IELTS General Training Reading Test

This lesson is the first of a series which takes you through the WHOLE General Training Test from start to finish!

It focuses on the first half of Section 1, which is usually related to an everyday topic.

You can listen to the Day 1 podcast and explanations here.

Section 1

Questions 1 – 8: Emergency Evacuation

This applies to all persons on the school campus
In cases of emergency (e.g. fire), find the nearest teacher who will:
send a messenger at full speed to the Office OR inform the Office via phone ext. 99.

PROCEDURE FOR EVACUATION
1. Warning of an emergency evacuation will be marked by a number of short bell rings. (In the event of a power failure, this may be a hand-held bell or siren.)
2. All class work will cease immediately.
3. Students will leave their bags, books and other possessions where they are.
4. Teachers will take the class rolls.
5. Classes will vacate the premises using the nearest staircase. If these stairs are inaccessible, use the nearest alternative staircase. Do not use the lifts. Do not run.
6. Each class, under the teacher’s supervision, will move in a brisk, orderly fashion to the paved quadrangle area adjacent to the car park.
7. All support staff will do the same.
8. The Marshalling Supervisor, Ms Randall, will be wearing a red cap and she will be waiting there with the master timetable and staff list in her possession.
9. Students assemble in the quad with their teacher at the time of evacuation. The teacher will do a head count and check the roll.
10. Each teacher sends a student to the Supervisor to report whether all students have been accounted for. After checking, students will sit down (in the event of rain or wet pavement they may remain standing).
11. The Supervisor will inform the Office when all staff and students have been accounted for.
12. All students, teaching staff and support personnel remain in the evacuation area until the All Clear signal is given.
13. The All Clear will be a long bell ring or three blasts on the siren.
14. Students will return to class in an orderly manner under teacher guidance.
15. In the event of an emergency occurring during lunch or breaks, students are to assemble in their home-room groups in the quad and await their home-room teacher.

Questions 1 – 8

Complete the sentences below.

Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the text for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 1–8 on your answer sheet.

1. In an emergency, a teacher will either phone the office or ………………………… .
2. The signal for evacuation will normally be several ………………………….. .
3. If possible, students should leave the building by the ……………….. .
4. They then walk quickly to the ……………….. .
5. ……………….. will join the teachers and students in the quad.
6. Each class teacher will count up his or her students and mark ……………….. .
7. After the ……………….. , everyone may return to class.
8. If there is an emergency at lunchtime, students gather in the quad in ……………….. and wait for their teacher.

Section 1 Answers

1. send a messenger
2. short bell rings
3. nearest staircase/stairs
4. (paved) quadrangle (area)/quad
5. (all) support staff/personnel
6. the (class) roll
7. all clear (signal)
8. (their) home-room groups

Explanations

1 In an emergency, a teacher will either phone the office or send a messenger.

In cases of emergency (e.g. fire), find the nearest teacher who will: send a messenger at full speed to the Office OR inform the Office via phone ext. 99.

2 The signal for evacuation will normally be several short bell rings.

(1) Warning of an emergency evacuation will be marked by a number of short bell rings. (In the event of a power failure, this may be a hand-held bell or siren.)

3 If possible, students should leave the building by the nearest staircase/stairs.

(5) Classes will vacate the premises using the nearest staircase. If these stairs are inaccessible, use the nearest alternative staircase. Do not use the lifts. Do not run.

4 They then walk quickly to the (paved) quadrangle (area)/quad.

(6.) Each class, under the teacher’s supervision, will move in a brisk, orderly fashion to the paved quadrangle area adjacent to the car park.

5 (All) support staff/personnel will join the teachers and students in the quad.

(7.) All support staff will do the same.

6 Each class teacher will count up his or her students and mark the (class) roll.

(9.) The teacher will do a head count and check the roll.

7 After the All Clear (signal), everyone may return to class.

(13.) The All Clear will be a long bell ring or three blasts on the siren.
(14.) Students will return to class in an orderly manner under teacher guidance.

8 If there is an emergency at lunchtime, students gather in the quad in  (their) home-room groups and wait for their teacher.

(15) In the event of an emergency occurring during lunch or breaks, students are to assemble in their home-room groups in the quad and await their home-room teacher.

Extra grammar point

• In case of + noun

We use in case of + noun to mean ‘if and when something happens’:
In cases of emergency (e.g. fire), find the nearest teacher.

In case of fire, press the alarm button and call this number.

Synonyms in this text – ‘In the event of an emergency’ ‘if there is an emergency’

• In case + SVO (subject + verb + object)

We use in case to talk about things we should do in order to be prepared for possible future situations:

Take some food, just in case (there’s no vegetarian option/you get hungry).
Let’s take our swimming costumes in case there’s a pool at the hotel.

Take an umbrella in case it rains.

I always take cash in case they don’t accept credit cards.

Bring a map in case you get lost.

• in the case of sth/sb
  ​’In connection with’ someone or something, ‘regarding’, ‘with regards to’, or in the situation of something:
  Closing down community centres benefits no-one. In the case of homelessness, it only makes things worse.
• a case in point
  ​This is an example that shows that what you are saying is true or helps to explain why you are saying it:
  Austerity measures only create further problems for the government. Homelessness is a case in point.
• It is (not) the case = It’s (not) true:
  People think homelessness is a choice, but that is rarely the case.
• In my case (not ‘in case of me’):

Some people had difficulty finding accommodation, but in my case it was quite easy.

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