Case Study: Tourism New Zealand website: reading answers and analysis
A case study of the website at the heart of New Zealand's 1999 tourism campaign. It let any tourism business list itself and keep its details up to date, then added features such as driving routes, a Travel Planner and visitor blogs. Research on what makes visitors happy (activities, interaction, small groups) explains why the approach worked.
The table (1-7) follows Paragraphs 2 to 4 in order: listings and evaluation in 2, special features and driving routes in 3, the Travel Planner and 'Your Words' in 4. The TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN statements (8-13) are all in Paragraphs 6 and 7, also in order.
Answer key and self-check
Type what you wrote and hit mark. Hide the key first if you haven't done the passage yet. Every question number jumps to its explanation.
How to attack this block: Each table heading names a website feature, so find that feature and read only the sentence or two about it. Watch the grammar: question 1 needs a verb after 'to', and several gaps are nouns that follow a word the table has already paraphrased (rugby becomes 'sports', blockbuster drops out of 'films').
Question 1
Answer: updateParagraph 2, middle
What could listed businesses do with their details on a regular basis?
because participating businesses were able to update the details they gave on a regular basis, the information provided remained accurate
Question says → Passage says
allowed businesses toparticipating businesses were able to
information regularlythe details they gave on a regular basis
Why: The gap comes straight after 'to', so it needs a verb. 'Were able to' is the passage's version of 'allowed', and the verb that follows is 'update'. 'Details' has become 'information' in the table.
The trap: 'Accurate' sits in the same sentence and is tempting because it sounds like the point of updating, but it's an adjective and can't follow 'to'.
Question 2
Answer: environmentParagraph 2, last two sentences
Which kind of impact was included in the national evaluation of each business?
organisations appearing on the website underwent an independent evaluation against a set of agreed national standards of quality. As part of this, the effect of each business on the environment was considered.
Question says → Passage says
a country-wide evaluationan independent evaluation against a set of agreed national standards
including their impact on theAs part of this, the effect of each business on the
Why: 'Including' matches 'as part of this', and 'impact on' matches 'effect… on'. The noun after 'on the' is 'environment'.
The trap: 'Quality' and 'standards' are in the sentence before, but they are what businesses were measured against, not something businesses have an impact on.
Question 3
Answer: captainParagraph 3, second sentence
What role did the sports star in the interview once have?
One of the most popular was an interview with former New Zealand All Blacks rugby captain Tana Umaga.
Question says → Passage says
an interview with a former sportsan interview with former New Zealand All Blacks rugby
Why: The table already says 'sports', so the gap needs the person's job title. Tana Umaga was the former rugby 'captain'.
The trap: 'Rugby' is the word people grab, but 'a former sports rugby' makes no sense. The table has swapped 'rugby' for 'sports', so you need the next noun.
Question 4
Answer: filmsParagraph 3, third sentence
What were the locations on the interactive tour used for?
an interactive journey through a number of the locations chosen for blockbuster films which had made use of New Zealand's stunning scenery as a backdrop
Question says → Passage says
an interactive touran interactive journey
various locations used ina number of the locations chosen for
Why: 'Tour' is 'journey', and 'locations used in' points to the locations 'chosen for blockbuster films'. With ONE WORD ONLY, write 'films' and drop 'blockbuster'.
The trap: 'Blockbuster films' is two words, so it breaks the limit. 'Scenery' or 'backdrop' describe the places, not what they were used in.
Question 5
Answer: seasonParagraph 3, last sentence
What made the suggested driving routes change?
the site catalogued the most popular driving routes in the country, highlighting different routes according to the season and indicating distances and times
Question says → Passage says
Information on driving routescatalogued the most popular driving routes
varied depending on thehighlighting different routes according to the
Why: 'Depending on' is a straight paraphrase of 'according to', and the noun after it is 'season'. The routes shown were different at different times of year.
The trap: 'Distances' and 'times' are in the same sentence, but the site simply indicated them. They don't decide which routes appear.
Question 6
Answer: accommodationParagraph 4, third sentence
Besides a map and public transport, what local information did the Travel Planner link to?
The Travel Planner offered suggested routes and public transport options between the chosen locations. There were also links to accommodation in the area.
Question says → Passage says
selected placesthe chosen locations
localin the area
Why: The note lists map, public transport, then a gap after 'local'. The next sentence in the passage adds 'links to accommodation in the area', and 'in the area' becomes 'local'.
The trap: 'Routes' appears with public transport, but the table already covers that line. Spell 'accommodation' with double c and double m.
Question 7
Answer: blogParagraph 4, last sentence
What could travellers send in to the 'Your Words' section?
The website also had a 'Your Words' section where anyone could submit a blog of their New Zealand travels for possible inclusion on the website.
Question says → Passage says
travellers could sendanyone could submit
a link to theira blog of their New Zealand travels
Why: 'Send' is 'submit', and the thing submitted is a 'blog'. A link to a blog is exactly what you'd send to a website.
The trap: 'Travels' is in the phrase too, but you can't send a link to your travels. The thing that has a link is the blog.
TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN
Questions 8-13
How to attack this block: Paragraph 6 is packed with research figures, and the statements twist them. One gives the whole 26% to a single factor when the passage shares it between two. Two statements are NOT GIVEN because the passage talks about search options and small groups without saying anything about first searches or hotel size.
Question 8
Answer: FALSEParagraph 6, first sentence
Was the website meant to hand companies and tourists itineraries that were already put together?
The website was set up to allow both individuals and travel organisations to create itineraries and travel packages to suit their own needs and interests.
Question says → Passage says
aimed to providewas set up to allow… to create
travel companies and individual touristsboth individuals and travel organisations
Why: FALSE. The users built their own itineraries and packages 'to suit their own needs'. 'Ready-made' says the website did the building, which is the opposite.
The trap: Almost every word in the statement is in the sentence (itineraries, packages, individuals, organisations), so it looks TRUE. The one word that matters is 'ready-made' versus 'create'.
Question 9
Answer: NOT GIVENParagraph 6, second sentence
Did research show most visitors began their search by location?
On the website, visitors can search for activities not solely by geographical location, but also by the particular nature of the activity.
Question says → Passage says
searching on the website by geographical locationsearch for activities not solely by geographical location
Why: NOT GIVEN. The passage says both ways of searching were possible. It never says which one most visitors used first.
The trap: The research mentioned next is about visitor satisfaction, not search habits, so don't let 'research shows' push you to TRUE or FALSE.
Question 10
Answer: FALSEParagraph 6, third sentence
Does accommodation alone account for 26% of satisfaction?
contributing 74% to visitor satisfaction, while transport and accommodation account for the remaining 26%
Question says → Passage says
26% of visitor satisfactionthe remaining 26%
related to their accommodationtransport and accommodation
Why: FALSE. The 26% belongs to transport and accommodation together. The statement gives all of it to accommodation, which contradicts the figure.
The trap: People say NOT GIVEN because the passage doesn't split the 26%. But it does say the 26% is shared, so 'accommodation alone' is contradicted, not missing.
Question 11
Answer: TRUEParagraph 6, middle
Do visitors enjoy taking part in local culture?
visitors enjoy cultural activities most when they are interactive, such as visiting a marae (meeting ground) to learn about traditional Maori life
Question says → Passage says
become involved ininteractive
the local culturetraditional Maori life
Why: TRUE. Visitors enjoy cultural activities most when they're 'interactive', and visiting a marae to learn about Maori life is the example. Being interactive is being involved.
Question 12
Answer: NOT GIVENParagraph 6, last sentence
Do visitors prefer small hotels to big ones?
visitors to New Zealand don't want to be 'one of the crowd' and find activities that involve only a few people more special and meaningful
Question says → Passage says
smallonly a few people
Why: NOT GIVEN. The preference for small numbers is about activities, not places to stay. Hotel size is never discussed.
The trap: The 'not one of the crowd' idea and Paragraph 7's 'small businesses' make small hotels feel likely. Likely isn't stated.
Question 13
Answer: TRUEParagraph 7, fourth sentence
Do many visitors think they won't come back?
want to see as much of the country as possible on what is often seen as a once-in-a-lifetime visit
Question says → Passage says
many visitors feeloften seen as
unlikely that they will returna once-in-a-lifetime visit
Why: TRUE. A 'once-in-a-lifetime' visit is one you don't expect to repeat, and 'often seen as' covers 'many visitors feel'. It's also why they try to see as much as possible.
The trap: The long flight and 20-day stay are reasons, not the statement itself. Don't mark NOT GIVEN just because the word 'return' isn't there.
FALSE. The 26% belongs to transport and accommodation together, so giving it all to accommodation contradicts the passage. People who see 'accommodation' and '26%' together pick TRUE.
NOT GIVEN. Visitors like activities with only a few people, but nothing is said about small or large hotels.
Words from this passage worth keeping
exhilarating(Paragraph 1)
very exciting and full of energy
gateway(Paragraph 2)
a single point of access to something
backdrop(Paragraph 3)
the scenery behind the action in a film
devise(Paragraph 3)
plan or invent something
itineraries(Paragraph 3)
planned routes or schedules for a trip
key driver(Paragraph 6)
the main thing that causes or influences something
infrastructure(Paragraph 7)
basic systems a country runs on, such as roads and transport
comprehensive(Paragraph 7)
complete, covering everything
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The full Cambridge 13 Test 1 reading paper: all three passages, 60 minutes, marked the second you finish with a review of every answer. Already done it? Take it again and see if the same traps still get you.
Cambridge IELTS 13, Test 1, Reading Passage 1. The passage and questions belong to Cambridge University Press and are not reproduced here. We quote short extracts only as evidence for our own commentary, and the answers are published for self-marking. Get the book for the full text, or sit the test on Langujet.
