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IELTS® Academic Reading Practice 6

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This reading practice simulates one part of the IELTS General Reading test. You should spend about twenty minutes on it. Read the passage and answer questions 27-40.

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Motivational factors and the hospitality industryA vital element in a hotel's success is the ability to create and sustain excellent performance among its employees. This raises an important management question: which Human Resource Management (HRM) practices should organisations support if they wan...
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Questions 27-31
Look at the following Statements (Questions 27-31) and List of researchers below below.

Look at the following statements (Questions 27-31) and the list of researchers below.

Write the correct number A-F in boxes Questions 27-31 on your answer sheet.

NB You may use any letter more than once.
List of researchers below
  1. Pfeffer
  2. Lucas
  3. Maroudas et al.
  4. Ng and Sorensen
  5. Enz and Siguaw
  6. Deery

27. Hotel managers need to know what could encourage good staff to remain.

28. Actions by managers may make staff feel they shouldn't move to a different employer.

29. Not much is done in the hospitality industry to help workers improve their skills.

30. Staff are less likely to switch jobs if cooperation is encouraged.

31. Dissatisfaction with pay is not the only reason why hospitality workers switch jobs.

Choose E because the passage connects this feature or person with the information in the question. The supporting evidence is: "To achieve this, managers must understand what motivates employees at different levels of management and at different career stages (Enz and Siguaw, 2000).". This evidence identifies the correct match and rules out choices that are not linked to this detail.

Associated Text:
To achieve this, managers must understand what motivates employees at different levels of management and at different career stages (Enz and Siguaw, 2000).

Choose D because the passage connects this feature or person with the information in the question. The supporting evidence is: "Among the commonly cited causes are low compensation, inadequate benefits, poor working conditions, and weakened employee morale and attitudes (Maroudas et al., 2008).". This evidence identifies the correct match and rules out choices that are not linked to this detail.

Associated Text:
Among the commonly cited causes are low compensation, inadequate benefits, poor working conditions, and weakened employee morale and attitudes (Maroudas et al., 2008).

Choose B because the passage connects this feature or person with the information in the question. The supporting evidence is: "Yet, despite the accepted importance of employee development, Lucas (2002) notes that the hospitality industry has historically relied on underdeveloped HR practices.". This evidence identifies the correct match and rules out choices that are not linked to this detail.

Associated Text:
Yet, despite the accepted importance of employee development, Lucas (2002) notes that the hospitality industry has historically relied on underdeveloped HR practices.

Choose D because the passage connects this feature or person with the information in the question. The supporting evidence is: "Among the commonly cited causes are low compensation, inadequate benefits, poor working conditions, and weakened employee morale and attitudes (Maroudas et al., 2008).". This evidence identifies the correct match and rules out choices that are not linked to this detail.

Associated Text:
Among the commonly cited causes are low compensation, inadequate benefits, poor working conditions, and weakened employee morale and attitudes (Maroudas et al., 2008).

Choose C because the passage connects this feature or person with the information in the question. The supporting evidence is: "Among the commonly cited causes are low compensation, inadequate benefits, poor working conditions, and weakened employee morale and attitudes (Maroudas et al., 2008).". This evidence identifies the correct match and rules out choices that are not linked to this detail.

Associated Text:
Among the commonly cited causes are low compensation, inadequate benefits, poor working conditions, and weakened employee morale and attitudes (Maroudas et al., 2008).

Questions 32-35
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage? In boxes 32-35 on your answer sheet, write

YES   if the statement reflects the claims of the writer
NO   if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN   if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

32. Poor morale is one reason for high staff turnover in the hospitality industry.

33. Research has shown that staff tend to dislike their workplace.

34. Better working conditions and job security make staff satisfied with their jobs.

35. Staff should be allowed to decide when they take breaks during the working day.

The answer is YES because the statement agrees with the passage. The key evidence is: "Among the commonly cited causes are low compensation, inadequate benefits, poor working conditions, and weakened employee morale and attitudes (Maroudas et al., 2008).". This evidence says the same thing as the question statement, so the statement is supported.

Associated Text:
Among the commonly cited causes are low compensation, inadequate benefits, poor working conditions, and weakened employee morale and attitudes (Maroudas et al., 2008).

The answer is NO because the statement contradicts the passage. The key evidence is: "Hospitality organisations can therefore improve motivation and retention by developing and improving working conditions, which are closely connected with the working environment.". This evidence gives a different meaning from the question statement, so the statement is not correct.

Associated Text:
Hospitality organisations can therefore improve motivation and retention by developing and improving working conditions, which are closely connected with the working environment.

The answer is NO because the statement contradicts the passage. The key evidence is: "Importantly, however, meeting these needs does not create satisfaction; it merely reduces dissatisfaction (Maroudas et al., 2008).". This evidence gives a different meaning from the question statement, so the statement is not correct.

Associated Text:
Importantly, however, meeting these needs does not create satisfaction; it merely reduces dissatisfaction (Maroudas et al., 2008).

The answer is NOT GIVEN because the passage does not give enough information to confirm the statement. The closest relevant evidence is: "In the hospitality industry, the most relevant include adequate breaks during the working day, staff functions involving families, and opportunities connected with health and well-being.". This may discuss a related idea, but it does not prove the statement in the question.

Associated Text:
In the hospitality industry, the most relevant include adequate breaks during the working day, staff functions involving families, and opportunities connected with health and well-being.

Questions 36-40
Complete the summary below.

Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in 36-40 on your answer sheet.

Fun at work

A group of researchers examined employees in a US chain of (36). They found that fun workplace activities improved staff (37) and that manager participation reduced employee (38). The activities also had to suit both the company's (39) and staff (40). The right balance was needed between freedom and maintaining standards at work.

Use "restaurants" because the passage says the study examined staff from a chain of themed restaurants.

Associated Text:
For instance, Tews, Michel and Stafford (2013) examined staff from a chain of themed restaurants in the United States.

Use "performance" because the passage says fun activities had a positive effect on performance.

Associated Text:
They found that fun activities had a positive effect on performance, while manager support for fun helped reduce turnover.

Use "turnover" because the passage says manager support for fun helped reduce turnover.

Associated Text:
They found that fun activities had a positive effect on performance, while manager support for fun helped reduce turnover.

Use "goals" because the passage says fun must align with organisational goals.

Associated Text:
Their results support the view that fun can be beneficial, but only when it is carefully aligned with both organisational goals and employee characteristics.

Use "characteristics" because the passage says fun must also align with employee characteristics.

Associated Text:
Their results support the view that fun can be beneficial, but only when it is carefully aligned with both organisational goals and employee characteristics.

Answer Sheet
1
N/A
2
N/A
3
N/A
4
N/A
5
N/A
6
N/A
7
N/A
8
N/A
9
N/A
10
N/A
11
N/A
12
N/A
13
N/A
14
N/A
15
N/A
16
N/A
17
N/A
18
N/A
19
N/A
20
N/A
21
N/A
22
N/A
23
N/A
24
N/A
25
N/A
26
N/A
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
Score Summary
0 / 1
Multiple Choice
Matching Sentence Endings
Note Completion
Table Completion
Flow Chart Completion
Summary Completion
Multiple Selection
Short Answer
Matching Headings
Matching Features
Matching Information
Identifying Information
Identifying Viewer Claims
Sentence Completion
Diagram Labelling
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Tips to improve your reading speed
To get a high score on the IELTS reading section, you need to have a fast reading speed. To have a fast reading speed, you need to improve your vocabulary and practice dissecting sentences. One strategy to dissect a sentence is to look for the subject and verb of the sentence. Finding the subject and verb will help you better understand the main idea of said sentence. Keep in mind, a common feature of a IELTS reading passage is to join strings of ideas to form long compound sentences. This produces large chunks that students have a hard time absorbing. Do not get overwhelmed by its length, just look for the subject and verb, the rest of the ideas will flow.

Keep in mind, having a slow reading speed makes skimming or scanning a reading passage more difficult. The process of quickly skimming through a reading passage for specific keywords or main ideas is a requirement for you to employ successful reading strategies to improve your IELTS reading score. In other words, skimming and scanning are critical skills to ensure you complete all questions in the allotted time frame.
IELTS Reading Strategies
Once you can read and comprehend a passage with a rate of, at least, 220 words per minute, you'll be ready to start implementing our strategies. All too often, students spend too much time reading the passages and not enough time answering the questions. Here is a step by step guide for tackling the reading section.

  1. Step 1: Read questions first

    One of the most common mistakes that candidates make when approaching the reading exam is reading every single word of the passages. Although you can practice for the exam by reading for pleasure, "reading blindly" (reading without any sense of what the questions will ask) will not do you any favors in the exam. Instead, it will hurt your chances for effectively managing your time and getting the best score.

    The main reason to read the questions first is because the type of question may determine what you read in the passage or how you read it. For example, some question types will call for the "skimming" technique, while others may call for the "scanning" technique.

    It is important to answer a set of questions that are of the same question type. You'll need to determine which question type you want to tackle first. A good strategy would be to start with the easier question type and move on to more difficult question types later. The Easiest question types are the ones where you spend less time reading. For example, the Matching Heading question type is an easier one because you only need to find the heading that best describes the main idea of a paragraph. An example of a difficult question type would be Identifying Information. For this question type, you'll need to read each paragraph to find out if each statement is TRUE, FALSE, or NOT GIVEN according to the passage.

    Here is a table that lists the difficulty levels for each question type. Use this table as a reference when choosing which question type you want to tackle first.

    Difficulty level Question Type
    Easy Sentence Completion
    Short answer
    Medium Matching Features
    Multiple choice
    Matching Headings
    Summary, Table, Flow-Chart Completion
    Difficult Matching Sentence Endings
    Matching Information
    Identifying Information (TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN)
    Identifying Viewer's claims (YES/NO/NOT GIVEN)

  2. Step 2: Read for an objective

    After you've read the questions for the passage, you will be able to read for an objective. What does this mean? For example, if you come across a question that includes the year "1896", you can make a note of when this year comes up in the text, using it to answer the question later on. There are two reading techniques that will help you stay on track with reading for an objective. The first one, skimming, is best defined as reading fast in order to get the "gist", or general idea, or a passage. With this technique, you are not stopping for any unfamiliar words or looking for specific details. The second technique, scanning, is best defined as reading for specific information. With this technique, you are not reading for the overall gist, but rather, specific information. Notice how each of these techniques has a specific objective in mind. This will help you find information more quickly.

  3. Step 3: Take notes

    As you're reading for an objective, you should also be making notes on the margins of the passage, placing stars next to key information, or underlining things that you believe will help you answer the various questions. This will make it easier for you to check back when you are asked certain things in the questions. Choose whichever note-taking system is right for you - just make sure you do it!

  4. Step 4: Answer wisely

    After you've read the questions, read the passage, and have taken any appropriate notes, you you should have located the part of the text where you where you need to read carefully. Then just read carefully and think critically to determine the correct answer.

IELTS Reading Question Types

The IELTS reading test contains many different question types:

Matching HeadingsIELTS Reading Lesson: Matching Headings
Matching InformationIELTS Reading Lesson: Matching Information
Matching FeaturesIELTS Reading Lesson: Matching Features
Summary CompletionIELTS Reading Lesson: Summary Completion
Identifying InformationIELTS Reading Lesson: Identifying Information
Identifying Writer's claimsIELTS Reading Lesson: Identifying Writer's claims
Multiple ChoiceIELTS Reading Lesson: Multiple Choice
Short AnswerIELTS Reading Lesson: Short Answer
Match Sentence EndingIELTS Reading Lesson: Match Sentence Ending
Sentence CompletionIELTS Reading Lesson: Sentence Completion
Table CompletionIELTS Reading Lesson: Table Completion
 
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