READING

Exercise 1: Read this extract from a job application form.

Outline why you are applying for this job. Use this space to describe your relevant qualification,
skills and experience and indicate why they are suitable for this role.

I am interested in this job because I am currently looking for an opportunity to use the skills I
learnt in my college. I have recently completed a 16-week part-time accounting course (AAT
Level 2 Certificate). The course covered book-keeping, recording income and receipts and basic
costing. We used a wide range of computer packages, and I picked up the accounting skills
easily. I was able to work alone with very little extra help. I passed the course with merit. I
believe my success was due to my thorough work, my numeracy skills and my attention to
detail. During the course, I had experience of working to deadlines and working under pressure.
Although this was sometimes stressful, I always completed my work on time.

Unfortunately, the course did not include a work placement, so I have not practised my skills in
a business setting, and I am now looking for an opportunity to do so. I am particularly looking
for a job in a small company such as yours, as I believe I will be able to interact with a wider
range of people, and as a result, learn more skills. I would like to progress within a company
and gain more responsibilities over the years.

Although I do not have work experience in finance, I have experience in working in an office
environment. Before starting the accounting course, I worked for 6 months in a recruitment
office as a receptionist. My duties involved meeting and greeting clients and visitors, taking
phone calls, audio and copy typing and checking stock. I also had to keep the petty cash and
mail records. Through this work, I developed my verbal and written communication skills. I had
to speak confidently to strangers and deliver clear messages. I enjoyed working in a team
environment. I believe the office appreciated my friendly manner and efficient work.
Are the following statements TRUE or FALSE? Choose 'not in text' if the information is not
there.
1.The candidate has a qualification in accounting.
2. The candidate has a university degree in accounting.
3. The candidate has worked as an accountant before.
4. The candidate worked with an accounting firm as a receptionist.
5. The candidate is familiar with some accounting software.
6. The candidate has worked as part of a team in an office environment.
7. The candidate has experience of record-keeping.
8. The candidate wants to learn on the job.
9. The candidate has a maths qualification.
10. The candidate can work by herself.
11. The candidate intends to study a further accounting course.
12. The candidate believes herself to be a careful worker.
13. Deadlines do not stress the candidate.
14. The candidate is applying for a job in a large firm.
Exercise 2: Read the text and answer the questions.
Northacre Council Department of Education
Sixteen - What now?
You’re 16 and finally you can leave school! By now, you’re probably sick of teachers, desks, tests
and exams. But don’t just run for the exit. You need to think carefully about what to do next.
If you want a professional career, you will need to go to university and get a degree. To do that,
you need to stay at high school for another two years. But you needn’t stay at the same place.
There are several options in the district of Northacre.
St. Leopold’s School has the best pass rate of all the high schools in the district. It offers a wide
range of subjects in the humanities and sciences. St Leopold’s is, of course, a private school, so
may be too expensive for you. But don’t worry, there are several other options if you want to
follow the academic route. Knowle Grammar School is a state school, so there are no fees, and
it has excellent tuition and facilities. It is a boys’ school from the ages of 11-16, but from 16-18 it
is co-educational. But it is selective, so you’ll have to pass an exam to get in. If you’re interested
in going into Business, check out Wyle River Academy. This school specialises in subjects like
Business Studies, Management and Economics. If you prefer the arts, look at the courses on
offer at Northacre College. Here you can study woodwork, art, textiles and much more.
Northacre College also offers a wide range of vocational qualifications. You can do a 1-year
certificate or a 2-year diploma in subjects like electrics, plumbing, roofing and hairdressing. If
you’d prefer to work outdoors, look at Milldown College, where there are courses in Farm
Mechanics, Land Management, Animal Management and much more.
A final option is to get an apprenticeship with a local or national company. You will get on-the-
job training, gain certificates or diplomas and start earning straight away. But be warned -
places are limited! Find out more at the Jobs Fair on 26th May at Northacre College.
1. The aim of the article is to…
a. advise young people about how to get to university.
b. tell young people about the options available.
c. advise young people to stay in education.

2. The article advises readers who want a professional career to…

a. go to university immediately.
b. stay at the same school for two more years.
c. go to high school for two more years, then get a degree.

3. St Leopold’s is the best school for…

a. good exam results.
b. humanities and sciences.
c. facilities.

4. You can only attend St Leopold’s school if you…

a. pay tuition fees.
b. pass an exam.
 c. study both humanities and sciences.

5. You can only attend Knowle Grammar School if you…

a. pass an exam.
b. are a boy.
c. can afford the tuition fees.

6. Anna wants to work with horses. Where is the best place for her to study?
a. Wyle River Academy
b. Northacre College
c. Milldown College

7. Harry wants to be a builder. Where is the best place for him to study?
a. Wyle River Academy
b. Northacre College
c. Milldown College

8. Kevin wants to be a fashion designer. Where is the best place for him to study?
a. Wyle River Academy
b. Northacre College
c. Milldown College

9. Caroline wants to run her own company. Where is the best place for her to study?
a. Wyle River Academy
b. Northacre College
c. Milldown College

10. What is the problem with apprenticeships?

a. There are few available.
b. They are expensive.
c. They don’t give you any qualifications.
Exercise 3:
In this part, you have to match five people to eight texts.
The teenagers below are all looking for a website. Read the descriptions of eight websites.
Decide which website would be the most suitable for each person. For Questions 1-5, select the
best course.
A - Clever Boots
Clever Boots is an educational and entertaining website that aims to tell people how things
work. From how your body works to how the earth formed, you’ll find it here. There are helpful
videos, diagrams and photos which help you understand, and there are links to other websites,
such as industries and environmental agencies, so you can study a topic in as much detail as you
like.
B - Reviewer
Kids aged between the ages of ten and fifteen choose and review their favourite works of
fiction. There are reviews of over 5000 books, from teen horror to romance. The ‘Like this?...
Then try this…’ button makes it easy for kids to find more books they would enjoy. Kids can post
their own opinions about the books they have read and compare their thoughts to others.

C - Babble
Babble is a social site where teens can catch up with friends and meet new people online. When
you enter the site you arrive at the Babble School. You can then click on different classrooms in
the hotel and select your age group. Join discussions on a range of hot topics, from business,
industry, biological research or your opinions of classic literature. You can also create private
‘classrooms’ where only your classmates are allowed. You can even change furniture and
colours in your classroom!

D - Know it All
All the available official past papers from different examination boards are here on one site,
allowing you to get really prepared. There are papers on all subjects and at a wide range of
levels. Answers are provided although, for essay questions, they can be difficult to follow. There
is advice about how to read questions correctly and suggestions about different ways to study.

E - Master It
Whatever your dream in life, Master It can help you achieve it. Master It tells you the
qualifications you need and the exams you have to pass in order to get different jobs. It tells you
whether you need to a university degree or technical college qualification, or whether you can
walk into the job after leaving school. Read about people who did the course and find out how
challenging it is. The site can even tell you the closest locations of schools offering courses.

F - Teen Teach
If you want to know whether you’ve got your homework right before handing it in, Teen Teach
can help. Other teenagers will look at your work, point out mistakes and give you suggestions
on how you can improve it. Be careful, though. Anybody can give their opinion on your
homework. It doesn’t mean that their ideas are good ones!

G - Book Fair
Book Fair is a great way for school and college students to find the best books for their courses
at the best price. Read about which books students found most helpful, and which ones
weren’t. Write your own opinions too. There are links to online bookshops where you can buy
books at the cheapest prices, and you can also buy second hand from other site users. If you’ve
finished with a book, sell it on here.

H - Wilson
Wilson is a cartoon dog who is interested in a lot of things. Follow Wilson as he explores his
cartoon world and finds out about the things in it. There is information about wildlife, health,
history, religion and countries of the world. Although the site is fun and entertaining, the
information is rather simple and lacks detail. The more intelligent users may even find a few
errors in the contents!
Question 1
Jamie is interested in becoming a mechanic, and wants to know whether he’ll need to take any
exams to get a job, or whether he can simply find work at a garage after leaving school.
A - Clever Boots
B - Reviewer
C - Babble
D - Know it All
E - Master It
F - Teen Teach
G - Book Fair
H – Wilson
Question 2
Paul is tired of doing his homework and wants to read for fun. However, he doesn’t know what
books to read as there seem to be so many to choose from!
A - Clever Boots
B - Reviewer
C - Babble
D - Know it All
E - Master It
F - Teen Teach
G - Book Fair
H - Wilson
Question 3
Annie is seventeen years old and has to write a geography report for school on where our
power comes from. She wants real life examples to make her report really good.
A - Clever Boots
B - Reviewer
C - Babble
D - Know it All
E - Master It
F - Teen Teach
G - Book Fair
H – Wilson
Question 4
Cathy’s brother always used to check her homework before he gave it to his teacher, but now he
has gone to university, so she has nobody to help her.
A - Clever Boots
B - Reviewer
 C - Babble
D - Know it All
E - Master It
F - Teen Teach
G - Book Fair
H - Wilson
Question 5
Miriam has enjoyed finding out about different religions at school and would like to discuss the
topic with people from other schools, or even other countries.
A - Clever Boots
B - Reviewer
C - Babble
D - Know it All
E - Master It
F - Teen Teach
G - Book Fair
H – Wilson
Exercise 4
Read the text and then answer questions 1-5.
Fourteen-year-old Neil Atkins talks about working on a house-building project in the United
States.

I got involved in the house-building project through my Uncle Brian. We went to stay with him
in the United States for six weeks during the summer holiday. He was helping out on the project
and asked me to come along. At first I wasn’t interested. I was enjoying watching lots of new
channels on TV! But after a while I got bored and went along to see what he was doing. I
realised that what he was doing was really great!

He was helping out for an organisation that builds houses for people who can’t usually afford
them. Instead, the organisation buys all the wood and bricks and things you need to build a
house. It lends the family the tools and hires some guys who know what they’re doing. They
also get people like my uncle, who aren’t builders but who just want to help out in the
community, to do the more simple building jobs. The family eventually pay all the money back
to the organisation, but they can do this over many years, and it’s much cheaper than buying a
new house.

I helped out with moving dirt and preparing tea. It was a bit disappointing that I wasn’t allowed
to use the tools and do jobs like cutting wood and nailing things together. I understand why they
do it, but do design and technology at school so I know I could do it right. Some people had no
idea how to use a hammer correctly! But if I go back next year, I’ll be able to do it, because I’ll
be fifteen then.

1. Why was Neil’s uncle involved in the building project?

a. He lent the family his tools.
b. He is a qualified builder.
c. He enjoys helping out other people.
d. He wants to build his own house
2. Which of the following is true about the building project?
a. The organisation provides free homes for poor people.
b. The project was filmed and shown on television.
c. No experienced builders were needed to build the house.
d. The future owners helped to build the house.
3. Neil was surprised that…
a. his uncle had such good building skills.
b. some adults didn’t know how to use tools.
c. he wasn’t allowed to cut wood.
d. houses are so expensive in the USA.
4. Neil will be able to use the tools next year because…
a. he is planning to study design and technology.
b. he will be old enough.
c. his uncle is going to teach him how to use them.
d. there will be fewer people on the project.
5. What might Neil write in his diary about his experience?
a. Building the house was okay, but it wasn’t as fun as watching American TV!
b. I learnt a lot of useful things for my design and technology course from working on the
building project.
c. I really enjoyed building the house. It gave me the chance to use my design and technology
skills.
d. Building the house was better than watching TV, but I wanted to do more building work.