GT Reading — Test 24

Reading passage

TEXT A — Riverbend Farmers Market — Visitor Notice RIVERBEND FARMERS MARKET — VISITOR NOTICE Riverbend Farmers Market runs every Saturday in Maple Square from 8am until 1pm, rain or shine. During public holidays the market shifts to the Sunday immediately following, so please check our noticeboard before you travel. Parking in Maple Square itself is reserved for stallholders and delivery vans. Visitors should use the Corby Street multi-storey, a four-minute walk away, where the first ninety minutes are free on production of a market token. Tokens are handed out at the information gazebo near the fountain. Dogs on short leads are welcome throughout the outdoor aisles, but they cannot be brought into the covered food hall for hygiene reasons. Water bowls are set out beside the fountain. We operate a card-first policy. Most stalls accept contactless payment, though a handful of smaller growers still prefer cash, so carrying a little is wise. A cash machine sits inside the newsagent on the square's north corner. Lost property, wheelchair loan and a quiet first-aid room are all available at the gazebo. If you become separated from a child, staff in green tabards can be found at every entrance and will help immediately. ———————————— TEXT B — Stallholder of the Month — Holloway Orchard Cider STALLHOLDER OF THE MONTH — HOLLOWAY ORCHARD CIDER This month we are delighted to feature Holloway Orchard, tucked into the hills eight kilometres east of town. The family has pressed cider from the same walled orchard for three generations, and Dean Holloway now runs the stall you will find under the striped awning beside the flower seller. Holloway's bottles are unfiltered and never pasteurised, which the family insists gives a cloudier but far rounder taste. Their bestseller, a medium-dry blend called Wren's Reserve, sells out most weeks by mid-morning, so early arrival is advised. Free tastings run from opening until eleven, offered in small paper cups; you must be over eighteen and may be asked for identification. A refillable scheme lets you return clean bottles for a fifty-pence credit against your next purchase. New this season is a non-alcoholic pressed apple juice aimed at younger visitors, bottled the day before each market. Dean is also very happy to talk through which of the blends suit cooking rather than drinking, and he hands out a printed recipe card free of charge with every second bottle you buy. ———————————— TEXT C — Autumn Events at Maple Square — What's On AUTUMN EVENTS AT MAPLE SQUARE — WHAT'S ON SATURDAY 12 OCTOBER — Harvest Cook-Off. Six local chefs compete to turn a single mystery vegetable into a dish in forty minutes. Watching is free; a tasting wristband costs four pounds and includes a portion of every finished plate. Judging closes at noon. SATURDAY 19 OCTOBER — Children's Scarecrow Trail. Follow numbered scarecrows around the stalls and collect a stamp at each. Completed trail sheets, available from the gazebo from 8am, can be swapped for a small prize. Suitable for ages four and up; under-eights must be accompanied. SATURDAY 26 OCTOBER — Beekeepers' Morning. Meet three county beekeepers, view a sealed observation hive, and buy honey pressed on site. A short talk on protecting pollinators begins at ten and lasts roughly half an hour. No booking needed, but seating is limited. SATURDAY 2 NOVEMBER — Repair Café. Bring one broken household item — a lamp, a chair, a jacket — and volunteers will attempt a free fix while you shop. Drop off before nine to guarantee a slot; collection is from noon. Spare parts, if required, are charged at cost.