SECTION 1.

GRAMMAR (10 MARKS: 0,5 X 20)

Circle the correct answer
Articles
1. Norway has ________ good record.
a. an b. the c. a
2. He´s not the stereotype of ___________ die-hard oilman.
a. a b. the c. ------
3. Weaning the world off _________ oil and _________ gas will be hard.
a. a b. an c. -----
4. Helge Lund, an advisor to _________ UN Secretary General on energy, believes
a. an b. the c. a
5. That politicians often underestimate _________ challenge facing them with regard
a. a b. the c. -----
6. Norway has _________ particularly good record for reducing greenhouse gas emissions
a. the b. a c. -----
Adverbs
7. After that, the interview _________ went okay and he got the job
a. actually b. absolutely c. -----
8. They also seek to reinforce them _________
a. afterwards b. barely c. -----
9. You _________ have to work so much harder
a. physically b. actively c. -----
10.  _________, I like the ideas you outlined to me last week
a. Definitely b. Frankly c. Utterly
11. I know that last year you were _________ disappointed when you weren't chosen to give the key
presentation
a. pretty b. deeply c. hard
12. She can speak English very _________
a. good b. well c. fluent
13. That was a _____ interesting discussion
a. hard b. pretty c. deeply
14. He drives the car _________
a. carefully b. good c. -----
Complete the sentences using the correct tense of the verb in brackets
15. I studied in North Carolina where I _________ (develop) a keen interest in international affairs. 16
During my undergraduate years, I _________ (study) overseas in London. 17. And later I _________
(accept) the opportunity to work in Waterloo, Belgium, the European headquarters for Johnson &
Johnson, where I managed technology solutions for J&J's medical devices sector. 18.  I _________
(return) to the North American headquarters where I created a similar platform. 19. While I _________
(be) still in Belgium a senior manager had urged me to apply to Insead and I rapidly  _________ (realise)
that the school was the place where I could continue my development towards an international career.
20. The existence of Insead's Singapore campus _________ (make) the school that much more
compelling because of my desire to have a global understanding of business which up until then
_________ (only / include) North America and Europe.

SECTION 2. READING AND VOCABULARY (10 marks: 0,5 X 20)

PART 1: READING: Read the text and circle the correct answer
On Writing as an Essential Business Skill
Why words matter
Words are the essential tools of communication. But they are so much more. They convey information,
they express emotion; they influence, persuade, motivate. They do all the things that a successful
business wants to do – if they are used well. Or, if they are used badly, they undermine a business.
Verbal identity
Many businesses, particularly those that follow principles of branding, now attach equal importance to
words and images. Visual identity – the consistent use of logos, colours, typefaces, photography – is an
established management procedure. Verbal identity- manage a brand´s tone of voice through style.,
vocabulary, names – is in its relative infancy. Combining the visual and the verbal provides a way of
making brands that really work. A prime objective of any modern brand is to create better relationships
with its customers. Companies use their brands to create and maintain better relationships through
conversations, many of which take place in written form, whether in print, in emails or on the Internet.
The words used in those conversations are reflections of a brand´s personality. When products and
services are basically similar, words can be the principal means of differentiating one company from
another.
A case study
In 1988 three college friends formed a company that makes fruit smoothies. A very simple business and,
at that time, a tiny market for the product. They called the company Innocent Drinks. They had little
money to spend on visual identity, but the founders had a playful approach to words. They channelled
they creative effort into writing words- humorous little stories – that appeared on the labels of their
products.
Innocent´s verbal identity begins with its name. They are innocent in the sense of being the little guys up
against big corporations – but also in believing in the natural goodness of pure fruit, with no nasty
(artificial/unnatural) additives. All their words reinforce this proposition through the disarming use of
humour. A very clear sense of the innocent personality emerges through every word they use, even
down to a distinctive, honest but funny way of listing the ingredients of their products:
Ingredients (strawberry and banana smoothie)
10 pressed apples, 27 crushed strawberries, 21/2 mashed bananas, some freshly squeezed orange
juice and nothing else.
The news about Innocent spread, appropriately enough, by word of mouth. People talked about them,
shared the humour of the labels (which changed constantly) and became loyal fans. Innocent got other
things right too, particularly distribution. In a few years they were everywhere, the United Kingdom´s
fastest-growing food and drink company.
Words are tricky
Many businesses have since tried to copy Innocent, but Innocent´s success is built on the consistency of
its tone of voice. It is relatively easy to manufacture a tone of voice that works in external communication
such as advertising. But there is a danger if a brand´s advertising sends one message and if consumer´s
experience is completely different.
The individuality of words
A brand´s tone of voice needs to work from the inside outwards, if it is to have real credibility. If a brand
such as Apple promises to ¨Think Different¨, for example, this places responsibility on the behaviour of
everyone representing the brand. The consumer has a right to expect a degree of creativity from all the
brand’s representatives.
Creativity is fundamental
Fifty years ago, ¨creativity¨ was required only in advertising agency. Today every business needs to be
creative and it needs to inspire and harness the creativity of all its people. This is not an optional extra,
but an essential requirement for survival, growth and reinvention. Businesses that lack creativity will
increasingly struggle to survive. Creative skills therefore need to be encouraged and developed in
businesses of all kinds. By developing people to express themselves more creatively through words,
businesses can unlock the potential of innovation, increase the impact of communication and become
more effective in winning businesses.
10 Words and pictures are equally important in presenting the brand
A True B False C Doesn’t say

PART 2 : VOCABULARY: Match the expressions from the text with the correct meaning

1 convey (information) a individual

2 channel (effort into) b to experience difficulty and make a great effort to do
something
3 reinforce c comes across, becomes clear
4 emerges d to communicate
5 distinctive e to release, realise or make more active
6 consistency f to control something in order to use its power
7 credibility g to direct something into a particular place or situation
8 harness (the creativity) h when something or someone can be believed or
 trusted
9 struggle i not varied, always happening in the same way
10 unlock (the potential) j to strengthen, back up
 SECTION 3. LISTENING (10 marks: 2 x 5)

Listen to five different employees in a performance appraisal interview. Decide which of the
supervisor's questions each employee is answering.
 Write one letter (a–e) next to the number of the speaker.
 Do not use any letter more than once.

a Is your job description up to date?

b What have been your contributions, besides achieving your target, since your last performance
appraisal?
c Which of your previous appraisal objectives have you achieved?
d Is there anything in your job that you have problems with?
e Is there anything in your job you would say you could do better in the future?

1 Speaker 1

2 Speaker 2

3 Speaker 3

4 Speaker 4

5 Speaker 5

SECTION 4. WRITING (10 marks)

The grade will be based on the following: word order (2) punctuations (2) vocabulary (2)
linking words (2) and number of words (2)
Look at the graph below which shows house prices and the value of housing stock (the total number
of residential units available) in New Zealand between 1990 and 2010. Write a short summary
(about 200 words) of the key information including some comparisons. Use the outline given
below to help you.
Paragraph 1: A general description of the graph
Paragraph 2: Explanation of what is in the graph, starting with comparisons of general trends,
moving to comparisons of specific points
Paragraph 3: A one-sentence conclusion that summarises the general trend in the graph

House prices and value of housing stock

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