Manly Beaches and Sydney Water Advice for Customers Paying a Bill – IELTS Reading

In order to effectively tackle diverse question types, of the IELTS General Reading module try taking up passages like the ‘Manly Beaches’ and ‘Sydney Water Advice for Customers Paying a Bill’ from the Cambridge 18 IELTS General Reading Test 3!

Let’s see how easy these passages are for you and if you can make it in 20 minutes. If not, try more IELTS general reading practice tests from IELTSMaterial.com.

There are 14 questions in total in the reading passages, ‘Manly Beaches’ and ‘Sydney Water Advice for Customers Paying a Bill.’ You must understand the subject, look up key terms in the IELTS reading passages, and then respond in line with the instructions.

The question types found in these passages are:

• Matching information (Q. 1-7)
• True/False/Not Given (Q. 8-14)

Reading Passage 1

Manly Beaches

Next time you visit Manly, 30 minutes by ferry from the centre of Australia’s biggest city, Sydney, try some of these less famous beaches

1. Fairy Bower
   Located in a marine protection area, the water is perfect for paddling, snorkelling or even scuba diving. There is a small gift shop for unusual souvenirs and a kiosk that rents stand-up paddleboards. Buses do not stop nearby so a walk is necessary.
2. North Steyne
   This popular beach is a little further from the ferry than the main beach and it always feels less crowded. North Steyne has professional lifeguards on duty, but the surf can be hazardous so check conditions if swimming with young ones. If you want to try surfing for the first time, Manly Surf School operates out of the surf club located on the beach. Please note that boards are reserved for students and are not available for rent.
3. Delwood
   Delwood’s secluded cove is a scenic walk from the ferry along the harbour walkway. There are no shops, so bring a picnic and have a peaceful swim off the rocks. You’ll probably have the beach to yourself.
4. Little Manly
   This popular harbour beach has a net that encloses the swimming area. It is a good option for families as the protected area makes it easy to keep an eye on kids playing in the water. There is also a large playground, a public barbecue that anyone can use and toilet facilities, which make this a great spot for a family day out.
5. East Esplanade
   Located next to Manly Wharf, East Esplanade is a popular spot all day. There is no beach closer to the ferry or buses than this one. Kayakers meet for a paddle here as the sun rises, and daytrippers sit on the sand during the day. People get together on the grass after work, and bring drinks, snacks and music to watch the sun go down.
6. Shelly Beach
   This is the best spot if you don’t like big waves. Rent a beach chair or head straight to the Boathouse Cafe, the perfect place for breakfast or lunch. Please note that Shelly Beach gets overly crowded at times, so avoid it on a sunny weekend afternoon.

Questions 1-7

For which beaches are the following statements true?

1. You can buy food at this beach.
2. You can learn to do a sport at this beach.
3. This beach can be uncomfortably busy.
4. Adults can supervise their children without much difficulty at this beach.
5. This beach is nearest to public transport.
6. People are employed to supervise swimmers at this beach.
7. You can hire sports equipment at this beach.

Reading Passage 2

Sydney Water: Advice for Customers Paying a Bill

About your bill
Sydney Water services over five million people in greater Sydney, and if you own a property, you’ll get a bill from us. Generally, this is just for your water and wastewater services, but there could be other charges. We send most bills quarterly after we’ve read the meter. If your property has no meter, we send the bill at the start of each quarter.

When do we send the bill?
If you’d like monthly bills, simply ask us to read your meter monthly. It costs $32.52 a quarter to be billed this way and this additional fee will appear on the first bill each quarter. To arrange it, just call us on 13 20 92.

What if you can’t pay the bill?
We understand that it might be hard to pay your bill. If you’re having difficulties, we have a range of options to help. If you receive a pension, we may give you a reduction on your bill, but you must own and live in your home to qualify for this.

How can you get your billing history?
• Register for eBill. When you register for Sydney Water’s online billing facility, eBill, you’ll be able to see your past bills at any time. Once you’re registered, you’ll stop getting paper bills and start getting electronic ones.
• Still want paper bills? Simply cancel your registration after you have saved the electronic bills you need. Then you’ll go back to paper bills, but you won’t have access to the online bills after you cancel.
• Contact us. Simply contact us and we’ll give you a statement that shows the amounts we charged you and the payments we received on your last five bills.
• Need more history? If you need information that’s older than your last five bills, you need to pay $28.04 for a ‘billing record search statement’.

How do you stop a charge on a bill?
We’ll stop a fixed charge on your bill if a licensed plumber cuts off your water or wastewater service. Your plumber must apply for this disconnection and follow Sydney Water’s standard procedures.

Questions 8-14

8. All property owners receive Sydney Water bills.
9. Customers who don’t have a water meter must pay an extra charge.
10. Customers who choose to receive a bill every month pay extra.
11. Pensioners who live in rented accommodation might get a discount.
12. Customers registered for eBill receive both paper and electronic bills.
13. Customers who request information from the period before their last five bills must pay a fee.
14. A fixed charge can be avoided when the water supply is disconnected by a licensed plumber.

Answers For ‘Manly Beaches’ and ‘Sydney Water Advice for Customers Paying a Bill’ IELTS Reading Passages With Location and Explanation 

Read further for the explanations and location of the ‘Manly Beaches’ and ‘Sydney Water Advice for Customers Paying a Bill’ IELTS reading answers.

1. Answer: F

Question type: Matching information

Answer Location: Paragraph F

Answer Explanation: Shelly Beach has the Boathouse Cafe where you can buy food for breakfast or lunch. Hence the answer is F.

2. Answer: B

Question type: Matching information

Answer Location: Paragraph B

Answer explanation:  Manly Surf School operates out of the surf club located on North Steyne Beach, offering surfing lessons. Hence, the answer is B.

3. Answer: F

Question type: Matching information

Answer Location: Paragraph F

Answer explanation: Shelly Beach can get overly crowded at times, especially on sunny weekend afternoons. Hence, the answer is F.

4. Answer: D

Question type: Matching information

Answer Location: Paragraph D

Answer explanation: Little Manly Beach has a protected swimming area enclosed by a net, making it easier for adults to supervise children playing in the water. Hence, the answer is D.

5. Answer: E

Question type: Matching information

Answer Location: Paragraph E

Answer explanation: East Esplanade Beach is located next to Manly Wharf, making it the closest beach to public transport (ferry and buses). Hence the answer is E.

6. Answer: B

Question type: Matching information

Answer Location: Paragraph B

Answer explanation: North Steyne Beach as mentioned has professional lifeguards on duty. Hence the answer is D.

7. Answer: A

Question type: Matching information

Answer Location: Paragraph A

Answer explanation: Fairy Bower has a kiosk that rents stand-up paddleboards, allowing you to hire sports equipment. Hence the answer is A.

8. Answer: True

Question type: True/False/Not given

Answer Location: Paragraph 1

Answer explanation: The statement is true that Sydney Water sends most bills quarterly after reading the meter. Hence the answer to this question is true.

9. Answer: Not given

Question type: True/False/Not given

Answer Location: N. A.

Answer explanation: There is no information provided in the passage regarding the specific circumstances under which a bill cannot be paid. Hence the answer is not given.

10. Answer: True

Question type: True/False/Not given

Answer Location: Paragraph 2

Answer explanation: It is mentioned in this paragraph that Sydney Water indeed offers monthly billing upon request, with an additional fee of $32.52 per quarter. Hence, the answer is true.

11. Answer: True

Question type: True/False/Not given

Answer Location: Paragraph 3

Answer explanation: Here it is evident that Sydney Water indeed offers various options to assist customers having difficulty paying their bills, including possible reductions for pensioners who own and live in their homes. Hence, the answer is true.

12. Answer: False

Question type: True/False/Not given

Answer Location: Paragraph 4

Answer explanation: The paragraph does not that cancelling registration for eBill will revert customers back to paper bills without access to online bills after the cancellation but the opposite. Hence the answer is false.

13. Answer: True

Question type: True/False/Not given

Answer Location: Paragraph 4

Answer explanation: Customers can indeed contact Sydney Water to request a statement showing the amounts charged and payments received on their last five bills as the paragraph denotes. Hence, the answer is true.

14. Answer: True

Question type: True/False/Not given

Answer Location: Paragraph 5

Answer explanation: Paragraph 5 describes that Sydney Water will stop a fixed charge on a bill if a licensed plumber cuts off water or wastewater service, following Sydney Water’s standard procedures. Hence, the answer is true.

Tips for Answering the Question Types in the ‘Manly Beaches’ and ‘Sydney Water Advice for Customers Paying a Bill’ IELTS Reading Passages

Let us check out some quick tips to answer the types of questions in the ‘Manly Beaches’ and ‘Sydney Water Advice for Customers Paying a Bill’ IELTS General Reading passages.

Matching Information: 

Matching Information is a type of IELTS reading question that requires you to match a list of information to the correct people, places, or things in a passage.

To answer matching information questions, you can use the following strategies:

• Read the given information first: This will give you an idea of the types of information that you are looking for in the passage.
• Read the passage quickly: This will give you a general understanding of the content of the passage.
• Match the information to the people, places, or things: As you read the passage, look for the information that matches each feature.
• Check your answers: Once you have matched all of the features, double-check your answers to make sure that they are correct.

True/False/Not Given: 

True/False/Not Given questions are a type of IELTS Reading question that requires you to identify whether a statement is true, false, or not given in the passage.

• True statements are statements that are explicitly stated in the passage.
• False statements are statements that are explicitly contradicted in the passage.
• Not Given statements are statements that are neither explicitly stated nor contradicted in the passage

To answer True/False/Not Given questions, you need to be able to understand the passage and identify the key information. You also need to be able to distinguish between statements that are explicitly stated, contradicted, and not given.

Great work on attempting to solve the ‘Manly Beaches’ and ‘Sydney Water Advice for Customers Paying a Bill’ IELTS reading passages! To crack your IELTS Reading in the first go, try solving more of the Recent IELTS Reading Passages.

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