Paradise Island Trip Company & Photo Perfect Travel Cameras – IELTS General Reading Passage

Read the text below and answers questions 15-27 on your answer sheet.

You should take around 20 minutes to complete this task.


GT Reading Sample – “Paradise Island Trip Company” & “Photo Perfect Travel Cameras”


Read the text below and answer Questions 1–7.

Paradise Island Trip Company (PITC)

Meet our staff: July – November Newsletter

Beryl Dickson
I come from a sociology background.  After completing my Masters in Sociology from the State University I worked for a research firm for 4 years. I joined the Tourism Department and worked there for 3 more years in the same field of research.  Over the years I found research too theoretical so I began looking for other employment opportunities. The change I was looking for ended up being the PITC! I am very happy to be working here as the Customer Service Manager, I am even able to use some of my previous research skills. I meet lots of visitors every day and this is a very enjoyable part of my job.    

Rita Martin
Hello, I am Rita! I’ve been working for the PITC for the past 3 years. Currently, I am the Booking Supervisor. I completed a Diploma in Hospitality Management six months ago and this is my first job since graduating! I am delighted to work with Paradise, my role is to ensure a smooth booking process for all our visitors. I usually work in the city office but sometimes I need to travel to the island and monitor booking procedures – this is the part of my job I like the best!

Judith Clemons
I was a school teacher before joining PITC. I became interested in a job on the island after staying here for one of my holidays.  The natural beauty of the island so impressed me that I decided I had to get a job here! I look after visitor accommodation services on the island. I welcome suggestions from visitors in regards to accommodation services.  Part of my job is also to monitor food services. If you have any comment on the food and drinks provided as a part of your stay, do not hesitate to contact me.

Shane Moore
I am one of the tour guides. Working five days a week, I guide groups of about 25 visitors around different sites on the island.  My job requires me to know a lot about the island and its history. My job and my background are a bit of a mismatch – my background is sports. I was an athlete from my early 20’s to mid 30’s. Once I got married I retired from sports and started a new career at PITC, where I have been working for around 5 years.  My wife and I both love travelling.

Lesley Albertson
I used to work in the music industry before joining hospitality.  I was the store manager for a CD/DVD company before joining PITC as a tour guide. Working part-time, three days a week, I cover the north part of the island. I completed my Diploma of Arts two years ago. I love driving. During my own holidays, I enjoy driving around the island. The days I do not work for Paradise, I work for a Music Recording studio owned by a local businessman. I enjoy humour and meeting people. I love my job as a tour guide – meeting new people is really exciting!

Ian Rawnsley
I was working for a competitor company before joining PITC as the Finance Controller. At my previous place of employment, I was a senior accountant. I did my accounting degree at an overseas university. A major part of my job is to invest in facilities that help us attract more visitors. I take careful note of visitors’ feedback and accordingly make new investment plans.

Diana Ford
I have been working here for last 3 months as a front desk officer. As a part of my daily activities, I assist visitors as the receptionist, so I am the initial point of contact when it comes to visiting our establishment. I answer most of the phone calls at the office during normal business hours so chances are we have spoken before! Before this job, I was a model. I have a Bachelor of Science Degree, which was very hard for me (lots of complex mathematics but I finally passed! Last month I was even declared ‘Employee of the Month’! 

Questions 15–21

Look at the following statements (Questions 15-21) and the list of people below.

Match each of the statements 15-21 with a person in the table below.
Write your answers A-G in boxes 15-21 on your answer sheet.

NB   You may use one letter more than once.

15.  This person is responsible to ensure guest housing is acceptable.
16.  This person presently has two employers.
17.  A dislike for a previous job caused this person to start working for PITC.
18.  A new PITC guest will likely speak to or see this person first.
19.  This person’s primary place of employment is NOT on Paradise Island.
20.  The beautiful environment motivated this person to get a job on Paradise Island.
21.  This person enjoys spending holiday time on Paradise Island.

List of People

A.  Beryl Dickson
B.  Rita Martin
C.  Judith Clemons
D.  Shane Moore
E.  Lesley Albertson
F.  Ian Rawnsley
G.  Diana Ford


Read the Passage below and answers Questions 22-27.
 

 Photo Perfect Travel Cameras

– User’s Guide –

Thank you for purchasing a Photo Perfect Travel Camera – a camera that will capture all your precious travel moments! We have made every effort to make our cameras robust and features user-friendly so that you get the very best while you are travelling. This Rapid Guide will introduce you to some of the basic components and features of the camera and how to use them. Please read the Extra User Guide carefully for more in-depth instruction before using the camera.  Be sure to keep the Rapid Guide handy.

Battery
To guard against possible leakage, we do not install batteries.  To begin operation, insert 4 AA batteries into the battery compartment. Standard batteries will last for up to 12 hours of continuous use. Lithium AA batteries will last for 24 hours continuously.

Lens
Your Photo Perfect camera is equipped with an 80x digital zoom wide angle lens with image stabiliser. The camera is also fitted with our patented AirwalkerJJ™ technology enabling you to cushion zoom. Avoid touching the lens and always clean with a cotton cloth.

Self-timer
With our self-timer technology, you can appear in your own photograph!  The camera’s shutter can be delayed by 5 to 10 seconds once the shutter button has been set.  Before activating the self-timer make sure the camera is placed on a flat surface.  The yellow border in the view finder determines what will appear in your picture. 

Image quality and size
Images are stored in your camera’s memory stick in a compressed format, which allows you to store more photographs.  Due to compression, the preview of the images on the camera’s display screen may reveal a loss of detail.  When the images are printed or transferred to other high-resolution viewing devices (such as a computer), full resolution will be displayed.    

Setting the right image size is important to get a perfect printout of your photographs.  You can choose from manual and auto settings.  The Photo Perfect user-friendly image setting button allows you to select any of the three size setting options. For an actual printout of a 4 x 6 inch photo, set the image button to ‘A’ on the dial.  For a printout of a 7 x 9 inch photo, set the button to ‘B’ and for a printout of a 10 x 12 inch photo, turn the dial to ‘C’.  Note: A larger image size setting will require more memory.

Storage
If the camera is not going to be used for more than 2 weeks, please remove the batteries.  Store the camera in its supplied case away from magnetic fields created by other electronic equipment (TVs or radios) and within a temperature range of 5°C to 35°C.

Accessories
Photo Perfect cameras come with a standard 4GB memory card.  A range of other accessories are available at a reasonable cost, which can be chosen based on user requirements:

•   Memory cards of 15GB and 30GB.
•   4 rechargeable AA batteries and charger.
•   Genuine leather camera cover, upgrade from standard inclusion cloth cover.
•   Handy photo printer weighing only 750 g.

Questions 22–27

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text?

In boxes 22-27 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

22.  TWO instruction guides are included with the new camera.
23. In order to protect the camera, batteries are not installed.
24. Lithium batteries are recommended for the camera.
25. The ‘C’ setting on the image dial uses more memory than the ‘A’ setting.
26. The camera should not be used in a very cold place.
27. A camera cloth cover costs extra.  
 Answer:
15. C
16. E
17. A
18. G
19. B
20. C
21. E
22. TRUE
23. TRUE
24. NOT GIVEN
25. TRUE
26. NOT GIVEN
27. FALSE