Proper English Grammar
General Training Reading Everyday texts13 questionsSuggested: 13 minutes

Everyday texts: a residents’ notice

The kind of practical, information-heavy text you meet in Section 1 of the General Training Reading paper.

How to use this. Read the notice, then answer all thirteen questions. When you're done, press Check answers for your score, an approximate band, and an explanation of every answer. Section 1 texts are short and practical, so the skill is scanning for the exact detail, not reading deeply. New to General Training? See the General Training track.

·Reading text

Maple Court: information for new residents

Please read this notice and keep it for reference during your tenancy.

A

Moving in. Collect your keys from the management office, which is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Please inspect your flat on arrival and report any damage to the office within seven days of moving in, otherwise you may be held responsible for it. If you are moving in large items of furniture, book the lift with the office in advance so that it can be reserved for your use.

B

Refuse and recycling. General waste goes in the grey bin and is collected on Tuesdays. Recycling, including paper, glass and plastic, goes in the blue bin and is collected on Thursdays. Please do not leave bulky items such as old furniture or mattresses in the bin store, as this blocks access. To dispose of a large item, book a special collection with the office.

C

Laundry. There is a shared laundry room on the ground floor, open from 7am to 10pm every day. Tokens for the machines are available from the management office. Please remove your washing promptly and do not leave it in the machines overnight, as other residents may be waiting.

D

Parking. Each flat is entitled to one parking permit, which you can obtain from the office. The single visitor bay may be used for a maximum of two hours at a time. Please do not park on the access roads at any time, as they must be kept clear for fire engines and other emergency vehicles.

E

Repairs and emergencies. Report routine repairs, such as a dripping tap or a faulty light, through the online portal or at the office during opening hours. For an emergency, such as a serious water leak, a complete loss of heating, or a lift breakdown, call the 24-hour emergency line. If you smell gas, leave the building and call the national gas emergency service first.

F

Being a good neighbour. Quiet hours are from 11pm to 7am; please keep noise to a minimum during this time. Ball games are not permitted in the courtyard. Always keep the communal entrance doors closed behind you for security, and remember to register any pets with the office when you move in.

·Questions 1–13

Answer the questions.

The Section 1 question types: True/False/Not Given, sentence completion and matching. Nothing is sent anywhere, your answers stay in your browser and are marked on this page.

Questions 1–6

True / False / Not Given

Do the following statements agree with the information in the notice? Choose True if the statement agrees, False if it contradicts, or Not Given if there is no information.

  • 1New residents should report any damage to their flat within a week of moving in.

  • 2The management office is open at weekends.

  • 3Recycling is collected on the same day as general waste.

  • 4Residents may leave old furniture in the bin store.

  • 5Laundry tokens can be bought online.

  • 6A flat may have more than one parking permit.

Questions 7–9

Sentence completion

Complete each sentence using no more than two words or a number from the notice.

  • 7The laundry room is open until  each night.

  • 8A visitor may use the visitor bay for no longer than .

  • 9Routine repairs can be reported at the office or through the online .

Questions 10–13

Matching

The notice has six sections, A–F. Which section contains the following information? Choose the correct letter.

  • 10what to do if the heating stops working completely

  • 11the hours during which residents must keep noise down

  • 12how to get rid of a large item you no longer want

  • 13reserving the lift to move furniture in

13 questions · not yet marked
·Scoring

Approximate band equivalence

This is a thirteen-question section, so the band shown is an approximation. General Training Reading needs a higher raw score than Academic for the same band, and a full paper has forty questions across three sections, so your band on the day depends on the whole test.

Score (/13)13121110987≤6
Band8.5+8.07.56.56.05.55.0<5.0
→Reading, under timed conditions

Marks lost on Reading are usually technique, not vocabulary.

Knowing the answer and scanning a busy notice to find it fast are different skills.

True/False/Not Given, matching, and the traps built into the distractors catch out strong readers who've never been shown the method. In a lesson we work through where your marks are actually going, and how to read for the answer rather than reading the whole passage twice. Lessons are £20 for fifty minutes, one to one, in proper British English; the first step is a free 25-minute introduction.

Book a free intro → About my approach