Arriving in Singapore By Plane & A Walk Around the Orchard Road District – IELTS Reading Answers

The General Reading passages on ‘Arriving In Singapore By Plane’ & ‘A Walk Around the Orchard Road District’ serve as a valuable resource for IELTS Reading preparation. Both provide insight into the passage types and questions, aiding in familiarizing yourself with question formats and difficulty levels through the Cambridge IELTS 17 Reading Test 1 – ‘Arriving In Singapore By Plane’ & ‘A Walk Around the Orchard Road District’ IELTS Reading Answers.

The question types in these Reading Passages include:

• IELTS Reading Matching Features (Q. 1-5)
• True/False/Not Given IELTS Reading (Q6-10)
• IELTS Reading Sentence Completion (Q11-14)

For more IELTS Reading practice, take more IELTS General reading practice tests.

Reading Passage 1

Arriving in Singapore By Plane

A. Baggage claim

You can refer to the flight information television screens on Level Two for the allocation of your baggage claim belt. Free trolleys are available near all baggage claim belts and our friendly porters are at your service on request. Should you require their assistance with carrying luggage, please ask at the Information Desk. You can proceed to the Lost and Found Counter for advice if you cannot find your baggage or would like to report damaged baggage.

B. Customs clearance

Please use the Green Channel for your baggage clearance if you do not have controlled or prohibited items to declare, or have not exceeded your Duty-Free Concession. Please use the Red Channel if you have items to declare or are in doubt.

C. Hotel reservations

You can make these at the hotel reservation counter with a S$10.00 per reservation deposit, deductible from your hotel bill at the end of your stay. These counters do not handle the transit hotels. For these go to the reception desk on level three.

Question 1-5

List of places

1. Information Desk
2. Hotel Reservation Counter
3. Lost and Found Counter
4. Red Channel
5. Green Channel
6. Level Two
7. Reception Desk
8. Baggage Claim Belt

1. You find after your flight that your suitcase has split
2. You want to reserve a room at a transit hotel
3. You are not sure if you have bought too much in the duty-free shop
4. You are not sure where to collect your luggage after your flight
5. You need someone to help you with your suitcases

Singapore Airport

D. Goods and Services Tax (GST) relief

A 3% GST is levied on the sale of all goods imported into Singapore. If you are a visitor returning citizen or permanent resident of Singapore you may be granted GST relief under certain conditions.

E. Tax-free shopping

As a tourist or visitor you can apply for a refund at customs of the 3% GST on goods purchased during your stay in Singapore provided you:

– shop at stores with the ‘Tax-free shopping’ logo spend a minimum amount of S$100 at any one shop and at least S$300 in total obtain a Global Refund Cheque from the place of purchase

When collecting your refund you have several choices – cash, bank cheque or Changi Airport Shopping Voucher which comes with an additional 10% in value.

Please note that a handling fee will be deducted from the GST amount for the refund service.

Questions 6-10

6. Everyone is obliged to pay a 3% tax on goods they bring into Singapore
7. You can only reclaim tax on purchases made in certain shops
8. If you have spent a total of S$150 on your purchases you can get a tax refund
9. You have to reclaim your tax within a certain amount of time
10. You will be charged a certain amount for administration when you get the tax back

Reading Passage 2

Singapore Guide: A Walk Around the Orchard Road District

A. The route begins just opposite the Orchard MRT station at the Singapore Marriott Hotel. This eye-catching landmark has a distinctive Chinese-styled green roof and red pillars.

B. In 1958 a former lace padler C K Tang, foresaw that the area could become a bustling shopping centre since residents in the neighbouring Tanglin district had to pass en route to work at the commercial centre Raffles Place. So with roof tiles brought in from his hometown in the Swatow province of China, Tang built a department store on what was then a cheap isolated plot of land. The plot faced a cemetery which is consolidated as a bad omen in Chinese culture. His foresight paid off. Today Tangs is one of Singapore’s most prominent and recognized homegrown department stores proudly showcasing local fashion and household products. Even when the original building was torn down in 1982 to give way to the present superstore and skyscraper hotel it retained its unique Chinese architecture.

C. From the foyer at Tangs turn left to Lucky Plaza. One of the oldest along Orchard Road, this mall is a perennial favorite with shoppers. Be amazed by the staggering array of cosmetics, jewelry, leather goods, and hi-fi equipment. Prices though are not always fixed so bring along a good set of bargaining skills.

D. Coming out of Lucky Plaza continue along Orchard Road and enter the Paragon Shopping Centre. Apart from a wide range of shops and restaurants, there is also a Singapore Airlines Service center to facilitate bookings and offer information to tourists. Also available are a number of computer terminals for self-booking. Check out the life-sized sculptures by a well-known Taiwanese sculptor Sun Yu-li outside the shopping centre. These were inspired by depictions of life in rock paintings dating back 20000 years ago in Inner Mongolia.

Questions 11-14

11. The Singapore Marriott Hotel is described as an …………..
12. The land that Tang bought was located opposite a ………….
13. The …….. of the new Tang building is very similar to that of the original building.
14. Access to several …………….. at the Singapore Airline Service Centre means that you don’t need to wait for assistance.

Answers For Arriving in Singapore By Plane & A Walk Around the Orchard Road District IELTS Reading Answers with Location and Explanations

Check out the answer key for this IELTS General Reading passages, Arriving In Singapore By Plane & A Walk Around the Orchard Road District, with detailed explanations.

1. Answer: C

Question Type: Matching Features

Answer Location: Paragraph A

Answer Explanation: The passage states that if you cannot find your baggage or it is damaged, you should go to the “Lost and Found Counter”.

2. Answer: G

Question Type: Matching Features

Answer Location: Paragraph C

Answer Explanation: The passage mentions that to reserve transit hotels, you need to go to the “reception desk on level three”.

3. Answer: D

Question Type: Matching Features

Answer Location: Paragraph B

Answer Explanation: The passage instructs you to use the “Red Channel” if you have items to declare or are unsure about exceeding the duty-free concession.

4. Answer: F

Question Type: Matching Features

Answer Location: Paragraph A

Answer Explanation: The passage states that you can refer to the screens on “Level Two” for the allocation of your baggage claim belt.

5. Answer: A

Question Type: Matching Features

Answer Location: Paragraph A

Answer Explanation: It is mentioned that if you require assistance with carrying luggage, you should ask at the “Information Desk”.

6. Answer: False

Question Type: True/False/Not Given

Answer Location: Paragraph D

Answer Explanation: The passage states that a 3% GST tax is levied only on imported goods, not that everyone has to pay it on all goods brought into Singapore.

7. Answer: True

Question Type: True/False/Not Given

Answer Location: Paragraph E

Answer Explanation: The passage clearly states that you can only get a tax refund if you “shop at stores with the ‘Tax-free shopping’ logo”.

8. Answer: False

Question Type: True/False/Not Given

Answer Location: Paragraph E

Answer Explanation: The passage mentions that to get a tax refund, you need to “spend a minimum amount of S$100 at any one shop and at least S$300 in total”, contradicting the S$150 amount in the question.

9. Answer: Not Given

Question Type: True/False/Not Given

Answer Location: NA

Answer Explanation: There is no information provided about having to reclaim the tax within a certain time period.

10. Answer: True

Question Type: True/False/Not Given

Answer Location: Paragraph E

Answer Explanation: The passage states “Please note that a handling fee will be deducted from the GST amount for the refund service”, confirming you will be charged an administrative fee.

11. Answer: Eye-catching landmark

Question Type: Sentence Completion

Answer Location: Paragraph A

Answer Explanation: In paragraph A, it is stated that “This eye-catching landmark has a distinctive Chinese-styled green roof and red pillars” when describing the Singapore Marriott Hotel.

12. Answer: Cemetry

Question Type: Sentence Completion

Answer Location: Paragraph B

Answer Explanation: Paragraph B mentions “The plot faced a cemetery which is consolidated as a bad omen in Chinese culture” when talking about the land C.K. Tang bought.

13. Answer: (unique) (Chinese) architecture

Question Type: Sentence Completion

Answer Location: Paragraph B

Answer Explanation: The passage states that even after the original Tang building was torn down, “it retained its unique Chinese architecture” in the new building.

14. Answer: (self-booking) computer terminals/ terminals for self-booking

Question Type: Sentence Completion

Answer Location: Paragraph D

Answer Explanation: In paragraph D, it is mentioned that at the Singapore Airlines Service center, there are “a number of computer terminals for self-booking” available.

Tips for Answering the Question Types in Arriving in Singapore By Plane & A Walk Around the Orchard Road District Reading Answers

Now let’s get started with the IELTS General Reading tips for each question type. It’ll help you understand how to approach the problem.

Matching Features:

In this type of question, you will have to match a list of options with the relevant set of statements. Some tips to answer matching features questions and obtain a high band in IELTS are given below: 

• Read questions and underline or circle keywords. This will help you find out where you would have to read and find later. Also, focus on how often every detail or name is appearing in the passage.
• Scan the passage and look for information given in the features and questions.
• Skim through the areas that are surrounded by keywords and features in the passage.
• Don’t get confused in case the text has synonyms of the information that is originally present in the question.
• Keep in mind that answers will not be in an order as questions. 

True/False/Not Given

True/False/Not Given is one of the most common question types in reading section of IELTS General. You have to match the facts given in the passage with the question statement and find out whether it is true or false to the statement.

• Read the instructions carefully: Understand the difference between “True,” “False,” and “Not Given.” “True” means the information is directly stated in the passage, “False” means it contradicts the information in the passage, and “Not Given” means the information isn’t mentioned in the passage.

• Refer to the passage: For each statement, go back to the passage and carefully locate the relevant information. Pay close attention to the wording of the statement and compare it to the information in the passage.

• Beware of paraphrasing: Sometimes, the statement is paraphrased in the passage, so be vigilant about synonyms and rephrase sentences.

• Focus on keywords: Identify the keywords in the statement and look for those exact words or synonyms in the passage.

• Watch out for distractors: The passage may contain information that seems related to the statement but isn’t directly addressing it. Don’t be tricked by these distractors; the answer should directly match the statement.

Sentence Completion

Fill in the sentences with keywords hidden in the reading passages with the following tips as they’ll come in handy for your IELTS General Reading preparation.

• Read the sentence carefully: Begin by reading the sentence with the gap or blank. Try to understand the context and the type of word that should fit the gap (e.g., noun, verb, adjective).

• Look for clues: Scan the surrounding sentences for clues that can help you determine the missing word. Sometimes, the sentence structure or the words nearby can provide hints.

• Identify grammatical clues: Pay attention to the grammar of the sentence. If the sentence requires a verb, make sure you choose a verb form that fits the context. The same goes for nouns, adjectives, and other parts of speech.

• Use your vocabulary: Draw on your vocabulary to come up with a suitable word for the gap. Ensure that the word you choose makes sense in the context of the sentence.

• Check for coherence: After you’ve filled in the gap, read the entire sentence to ensure that it flows naturally and makes sense. The completed sentence should be grammatically correct and logically coherent.

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