Aqua Splash: the class trip that cannot use the group discount
You are practising a reading task like Part 1 of the exam: a short informative text where the answer is not worded the same way as the question. The text is the webpage of Aqua Splash, a swimming pool in a holiday park.
Prices: children under 12 €5.00; everyone aged 12 and over €7.50. Groups of 10 or more get 15% off, but the booking must be made at least three days before the visit and confirmed in writing. Open Monday to Friday 10:00–18:00, Saturday and Sunday 09:00–20:00; last entry one hour before closing. On Wednesday mornings the small pool is reserved from 09:00 to 10:00 for children under 4 with one adult; the big pool is open as usual. The entrance takes card payments only. Own food and drink may not be taken into the pool area, but there is a picnic area beside the car park.
Your class of 26 pupils (14–15 years old) and two teachers wants to swim. On Tuesday evening they decide to go the next morning, arriving at 10:00.
1. The class wants to pay as little as possible. What will they pay on Wednesday, and why can they not use the group discount? Show your calculation.
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Calculation: all 28 visitors are 12 or over (26 pupils of 14–15 plus two teachers), so the under-12 price does not apply. 28 × €7.50 = €210.
Why no discount: 15% off would give 28 × €7.50 × 0.85 = €178.50, a saving of €31.50. But the text attaches two conditions to the group rate: the booking must be made at least three days before the visit and it must be confirmed in writing. Deciding on Tuesday evening to go on Wednesday morning leaves about twelve hours, not three days, and there is no written confirmation. So the discount is not available on this trip.
Reasoning to show: the exam tests whether you connect a condition in the text to a fact in the situation. A weak answer just says '€210'. A strong answer names the rule, shows the cheaper figure, and explains why the rule is not met. It should also note the payment detail: the entrance takes cards only, so the teachers must bring a card - cash is useless, however much the class has collected.
2. A pupil suggests arriving at 09:30 on Wednesday so the class gets a longer day. What would you advise, and why?
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Advice: do not come at 09:30 - come at 10:00 as planned.
Two separate pieces of information in the text are easy to mix up:
- Opening hours. Monday to Friday the pool opens at 10:00. A weekday arrival at 09:30 means standing outside for half an hour, whatever the weather.
- The Wednesday slot. From 09:00 to 10:00 the small pool is reserved for children under 4 with one adult. This does not mean the building is open to everyone earlier; it is a restriction on one pool, not an early opening.
A pupil who reads only the word '09:00' in the Wednesday sentence and stops there will draw the wrong conclusion. The correct reading combines both sentences: the building opens at 10:00 on weekdays, and the toddler reservation has ended by then, so the class can use both pools when they arrive.
A useful extra check: last entry is one hour before closing, so 17:00 on a weekday. Staying until 18:00 is fine; arriving after 17:00 is not.
3. The teachers want to hand out sandwiches before the class goes in. What does the text allow and what does it forbid?
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Forbidden: taking your own food and drink into the pool area. That is stated directly, so eating sandwiches beside the pool is not an option.
Allowed: there is a picnic area beside the car park, which is outside the pool area. So the practical plan is to eat there before going in, and not to carry the food inside.
Why this is more than a yes/no question: the exam often asks about a plan, not about a single rule. The answer has to be a plan that fits the text: eat outside, then enter. A student who answers only 'no, food is not allowed' has missed the picnic area; a student who answers only 'yes, there is a picnic area' has missed that the pool area itself is off-limits. Note also that the text says nothing about a bag check, so do not invent one - answers must stay inside what the text actually says.