Student Accommodation - IELTS General Reading Sample with Explanation

IELTS Reading section contains three passages and forty questions. There are different types of questions found in each IELTS reading passage. This IELTS reading sample - Student Accommodation is an IELTS General Training topic. The passage contains the following question types from IELTS Reading Question Types:

• No More Than Two Words
• Multiple Choice

There are similar topics found in IELTS reading practice papers from which candidates can prepare.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

Student Accommodation IELTS Reading Sample

Situated about 20km from the city centre, Northside University is not easy to get to by public transport. However, students have several different alternatives for accommodation on or near the University campus.

Firstly, the University has several residential colleges; Burnside College, Boronia College and Helen Turner College. Each of these colleges provides a single fully furnished room with shared bathroom facilities and meals. Burnside College is the most expensive, with 1996 fees ranging from $154 – $165 per week. However, each student room is equipped with private telephone and voice-mailing facilities, and within the next few months college students will have access to EMAIL, On-Line library, INTERNET and AARNET via a network with the University. Boronia College has similar room facilities but does not offer the same computer access. It also offers only 17 meals per week, compared to Burnside’s 21. Fees vary from $147 – $157 per week. Helen Turner College is a college exclusively for women, with similar fees to Boronia College. To attend classes, students have a short walk from the residential Colleges to the main University campus.

The University also provides 23 self-contained furnished townhouses. These townhouses have either 3, 4 or 6 bedrooms each and student residents are expected to be studying full-time. Rents in 1996 ranged from $54 per week for a room in a six bedroom flat to $68.50 per week for a room in a three-bedroom house. Students wanting to live in university housing should apply to the university housing office in August of the previous year, as it is in high demand. Smoking is banned in University housing.

Off campus, there are many flats, townhouses and houses for rent in the local area. These can be found by looking in the local newspaper under ACCOMMODATION, or by checking notices pinned up on the boards around the university. There are always students advertising for housemates and you can even add a notice of your own to the board. However, even sharing accommodation with others can be expensive; tenants are usually required to pay a rental bond, rent in advance, and telephone/electricity/gas bills in addition to food bills. Be sure that you know what you will be required to pay before you enter into any written agreement.

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Section 2

Solution and Explanation
Choose the appropriate letter A-C and write it in the box 15 to 17 on your answer sheet.
(Guide: Candidates need to identify the correct answer choice from A to C and write them down as answers to the questions)

Questions 16- 19:

Ques 16: The University residential colleges provide

1. A place to live and regular classes
2. Regular classes only
3. A place to live only

Answer: C

Supporting sentence: Each of these colleges provides a single fully furnished room with shared bathroom facilities and meals.

Keywords: University, residency

Keyword location: Paragraph 2. Line 3.

Explanation: The students get a well-maintained living space for the students with bathrooms. It also has facilities for meals. The rooms are equipped with telephone and voice mailing facilities also. Online libraries and the internet are also made available to the accommodates.

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Ques 17: Smoking is

1. Allowed in university housing
2. Not allowed in university housing
3. Allowed only in certain areas in University housing

Answer: B

Supporting sentence: Smoking is banned in University housing.

Keywords: Smoking

Keyword location: Paragraph 3. Line 6.

Explanation: Smoking is banned in University housing for health reasons.

Ques 18: University townhouses are available for

1. Full-time students only
2. Part-time students only
3. All students

Answer: A

Supporting sentence: The University also provides 23 self-contained furnished townhouses. These townhouses have either 3, 4 or 6 bedrooms each and student residents are expected to be studying full-time.

Keywords: University, townhouses

Keyword location: Paragraph 3. Line 1,2.

Explanation: The townhouses are available for student residents who are expected to be studying full time. The townhouses have either 3 or 4 or 6 bedrooms.

Ques 19: Accommodation in the area surrounding the university is

1. Scarce
2. Plentiful
3. Scarce and expensive

Answer: B

Supporting sentence: The University also provides 23 self-contained furnished townhouses. These townhouses have either 3, 4 or 6 bedrooms each and student residents are expected to be studying full-time.

Keywords: University, townhouses

Keyword location: Paragraph 3, Line 2.

Explanation: Students are offered several different alternatives for accommodation around and on the University campus. It provides 23 self-contained furnished townhouses, flats and houses for rent in the local area.

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Section3

Complete the summary, choose no more than two words from the passage. Write your answers in boxes 20-25 on your answer sheet.

Student living 3 bedroom University townhouse would pay (20)..... per week for room; in comparison, the cheapest accommodation available at Burnside college is (21)....per week. The fee charged at Burnside college includes (22).... meals per week, but at Boronia college only (23)...... meals per week are included in the fee. Helen Turner college has similar fee structure to (24)...…. college, but only (25).....may live there.

(Guide: Candidates need to fill the blanks with not more than two words from the passage)

Answer 20: 68.50 dollars

Supporting sentence: Rents in 1996 ranged from $54 per week for a room in a six-bedroom flat to $68.50 per week for a room in a three-bedroom house.

Keywords: Students, University, Rent

Keyword location: line 3 paragraph 3.

Explanation: It is given that the rent is 68.50 dollars for 3 bedrooms in the University.

Answer 21: 154 dollars

Supporting sentence: Burnside College is the most expensive, with 1996 fees ranging from $154 – $165 per week.

Keywords: Students, University, Rent

Keyword location: line 3 paragraph 2.

Explanation: The lowest fee is $154 whereas the highest is $165 per week.

Answer 22: 21

Supporting sentence: Boronia College has similar room facilities but does not offer the same computer access. It also offers only 17 meals per week, compared to Burnside’s 21.

Keywords: Boronia College, room, meals

Keyword location: line 7 paragraph 2.

Explanation: Boronia college has 17 meals per week whereas Burnside provides 21 meals per week.

Answer 23: 17

Supporting sentence: Boronia College has similar room facilities but does not offer the same computer access. It also offers only 17 meals per week, compared to Burnside’s 21.

Keywords: Boronia college, room facilities, meals per week

Keyword location: line 7 paragraph 2.

Explanation: Boronia college has 17 meals per week whereas Burnside provides 21 meals per week.

Answer 24: Boronia

Supporting sentence: Helen Turner College is a college exclusively for women, with similar fees to Boronia College.

Keywords: Fees, Helen Turner

Keyword location: line 8 paragraph 2.

Explanation: Helen Turner College and Boronia college have similar fee structure.

Answer 25: Women

Supporting sentence: Helen Turner College is a college exclusively for women, with similar fees to Boronia College.

Keywords: Helen Turner.

Keyword location: line 8 paragraph 2.

Explanation: Only women can live in Helen Turner College