Tall Ship Experience - IELTS General Reading Sample with Explanation

The IELTS Reading section assesses candidates' reading abilities through a passage and questions. Candidates must answer questions, each of which has a different question type. The IELTS reading section assesses candidates' comprehension abilities through a variety of task types. ThisIELTS Reading Answers – Tall Ship Experience section contains three types of questions:

  • Choose the Correct Letter
  • Yes/No/Not Given
  • Using No More Than Two Words From the Passage

Tall Ship Experience is a general reading passage from an IELTS exam. Read the passage below and answer questions 15-28. Beyond the questions, you'll find the answers, as well as where they are in the passage & the keywords that will help you find them.

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Section 1

Read the passage below to answer the following questions

Tall Ship Experience IELTS General Reading Sample

If you are looking for an educational adventure in a study abroad program, you won’t find anything similar anywhere in the world. This program takes college students to the deep ocean on a traditional sail ship sailing vessel to learn about the sea.

You may be excited at first by the opportunity to visit exotic ports like Tahiti, Hawaii, Martinique or Grenada. But if you talk to students who have experienced the program, many will tell you that the most exciting destination of all is the sea itself, and the most interesting discovery is learning what lies within you. Perhaps, you want to have an international experience; perhaps you are intrigued that the world is mostly water and you want to know more about how the oceans work. Perhaps you want to understand how we are ONE world, land and sea, connected to our past and to each other. Perhaps you just want to do something very, very thrilling and different from what others are doing. If any of these are true, this could be the experience for you.

By participating in the program, you can get a semester’s credit for a 12-week program that takes place half on shore and half at sea. The interdisciplinary program begins in our centre for ocean research. Here you will study the chemistry, biology, physics and geology of the oceans and you will design your own research project that you will carry out at sea. You will learn the culture, history and traditions of life at sea. You will discuss major policy issues that will be tomorrow’s headlines. And you will learn what it requires to take a vessel under sail safety to the deep ocean and to international ports.

After six weeks on shore, you will be prepared and eager to go to the sea. You and your classmates will join one of our vessels, either in the Atlantic/Carribean or in the Pacific. Is this for you? Only you can tell. Our students are diverse. Some are Science majors but just as many come from the liberal arts. Students come from diverse colleges around the country and from abroad.

What do our students have in common? They are bright. They have a sense of adventure. They are willing to work hard. They welcome a unique experience. They love a challenge. They like people and want to be part of a community unlike any they have experienced before.

Life on Board

Day-to-day operation of the ship is governed by the three colour watch system ( red, white and blue) typically used on naval vessels. Each watch is 4 hours long proceeding in sequence 24 hours a day. To rotate the watches, there are two shorter 2-hour watches in the afternoon.

Eight students are assigned to each watch and report to one of the three junior officers who in return report to the three watch officers. They report to the first mate, who reports to the captain. The Swiftsure and Fairwind each carry a full time cook and an officer in charge of maintenance and repairs at sea.

As a crew member you will sleep in the lower deck quarters. Since one third of the crew will be awake and on deck while on watch, the bunks are shared with other students. While on watch your duties will include working and changing sails, steering, acting as lookout and handling lines as the ship comes alongside or puts to sea.

Life on board is not all duties, however. Every day is a surprise and depending on the weather and wind, other activities may include swimming and a variety of games only possible on a tall ship.

When off-watch some duties include assisting the cook in meal preparation and clean up, performing maintenance duties and managing sails where required. There will also be times when you will receive direct training in sailing and seamanship. When the ship is at anchor, night time watch service is usually shortened to 1 hour 20 minutes with students staying awake in pairs. While in port, students who are not on watch may be given shore leave where they are free to explore the port of call.

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Section 2

Solution with Explanations

Question 15-19
Do the following statements agree with the information in the passage?

Write:

YES             if the answer is ‘yes’
NO               if the answer is ‘no’
NOT GIVEN if there is no information about this in the passage

  1. Are there exams at the end of the first part of the program?

Answer: NOT GIVEN

  1. Will the sailing part of the program last for 6 weeks?

Answer: YES

Supporting Sentence: By participating in the program, you can get a semester’s credit for a 12-week program that takes place half onshore and a half at sea.

Keywords: sailing, program, 6 weeks

Keywords Location: Paragraph 3, Line 1-2

Explanation: This clearly indicates that by participating in the program, the sailing portion will last 6 weeks.

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  1. Do I have to be enrolled in a science program to participate?

Answer: NO

Supporting Sentence: Some are Science majors but just as many come from the liberal arts.

Keywords: enrolled, science program, participate

Keywords Location: Paragraph 4, Line 3

Explanation: This means that while some are science majors, others are liberal arts majors.

  1. Do I get to sail on the ship of my choice?

Answer: NOT GIVEN

  1. Are international students eligible to apply?

Answer: YES

Supporting Sentence: Students come from diverse colleges around the country and from abroad.

Keywords: international students, eligible, apply

Keywords Location: Paragraph 4, Line 3-4

Explanation: This clearly states that students come from a variety of colleges across the country as well as from abroad.

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Question 20

Answer the following using NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS FROM THE PASSAGE

  1. What are the students expected to complete while at sea?

Answer: RESEARCH PROJECT

Supporting Sentence: Here you will study the chemistry, biology, physics, and geology of the oceans and you will design your own research project that you will carry out at sea.

Keywords: students, complete, while at sea

Keywords Location: Paragraph 3, Line 3-4

Explanation: This means that students are expected to create their own research project that will be carried out at sea.

Question 21-23

Choose the correct answer A-D.

  1. How many staff and officers (including the captain) serve on each ship?
  1. three
  2. five
  3. seven
  4. ten

Answer: D

Supporting Sentence: Eight students are assigned to each watch and report to one of the three junior officers who in return report to the three watch officers. They report to the first mate, who reports to the captain.

Keywords: staff and officers, serve, each ship

Keywords Location: Paragraph 2, Line 1-2

Explanation: This means that each watch has eight students who report to one of the three junior officers who report to one of the three watch officers and then to the captain.

  1. How many students does each ship carry?
  1. 8
  2. 16
  3. 24
  4. 32

Answer: C

Supporting Sentence: Eight students are assigned to each watch and report to one of the three junior officers who in return report to the three watch officers.

Keywords: students, ship carry

Keywords Location: Paragraph 2, Line 1-2

Explanation: This means that each watch has eight students who report to one of the three junior officers who report to one of the three watch officers.

  1. When is the watch duty time reduced?
  1. every night
  2. every other afternoon
  3. on the weekend​
  4. at night in port

Answer: D

Supporting Sentence: When the ship is at anchor, nighttime watch service is usually shortened to 1 hour 20 minutes with students staying awake in pairs.

Keywords: watch duty time, reduced

Keywords Location: Paragraph 5, Line 3-4

Explanation: This means that when the ship is at anchor, night watch service is usually reduced to one hour and twenty minutes, with students staying awake in pairs.

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Questions 24-28

Using NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS FROM THE PASSAGE complete the following:

To qualify for the program, students have to be able to 24 _______ after completing a swim of one hundred meters.

Answer: TREAD WATER

Supporting Sentence: By participating in the program, you can get a semester’s credit for a 12-week program that takes place half on shore and half at sea.

Keywords: qualify, program, swim, one hundred meters

Keywords Location: Paragraph 4, line 1-2

Explanation: From the above question, it is evident that to qualify for the program students will have to swim a 100 meters.

There is not enough space even to bring framed backpacks or 25 ______________.

Answer: SUITCASE(s)

Supporting Sentence: Eight students are assigned to each watch and report to one of the three junior officers who in return report to the three watch officers

Keywords: enough space, framed backpacks

Keywords Location: Paragraph 2, Line 1-2

Explanation: This means that there were eight students who report to one of the three junior officers who report to one of the three watch officers. Hence, the ship was over boarded hence, there was not enough space for suitcases or backpacks.

Students share sleeping quarters, so one group remains awake and 26_______at nights while the others sleep.

Answer: ON WATCH/ON DECK

Supporting Sentence: As a crew member, you will sleep in the lower deck quarter. Since one-third of the crew will be awake and on the deck while on watch, the bunks are shared with other students.

Keywords: Students, sleeping quarters, awake, at nights

Keywords Location: Paragraph 3, Line 1-2

Explanation: This means that the bunks are shared with other students because one-third of the crew will be awake and on the deck while on watch.

Duties include climbing the rigging to set and change 27 ___________ and as 28 __________ from the crow’s nest at the top of the mast.

Answer 27. SAILs

Answer 28. LOOKOUT

Supporting Sentence: While on watch, your duties will include working and changing sails, steering, acting as lookout, and handling lines as the ship comes alongside or puts to sea.

Keywords: climbing, rigging, change, crow’s nest

Keywords Location: Paragraph 3, Line 2-3

Explanation: This means that while on watch, your responsibilities will include working and changing sails, steering, acting as a lookout, and handling lines as the ship approaches or departs.

*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.

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