[IELTS 5.] Unit 3.2 - Reading & Listening

12/20/2020 5:00:00 PM

Match the headings i-vii below with paragraphs A-E in the passage. There are two headings that you do not need.

i. Facing local opposition

ii. Some reasons for success

iii. Winners and losers

iv. A need for change

v. An experiment that went wrong

vi. An idea from ancient history

vii. North America learns from Europe

Pedestrians only
How traffic-free shopping streets developed

A.
The concept of traffic-free shopping areas goes back a long time. During the Middle Ages, traffic-free shopping areas known as souks were built in Middle Eastern countries to allow people to shop in comfort and, more importantly, safety. As far back as 2000 years ago, road traffic was banned from central Rome during the day to allow for the free movement of pedestrians, and was only allowed in at night when shops and markets had closed for the day. In most other cities, however, pedestrians were forced to share the streets with horses, coaches and, later, with cars and other motorised vehicles. 

B.
The modern, traffic-free shopping street was born in Europe in the 1960s, when both city populations and car ownership increased rapidly. Dirty exhaust fumes from cars and the risks involved in crossing the road were beginning to make shopping an unpleasant and dangerous experience. Many believed the time was right for experimenting with car-free streets, and shopping areas seemed the best place to start.

C.
At first, there was resistance from shopkeepers. They believed that such a move would be bad for business. They argued that people would avoid streets if they were unable to get to them in their cars. When the first streets in Europe were closed to traffic, there were even noisy demonstrations, as many shopkeepers predicted they would lose customers. 

D.
However, research carried out afterwards in several European cities revealed some unexpected statistics. In Munich, Cologne and Hamburg, visitors to shopping areas increased by 50 percent. On Copenhagen's main shopping street, shopkeepers reported sales increases of 25-40 percent. Shopkeepers in Minneapolis, USA, were so impressed when they learnt this that they even offered to pay for the construction and maintenance costs of their own traffic-free streets.

E.
With the arrival of the traffic-free shopping street, many shops, especially those selling things like clothes, food and smaller luxury items, prospered. Unfortunately, it wasn't good news for everyone, as shops selling furniture and larger electrical appliances actually saw their sales drop. Many of these were forced to move elsewhere, away from the city centre. Today they are a common feature on the outskirts of towns and cities, often situated in out-of-town retail zones with their own car parks and other local facilities.

1. : people who are walking and not in a vehicle

2. : strong, unpleasant and often dangerous gases from vehicles

3. : trying something in order to discover what it is like

4. : when people disagree with a change, idea, etc., and refuse to accept it

5. : people who own or manage shops

6. : the work of building houses, offices, bridges, etc.

7. : the work that is done to keep something in good condition

8. : the outer area of a city, town or village

Read the passage and decide if statements are TRUE, FALSE or NOT GIVEN.

Mau Piailug, ocean navigator
Mau sailed from Hawaii to Tahiti using traditional methods.

In early 1976, Mau Piailug, a fisherman, led an expedition in which he sailed a traditional Polynesian boat across 2,500 miles of ocean from Hawaii to Tahiti. The Polynesia Voyaging Society had organised the expedition. Its purpose was to find out if seafarers in the distant past could have found their way from one island to the other without navigational instruments, or whether the islands had been populated by accident. At the time, Mau was the only man alive who knew how to navigate just by observing the stars, the wind and the sea.

He had never before sailed to Tahiti, which was a long way to the south. However, he understood how the wind and the sea behave around islands, so he was confident he could find his way. The voyage took him and his crew a month to complete and he did it without a compass or charts.

His grandfather began the task of teaching him how to navigate when he was still a baby. He showed him pools of water on the beach to teach him how the behaviour of the waves and wind changed in different places. Later, Mau used a circle of stones to memorise the positions of the stars. Each stone was laid out in the sand to represent a star.

The voyage proved that Hawaii's first inhabitants came in small boats and navigated by reading the sea and the stars. Mau himself became a keen teacher, passing on his traditional secrets to people of other cultures so that his knowledge would not be lost. He explained the positions of the stars to his students, but he allowed them to write things down because he knew they would never be able to remember everything as he had done.

 

The purpose of Mau's voyage was to find the quickest route between Hawaii and Tahiti.

  • True
  • False
  • Not given

The purpose of Mau's voyage was to find out if navigating between islands had been possible in the past.

 
  • True
  • False
  • Not given

Mau's boat belonged to the Polynesian Voyaging Society.

 
  • True
  • False
  • Not given

At the time of his voyage, Mau had unique navigational skills.

 
  • True
  • False
  • Not given

Mau was familiar with the sea around Tahiti.

 
  • True
  • False
  • Not given

Mau thought it would be difficult to use a compass and charts.

  • True
  • False
  • Not given

Mau's grandfather was his only teacher.

 
  • True
  • False
  • Not given

Mau used stones to learn where each star was situated in the sky.

 
  • True
  • False
  • Not given

The first inhabitants of Hawaii could read and write.

 
  • True
  • False
  • Not given

Mau expected his students to memorise the positions of the stars.

 
  • True
  • False
  • Not given

Choose the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word(s).

If you detect a fire, call emergency, 1999, and the Fire Department, 9+911.

  • see
  • hear
  • both of the above

Choose the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word(s).

If a fire is detected inside the room, exit the room immediately, close the door, and activate the nearest emergency alarm.

  • run fast to
  • shake with all might
  • bring into use

Choose the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word(s).

Once you have determined it is safe, take your room key and proceed to the exit nearest to you.

  • check carefully
  • move forward to
  • look for

Choose the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word(s).

Block all openings, such as vents and under the door, with wet towels.

  • holes that smoke can come through
  • places that can hold back water
  • places that can block the smoke

Read the passage and choose one answer from the choices given or complete the following sentences with NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS taken from the passage.

CROWNE PLAZA

Los Angeles Airport

Emergency Fire Procedures

1. If you detect a fire, call emergency, 1999, and the Fire Department, 9+911. Engage the fire alarm, alert other guests, and exit the building. 

2. If a fire is detected inside the room, exit the room immediately, close the door and activate the nearest emergency alarm. Notify in-house personnel by dialing 1999 and the Fire Department at 911.

3. If you are alerted to fire in the building, make sure it is safe to leave your room. Check for heavy smoke. Once you have determined it is safe, take your room key and proceed to the exit nearest to you.

4. If it is not safe to leave your room, fill your bathtub and other containers with water. Block all openings, such as vents and under the door, with wet towels. This will prevent fumes from entering your room. Call the hotel staff, informing them of your location.

5. If smoke already exists in your room, hold a wet towel over your mouth and stay low.

6. Do not break any windows unless absolutely necessary. This will only worsen the situation.

7. Do not try to exit by use of the elevators.

It is important to remember that in any emergency situations your ability to STAY CALM during the evacuation process is the key to success. 

Which one of the following steps may NOT be correct when the hotel you stay in is on fire? 

 
  • Activate the emergency alarm
  • Run to the nearest elevator
  • Block the space between the floor and the door
  • Take the room key
  • Fill the sink with water

When you decide it is safe to leave your room, run quickly to the nearest .

 

When you don't feel it is safe to leave the room, call the hotel staff to tell them about .

If you detect heavy smoke in your room, cover your mouth with .

Unless necessary, it is not suggested to .

The key to success in all emergency situations is .

Listen to the audio and choose the correct answer.

How long will it take to get to Paris?

  • about one hour
  • about three hours
  • about four hours

What should passengers do with their passports?

 
  • leave them with their steward
  • lock them away
  • carry them at all times

When should passengers be in the restaurant car for dinner?

 
  • 7.45 p.m.
  • 8.00 p.m.
  • 8.15 p.m.

What will the passengers do when the train gets to the Italian border?

  • change trains
  • go on a tour
  • have lunch in a local café

What should passengers NOT do?

 
  • eat their own food on the train
  • open their cabin window
  • leave the train before it gets to Italy

Listen to the audio and choose the correct answer.

At approximately what time will the ship arrive?

  • at 7 a.m.
  • at 8 a.m.
  • at 9 a.m.

Which of these can children have in the restaurant?

  • a children's menu
  • earlier mealtimes
  • a children's party

What are available at a reduced price?

  • souvenirs of the ship
  • first-class cabins
  • train tickets

Which of these is situated in the lounge?

  • a computer
  • a coffee machine
  • a television

What special event will happen during the voyage?

 
  • a fashion show
  • a concert
  • a competition