UNIT

10 Got It? LE V EL 3 – RE A DING WORK SHEE T: Business PAGE 1 OF 2

READING
Read the text. How does everyone benefit from developing professional talents?

Developing Talent in
the Workplace
People are sometimes described as “talented leaders”
or “talented communicators.” It is true that some people
seem to be very good at communication or have natural
abilities to lead others, but can other people develop
these talents? In the past, many people felt that talent,
whether it was for playing a sport or for managing a
corporation, was something that a person either had or
didn’t have. The theory was that people could learn to
do something by studying and practicing only up to a
certain point, but real talent could not be developed.
Employers today have a great interest in “soft skills” like
leadership, communication, flexibility, and collaboration. or help salespeople understand how their customers
This is partly because jobs are changing so quickly that feel and what they may be thinking. Training people in
it is impossible to prepare people for specific jobs in the creativity is not about teaching them to paint or sing. It
future. The World Economic Forum has said that 65% involves things like critical thinking and brainstorming.
of children who are entering elementary school now will According to research, 90% of creativity training
work in jobs that do not exist today. Companies want to programs result in more innovation from employees.
hire young people who are talented communicators and
Unfortunately, many companies still do not do much
leaders because those people will be able to adapt as
training, especially in the development of soft skills. First,
job descriptions change.
time is always a problem. The day-to-day urgent business
There is scientific evidence that talents for general doesn’t allow time for employees or managers to be
learning, for getting along with people, and for adapting in training sessions. However, many of the problems
to different situations are good indicators of professional that take so much time every day would not happen if
success. There is also strong scientific evidence that employees had better skills. Second, many company
the skills connected to those talents can be developed managers do not see the value in training in skills like
with training, and training is now a 350-billion-dollar empathy or general communications because it’s hard
business around the world. Because of scientific research to see instant results from that kind of training. If you
that shows the importance of soft skills in every type send an employee to learn a new computer program, the
of business, the focus of training in the 21st century is results are immediately obvious. However, there is now
very different from what it was in the past. For example, strong scientific evidence that training in soft skills results
in the past, training for salespeople focused on sales in employees with talents that make them more valuable
techniques like using the right phrases and body to the company.
language and learning when and how to close a sale.
Now, salespeople get training in general communication
adapt (v): to adjust your beliefs or actions in a
skills, problem solving, and team building.
new situation
Studies have shown that training people in areas that do
evidence (n): facts that help to prove something
not immediately appear connected to their jobs produces
good results. For example, training people in empathy indicator (n): something that shows how a condition
can help managers work better with their employees or situation is

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10 Got It? LE V EL 3 – RE A DING WORK SHEE T: Business PAGE 2 OF 2

VOCABULARY
Complete the definitions with words from the box.

brainstorming critical thinking empathy innovation team building

1 : making a lot of suggestions in a group in order to develop new ideas

2 : the analysis of information in order to form an opinion
3 : the process of creating a group of people who work well together
4 : the ability to understand how someone feels
5 : the development of a new idea or way to do something

COMPREHENSION
Complete the sentences with words from the text.

1 In the past, many people thought it wasn’t possible to develop .

2 Leadership and flexibility are examples of .
3 The focus of training has changed because of evidence from .
4 Research has shown that of creativity training programs increase innovation.
5 There is scientific evidence that training in soft skills helps employees have talents.

THINKING
How are the soft skills mentioned in the text useful in your current or future profession?

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10 Got It? LE V EL 3 – RE A DING WORK SHEE T: General PAGE 1 OF 2

READING
Read the text. Is it possible to identify talent at a young age?

Is Talent “Now or Never”?

There is a theory that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to
become an expert in something. Another common belief
related to the development of talent is that “Practice
makes perfect.” It seems logical that people who are
talented in something at a young age and focus on that
talent for years will be more successful as adults than
people who start later or do not focus on one activity.
Take sports as an example—many programs are for
children as young as eight or nine, and talent scouts pay
attention to those programs in order to try to identify
future stars at an early age.
In England, many parents put their very young kids in
late for a child who has been cut from the team at age 11
several soccer programs so that they play four or five
or 12 because he or she had not developed as much as
days a week. In the US as well, many parents put their
the older kids. Recent statistics show that 70% of kids
young children in sports programs and encourage them
who are slower to develop their athletic talents quit their
to focus on their sport and practice, practice, practice. In
sport before age 13. How many possibly great players
the case of soccer, in both countries it is considered very
never get the chance to be great because adults are too
important for kids to be on a team by age 11, and for
impatient to give them time and training?
that team to win often.
Another problem is burnout. Many people think that
However, recent studies have found that there are
children are wasting their time if they play more than one
several problems with such a strong focus on young
sport, but there is data that shows that, on average, top
talent. Some sports professionals see a difference
university athletes did not specialize in their sport until
between talent selectors and talent identifiers. A talent
age 15 or older. Many coaches now believe that playing
selector is interested only in the players who are the best
a variety of sports teaches kids to think more and also
right then. There is pressure on coaches of young teams
prevents boredom. Many kids quit their sport because
to win games because parents feel that those coaches
they are very bored with it. In conclusion, it is very hard
are training winners. A talent selector keeps the players
to predict future professional success in a sport, and talent
that can win now and cuts players who may not have
scouts need to learn to identify talent by looking at more
developed their full talent yet. A talent identifier, on the
than just how well a young child plays a sport right now.
other hand, tries to identify players who seem to have
the right characteristics to become excellent players in
the future. This is very hard to do, and there are more logical (adj): rational; based on what you know
talent selectors than talent identifiers because parents, identify (v): to recognize someone or something
kids, and talent scouts want to see results now. characteristic (n): a quality or feature of someone
The main reason that some kids appear so much more or something
talented than others seems to be age. An 11-year-old impatient (adj): not wanting to take time or wait for
born in February is usually bigger, stronger, and faster something to happen
than one born in August. In teens, a few months’
specialize (v): to be an expert in a specific thing
difference in age is not important. However, that’s too

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10 Got It? LE V EL 3 – RE A DING WORK SHEE T: General PAGE 2 OF 2

VOCABULARY
Choose the correct option.

1 A … helps professional sports teams find new players.

a coach b talent scout c scientific study
2 A … is something that people think is true but may or may not be true.
a belief b fact c statistic
3 Coaches feel … when parents want their kids’ teams to win a lot.
a pressure b boredom c impatience
4 … is common when kids practice too much and get tired of their sport.
a Talent b Pressure c Burnout
5 A lot of kids quit their sport because of …
a age. b boredom. c impatience.

COMPREHENSION
Choose Fact or Opinion.

1 There is a common theory that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to become Fact / Opinion
an expert in something.
2 Another common belief related to the development of talent is that Fact / Opinion
“Practice makes perfect.”
3 However, recent studies have found that there are several problems with such Fact / Opinion
a strong focus on young talent.
4 Recent statistics show that 70% of kids who are slower to develop their athletic Fact / Opinion
talents quit their sport before age 13.
5 Many people think that children are wasting their time if they play more Fact / Opinion
than one sport.

THINKING
Think about people you know who were very good at something when they were young children. Are they still
doing that activity? Based on your own observations, does childhood talent predict adult success?

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10 Got It? LE V EL 3 – RE A DING WORK SHEE T: Services PAGE 1 OF 2

READING
Read the text. What are the realities about a reality show?

An “Extreme Tourist” Tells All

I’m Alex Marin, and I was a contestant on the reality show
Extreme Tourism. Each season is set in a different country.
Contestants need to have a lot of different talents, from
physical abilities to communication skills. In the interview
for the show, I was asked if I thought I had the right skills.
They explained that contestants would have to work
together in hard situations and solve problems individually
and as a group. The object of the show is to do as many
of the activities on the list as possible, but also to be
a responsible tourist. For example, you have to walk
through areas of jungle with dangerous animals, but you
can’t do anything to hurt any of the animals.
When we arrived in Sabah, Borneo, we had to get from
the airport to a small village about four hours away. The
first challenge was to try to arrive in the village first, so
we took taxis. Most people in Malaysia speak English,
but the producers of the show had asked the taxi drivers
to an orangutan sanctuary in Borneo. A lot of people
to act like they spoke only Malay. To communicate with
think reality shows are not real at all, but I can tell you
my driver, I wrote the name of the village. I also wrote a
that the things we had to do and the skills we needed
dollar sign and a question mark to ask how much the trip
were very real. I mean, there were a few things, like the
would cost. We communicated well, and I was one of the
people at the airport acting like they didn’t speak much
first contestants to arrive at the village. One guy arrived
English, but that was a good test of our skills in solving
hours later, and he said that he had argued with the first
problems and working with people. The best thing
driver he talked to. He said, “The guy acted like he didn’t
about Extreme Tourism and other reality shows filmed
understand me, so I spoke loudly and clearly, but he just
in different countries is that they provide a service to
didn’t want to understand! Of course, I got upset and
those countries. Research has shown that when a popular
shouted at him, and then he walked away, so I had to
reality show is set in a country, their tourism increases a
find another driver. It was ridiculous!” That guy was one
lot, and I think that’s a really good thing.
of the first people eliminated because he had no respect
for the local people, and he argued with everyone.
physical ability (n): something you can do with your
The next day, on a hike through the jungle, we had to
body, like swimming
work together to find a way to cross a big river. One
person was a carpenter, and he showed us how to build individually (adv): doing something as one person,
a boat. He was a really good project leader. Other people not as a group
were terrible. They panicked every time we saw an animal, responsible (adj): the quality of doing the right thing
and they said we were building the boat wrong, but they ridiculous (adj): silly or not logical
didn’t help. They got voted off the show pretty fast.
panic (v): to feel great fear or worry
In the end, I didn’t win, but I was in the top five. The
sanctuary (n): a place that protects animals or people
winner said she was going to donate her prize money

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10 Got It? LE V EL 3 – RE A DING WORK SHEE T: Services PAGE 2 OF 2

VOCABULARY
Complete the paragraph with words from the box.

challenges contestant eliminate producers reality show

In a/an 1 , normal people who are not actors compete to win a prize or to be the last
2 in the competition. Often, the viewers who watch the program vote each week to
3 one person, so each week one person goes home. The last person on the show is the winner.
In some shows, the people have 4 , like trying to be the first to finish a project or to create the
best cake or room design. The 5 try to get different types of people, with different personalities
and talents, in order to make the show interesting.

COMPREHENSION
Choose the correct option.

1 The seasons of Extreme Tourism are filmed in …

a the US. b Malaysia. c different countries.
2 If contestants on the show see a dangerous wild animal, they should probably …
a walk away from it. b try to kill it. c try to catch it.
3 To win the show, you need …
a physical abilities. b interpersonal skills. c physical abilities and interpersonal skills.
4 The first man was eliminated because …
a of lack of respect. b he arrived late. c he didn’t speak Malay.
5 According to the writer, reality shows like Extreme Tourism …
a are not realistic. b help local business. c are dumb.

THINKING
Why do you think so many people like watching reality shows?

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This page may be photocopied and used within the class.