Bath Music Festival & Big Rock Climbing Centre – IELTS General Reading Passage

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-14, which are based on Reading Passages below.

Write answers to questions in boxes 1-14 on your answer sheet.


GT Reading Sample – “Bath International Music Festival” & “Big Rock Climbing Centre”


Read the text below and answer Questions 1-8.

Bath International Music Festival

A   Bath International Music Festival
From electronics to folk, jazz and classical, this festival is renowned for bringing world-class musicians to this historical city. Starting with a great night of free music, ‘Party in the city’ this year is going to be no exception.

B   The Great Escape
Often referred to as Europe’s leading festival for new music, more than 300 bands will perform to around 10,000 people in 30-plus venues, meaning you are sure to see the next big thing in music.

C   Springwatch Festival
The much loved television series Springwatch celebrates the countryside as it does every year, with sheep herding, wood carving demonstrations, insect hunts and more activities, accompanied by live music and a great farmers’ market, offering all sorts of mouth-watering produce.

D   Wychwood Music Festival
Rightly nominated for the best family festival award every year since it began in 2005, this festival offers a combination of different music genres – many featuring artists from around the Wychwood area – and comedy, alongside a selection of outdoor cafes serving amazing world foods.

E   Love Food Festival
Bringing together a selection of the finest produce, this festival aims to educate visitors about how food should be produced and where it should come from, through sampling a range of tasty treats, cooked on site.

F   The 3 Wishes Faery Festival
The UK’s most magical event, this is a three-day festival of folk art, live music and fashion shows set in the beautiful wild surroundings of Bodmin Moor. If you don’t fancy taking a tent, some local residents usually offer to put visitors up.

G   Bath International Dance Festival
Featuring demonstrations from world champion dancers and star from the TV series Strictly Come Dancing, the festival promises toe-tapping action, including a world record attempt, where everyone is invited to join in.

Questions 1-8
Look at the seven advertisements for festivals in the UK, A-G, in the text above.
For which festival are the following statements true?

Write the correct letter, A-G, in boxes 1-8 on your answer sheet.
NB  you may use any letter more than once.

1. Visitor can help to make one particular event a success at this festival.
2. People can listen to local musicians here.
3. At this festival, people can listen to music in lots of different places.
4. It is not necessary to pay for one of the events here.
5. It is possible to stay overnight at this festival.
6. Children will enjoy this festival.
7. Visitors can get advice here.
8. People can watch craftspeople at work here.


Read the text below and answer Questions 9-14.

BIG ROCK CLIMBING CENTRE

Big Rock Climbing Center is a modern, friendly professionally run centre offering over 1,200 square metres of fantastic indoor climbing. We use trained and experienced instructors to give you the opportunity to learn and develop climbing skills, keep fit and have fun. Master our 11 m-high climbing walls using a rope harness, for an unbeatable sense of achievement. Or experience the thrills of climbing without any harness in our special low-level arena, which has foam mats on the floor to cushion any fall safety.

Who is Big Rock for?
Almost anyone can enjoy Big Rock. Previous climbing experience and specialist equipment are not required. You can come on your own or with friends and family. Comes as a fun alternative to the gym or for a special day out with the kids. If you’re visiting with friends or family but not climbing, or just fancy coming to look, please feel free to relax in our excellent cafe overlooking the climbing areas.

Mobile Climbing Wall
Available on a day hire basis at any location, the big Rock mobile Climbing Wall is the perfect way to enhance any show, festival or event. The mobile wall can be used indoors or outdoors and features four unique 7.3 m-high climbing faces designed to allow four people to climb simultaneously. Quick to set up and pack up, the mobile climbing wall is staffed by qualified and experienced climbing instructors, providing the opportunity to climb the wall in a controlled and safe environment. When considering what to wear, we’ve found that trousers and t-shirts are ideal. We will however, ask people to remove scarves. Most flat shoes are suitable as long as they are enclosed and support the foot. The mobile wall is very adaptable and can be operated in light rain and winds up to 50 kph. There are however, particular measures that we take in such conditions.

What about hiring the Mobile Climbing Wall for my school or college?
As climbing is different from the usual team games practiced at schools, we’ve found that some students who don’t usually like participating in sports are willing to have a go on the mobile climbing wall. If you’re concerned that some children may not want to take part because they feel nervous if they climb, then please be assured that our instructors will support them up to a level which they’re comfortable with. They will still benefit greatly from the experience.

Questions 9-14
Do the following statement agree with the information given in the text above?

In boxes 9-14 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

 9. When climbing at the big Rock Centre, it is compulsory to be attached by a rope.
10. People who just want to watch the climbing can enter the Centre without paying.
11. People can arrange to have a climbing session in their own garden if they wish.
12. A certain item of clothing is forbidden for participants.
13. The Mobile Climbing wall can only be used in dry, calm weather.
14. It is inadvisable for children who are afraid of heights to use the Mobile Climbing Wall.

Answer:
1. G
2. D
3. B
4. A
5. F
6. D
7. E
8. C
9. FALSE
10. NOT GIVEN
11. TRUE
12. TRUE
13. FALSE
14. FALSE