Comprehension practice

A room for Maya's interview

220 words · 5 questions · Open book

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Maya's task: Maya needs a quiet room for a recorded interview on Tuesday. She cannot arrive before 18:30, and the interview should take 90 minutes. She can spend up to £25 on the room. She wants to use her own microphone because she has already checked it with the guest's laptop. She does not need anyone to edit the recording.

Willow Rooms: A room costs £12 per hour, and bookings must cover a whole number of hours. Rooms can be booked between 16:00 and 21:00 on Tuesdays. Customers may bring their own recording equipment. The price includes a table, two chairs and an electrical socket, but no staff member stays to help with the recording. The room must be empty by the end of the booked period.

Harbor Booth: A 90-minute appointment costs £18. The latest Tuesday appointment starts at 18:00. A microphone is included, but customers must use the booth's equipment rather than bring their own. A staff member checks the sound at the start and then leaves. Editing is not included.

Booking notes: A booking is held only after payment. Neither service charges an extra equipment fee. The quoted charges are for the room, not for each person. Maya has not made a booking. She is checking which option meets her requirements before paying.

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Check your understanding

Answer these five questions, then open the key to check your answers.

How much does a 90-minute appointment at Harbor Booth cost?
1. £12.
2. £15.
3. £18.
4. £25.
Which service allows Maya to bring her own microphone?
1. Willow Rooms only.
2. Harbor Booth only.
3. Both services.
4. Neither service.
What is the main task presented by this text?
1. To compare what the two rooms charge for an interview.
2. To explain how staff help customers set up their recordings.
3. To describe how Maya arranged her confirmed Tuesday booking.
4. To compare room options against Maya's stated requirements.
What would Willow Rooms charge for the shortest booking long enough for Maya's 90-minute interview?
1. £18 for one and a half hours.
2. £24 for two hours.
3. £25 for two hours.
4. £36 for three hours.
What does 'held' mean in 'A booking is held only after payment'?
1. Discussed without reserving a time.
2. Made available to every customer.
3. Reserved for the customer.
4. Moved to a later date.

Study the answer key

This shows the answers. For a self-check, try the questions first.

1. How much does a 90-minute appointment at Harbor Booth cost?

Correct answer: £18.

Harbor Booth lists £18 for a 90-minute appointment. £25 is Maya's budget, not Harbor Booth's price.

In the passage: “Harbor Booth: A 90-minute appointment costs £18.”

2. Which service allows Maya to bring her own microphone?

Correct answer: Willow Rooms only.

Willow Rooms allows customers to bring recording equipment. Harbor Booth requires customers to use its equipment instead.

In the passage: “Customers may bring their own recording equipment. The price includes a table, two chairs and an electrical socket, but no staff member stays to help with the recording. The room must be empty by the end of the booked period. Harbor Booth: A 90-minute appointment costs £18. The latest Tuesday appointment starts at 18:00. A microphone is included, but customers must use the booth's equipment rather than bring their own.”

3. What is the main task presented by this text?

Correct answer: To compare room options against Maya's stated requirements.

The text provides Maya's requirements and two offers so their suitability can be compared. Price alone does not account for the start-time and equipment restrictions.

In the passage: “Maya's task: Maya needs a quiet room for a recorded interview on Tuesday. She cannot arrive before 18:30, and the interview should take 90 minutes. She can spend up to £25 on the room. She wants to use her own microphone because she has already checked it with the guest's laptop.”

4. What would Willow Rooms charge for the shortest booking long enough for Maya's 90-minute interview?

Correct answer: £24 for two hours.

A 90-minute interview needs more than one hour. Willow sells whole-hour bookings, so the shortest sufficient booking is two hours: 2 × £12 = £24. This fits Maya's stated budget.

In the passage: “She cannot arrive before 18:30, and the interview should take 90 minutes. She can spend up to £25 on the room. She wants to use her own microphone because she has already checked it with the guest's laptop. She does not need anyone to edit the recording. Willow Rooms: A room costs £12 per hour, and bookings must cover a whole number of hours.”

5. What does 'held' mean in 'A booking is held only after payment'?

Correct answer: Reserved for the customer.

In this booking context, 'held' means reserved. The sentence makes payment the condition for reserving the booking.

In the passage: “A booking is held only after payment.”

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A room for Maya's interview

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