IELTS General Training Reading Mock Test 6

Full Exam-Style Practice — 40 Questions

Time allowed: 60 minutes
Total questions: 40
Difficulty: Moderate to Advanced
Instructions: Answer all questions. Do not spend too long on any single question. Check the answer key only after completing the test.

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PART 1

Questions 1–14

Lakeside Railway Station: Passenger Information

Lakeside Railway Station serves passengers travelling between the surrounding towns and the regional capital. The station is open from early morning until late evening, although ticket-office hours are shorter than the opening hours of the station itself.

Tickets

Passengers can purchase tickets from the ticket office, ticket machines or the railway company’s mobile application. The ticket office opens at 5:45 a.m. on weekdays and at 6:30 a.m. on weekends.

Passengers using ticket machines can pay by card or contactless payment. Some machines also accept cash, but passengers should not assume that every machine provides this option.

Tickets purchased online can be displayed on a mobile phone. Passengers should ensure that their phone has sufficient battery power before beginning their journey.

Changes and Refunds

Unused tickets may be eligible for a refund, depending on the type of ticket purchased. Refund requests must normally be submitted within 28 days of the original journey date.

Tickets that have already been partly used are generally not refundable. However, passengers whose train was cancelled may be entitled to compensation under the railway company’s passenger charter.

Bicycles

Bicycles are permitted on most services, but space is limited. Passengers travelling with bicycles are advised to check whether their particular train requires a reservation.

During weekday peak periods, full-size bicycles are not normally permitted on trains arriving at Lakeside between 7:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.

Folding bicycles may be carried provided they are folded and stored so that they do not obstruct other passengers.

Luggage

Passengers may bring ordinary luggage without an additional charge, provided that it can be safely stored without blocking doors or passageways.

Large items such as musical instruments or sports equipment may require advance arrangements. Passengers should contact the customer service department before travelling if they are uncertain.

Accessibility

Step-free access is available from the main entrance to platforms 1 and 2. Passengers requiring assistance with boarding should contact the station at least 24 hours in advance whenever possible.

A hearing loop is available at the ticket office for passengers with hearing difficulties.

Lost Property

Lost items should be reported to the information desk. Items are normally kept at the station for seven days before being transferred to the railway company’s central lost-property office.

Passengers collecting valuable items may be asked to provide proof of identity and details describing the lost object.

Car Parking

The station car park operates 24 hours a day. Charges apply between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Parking is free outside these hours.

Season-ticket holders receive discounted parking rates, but parking spaces cannot be guaranteed during busy periods.

Questions 1–6

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the passage?

Write:

TRUE if the statement agrees with the passage
FALSE if the statement contradicts the passage
NOT GIVEN if there is no information

1. The ticket office opens at the same time every day.

2. Every ticket machine accepts cash.

3. Some online tickets can be shown on a mobile phone.

4. All unused tickets can automatically be refunded.

5. Folding bicycles can be taken on trains if they are stored properly.

6. Passengers requiring assistance should contact the station at least 24 hours before travelling whenever possible.

Questions 7–10

Complete the sentences below.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage.

7. Refund requests must normally be made within ______ days of the journey date.

8. Full-size bicycles are restricted during weekday ______ periods.

9. Step-free access is available to platforms ______ and 2.

10. Lost property remains at the station for ______ days before being transferred.

Questions 11–14

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

11. What should passengers do if they are unsure about taking large sports equipment?

A. Leave it at the station
B. Contact customer service before travelling
C. Pay an additional ticket fee
D. Take it only during weekends

12. When is parking at the station free?

A. Before 6:00 a.m. only
B. After 8:00 p.m. only
C. Between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
D. Outside 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

13. What may passengers need when collecting valuable lost property?

A. A train ticket
B. Proof of identity
C. A parking receipt
D. A new ticket

14. Which payment method is definitely available at ticket machines?

A. Cheque
B. Cash at every machine
C. Contactless payment
D. Bank transfer

PART 2

Questions 15–27

Working Effectively in a Shared Office

Shared offices have become increasingly common. They may contain employees from one company working in an open-plan environment, or they may provide space for people from several independent businesses. While shared workplaces can encourage communication and flexibility, they also create challenges that need to be managed carefully.

A

One major advantage of a shared office is the possibility of interaction. Employees who work in different departments may exchange ideas more easily when they occupy the same physical environment.

People from separate companies may also benefit from informal contact. A graphic designer, accountant and software developer, for example, may discover opportunities to cooperate simply because they work in the same building.

However, interaction should not be confused with constant conversation. Employees still need periods of concentration.

B

Noise is one of the most common complaints in open offices. Telephone conversations, informal discussions and movement around the workplace can make concentration difficult.

Some organisations provide quiet rooms where employees can work without interruption. Others allow staff to use headphones or move temporarily to less busy areas.

Noise management does not mean that offices must become completely silent. The objective is to create an environment in which different types of work can be performed effectively.

C

Shared workplaces also require clear rules. Employees need to know which areas can be used for meetings, where confidential conversations should take place and how shared equipment should be treated.

Rules are most effective when they are practical and easy to understand. An extremely long list of regulations may be ignored, particularly if employees cannot see the reason behind them.

D

Technology has made shared working easier. Cloud-based documents allow several people to work on the same project without being physically present at the same desk.

Video conferencing can also allow employees to communicate with colleagues in other locations. However, technology can create new distractions. Constant notifications may interrupt concentration just as effectively as a noisy conversation.

E

Privacy is another concern. An employee working on sensitive financial information, for example, may need a private room or secure computer screen.

Organisations should consider privacy when designing shared offices rather than treating it as an issue that can be solved later. Physical design, access controls and appropriate technology can all contribute to protecting confidential information.

F

Flexibility is one of the main attractions of shared offices. Employees may be able to choose where they work according to the task they are completing.

Someone writing a report may prefer a quiet room, while a team developing ideas may benefit from a shared table. Flexible workplaces therefore work best when they provide several types of spaces rather than expecting every employee to work in the same environment.

G

The success of a shared office ultimately depends on organisational culture. A well-designed building cannot compensate for employees who ignore agreed rules or managers who fail to address repeated problems.

Communication is essential. Employees should be encouraged to report difficulties and suggest improvements. In this way, the workplace can evolve according to the needs of the people using it.

Questions 15–20

Reading Passage 2 has seven sections, A–G.

Choose the correct heading for sections A–F from the list below.

List of Headings

i. The importance of organisational culture
ii. Protecting sensitive information
iii. The benefits and limits of interaction
iv. Using technology without creating distractions
v. Creating different working environments
vi. Establishing practical rules
vii. Dealing with workplace noise
viii. The history of shared offices

15. Section A

16. Section B

17. Section C

18. Section D

19. Section E

20. Section F

Questions 21–24

Complete the summary below.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage.

Shared offices can encourage employees to exchange 21. ______, but workers also need opportunities to concentrate.

One common problem is 22. ______, which can be reduced by providing quiet rooms or allowing employees to work in less busy areas.

Clear workplace rules should explain how shared spaces and equipment should be used. Privacy is particularly important when employees deal with 23. ______ information.

Flexible offices can be effective because employees can choose a suitable environment according to the 24. ______ they are performing.

Questions 25–27

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

25. Why does the writer say that interaction should not mean constant conversation?

A. Employees may need time to concentrate.
B. Conversations are prohibited in shared offices.
C. Managers dislike informal discussions.
D. Employees usually work alone.

26. What is one disadvantage of technology in a shared office?

A. It prevents people from using cloud documents.
B. It can create additional distractions.
C. It makes video conferencing impossible.
D. It eliminates the need for communication.

27. According to the passage, what is essential to the long-term success of a shared office?

A. Expensive furniture
B. A completely silent environment
C. Good organisational culture and communication
D. More employees working together

PART 3

Questions 28–40

The Psychology of Learning from Mistakes

Making mistakes is an unavoidable part of learning. Children learning to walk fall repeatedly, language learners make grammatical errors, and professionals occasionally make incorrect decisions. Yet people do not always learn equally well from their mistakes.

Some individuals examine what went wrong and modify their behaviour. Others become embarrassed, avoid thinking about the error or simply repeat the same behaviour. Understanding this difference has become an important subject in education, psychology and professional development.

Mistakes and memory

When people make an error, the experience can sometimes attract greater attention than an ordinary successful attempt. The unexpected result creates a discrepancy between what a person expected to happen and what actually happened.

This discrepancy can encourage the learner to reconsider their assumptions. For example, a student who expects a particular scientific experiment to produce one result may pay close attention when the outcome is different.

However, an error does not automatically produce learning. The learner must recognise what happened and have an opportunity to understand why.

Feedback

Feedback plays an important role in this process. Effective feedback does more than indicate that an answer is wrong. It provides information that helps the learner identify the source of the problem and consider how to improve.

Immediate feedback can be particularly useful for some simple tasks. In more complex situations, however, learners may benefit from having time to think about their own reasoning before receiving an explanation.

The most useful type of feedback therefore depends partly on the task and the learner.

Emotional reactions

Mistakes can produce strong emotional reactions. A person may experience embarrassment, disappointment or frustration. These feelings are not necessarily harmful, but excessive fear of failure can interfere with learning.

If people believe that mistakes will lead to humiliation or severe punishment, they may try to hide errors rather than examine them. In workplaces, this can create a serious problem because small mistakes may remain undiscovered until they become larger ones.

An environment in which mistakes can be discussed honestly may therefore encourage earlier correction.

Productive failure

Researchers have also examined the idea of “productive failure”. According to this approach, learners may sometimes benefit from attempting to solve a difficult problem before being shown an established method.

The initial attempt may be unsuccessful, but it can expose gaps in understanding and make later explanations more meaningful. This does not mean that learners should always be left to struggle without assistance. Guidance remains important, particularly when a task is far beyond their current knowledge.

Productive failure is therefore best understood as a carefully designed learning experience rather than simply allowing people to make random mistakes.

Learning from other people’s mistakes

People can also learn from errors they did not personally make. Case studies, simulations and stories about failed projects allow learners to examine the consequences of decisions without experiencing those consequences themselves.

This approach is especially valuable in situations where real-world mistakes could be dangerous or expensive. Medical education, aviation training and emergency management, for example, may use simulations to expose learners to challenging situations in a controlled environment.

Nevertheless, learning from another person’s mistake may not produce exactly the same emotional response as making an error personally.

Building a learning culture

Whether individuals learn from mistakes is influenced by the environment around them. Teachers and managers can help by treating errors as opportunities for investigation rather than immediately assigning blame.

This does not mean that standards should disappear. Serious negligence may require consequences, and repeated mistakes may indicate that additional training is necessary.

The central idea is that accountability and learning do not have to be opposites. An effective system can identify responsibility while also asking what can be learned from what happened.

The value of reflection

Ultimately, reflection is a crucial part of learning from mistakes. After an error, a person can ask several questions: What did I expect to happen? What actually happened? Why was there a difference? What should I do differently next time?

These questions transform an isolated error into information that can influence future behaviour. Without reflection, even repeated experience may produce little improvement.

Questions 28–32

Complete the sentences below.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage.

28. An unexpected result can cause a ______ between what a learner expected and what actually happened.

29. Effective feedback should help learners identify the ______ of a problem.

30. Excessive fear of ______ can interfere with learning.

31. Productive failure involves attempting a difficult problem before being shown an established ______.

32. ______ can be used to prepare learners for dangerous or expensive situations.

Questions 33–36

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the passage?

Write:

TRUE
FALSE
NOT GIVEN

33. Making a mistake always leads to improved learning.

34. Immediate feedback is appropriate for every type of learning task.

35. People may hide mistakes when they fear punishment.

36. Learning from another person’s mistake produces exactly the same emotional reaction as making the mistake personally.

Questions 37–40

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

37. Why can an unexpected result be useful for learning?

A. It encourages learners to reconsider their assumptions.
B. It guarantees that the learner will remember everything.
C. It prevents learners from making future mistakes.
D. It eliminates the need for feedback.

38. What does the writer mean by “productive failure”?

A. Allowing students to fail repeatedly without assistance
B. Designing challenging attempts that can prepare learners for later understanding
C. Punishing learners who cannot solve difficult problems
D. Avoiding explanations until students become frustrated

39. Why are simulations useful in some professional fields?

A. They make real training unnecessary.
B. They allow people to experience difficult situations in controlled conditions.
C. They guarantee that no professional will ever make mistakes.
D. They are cheaper than every other form of education.

40. According to the final paragraph, what turns a mistake into useful information?

A. Punishment
B. Repetition
C. Reflection
D. Competition

ANSWER KEY

Part 1

Question	Answer
1	FALSE
2	FALSE
3	TRUE
4	FALSE
5	TRUE
6	TRUE
7	28
8	peak
9	1
10	seven
11	B
12	D
13	B
14	C

Part 2

Question	Answer
15	iii
16	vii
17	vi
18	iv
19	ii
20	v
21	ideas
22	noise
23	confidential
24	task
25	A
26	B
27	C

Part 3

Question	Answer
28	discrepancy
29	source
30	failure
31	method
32	simulations
33	FALSE
34	FALSE
35	TRUE
36	FALSE
37	A
38	B
39	B
40	C

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