Cambridge IELTS 18 General Training Test 2 Reading Answers and Explanations

12 min read Academic & General Training

All answers on this page include the question number, correct answer and a brief explanation of where to find it in the passage or audio. Use these alongside the original Cambridge IELTS books for the best practice experience.

Cambridge IELTS 18 | General Training Reading

General Training Test 2 answers with clear explanations

These Cambridge IELTS 18 General Training Test 2 Reading answers explain all 40 questions. Review Choosing a sleeping bag and The Spread the Word Life Writing Prize, Encouraging employees to be healthy and kitchen guidelines, and A home-sewing revival: the return of Clothkits.

40answers explained
3reading sections
60 minofficial practice time
General TrainingGeneral Training Reading
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Cambridge IELTS 18 General Training Test 2 Reading answer key

Use these cards for quick marking. Read the detailed explanations when an answer needs more review.

1. Choosing a sleeping bag and The Spread the Word Life Writing Prize

Questions 1 to 14
1D
2A
3E
4B
5D
6F
7C
8A
9TRUE
10FALSE
11TRUE
12NOT GIVEN
13FALSE
14NOT GIVEN

2. Encouraging employees to be healthy and kitchen guidelines

Questions 15 to 27
15absenteeism
16soda
17fruit
18fridge
19bikes
20showers
21surveys
22aprons
23board
24money
25appliances
26Labels
27storeroom

3. A home-sewing revival: the return of Clothkits

Questions 28 to 40
28E
29C
30A
31E
32D
33A
34C
35C
36fabric
37instructions
38geometric
39newspaper
40knitwear

Section 1: Choosing a sleeping bag and The Spread the Word Life Writing Prize

This section compares sleeping bags and introduces a life-writing competition. It tests your ability to match product features, eligibility rules, prizes and entry requirements.

Review strategySeparate a contradiction from missing information. Use only what the passage or writer states.
1This sleeping bag is not very easy to pack up.D

Why: The detail matches D, "The Big Sleep 250GSM Single Cowl Sleeping." The wording in the passage expresses the same idea.

2People can use this sleeping bag in any season.A

Why: The detail matches A, "Vango Fuse -12." The wording in the passage expresses the same idea.

3This sleeping bag has been designed to ensure certain parts of the body are warm.E

Why: The detail matches E, "Jack Wolfskin Smoozip +3." The wording in the passage expresses the same idea.

4This sleeping bag contains a useful storage area.B

Why: The detail matches B, "Outwell Campion Lux Double Sleeping Bag." The wording in the passage expresses the same idea.

5People who do not want to spend much on a sleeping bag will find this one suits their needs.D

Why: The detail matches D, "The Big Sleep 250GSM Single Cowl Sleeping." The wording in the passage expresses the same idea.

6This sleeping bag can also keep the user warm during the daytime.F

Why: The detail matches F, "Vango Starwalker Dragon." The wording in the passage expresses the same idea.

7People who wish to avoid carrying heavy weights should try this sleeping bag.C

Why: The detail matches C, "Nordisk Oscar +10." The wording in the passage expresses the same idea.

8This sleeping bag contains two different types of material.A

Why: The detail matches A, "Vango Fuse -12." The wording in the passage expresses the same idea.

9Writers can submit an entry of fewer than 5,000 words for the Life Writing Prize.TRUE

Why: The passage gives information that agrees with this statement. The answer is TRUE.

10Writers can choose to write about the life of a person they know.FALSE

Why: The passage gives information that contradicts this statement. The answer is FALSE.

11People who have entered an earlier Life Writing competition without achieving any success may enter again.TRUE

Why: The passage gives information that agrees with this statement. The answer is TRUE.

12Writers who are between 19 and 25 years old and in full-time education have won the prize in previous years.NOT GIVEN

Why: The passage does not give enough information to confirm or contradict this statement. The answer is NOT GIVEN.

13Only one prize is awarded at the end of the Life Writing competition.FALSE

Why: The passage gives information that contradicts this statement. The answer is FALSE.

14Previous winners of the Life Writing Prize have gone on to become successful published writers.NOT GIVEN

Why: The passage does not give enough information to confirm or contradict this statement. The answer is NOT GIVEN.

Section 2: Encouraging employees to be healthy and kitchen guidelines

This section gives workplace advice about employee health and kitchen safety. It covers wellness programmes, hygiene routines, uniforms, food preparation and cleaning rules.

Review strategyCheck the word limit before answering. Copy the exact word form that fits the sentence.
15Benefits: improved efficiency and less ____.absenteeism

Why: The passage uses "absenteeism." This completes the gap and follows the stated word limit.

16Make healthier options available to replace ____.soda

Why: The passage uses "soda." This completes the gap and follows the stated word limit.

17Offer ____ at no cost.fruit

Why: The passage uses "fruit." This completes the gap and follows the stated word limit.

18Provide a ____ for staff use.fridge

Why: The passage uses "fridge." This completes the gap and follows the stated word limit.

19Provide somewhere for employees to leave their ____.bikes

Why: The passage uses "bikes." This completes the gap and follows the stated word limit.

20Provide ____ for workers who exercise.showers

Why: The passage uses "showers." This completes the gap and follows the stated word limit.

21Find out how employees feel at work by using ____.surveys

Why: The passage uses "surveys." This completes the gap and follows the stated word limit.

22Chefs’ uniforms and ____ must be washed for every shift.aprons

Why: The passage uses "aprons." This completes the gap and follows the stated word limit.

23Kitchen staff need to change the ____ when they start chopping another kind of food.board

Why: The passage uses "board." This completes the gap and follows the stated word limit.

24All staff must make sure their hands are clean after handling ____.money

Why: The passage uses "money." This completes the gap and follows the stated word limit.

25Workers in the kitchen should not attempt to repair ____.appliances

Why: The passage uses "appliances." This completes the gap and follows the stated word limit.

26____ are required to identify any chemicals kept in the kitchen.Labels

Why: The passage uses "Labels." This completes the gap and follows the stated word limit.

27It is forbidden for kitchen staff to have drinks from the ____.storeroom

Why: The passage uses "storeroom." This completes the gap and follows the stated word limit.

Section 3: A home-sewing revival: the return of Clothkits

This section tells the story of the Clothkits home-sewing brand. It explains its original appeal, later decline and revival under a new owner.

Review strategyMatch ideas, not repeated words. Identify each paragraph's purpose before choosing a letter.
28mention of Mawer’s desire to oversee all the stages of her businessE

Why: The detail appears in Paragraph E. That paragraph contains the information described in the question.

29reference to changing employment patterns among the general populationC

Why: The detail appears in Paragraph C. That paragraph contains the information described in the question.

30the date when Clothkits was originally established as a productA

Why: The detail appears in Paragraph A. That paragraph contains the information described in the question.

31the benefits of sewing a garment and then wearing itE

Why: The detail appears in Paragraph E. That paragraph contains the information described in the question.

32In Paragraph A, the writer says that Kay Mawer was reminded about Clothkits byD

Why: Option D says "a conversation with someone she knew.." This matches the writer's point. The other options do not answer the question correctly.

33What does the reader learn about Clothkits in the 1960s and 1970s?A

Why: Option A says "Its designs represented the attitudes of the time.." This matches the writer's point. The other options do not answer the question correctly.

34Why did Clothkits close in 1991?C

Why: Option C says "Freeman’s was an unsuitable partner.." This matches the writer's point. The other options do not answer the question correctly.

35What point does the writer make in Paragraph E?C

Why: Option C says "People are more concerned about throwing away items than in the past.." This matches the writer's point. The other options do not answer the question correctly.

36Her clothing company specialised in selling ____ with a pattern printed on it.fabric

Why: The passage uses "fabric." This completes the gap and follows the stated word limit.

37This came with ____, which meant that buyers were able to make their own garments.instructions

Why: The passage uses "instructions." This completes the gap and follows the stated word limit.

38The first garment was a multi-coloured striped dress with a ____ pattern.geometric

Why: The passage uses "geometric." This completes the gap and follows the stated word limit.

39A ____ article led to many orders for this from around the world.newspaper

Why: The passage uses "newspaper." This completes the gap and follows the stated word limit.

40As the company grew, she increased her workforce, and also sold ____ as part of her business.knitwear

Why: The passage uses "knitwear." This completes the gap and follows the stated word limit.

How to review your answers

  1. Mark all 40 answers before reading the explanations.
  2. Group mistakes by question type and reading section.
  3. Find the exact sentence that proves each correct answer.
  4. Retake the test after reviewing your weakest question type.

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