This General Training IELTS Reading post deals with a solution package for IELTS Cambridge 8 Reading Test B Section 1 that has a passage entitled ‘Consumer advice on buying shoes‘ and ‘Lost Cards‘. This is a targeted post for candidates who have significant problems in searching for and understanding Reading Answers. This post can guide you the best to understand every Reading answer easily and without much difficulty. Finding IELTS Reading answers is a step-by-step process, and I can confidently say that this post will help you in this respect.

IELTS Cambridge 8 Test B: GT Reading Module

Section 1: 

Questions 1-14

Questions 1-8: TRUE, FALSE, NOT GIVEN

[In this type of question, candidates are asked to find out whether:

The statement in the question agrees with the information in the passage – TRUE
The statement in the question contradicts the information in the passage – FALSE
If there is no information on this  – NOT GIVEN

For this type of question, you can divide each statement into three independent pieces and make your way through with the answer.]

The headline of the passage: Consumer advice on buying shoes

Question 1: If you return unwanted shoes straightaway, with a receipt, the shop will probably give you a refund.

Keywords for this question: return unwanted shoes straightaway, receipt, shop, probably, give, refund,    

The answer to this question is included in the section named ‘Step 1’, paragraph no. 1 in lines 1-3, “Go back to the shop with proof of purchase. If you return faulty shoes at once, you have a right to insist on a refund. It is also likely that you will get one if you change your mind about the shoes and take them back immediately.”  

Here, It is also likely = will probably, change your mind about the shoes = return unwanted shoes, proof of purchase = receipt,

So, the answer is: TRUE

Question 2: You are advised to accept a credit note if you are offered one.

Keywords for this question: advised to accept, credit note, if, offered,   

The answer lies in the section called ‘Step 1’ paragraph no. 2, in line 1, “If you are offered a credit note, you don’t have to accept it.”

Here, don’t have to accept = not advised to accept,

The statement directly contradicts with the information in the passage.

So, the answer is: FALSE                 

Question 3: The factory is responsible for replacing unwanted shoes.

Keywords for this question: factory, responsible, replacing, unwanted shoes,  

The answer lies in the section called ‘Step 1’ paragraph no. 3 in lines 2-3, “But don’t be put off by the shop which claims that it’s the manufacturer’s responsibility. This isn’t true.”

The statement directly contradicts the information in the passage.

So, the answer is: FALSE                 

Question 4: You can ask any shoe shop to send shoes to the Footwear Testing Centre.

Keywords for this question: can ask, any shoe shop, send shoes, Footwear Testing Centre,  

The answer to this question is in the section called ‘Step 3’, “Most shops are covered by the Footwear Code of Practice. If the shop you are dealing with is covered, you can ask for the shoes to be sent to the Footwear Testing Centre for an independent opinion.”

The lines suggest that you cannot ask any shop to send shoes to the Footwear Testing Centre. You can only ask for this service if the shop is covered by the Footwear Code of Practice.

So, the answer is: FALSE                 

Question 5: Shops prefer to give a credit note rather than change shoes.

Keywords for this question: shops, prefer, give, credit note, rather than, change shoes,  

The keyword for this question is ‘credit note’ which is found only in Step 1. But there is no information about shops’ preference given to a credit note instead of change shoes.

So, the answer is: NOT GIVEN       

Question 6: The customer contributes to the cost of having faulty shoes tested.

Keywords for this question: customer, contributes to, cost, faculty shoes tested,

The answer can be traced in lines 3-4 in the section named ‘Step 3’, “ .. . . The shop has to agree with whatever the resulting report says. There is a charge of £21. You pay £7 and the shop pays the rest (including postage).”

The lines suggest to the fact that the charge (£21) of having faulty shoes tested is shared by the customer (£7) and the shop (rest of the charge).

So, the answer is: TRUE

Question 7: The procedure for making a legal claim is easier in Scotland.

Keywords for this question: procedure, making, legal claim, easier, Scotland,   

The mention of ‘Scotland’ is found in ‘Step 4’ but there is no information on whether the system of making a legal claim is easier or harder in Scotland.

So, the answer is: NOT GIVEN

Question 8: Legal advice and forms can be bought from certain shops.

Keywords for this question: legal advice, forms, can be bought, certain shops,  

The answer is in the last lines of this passage, “Alternatively, some bookshops sell advice packs which contain the relevant forms.”

Here, some bookshops = certain shops,  

So, the answer is: TRUE

Questions 9-14: Multiple choice questions

The headline of the passage: LOST CARDS

[This type of question asks you to choose a suitable answer from the options using the knowledge you gained from the passage. Generally, this question is found as the last question so you should not worry much about it. Finding all the answers to previous questions gives you a good idea about the title.]

Question 9: What should you do first if you lose a credit card?

Keywords for this question: should you do, first, if, lose, credit card,  

This question’s answer can be found in the first paragraph, in lines 1-2, “If you discover that your credit card, cheque book, debit card or cash card is missing, telephone the credit card company or bank as soon as possible.” 

Here, telephone (verb) = make a phone call,  

So, the answer is: D (make a phone call)

Question 10: Credit Card Shield is –

Keywords for this question: Credit Card Shield, 

This question’s answer can be found in paragraph no. 2, in lines 1-4, “Because plastic money is now so common, central registration schemes such as Credit Card Shield and Card Protection System exist to help customers whose cards are lost or stolen. Under the schemes, you file details of all your cards – including cash cards and account cards issued by shops – with a central registry, for a small annual fee.”

Here, file details of all your cards = register people’s card details,

So, the answer is: B (a system for registering people’s card details)

Question 11: When contacted, the Card Protection System company will –

Keywords for this question: contacted, Card Protection System, company will,   

Again, this question’s answer can be found in paragraph no. 2. At the end of the paragraph the writer says, “. .. . As soon as you have called, your responsibility for any bills run up by the thief ends and the scheme’s staff make sure that all the companies whose cards you had are notified.”

Here, As soon as you have contacted = when contacted, are notified = get in touch,

So, the answer is: B (get in touch with the relevant credit card companies)

Question 12: You are fully covered by both banks and shops if you lose –

Keywords for this question: fully covered, both banks and shops, if, lose,  

In the section ‘CHEQUES AND GUARANTEE CARD’, the writer of the text says, “Unless you have been careless – by signing blank cheques, say – you will not have to pay for any forged cheques a thief uses. The bank or shop that accepts them will have to bear the loss.”

Here, Unless you have been careless – by signing blank cheques = if blank cheque is unsigned, fully covered by both banks and shops = The bank or shop that accepts them will have to bear the loss,

So the answer is: B (a blank unsigned cheque)

Question 13: If you have written your personal number on a stolen card, you may have to –  

Keywords for this question: written, personal number, on, stolen card, may have to,

This question’s answer can be found in the section ‘If your cash card is stolen’, “Legally, you can be made to pay back any sums a thief withdraws using your card, … …. …  unless the bank can prove gross negligence, such as writing your personal identification number on your card.”

This means if your cash card is stolen and you’ve already written your personal number on it, you may have to pay for anything the thief buys using the card.

So the answer is: C (pay for anything the thief buys on it)

Question 14: What happens if your cash card is stolen?

Keywords for this question: what happens, if, cash card, stolen,  

Again, this question’s answer can be found in the section ‘If your cash card is stolen’, “Legally, you can be made to pay back any sums a thief withdraws using your card, but only up to the time you report the loss and up to £50, .. . . .”

So the answer is: C (You may have to pay up to £50 of any stolen money)

Click here for solutions to Cambridge 8 GT Test B Section 2

Click here for solutions to Cambridge 8 GT Test B Section 3