Geoff Brash Reading Answers : IELTS Reading Practice Test
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Practising IELTS Reading passages like "Geoff Brash" is key to boosting your test performance. It helps you get comfortable with different question types and passage styles, making you quicker at spotting key details and understanding the main ideas. By regularly working through practice passages, you improve your reading speed and comprehension and build the confidence needed to tackle the exam. It’s like training for a race— the more you practice, the more prepared and relaxed you'll feel on test day.
The passage below, "Geoff Brash", is inspired by Reading Practice Tests. You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13, based on the reading passage 1 below.
Geoff Brash Reading Passage
Geoff Brash, who died in 2010, was a gregarious Australian businessman and philanthropist who encouraged the young to reach their potential.
Born in Melbourne to Elsa and Alfred Brash, he was educated at Scotch College. His sister, Barbara, became a renowned artist and printmaker. His father, Alfred, ran the Brash retail music business that had been founded in 1862 by his grandfather, the German immigrant Marcus Brasch, specialising in pianos. It carried the slogan, ‘A home is not a home without a piano.’
In his young days, Brash enjoyed the good life, playing golf and sailing, spending some months travelling through Europe, and having a leisurely holiday. He worked for a time at Myer department stores before joining the family business in 1949, where he quickly began to put his stamp on things. In one of his first management decisions, he diverged from his father’s sense of frugal aesthetics by re-carpeting the old man’s office while he was away. After initially complaining about his extravagance, his father grew to accept the change and gave his son increasing responsibility in the business.
After World War II (1939-1945), Brash’s began to focus on white goods, such as washing machines and refrigerators, as the consumer boom took hold. However, while his father was content with the business he had built, the younger Brash viewed expansion as vital. When Geoff Brash took over as managing director in 1957, the company had two stores, but after floating it on the stock exchange the following year, he expanded rapidly and opened suburban stores, as well as buying into familiar music industry names such as Allans, Palings and Suttons. Eventually, 170 stores traded across the continent under the Brash’s banner.
Geoff Brash learned from his father’s focus on customer service. Alfred Brash had also been a pioneer in introducing a share scheme for his staff, and his son retained and expanded the plan following the float.
Geoff Brash was optimistic and outward-looking. As a result, he was a pioneer in both accessing and selling new technology, as well as developing overseas relationships. He sourced and sold electric guitars, organs, and a range of other modern instruments, as well as state-of-the-art audio and video equipment. He developed a relationship with Taro Kakehashi, the founder of Japan’s Roland group, which led to a joint venture that brought electronic musical devices to Australia.
In 1965, Brash and his wife attended a trade fair in Guangzhou, the first of its kind in China; they were one of the first Western business people allowed into the country following Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution. He returned there many times, helping advise the Chinese in establishing a high-quality piano factory in Beijing; he became the factory’s agent in Australia. Brash also took leading jazz musicians Don Burrows and James Morrison to China on a trip that reintroduced jazz to many Chinese musicians.
He stood down as Executive Chairman of Brash’s in 1988, but under the new management, debt became a problem, and in 1994, the banks called in administrators. The company was sold to Singaporean interests and continued to trade until 1998 when it again went into administration. The Brash name then disappeared from the retail world. Brash was greatly disappointed by the collapse and the eventual disappearance of the company he had run for so long. But it was not long before he invested in a restructured Allan’s music business.
Brash was a committed philanthropist who, in the mid-1980s, established the Brash Foundation, which eventually morphed, with other partners, into the Soundhouse Music Alliance. This was a not-for-profit organisation overseeing and promoting multimedia music-making and education for teachers and students. The Soundhouse offers teachers and young people the opportunity to get exposure to the latest music technology and use it to compose and record their own music, either alone or in collaboration. The organisation has now established branches in New Zealand, South Africa, and Ireland, as well as numerous sites around Australia.
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Geoff Brash Reading Questions & Answers
Questions 1-10
Complete the sentences below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 1-10 on your answer sheet.
1. The Brash business originally sold ________.
Answer: PIANOS
Answer Location: Paragraph 2, Line 2
Explanation: The passage mentions that Brash's business "specialised in pianos" and was founded by Marcus Brasch, Geoff Brash's grandfather, in 1862. "The Brash retail music business that had been founded in 1862 by his grandfather, the German immigrant Marcus Brasch, specialising in pianos."
2. Geoff Brash’s first job was at ________ before joining his grandfather’s company.
Answer: DEPARTMENT STORE
Answer Location: Paragraph 3, Line 2
Explanation: The text indicates that Geoff Brash worked for a time at Myer department stores before joining the family business. "He worked for a time at Myer department stores before joining the family business in 1949."
3. Alfred Brash thought that his ________ wasted money.
Answer: SON
Answer Location: Paragraph 3, Line 4
Explanation: The passage mentions that Geoff Brash "diverged from his father’s sense of frugal aesthetics" by re-carpeting his father's office. His father initially complained about this "extravagance" but later accepted it. "After initially complaining about his extravagance, his father grew to accept the change."
4. By the time Geoff Brash took control, the Brash business was selling electronics because of _______ demand.
Answer: CONSUMER
Answer Location: Paragraph 4, Line 1
Explanation: After World War II, Geoff Brash began focusing on white goods such as washing machines and refrigerators, responding to the growing consumer demand. "Brash’s began to focus on white goods, such as washing machines and refrigerators, as the consumer boom took hold."
5. ________ was important from Brash’s perspective of his business.
Answer: EXPANSION
Answer Location: Paragraph 4, Line 4
Explanation: Geoff Brash was focused on expanding the business, as he viewed it as vital. This emphasis on growth is mentioned when discussing his takeover as managing director and his rapid expansion efforts. "When Geoff Brash took over as managing director in 1957... he expanded rapidly and opened suburban stores."
6. ______ arrangement was set up by Alfred Brash for his employees.
Answer: SHARE SCHEME
Answer Location: Paragraph 5, Line 1
Explanation: The text mentions that Alfred Brash was a pioneer in introducing a share scheme for his staff, which was retained and expanded by Geoff after the company went public. "Alfred Brash had also been a pioneer in introducing a share scheme for his staff, and his son retained and expanded the plan following the float."
7. Geoff Brash collaborated with ___________ Japanese company.
Answer: ROLAND GROUP
Answer Location: Paragraph 6, Line 2
Explanation: Geoff Brash developed a relationship with Taro Kakehashi, the founder of the Roland group, a Japanese company that led to a joint venture. "He developed a relationship with Taro Kakehashi, the founder of Japan’s Roland group, which led to a joint venture that brought electronic musical devices to Australia."
8. _______ event in China began Geoff Brash’s relationship with that country.
Answer: TRADE FAIR
Answer Location: Paragraph 7, Line 1
Explanation: Geoff Brash attended a trade fair in Guangzhou, China, which marked the start of his relationship with the country. "In 1965, Brash and his wife attended a trade fair in Guangzhou, the first of its kind in China."
9. Geoff Brash helped to promote _______ style of music in China.
Answer: JAZZ
Answer Location: Paragraph 7, Line 4
Explanation: The passage mentions that Geoff Brash took leading jazz musicians to China to reintroduce jazz to Chinese musicians. "He took leading jazz musicians Don Burrows and James Morrison to China on a trip that reintroduced jazz to many Chinese musicians."
10. The Brash company finally stopped doing business in ________.
Answer: 1998
Answer Location: Paragraph 8, Line 2
Explanation: The company was sold to Singaporean interests, and despite continuing to trade, it eventually went into administration again in 1998. "The company was sold to Singaporean interests and continued to trade until 1998 when it again went into administration."
Geoff Brash Reading Question for Practice
Questions 11-13
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage?
In boxes on your answer sheet, write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
11. Soundhouse Music Alliance grew out of the Brash Foundation.
Answer: TRUE
Answer Location: Paragraph 9, Line 1
Explanation: The passage states that in the mid-1980s, Geoff Brash established the Brash Foundation, which eventually became the Soundhouse Music Alliance. "In the mid-1980s, he established the Brash Foundation, which eventually morphed, with other partners, into the Soundhouse Music Alliance."
12. A non-commercial organisation provided only support for music and music education.
Answer: FALSE
Answer Location: Paragraph 9, Line 3
Explanation: While the Soundhouse Music Alliance focuses on music education and multimedia music-making, it also provides the opportunity for teachers and young people to use the latest music technology to create and record music. It goes beyond just providing support. "The Soundhouse offers teachers and young people the opportunity to get exposure to the latest music technology and use it to compose and record their own music, either alone or in collaboration."
13. Music Alliance has branches in several countries.
Answer: TRUE
Answer Location: Paragraph 9, Last Line
Explanation: The passage mentions that the Soundhouse Music Alliance has established branches in New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland, and Australia. "The organisation has now established branches in New Zealand, South Africa, and Ireland, as well as numerous sites around Australia."
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