This General Training IELTS Reading post highlights the solutions to IELTS Cambridge 12 Reading Test 5 Section 2 that has two texts titled ‘Marketing advice for new business’ and ‘Working Time Regulations for Mobile Workers’. This post is mainly for those GT IELTS candidates who have major problems finding out and understanding Reading Answers in the GT module. This post can guide you the best to understand every Reading answer without much trouble. Finding out IELTS Reading answers is a steady process, and this post will assist you in this respect.

IELTS Cambridge 12 Test 5: GT Reading Module

Section 2: Questions 15-27

The headline of the text: Marketing advice for new business

Questions 15-20: Completing sentences

In this type of question, candidates are asked to write ONE WORD ONLY to complete sentences on the given topic. For this type of question, first, skim the passage to find the keywords in the paragraph concerned with the answer, and then scan to find the exact word.

[TIPS: Here scanning technique will come in handy. Target the keywords of the questions to find the answers. Remember to focus on Proper nouns, random Capital letters, numbers, special characters of text etc.]

Question 15: Some _________ will help you to discover the most effective places to advertise.   

Keywords for this question: will help, discover, most effective places, to advertise,     

Take a look at the ‘Know where your customers look’ section, where the author says, “Your customers aren’t necessarily where you think they are. So if you’re advertising where they’re just not looking, it’s wasted money. That’s why it pays to do a bit of research. Every time someone contacts your company, ask them where they found out about you. And act on this information so you’re advertising in the right places.”

Here, it pays = will help you, a bit of = some, advertising in the right places = the most effective places to advertise,

So, the answer is: research  

Question 16: A __________ of your customers will show you how they feel about your company.

Keywords for this question: of your customers, will show, how, they feel, your company,   

In the ‘Always think like a customer’ section, the author says, “What makes your customers tick? …. A simple phone or email survey of your own customers, politely asking why they use you, what they really like and what they don’t, is invaluable.”

Here, What makes your customers tick? = how they feel about your company,

So, the answer is: survey

Question 17: A ________ of forms of advertising will make it more likely that potential customers will find out about you.   

Keywords for this question: forms of advertising, will make, more likely, potential customers, will find out, about you,     

In the ‘Make sure customers know you’re there’ section, the writer says, “If a customer can’t see you, they can’t buy from you. There are loads of opportunities to promote your business – print, press, direct mail, telemarketing, email and the internet – and using a mix of these increases your chances of being seen (and remembered). . . ..”

Here, a mix of these = a mix of forms of advertising, increases your chances of being seen = make it more likely that potential customers will find out about you,

So, the answer is: mix  

Question 18: If you can, provide customers with useful _________ about your business.  

Keywords for this question: if you can, provide customers, useful, about your business,       

Lines 3-4 of the ‘Ignore your customers and they’ll go away’ section say, “. .. . Follow up a transaction to check they’re happy with the service and, if possible, send them updates that are helpful, informative and relevant.”  

Here, if possible = if you can, send them = provide customers with, helpful, informative and relevant = useful . .. . about your business,

So, the answer is: updates  

Question 19: Measuring the effects of your advertising can give you __________ that will improve your business.

Keywords for this question: measuring, effects, your advertising, can give, that will improve, business,

In the ‘Know what works (and what doesn’t) section, the writer says, “Do what the professionals do, and measure all your advertising. That’ll tell you what you’re doing right – and where there’s room for improvement. You never know, it might just throw up some information that could change your business for the better.”

Here, measure all your advertising = Measuring the effects of your advertising, could change your business for the better = will improve your business,

So, the answer is: information  

Question 20: Success in finding new customers largely depends on your _______.

Keywords for this question: success, finding new customers, largely depends on,   

In the ‘Remember word-of-mouth: the best advertising there is’ section, the writer says, “A recent survey found that consumers are 50% more likely to be influenced by word-of-mouth recommendations than by TV or radio ads. So your reputation is your greatest asset. .. .”

Here, greatest asset = success in finding new customers largely depends on,

So, the answer is: reputation      

The headline of the text: Working Time Regulations for Mobile Workers

Questions 21-27: Completing notes

[In this type of question, candidates are asked to complete different notes with ONE WORD ONLY from the passage. Keywords are important to find answers correctly. Generally, this type of question maintains a sequence. However, we should not be surprised if the sequence is not maintained. Find the keywords in the passage and you are most likely to find the answers.]

Question 21:

These apply to people working on lorries, buses, etc.

They don’t apply to _________ workers.

Keywords for this question: apply to, lorries, buses, don’t apply to, workers,   

The answer can be found in the second paragraph, “Those defined in the Regulations as being self-employed are currently not covered by the Regulations.”

Here, not covered by the Regulations = don’t apply to,

So, the answer is: self employed/ self-employed  

Question 22:

Maximum working hours: 60 hours a week, provided the ________ is no more than 48 hours.

Keywords for this question: maximum working hours, 60 hours a week, provided, no more than 48 hours,  

The second bullet point of the ‘What are the limits’ section says,

• In any single week, up to 60 hours can be worked so long as the 48-hour average is maintained.

Here, In any single week up to 60 hours = 60 hours a week, so long as = provided, no more than 48 hours = 48-hour average is maintained,

So, the answer is: average

Question 23:

Night work can be more than 10 hours with the _________ of the workers.

Keywords for this question: night work, more than 10 hours, with, of the workers, 

The third bullet point of the ‘What are the limits’ section says,

• Night work is limited to 10 hours per night, unless there is a workplace agreement to work longer.

Here, limited to 10 hours per night, unless = can be more than 10 hours, agreement of the workers = workplace agreement,

So, the answer is: agreement  

Question 24: Work includes driving, loading and unloading, and carrying out various _______ of the vehicle.  

Keywords for this question: work includes, driving, loading and unloading, carrying out, various, of the vehicle,

In the ‘What counts as work?’ section, have a look at the first paragraph, “In general, any activities performed in connection with the transport operation count as work, for example, driving, loading/unloading, and those checks that are the responsibility of drivers, such as checking lights, brakes etc.”

Here, checking lights, brakes etc. = various checks,

So, the answer is: checks

Question 25:

Periods of availability include:

            going on a _________ or other form of transport with a vehicle.

Keywords for this question: period of availability, going on, or, other form of transport, with a vehicle,

In the ‘What counts as work?’ section, take a look at the second paragraph. It says here in the third bullet point,

• Accompanying a vehicle being transported, for example by train.

Here, Accompanying = going on,

So, the answer is: train

Question 26:

A period at the workstation when the driver has some ________ might count as a period of availability.

Keywords for this answer: a period at the workstation, when, the driver has, some, might count as, a period of availability,  

In the ‘What counts as work?’ section, take a look at the third paragraph. It says here, “A period of availability can be taken at the workstation. Providing the worker has a reasonable amount of freedom (e.g. they can read and relax) for a known duration, this could satisfy the requirements of a period of availability.”

Here, Providing the worker has = when the driver has, a reasonable amount of = some,

So, the answer is: freedom  

Question 27:

Periods of availability exclude:

            time spent stopping and starting the vehicle when _______ causes delays being in a queue, e.g. in order to load or unload. 

Keywords for this answer: periods of availability exclude, time spent, stopping and starting, vehicle, when, causes delay, in a queue, load, unload, 

In the ‘What counts as work?’ section, take a look at the fourth paragraph. It says here,

“Situations when a period of time should not be recorded as a period of availability:

• Hold-ups due to congestion, because the driver would be stopping and starting the vehicle.

Here, should not be recorded as a period of availability = Periods of availability exclude, Hold-ups = delays,

So, the answer is: congestion  

Click here for solutions to Cambridge 12 GT Test 5 Reading Section 1

Click here for solutions to Cambridge 12 GT Test 5 Reading Section 3