What To Do If Your Clothes Have Been Lost Or Damaged By A Dry Cleaner & Groups For Readers And Writers - IELTS Reading Answers & Explanations
From Cambridge IELTS 18 General Training Reading Test 1 · Part 1 · Questions 1–14
Reading Passage
==== Read the text below and answer questions 1-7 ====
What to do if your clothes have been lost or damaged by a dry cleaner
Dry cleaners are legally required to take reasonable care of anything left with them. You can claim compensation if your belongings are damaged or lost while in their care.
Even if the dry cleaning company has a sign saying they aren’t responsible for items left with them, this isn’t necessarily true. They can’t opt out of this responsibility just by putting up a sign.
As soon as you realise there’s a problem, contact them and explain the situation. They might offer you compensation straight away. If they don’t, you should ask them to either cover the cost of repairing the item or to pay for a replacement (if it can’t be repaired).
If they have to pay the cost of replacing a damaged or lost item, the maximum they're obliged to offer you is the value of the item when it was left with them, not what it would cost to replace as new. You’ll probably be asked to provide evidence of how much it originally cost – for example, a receipt. The dry cleaner can then offer you a reduced amount depending on the condition of the item – you’ll have to negotiate the cost with them.
If the dry cleaner is part of a national chain, you could get in touch with the customer services department of their head office and make the complaint to them directly.
If the dry cleaner refuses to compensate you or they offer you too little, try the following steps:
• If the dry cleaner is a member of a trade association such as the UK Fashion and Textile Association, you can pass your complaint to them and they may be able to help you.
• You could get an independent organization to look at your issue and produce a report, but this could be expensive (often around £100).
If you’ve tried the options above and are still unhappy with the outcome, you could take your case to court. There’s a time limit for going to court – from when you took the item to the dry cleaner, you have up to six years.
==== Read the text below and answer Questions 8-14 ====
Groups for readers and writers
A Teenvision
This is a reading group for teens aged 12-16 which meets on the last Thursday of the month. We are a friendly group, with everybody keen to talk about what we’ve enjoyed reading recently and make suggestions on what we should read next. We are massive fans of action, fantasy and adventure but we try to include a mix of genres in our choices.
B Creative writing workshops
Would you like to share your writing with others and hear their constructive suggestions for how to improve it? Have you got a book inside you but need the inspiration to get started? Build your confidence to begin formulating ideas for storylines and characters at our regular workshops. Open to all – beginners and established writers.
C Books for now
We meet on the second and fourth Mondays of each month in members’ homes. The group is open to men and women who enjoy discussing the themes and issues found in science fiction novels. Our books are usually those written from the 1960s onwards and include feminist science fiction, cyberpunk and scientific romance.
D Readers’ book group
This is an open group for parents at the library, and toddlers are welcome to come along and play in the children’s library while the meeting is taking place. The group reads mainly fiction of different genres. Books are supplied by the library. Anyone is welcome – have a look at our website to see what the book is for the next meeting.
E The book club
Every month members of this group read a fabulous business book which is then discussed when we meet. At our meetings you’ll have the chance to network with other members – all like-minded businesswomen – in a relaxed environment. There will be lots of ideas to discuss, as well as refreshments and lots of fun!
F Poetry writing group
A writing group for young poets aged between 12 and 18 at the library. You will explore how to power up your imagination, and your poems will be displayed in the library and online. The group meets fortnightly on Saturdays from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. The group is currently full but anyone interested is welcome to join the membership waiting list.
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
The text 18 has six paragraphs, A-F. Which paragraph mentions the following? Write the correct letter, A-F, in boxeson your answer sheet. NB You may use any letter more than once.
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | True | Dry cleaners are legally required to take reasonable care of anything left with them. You can claim compensation if your belongings are damaged or lost while in their care. | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that dry cleaners must be careful with your things. If they lose or damage your items, you can ask for money to fix or replace them. Answer Explanation: The answer means that dry cleaners must take care of your clothes even if they have a sign that says they are not responsible. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is TRUE because the passage says that dry cleaners are legally required to take reasonable care of anything left with them, and a sign cannot remove this responsibility. |
| Q2 | False | If they have to pay the cost of replacing a damaged or lost item, the maximum they’re obliged to offer you is the value of the item when it was left with them, not what it would cost to replace as new. | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage tells us that if the dry cleaner loses your item, they must pay you only what your item was worth when you gave it to them. They do not have to pay you enough to buy a completely new one. Answer Explanation: The answer is false. This means the dry cleaner does not have to give you enough money to buy a brand new item. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is false because the passage states that if a dry cleaner has to pay you for a lost or damaged item, they only need to give you the item's value when it was with them, not the cost of a new one. You should pay attention to phrases like 'the maximum they're obliged to offer you is the value of the item' and 'not what it would cost to replace as new'. |
| Q3 | False | the maximum they’re obliged to offer you is the value of the item when it was left with them, not what it would cost to replace as new. | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that the most money the company must give back is only what the item was worth when you gave it to them, not the price you paid originally. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'False,' which means the statement is not correct. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'False' because the passage says that if you show a receipt, the dry cleaner will only refund you the item's value when you gave it to them, not the full amount you paid for it. This means they do not have to give you back the entire price you paid. |
| Q4 | True | If the dry cleaner is a member of a trade association such as the UK Fashion and Textile Association, you can pass your complaint to them and they may be able to help you. | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that if the dry cleaner is part of a trade group, you can tell them your problem and they might help you. Answer Explanation: The answer means that you can get help from a group for dry cleaners if you have a problem with them. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'True' because the passage says you can pass your complaint to a trade association like the UK Fashion and Textile Association, and they may be able to help you. |
| Q5 | False | You could get an independent organization to look at your issue and produce a report, but this could be expensive (often around £100). | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that if you ask an independent group to help with your problem, it will usually cost money, not be free. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'False' because the text says getting a report from an independent organization can be expensive. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'False' because the passage mentions that getting an independent report can cost around £100, which means it is not free. |
| Q6 | Not given | If you’ve tried the options above and are still unhappy with the outcome, you could take your case to court. | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that if you are not happy after trying other solutions, you can take your problem to court. It doesn't say how people feel after this, just that they can do it. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'Not given' because the text does not tell us if most people are happy or not after going to court about a dry-cleaning company. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'Not given' because the passage does not provide any information about how people feel or what happens to most people after they take a dry-cleaning company to court. It only mentions that you can go to court but does not say whether people are satisfied with this. |
| Q7 | True | There’s a time limit for going to court – from when you took the item to the dry cleaner, you have up to six years. | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says there is a limit for going to court. You have six years to do it, starting from when you gave the item to the dry cleaner. Answer Explanation: The answer means that you can still go to court if your item was lost or damaged nine months ago. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is true because the passage states that you have up to six years to take your case to court from when you left the item with the dry cleaner. Since nine months is less than six years, you can still take them to court. |
| Q8 | A | We are a friendly group, with everybody keen to talk about what we’ve enjoyed reading recently and make suggestions on what we should read next. | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that this group is friendly and everyone talks about the books they like and suggests new ones to read. Answer Explanation: The answer is A. This means that the group A talks about books they want to read together. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because the passage says, 'We are a friendly group, with everybody keen to talk about what we've enjoyed reading recently and make suggestions on what we should read next.' This shows that members share their ideas for books. |
| Q9 | F | The group is currently full but anyone interested is welcome to join the membership waiting list. | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says the poetry writing group has no space for new members right now, but people can ask to be on a waiting list. Answer Explanation: The answer means that right now, new people cannot join this group. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is F because the passage says that the poetry writing group is currently full. This means they cannot accept new members at this time. |
| Q10 | B | Would you like to share your writing with others and hear their constructive suggestions for how to improve it? | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage is asking if you want to show your writing to other people and listen to their helpful ideas to make it better. Answer Explanation: The answer is B, which means the Creative writing workshops group lets you get advice on your writing from other people. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because this paragraph talks about a group that shares writing and gets suggestions to make it better. It says that you can hear other people's ideas on your work. |
| Q11 | C | The group is open to men and women who enjoy discussing the themes and issues found in science fiction novels. | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that the group is for people who like talking about science fiction stories. This shows they focus only on stories from the science fiction genre. Answer Explanation: The answer is C. This means the group that talks about stories from only one type is found in paragraph C. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is C because the paragraph discusses a group that focuses on science fiction novels. This shows that they read stories from just one genre, which is science fiction. The keywords here are 'science fiction' and 'themes and issues found in science fiction novels.' |
| Q12 | F | your poems will be displayed in the library and online. | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that the poems written by the group members will be shown in the library and on the internet, so people can look at them. Answer Explanation: The answer is F. This means that the work made by the members of this group, which is the poetry writing group, can be seen by everyone. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is F because the passage says that the young poets' poems will be 'displayed in the library and online.' This means that their work will be available to the public to see. |
| Q13 | E | Every month members of this group read a fabulous business book which is then discussed when we meet. | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says this group reads business books every month and discusses them. This means they do not focus on poetry or fiction. Answer Explanation: The answer means that paragraph E talks about a group that does not read or write poetry or fiction. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is E because it describes a book club that focuses on discussing business books, which are not poetry or fiction. The key point here is the focus on business books, differentiating it from other types of writing or reading. |
| Q14 | B | Would you like to share your writing with others and hear their constructive suggestions for how to improve it? Have you got a book inside you but need the inspiration to get started? | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that this group helps people share their writing and get good advice. It also asks if someone has ideas for a book but needs help to start. Answer Explanation: The answer is B. This means the group is for people who want to write and improve their writing skills. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because this paragraph talks about creative writing workshops where people can share their writing and get help. It mentions that this group is for anyone, including those who think they could write a book. |