Cambridge IELTS General Training 20 Reading Test 1 Answers with Explanation / IELTS GT Reading: Cambridge 20 Test 1 Answer / Cambridge GT IELTS 20 Reading Test 1 Answers

Section 1: Top campsites to visit & Cycling in Plymouth

Q	Answer	Keywords	Location	Analytical Explanation
1	D	pay, hire a tent	Section 1, Bluewater Bay	The statement is about paying to hire a tent, and only Bluewater Bay offers this: “the site offers pre-pitched ones that can be rented by the day”.
2	B	short period, cannot use, showers	Section 1, Treetops Farm	The text explicitly states that the "washrooms, which are closed daily for an hour from midday for cleaning, have free hot water for showers." Here: closed daily for an hour = short period each day when you cannot use the showers.
3	C	place on site, wash clothes	Section 1, The Downs	The Downs campsite lists its facilities, saying they "include a laundry room as well as showers". Here: laundry room = place on site where you can wash clothes.
4	F	member of staff, available all day	Section 1, Rock Harbour	The statement about a member of staff being available all day needs an office with long opening hours. Rock Harbour has "someone in the campsite office from 9 am–9 pm" every day for assistance.
5	E	swimming, winter	Section 1, Dean Park	Swimming in the winter requires the campsite to be open all year and have an indoor place to swim. Dean Park is "open all year" and has "an indoor pool".
6	TRUE	number, traffic-free cycle paths, increasing	Section 1, Cycling in Plymouth, Paragraph 1	The passage states the local government is "providing a growing number of cycle paths that are traffic free". Here: growing number = number is increasing.
7	FALSE	destination faster, drive, cycle	Section 1, Cycling in Plymouth, Paragraph 1	The text says "A journey in the city by bike is generally quicker than the same journey by car". The statement claims reaching your destination is faster if you drive, which contradicts the text.
8	FALSE	numerous days, winter, weather prevents	Section 1, Cycling in Plymouth, Paragraph 2	The text says the opposite: “the weather is rarely so bad in Plymouth” that it will stop you cycling. Rarely directly contradicts numerous days.
9	NOT GIVEN	bike app, hire a bike, very popular	Section 1, Cycling in Plymouth, Paragraph 2	The text mentions "various apps are available" for hiring bikes, but provides no information on whether using a bike app is "very popular".
10	TRUE	higher price, buy a bike, light	Section 1, Cycling in Plymouth, Paragraph 2	The passage advises that bikes "with lighter frames and good gears make cycling easier, but are more expensive". Here: more expensive = pay a higher price.
11	TRUE	folding bikes, local trains, any time	Section 1, Cycling in Plymouth, Paragraph 3	The text states: "if you want to take a bike on a local train at peak times, you will need one that folds up." The answer key confirms this aligns with the restriction requirements for local trains.
12	NOT GIVEN	book, least a week before	Section 1, Cycling in Plymouth, Paragraph 3	The leaflet says a reservation before travelling is essential, but it never specifies how far in advance. There is no mention of a week or any other specific booking window.
13	TRUE	repairing a puncture, tyre lever	Section 1, Cycling in Plymouth, Paragraph 4	The text lists required equipment for maintenance: "a pump, a spare inner tube, and tyre levers for mending punctures". Here: mending punctures = repairing a puncture.
14	NOT GIVEN	broken glass, most common cause	Section 1, Cycling in Plymouth, Paragraph 4	Broken glass appears only as an example of one possible cause of a puncture ("such as a piece of broken glass"). The text never compares causes or says which one is most common.

Section 2: Learning to conduct difficult conversations & Making a success out of a new business

Q	Answer	Keywords	Location	Analytical Explanation
15	behaviour	challenge colleagues, poor	Section 2, Paragraph 1	The gap follows the phrase about challenging colleagues. The opening paragraph talks about “confronting a co-worker over unsatisfactory behaviour”, supplying the exact word.
16	conflict	afraid of causing, tricky issues	Section 2, Paragraph 2	The text mentions reasons we don't raise difficult topics: "we fear being responsible for conflict". Here: afraid of causing = fear being responsible for; tricky issues = difficult topics.
17	environment	select, most suitable	Section 2, Paragraph 3	The sentence asks for the most suitable place to hold the talk, and the planning tip is explicit: “The right environment is key”.
18	friend	consult, feedback, communicating	Section 2, Paragraph 4	The text suggests: "rehearse what you plan to say in front of a friend so you know you are coming across as you wish to." Here: rehearse = consult for feedback; coming across = communicating.
19	solutions	speaker sounds, want to find, problem	Section 2, Paragraph 5	The passage states: "If you use the first example, you come across as looking for solutions together." Here: looking for = want to find.
20	workload	line manager, fails to communicate, excessive	Section 2, Paragraph 6	The sentence describes a line manager who fails to communicate. The text explains that the boss who never gives feedback “is simply struggling with her own extremely heavy workload”.
21	skills	nothing good to say, lack appropriate	Section 2, Paragraph 6	The text describes a negative team member who "simply doesn’t have the skills to ask for what he wants directly." Here: ask for what he wants directly = make requests appropriately; lack appropriate = doesn't have the.
22	half	all new business ventures, not survive two years	Section 2, Paragraph 7	The note asks what share of new businesses fail within two years, and the text states that “Half of small businesses fail in the first couple of years”.
23	reviews	arrange frequent, ensure goals practicable	Section 2, Paragraph 8	The text advises to "Introduce regular reviews of these goals and set new ones when appropriate." Here: frequent = regular; arrange = introduce.
24	employees	make sure, fully aware	Section 2, Paragraph 8	The text says: "communicate your mission and goals to your employees." Here: make sure fully aware = communicate to.
25	dates	projected cashflow adequate, noting	Section 2, Paragraph 9	The passage advises to "Check the dates of major outgoings, such as tax". Here: noting = check; paying tax and other outgoings = major outgoings.
26	rights	select business partners, document stating	Section 2, Paragraph 10	The text says the agreement “sets out the rights and responsibilities of each partner”, and the note already gives you responsibilities, making rights the missing word.
27	competitors	research the market, product differs	Section 2, Paragraph 11	The advice is to “understand who your competitors are” and identify what distinguishes your business from theirs, fitting the context of who else offers similar products.

Section 3: The benefits for children of working with archaeologists

Q	Answer	Keywords	Location	Analytical Explanation
28	B	unusual, equal responsibilities	Section 3, Paragraph B	Paragraph B says school visits normally involve simple tasks, and that it is far less common to find pupils “working as partners with an archaeologist” — exactly the equal responsibilities described.
29	F	relevance, achievements, educational requirements	Section 3, Paragraph F	The project reflects “a key principle in the Social Studies section of Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence”. No other paragraph mentions national education policy.
30	C	location, archaeologists' main project	Section 3, Paragraph C	The passage notes: "The main project was... located on common ground on the lower slopes of the Bennachie hills." Here: location of the main project = located on common ground.
31	D	place, large amount of archaeological material	Section 3, Paragraph D	The text describes an excavation where children "discovered the remains of a 19th- or 20th-century midden, or rubbish dump, containing many pieces of broken pottery."
32	G	relative's connection, local business	Section 3, Paragraph G	One child discovered that their “great-grandfather had once owned the Seaton workshop”. The word relative paraphrases great-grandfather, and local business paraphrases the Aberdeen workshop.
33	C	experiment, paragraph A, designed to show	Section 3, Paragraph A	The passage describes children dropping a mug "so that they can see how it breaks on impact." Here: breaks on impact = what happens to a breakable object when it hits the ground.
34	D	paragraph B, most schoolchildren do	Section 3, Paragraph B	The passage explains that schoolchildren visiting excavations "are normally given straightforward tasks like washing and sorting finds". Here: straightforward tasks = simple activities at the site.
35	B	water mill, example of something	Section 3, Paragraph D	The children worked with “primary source materials, such as maps”, developed their own lines of enquiry, and then excavated to confirm the mill existed — meaning it was discovered using written documents.
36	A	one child's grandmother	Section 3, Paragraph G	The text notes a child's grandmother "recounted her memories of making oatmeal porridge in a small bowl decorated with the same floral design as a pottery piece on display."
37	university	children went to look, exhibits, museum	Section 3, Paragraph E	The passage states: "Following a visit to the university to see the museum there, the children produced a timeline". Here: visit to see the museum = look at the exhibits on display.
38	game	created, visitors, test knowledge	Section 3, Paragraph E	The children went on to "invent a ‘guess the object’ game to engage visitors in their discoveries." Here: invent = created; test their knowledge = guess the object.
39	workshop	piece of pottery, recognised, made at a particular	Section 3, Paragraph E	Paragraph E records that during identification one piece was traced to “the distinctive Seaton workshop in Aberdeen”, and a complete example was borrowed to sit beside it.
40	C	suitable title	Section 3, Paragraphs F & G