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Unit 2.5: Reading GT Sample Item: Test Material

Section 1Passage 1

WELCOME TO BELLA VISTA HOLIDAY RESORTChoose from our wide range of holiday accommodation:

FLATLET

Description:

Compact apartments in multi-storey block•Shared bathroom•Bedding and towels provided•Cooking facilities available•

Cost:$50.00 per apartment per night•

DOUBLE-DECKER

Description:

Two-storey chalets•Bathroom on each floor•Bedding and towels provided•Can accommodate 6-10 people•TV in each chalet•

Cost:$500.00 per chalet per night•

KING BUNGALOW

Description:

Luxurious, spacious chalet with en-suite •bathroomTV and internet access in own room•All bedding and linen provided•Ideal for couples without children•

Cost:$200.00 per bungalow per night•

CAMPSITE

Description:

Multi-bed dormitory•Toilet and showers on site•Bedding and towels • NOT providedSleeping bags for hire•

Cost:$10.00 per tent per night•$5.00 if use own tent•

BEACH DORM

Description:

Multi-bed dormitory•Shared bathroom/toilet•Bedding and towels • NOT providedIdeal for groups who like a roof over their •heads

Cost:$5.00 per person per night•

FOREST RETREAT

Description:

Jungle huts for nature lovers•Mosquito nets available•Attached bathroom•Bedding and towels provided•Watch the wild-life from your own balcony•

Cost:$20.00 per hut per night•


Unit 2.5: Reading GT Sample Item: Test Material contd

Questions 1 – 6

Choose accommodation suitable for the following people. Write the letters a - f next to Questions 1-6:

Choose suitable accommodation for the following people:

A married couple on honeymoon looking for privacy. 1 _________ • (d)

A family with six children who like watching television. 2 _________ • (f)

A couple of back-packers with their own tent. 3 _________ • (c)

Someone who enjoys observing wild animals. 4 _________• (b)

People who want to cook their own meals. 5 _________ • (e)

A group of 15 students and their teachers. 6 _________ • (a)

Beach dorma. Forest retreatb. Campsitec. King bungalowd. Flat-lete. Double-deckerf.



BELLA VISTA 21st BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION!When: Sunday 17 April from 8.00 am until 7.00 pm

Where: On the beach

Cost: ABSOLUTELY FREE!

Programme of events:8.00 – 10.00 am Sandcastle competition

Open to all children over 5: prizes for best 3 sandcastles.

8.30 – 12 noon Donkey rides

Suitable for children aged 8+ years

10.00 – 12 noon Treasure Hunt

Suitable for the very young (3 – 5 years) plus their parents.

12 noon – 1.00 pm BBQ LUNCH

Sausage sizzle with salads.

Burgers and buns

Vegetarian food also available.

1.00 – 2.30 pm Beach soccer

Ages: 9 – 12 years, boys and girls mixed teams

3.00 – 5.00 Mini-triathlon: swimming, running and cycling

For older children only (12 – 16 years old)

5.00 – 6.00 Prize-giving ceremony, followed by huge FIREWORK DISPLAY



Questions 7 – 11

Complete the sentences below;WRITE NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER .

The youngest children can take part in the ___________________7. (treasure hunt)

An activity which combines a number of different sports is the _______ 8. (mini-triathlon)

Children who love animals can ride on a ________________ 9. (donkey)

The first activity of the day is the ___________________ 10. (sandcastle competition)

The whole event will finish with a large _________________ 11. (firework display)

Questions 11 – 14

Choose the best answer for each question. Write a, b, c or d for questions 11 – 14.

What kind of food is available for lunch?12. Meata. Saladsb. Vegetarian foodc. All the aboved.

How many prizes will be awarded for the sandcastle competition?13. onea. threeb. fivec. It doesn’t say.d.

Who can take part in the beach soccer?14. Children and their parents.a. Boys and girls aged over 12 years.b. The oldest children.c. Boys and girls between 9 and 12 years old.d.



Section 2Passage 1

JOB SEARCH

Job 6: GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Job description:Web-site design•Creating posters and brochures•Advertising campaigns•

Working hours:Mon - Fri: 10.00 am• – 9.00 pmSome weekend work (negotiable)•

Academic QualificationsDegree in any field•

Salary: $18,000 p.a. + overtime

Job 5: SALES REP

Job description:Selling computer software•Conducting presentations •Staff training•Computer maintenance•Car provided•

Working hours:Mon• – Sat, 10.00 am – 10.00 pm

Academic QualificationsMinimum high school certificate•IT training certificate•

Salary: $12,000 p.a. + performance-related bonus

Job 3: TEACHERS’ HELP

Job description:Assisting teacher in classroom•Conducting extra-curricular activities e.g. sports •and gamesPreparing teaching materials•

Working hours:Mon• – Fri: 8.00 am – 4.00 pm

Academic QualificationsGraduate (any subject)•

Salary: $23,000 p.a.

Job 4: TELE-MARKETER

Job description:Conducting market surveys (phone)•Interviewing consumers•On-line research•

Working hours:50 hrs/week (flexi)•

QualificationsDegree in business field•Must have pleasant telephone manner•

Salary: $20,000 p.a.

Job 2: SECURITY GUARD

Job description:Taking care of warehouse•Patrolling perimeter fence•Dog training (as required)•

Working hours:Mon• – Sat: 10.00 pm – 8.00 am

Academic QualificationsNone required•

Salary: $1,500 per month

Job 1: SALES ASSISTANT

Job description:Selling cosmetics in the perfume department•Applying make-up for customers•Stocking shelves•

Working hours:Wed• – Sun: 10.00 am – 9.00 pm

Academic QualificationsMinimum high school certificate•

Salary: $10.00 per hour



Questions 15 – 20

Match the jobs with the statements below. For questions 15 to 20 write a job number.

This job does not require qualifications. Job number __________ 15. (2)

If you work extra hours you get paid for them. Job number __________ 16. (6)

In this job you don’t work Monday and Tuesday. Job number __________ 17. (1)

You can decide the hours you work in this job. Job number __________ 18. (4)

This job has the highest basic salary. Job number __________ 19. (3)

You get a company car with this job. Job number __________ 20. (5)



Passage 2

TERMS OF EMPLOYMENTLength of Agreement

Your employment will commence on 1st Jan 2012 until 31st December 2012 There is a

probationary period of three calendar months, during which time either party can terminate

this agreement by giving at least two weeks’ notice in writing. In the case of giving notice, a

clear reason must be stated by either party to this agreement.

Remuneration

Your monthly income will be $2,100 per month gross.

Working Month

You will be expected to work an average of 87 contact hours per calendar month. Any work-

load above the average 87 hours in any one quarter period will be paid at over-time rate

of $30 per hour. Overtime payment will be made at the end of each quarter (March, June,

September, December).

Recreational Leave

You will be entitled to 15 working days paid recreational leave. You are asked to co-ordinate

your leave in line with the quieter working periods.

Sick Leave

You will be entitled to 30 days paid sick leave. Three or more consecutive days’ absence due

to sickness will require a medical certificate.

Legal working status

The employer will cover all costs incurred as a result of processes deemed necessary by law

to ensure that your working status will be completely legal.

Insurance

The employer will provide group medical insurance from a reputable insurance agency.

Termination

[1] You will be required to provide written notice to terminate this contract at least one

calendar month prior to termination of your employment.

[2] The employer is required to give you one calendar month’s notice of termination of your

employment in writing, except in the case of [4] below.

[3] The employer is required to give you one calendar month’s notice of renewal / non-

renewal of your employment in writing prior to the expiry of this agreement.

[4] If you are found guilty of gross professional misconduct or of not maintaining required



standards, the employer reserves the right to terminate this agreement immediately with

payment being made up to and including the date of dismissal.

Questions 21 – 24

Decide if the following sentences are: TRUE: If the statement agrees with the terms and conditionsFALSE: If the statement contradicts the terms and conditionsNOT GIVEN: If not enough information is given.

An employee must give at least one month’s notice before the end of March 2012. 21. (FALSE)

Overtime payments are made 4 times a year. 22. (TRUE)

The employee will not work less than 87 hours a week in any month. 23. (NOT GIVEN)

Employees are not allowed to apply for unpaid recreational leave. 24. (NOT GIVEN)

Questions 25 – 27

Complete the sentences.WRITE NO MORE THAN TWO THREE AND/OR A NUMBER.

If an employee is sick for four days, (s)he must provide a _____________25. (medical certificate).

If an employee wishes to resign, (s)he must give notice of at least _____________ 26. (one calendar month / 1 calendar month).

An employer can terminate an agreement with immediate effect in the case of 27. _____________ (gross professional misconduct)



Section 3

WORLD LANGUAGE: ENGLISHBy the year 2020, an estimated two billion people – more than a third of the world’s

population - will speak English. For some 500 million people, the majority of whom are living

in the United States and the United Kingdom, English will be their first language. But for

another 1.5 billion, English will be a second or even third language, essential to both their

professional and their personal lives.

English is increasingly becoming entrenched as the language of choice for business, science

and popular culture. Three-quarters of the world’s mail, for example, is currently written in

English, as is up to 80% of the electronic mail on the Internet. Soon, more people will speak

English as a foreign language than speak it as their mother tongue.

‘There has never been a language spoken by so many people in so many places,’ says

Professor David Crystal, author of the Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language.

But why is English rising so far above the world’s other tongues?

There are no clear linguistic reasons for English’s global dominance. The grammar is

complicated, the pronunciation is eccentric and the spelling is peculiar. But, as Crystal points

out, logic does not necessarily apply when building a lingua franca.

‘A language becomes powerful when a nation becomes powerful,’ he says. ‘This power

may be military or cultural or economic - or, in the case of the United States, all of the

above. ‘Wave dollar notes in front of someone, and they will learn complicated spellings and

grammar.’

Another key factor is flexibility. According to Crystal, ‘English is a kind of vacuum cleaner

- it sucks in vocabulary from any language it can get.’ Crystal estimates that there are now

words from more than 150 other languages incorporated into standard English. Spelling

and pronunciation are so capricious - and so frustrating for non-native speakers - precisely

because the language has been quick to take on these foreign influences. This flexibility has

less to do with English itself, says Crystal, than it does with the attitudes and temperaments

of English-speakers.



But English may yet be suckered by its own success. As the language spreads among non-

native speakers, it will invariably be transformed, even subverted, to suit regional needs.

Local vocabulary, slang and pronunciation will displace existing British and American usages.

English could fragment into mutually unintelligible spoken forms, the way Latin fragmented

into French, Italian, Spanish and other languages some 1,500 years ago. A more likely

scenario, Crystal believes, is the emergence of a regionally neutral conversational English for

international use, with each country retaining its own national variations.

Questions 28-32

Choose the correct option for each question. For questions 28 to 32 write a letter: a, b, c, or d.

Which of the following statements about the use of English is NOT TRUE?28. More than a third of the world’s population currently speak English as a first language.a. Most of the people who speak English as a first language live in the United States and b. Britain.Seventy-five per cent of all the correspondence in the world is in English.c. Four-fifths of the Internet mail is conducted through English.d.

Which of the following statements is NOT implied as a reason for the emergence of English as 29. a global language?The powerful position of the United States.a. The fact that it is an easy language to learn.b. The economic benefits from learning English.c. The fact that so many people worldwide use the language.d.

English is flexible because30. its spelling and pronunciation are capricious.a. this creates frustration for non-English speaking learners.b. it can absorb new vocabulary from a variety of other languages.c. it consists of standard English and regional variations.d.

Which of the following may be the result of the continued widespread use of English?31. The range of vocabulary may become smaller.a. It may be replaced by French, Italian or Spanish.b. It may disappear forever.c. It might break down to form a variety of different regional languages.d.



According to David Crystal32. There are good linguistic reasons why English has become the lingua franca.a. Latin is the only language to have been spoken more widely than English.b. Native-English speakers are essentially flexible in temperament.c. English is likely to become a dead language in much the same way as Latin did.d.

Questions 33 – 37

Which paragraph, A-G, contains the following piece of information?Match the information below with the paragraphs. For Questions 33 to 37 write one letter.

Three reasons which make learning English difficult. 33 ________ • (D)

Reasons for the emergence of an international language. 34 ________ • (E)

The number of English speaking people in the world 35 ________ • (A)

Future developments 36 ________ • (G)

The unique nature of English as a global language 37 ________ • (C)

Questions 38 – 40

Complete the following sentences.WRITE NO MORE THAN 2 WORDS FOR EACH QUESTION.

The language which you have spoken from birth is called your 38 _______________ • (mother tongue)

A language which is used throughout the world as a means of communication is referred to • as a 39 _______________ (lingua franca)

David Crystal compares the English language to a 40 _______________ • (vacuum cleaner) because it ‘sucks’ up words from other languages.

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