga wing and has branched out into other areas of illustration and video, such as political cartoons, video games and contemporary art. Therefore, the new name was brought in to reflect the shop's move beyond single pieces of art to a wider range of comic-based media and artefacts.
The look and design of the store itself has been controversial with architects and the public debating whether it is beautiful or ugly. There has been much discussion about whether the modern building is in harmony with the surrounding historical buildings. Jade Lane, the sister of the founder who was involved in setting up the store, noted that it was important for the customer's experience to begin before they enter the building.
The front of the building is decorated with large cartoon characters. The structure has many curves and shiny surfaces in various colours and materials, and its appearance has been compared to that of an eye watching the sky. Indeed, Nagy and his team took inspiration for the exterior of the building from the renowned artist Roy Lichtenstein's eye images. The mix of textures and colours used in the design is said to reflect the energy and fluidity of comic art.
The building project made technological advances in its sophisticated use of computer modelling which translated a three-dimensional shape into a geometric language that the project's engineers and builders could understand. The computer coordinates gave precise three-dimensional instructions - a critical point because the project had no straight, ruled surfaces. This resulted in a perfect fit when it was finally assembled which overcame some of the initial design challenges.
The hub of activity at The Comic Store is the presentation area called The Main Event. This space has a soaring ceiling, state-of-the art acoustics and lighting, along with an IMAX screen that is one of the largest in the UK. As well as being a venue for private events, workshops and presentations, it is sometimes open late to the public for experiences such as The Comic Sleepover, where visitors can bring their own cushions and enjoy a series of classic cartoons.
The Comic Store offers a wide variety of exhibitions, comics, books and mechandise for those interested in cartoons. Its largest exhibition to date has been Superheroes Save the Day on the second floor of the store.
This features models of superheroes, such as Spiderman, Dr Who and Wonderwoman, as well as the chance to see authentic comics dating back to the 1930's. Set next to this on the second floor is the DC Thomson exhibition, which pays homage to the famous Dundee design company which created those famous comics The Beano and The Dandy. Visitors can explore photos, cartoons and, if eager to see more, can go to dedicated kiosks to watch videos. Just across from this, The Levels offers an insight into gaming history, featuring the stories of video game developers, designers, coders, composers and critics. Also, on this floor, the Make-believe exhibition showcases items from lands of fantasy, such as a replica of Gandalf the Wizard's staff (stick) from Lord of the Rings, one of the dragon models from Harry Potter and maps from Star Trek.
Besides the exhibitions themselves, there are many dedicated spaces at the Comic Store that are set aside and available to be booked for educational workshops or entertainment purposes. For example, The Hive is a flexible space with a moveable air wall that means it can be subdivided into several rooms.
Seminars are held there, and it can be booked privately, as can the Outdoor Terrace which can be setup for events, offering a pleasant outlook over some of the city's points of interest such as the Cathedral or City Walls.
The Comic Store employs more than 50 people, most - if not all - of whom have experience and training in design, visual art and/or writing. In addition, there are many volunteers who share their knowledge and enthusiasm with visitors. Several internships are also offered every year to those who are hoping for a career in the arts or arts-based retail, but these positions are quite highly sought after so there is a long waiting list. More positions are, however, expected to be created in future as the The Comic Store attracts 50,000 visitors a year.
Questions
Questions 28–32 Matching Features
Look at the following statements, Questions 28-32, and the areas of The Comic Store below.
Match each statement with the correct part of The Comic Store, A, B, C or D.
NB you may use any letter more than once.
A. Exterior
B. The Main Event
C. Outdoor Terrace
D. The Hive
Questions 33–36 Multiple Choice (One Answer)
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Questions 37–40 Diagram Labeling
Label the map.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the text for each answer.
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q28 | C | the Outdoor Terrace which can be setup for events, offering a pleasant outlook over some of the city's points of interest such as the Cathedral or City Walls | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that the Outdoor Terrace gives visitors a nice view of important and famous locations in the city, like the large church and the historic old walls. Answer Explanation: The answer is the Outdoor Terrace, which provides a view of famous places in the city. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is C because the text describes the Outdoor Terrace as having a 'pleasant outlook,' which is another way to say it has a nice view. It also mentions 'points of interest' like the 'Cathedral' and 'City Walls,' which are synonyms for landmarks located in the city of Canterbury. |
| Q29 | B | As well as being a venue for private events, workshops and presentations, it is sometimes open late to the public for experiences such as The Comic Sleepover, where visitors can bring their own cushions and enjoy a series of classic cartoons | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that 'The Main Event' is used as a place (venue) for 'private events.' This means the space can be reserved or booked for specific groups to have their own meetings or parties. Answer Explanation: The answer is B, which refers to 'The Main Event' area of the store. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because the passage describes 'The Main Event' as a 'venue for private events.' In this context, a private event is similar to a party that a group of people books for themselves. The text also mentions it has a 'soaring ceiling' and a very large IMAX screen, indicating it is a 'large' space capable of holding many people. |
| Q30 | D | The Hive is a flexible space with a moveable air wall that means it can be subdivided into several rooms | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that The Hive is a room that can change its shape. It has a wall that moves, which lets people turn one big space into many smaller rooms. Answer Explanation: The answer means that The Hive is a part of the building where you can change the room to make it into smaller areas. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is D because the text explains that The Hive has a special wall that moves. This 'moveable air wall' allows the large room to be 'subdivided' or split into many smaller rooms. This perfectly matches the description of an area that can be adjusted to create smaller spaces. |
| Q31 | B | The hub of activity at The Comic Store is the presentation area called The Main Event. This space has a soaring ceiling, state-of-the art acoustics and lighting, along with an IMAX screen that is one of the largest in the UK. As well as being a venue for private events, workshops and presentations, it is sometimes open late to the public for experiences such as The Comic Sleepover, where visitors can bring their own cushions and enjoy a series of classic cartoons | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that 'The Main Event' is a large room with a huge movie screen. It is used for special shows and stays open late at night so people can come and watch old cartoons together. Answer Explanation: The answer B is the specific area inside the shop known as 'The Main Event'. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because the passage describes 'The Main Event' as a place with a very large screen used for movies. It mentions that this area stays open late at night for special activities like 'The Comic Sleepover', during which people can watch a collection of old animated movies (cartoons). The phrase 'open late to the public' matches the idea of being open outside of normal hours, and watching 'classic cartoons' on an 'IMAX screen' represents film events. |
| Q32 | A | Indeed, Nagy and his team took inspiration for the exterior of the building from the renowned artist Roy Lichtenstein's eye images | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that the builders got their ideas for the outside of the building from an artist's pictures of eyes. Answer Explanation: The answer is the outside part of the building (A). Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because the text mentions that the outside of the store (the exterior) was designed based on pictures of eyes because of the artist Roy Lichtenstein. Since an eye is a part of the body, this matches the statement 'influenced by the shape of a body part'. |
| Q33 | A | It contains several display areas and has held many successful temporary exhibitions, some of which have since toured across Europe and internationally | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that the store has space for shows and that some of these shows have traveled to be displayed in Europe and other countries. Answer Explanation: The answer means that some of the art shows from the Comic Store have been shown in different places or cities around the world. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because the passage states that the Comic Store has many exhibitions that have 'toured across Europe and internationally.' To 'tour' means to travel to different locations, which matches the idea of being shown in 'other cities.' |
| Q34 | D | Therefore, the new name was brought in to reflect the shop's move beyond single pieces of art to a wider range of comic-based media and artefacts | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that the name was changed to show that the shop had moved from just showing individual pieces of art to offering a much larger variety of comic-related items and materials. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the shop changed its name to show that it now offers many more types of items and activities than it did in the past. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is D because the text explains that the shop was once called the Cartoon Archive Project. The curator explained that the shop had started doing many new things, like showing video games and contemporary art. The text uses the phrase "wider range" to describe the new variety of items, which matches the idea of having a "wider focus" mentioned in the answer choice. |
| Q35 | B | The building project made technological advances in its sophisticated use of computer modelling which translated a three-dimensional shape into a geometric language that the project's engineers and builders could understand | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that using computer software to create a 3D model was a major step forward for the project. This model turned a complex shape into information that the building team could easily use to do their jobs. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the workers who built the store received assistance from computer programs used for design. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because the text explains how the building project used advanced computer technology. Specifically, it mentions that computer modelling turned the 3D design of the building into a specific language that the engineers and builders could follow. This technology provided exact instructions that allowed the team to assemble the complex, curved structure perfectly. The words 'computer modelling' and 'geometric language' show how software was used to help the workers understand the project. |
| Q36 | B | The Comic Store employs more than 50 people, most - if not all - of whom have experience and training in design, visual art and/or writing | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that almost every person working at the store has a background in creative fields like art, design, or writing. Answer Explanation: The answer means that a lot of the people who work at the shop are artists, writers, or have learned about art and design before. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because the text explains that the majority of the staff members have professional experience or education in creative fields. It says that "most - if not all" of the 50 employees have "training in design, visual art and/or writing." These subjects are all parts of a creative background. |
| Q37 | screen | along with an IMAX screen that is one of the largest in the UK | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that inside the main activity area, there is a very big IMAX screen. Answer Explanation: The answer is a large flat surface where movies or images are shown, specifically an IMAX version found in the main presentation room. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is found in the section describing 'The Main Event,' which is the central presentation area of the store. The text highlights that this space contains an 'IMAX screen' that is one of the biggest in the country. In a map labeling task, this word identifies a specific feature within that room. |
| Q38 | comics | This features models of superheroes, such as Spiderman, Dr Who and Wonderwoman, as well as the chance to see authentic comics dating back to the 1930's | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that this area has superhero figures and gives visitors the opportunity to look at real comic books from many years ago. Answer Explanation: The answer "comics" refers to the comic books from the past that people can view inside the store. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is derived from the description of the second floor of the shop. The text identifies an exhibition called *Superheroes Save the Day*, which contains figures of famous characters and real, old "comics" from the 1930s. Therefore, "comics" is the single word from the text that identifies what is displayed in that specific section of the map. |
| Q39 | videos | Visitors can explore photos, cartoons and, if eager to see more, can go to dedicated kiosks to watch videos | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that people can look at pictures and drawings, and if they want to see more, they can go to special small counters to watch movies. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'videos,' which are movies or moving pictures that people can watch on a screen. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'videos' because the passage explains that in the DC Thomson exhibition area, visitors have the option to use special stations called kiosks to see more content by watching films. The text specifically uses the word 'videos' to describe what is available for viewing at these kiosks. |
| Q40 | Make-believe | Also, on this floor, the Make-believe exhibition showcases items from lands of fantasy, such as a replica of Gandalf the Wizard's staff (stick) from Lord of the Rings, one of the dragon models from Harry Potter and maps from Star Trek | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that on the same floor, there is a display area named "Make-believe." This place shows objects from imaginary worlds, like magic sticks from 'Lord of the Rings' or dragons from 'Harry Potter'. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to the name of a specific exhibition area called "Make-believe" that contains items from fantasy stories. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is found in the section describing the second floor of the store. The text lists several specific areas: a superhero exhibit, a DC Thomson exhibit, a gaming section called The Levels, and finally, the "Make-believe" exhibition. The passage clarifies that this particular area is where items from "lands of fantasy," such as those from 'Lord of the Rings' and 'Harry Potter', are displayed. Therefore, "Make-believe" is the appropriate title for this section on a map. |