Instielts Traveller
Instielts Traveller
Instielts Traveller
B Health in Australia
Australia has a very high standard of hygiene and very safe
food and drinking water. As a result special precautions are
unnecessary. No vaccinations are required unless some time 15
has been spent in an infected country in the previous two
weeks, although immunisation is always a good idea if your
international itinerary is broad.
C Health Services
Australia offers free service at public hospitals to its own 20
citizens and permanent residents and has universal health
care under the Medicare system. This covers most or all of
the cost of visiting a doctor. However, these services only
extend to citizens of the United Kingdom and New Zealand. G The chances of being attacked, stung or bitten by poisonous
All visitors will have to pay in full and up-front for dental 25 wildlife are extremely remote but, if a poisonous snake or
treatment, ambulance charges and medicines. The cost of an spider should bite, try to stay calm, wrap the area in a tight
unsubsidised, standard visit to a doctor is currently around bandage, keep very still and send for medical help. 55
A$35, but serious illness can be much more expensive.
Traveller’s insurance covering medical care and medicines is H A similar procedure applies to poisonous marine life. Sea
therefore highly recommended. A personal basic medical kit 30 wasps are a deadly type of jellyfish which sting with their
could also be a good idea. tentacles, causing telltale welt marks. Wash the wound with
vinegar and don’t remove the stingers. Do not swim in
D Fire Bans unprotected waters. Areas of danger – particularly those 60
Respect fire bans (broadcast on the radio) and be careful involving sharks, crocodiles and stingers – have clearly marked
with cigarette butts and broken glass which can ignite bush signs. Even if your English is less than perfect, the signs have
fires in hot, dry weather. If caught in a fire, head for a 35 clear illustrations of the potential dangers of an area.
clearing (avoid dense tree growths). If in a car get off the
road, stay in the vehicle, get under the dashboard and cover I Australian Roads
yourself, preferably with a woollen blanket. There is a very clear division between inland and coastal 65
roads. The built-up coastal area from South Australia to
E Bushwalking Queensland (and the south western corner of Western
If bushwalking or camping, be sure to leave an itinerary with 40 Australia) is served by modern freeways and good quality
friends and go carefully prepared for the contingency of sealed roads. The further inland the traveller goes, the worse
getting lost. Remember that nights can be freezing despite the roads become. In the far west of Queensland, for 70
the daytime temperature. example, the roads can be unsealed and around the Gulf it is
common for a road to only have a single width of tarmac.
F Bite and Fright This means that if you come across a road train (they can be
over 20 metres long) carrying cattle you have to head off the
When walking in the bush and rainforest, be sure to wear 45
road. This is not a humorous suggestion. Road trains need all 75
boots, thick long socks and long trousers and be careful about
the road and expect on-coming traffic to head for the hills.
putting your hand into holes. Ticks* and leeches* are common
They have trouble deviating and will destroy a car rather
so check your body thoroughly after bushwalking. Ticks can be
than endanger their entire load.
dangerous if not removed. They can be removed with kerosene
or methylated spirits (don’t break the head off inside your 50
*small animals which suck blood
body) and leeches can be removed with salt or heat.
Source: http://walkabout.com.au
Questions 14–18
Complete the following table with words taken from the
passage.
Use ONE OR TWO WORDS for each answer.
From Instant IELTS by Guy Brook-Hart © Cambridge University Press 2004 PHOTOCOPIABLE 55
9