IELTS GENERAL TRAINING READING
Questions 1 - 14
‘ Manchester International Airport:
Check-In Information
Welcome to Manchester International Airport check-in service. Located on the first floor of the airport, the check-in counters process two categories of traveller. Our Domestic Passport Counters are for UK Passport holders and our Overseas Passport Counters process all non-UK resident travellers. The colour of the counter boards are green and blue respectively. To facilitate a smooth arrival, please make sure you report to the appropriate counter.
Check-in desks
Luggage information
Live animal transportation
Questions 1 – 7
1 Passengers who want to find check-in counters at the airport must go to the …….. .
2 Passengers without UK Passports should report to counters with ……… boards.
3 Passengers who check in …….. departure may not be able to fly.
4 Before receiving their ……… , special needs travellers must talk with a crew member.
5 A …….. is a kind of insurance against items affected by the security check process.
6 …….. passengers with 30kgs of baggage will pay more.
7 An animal being transported must have enough …….. , air and room to move.
Read the text and answer Questions 8-14.
Manchester City Council:
Household Waste Management
This leaflet contains guidelines for every household within the Manchester City Council area regarding the disposal of household waste. We hope that all households will strive to implement our 7-phase Waste Management Strategy 2010-2014.
A All houses are provided with three bins: Red, Yellow and Green. Each bin has dimensions of 1 metre by ¼ metre by ¼ metre. Regular household waste such as food scraps, must be placed in the red bin. Residents must put all their recyclable waste - paper, bottles and cans - into the yellow bin. The green bin is for green waste such as grass, plants or household garden waste.
B City council waste trucks collect bins on Fridays between 6am and 4pm. Each truck will empty each of the three types of bins separately. Bins should be placed outside homes, close to the front door or the driveway of the house before 6am.
C Initially, all regular household waste is unloaded from the collection trucks and transported to the Eastern City Land Filling Project. Some of the rubbish collected is used as landfill. It is therefore very important that non bio-degradable items such as plastic bags and bottles are not placed inside green bins.
D Containers with recyclable waste are stored inside a warehouse to sell to privately owned companies that specialise in the re-packaging and reuse of used products. Funds generated from the sale of these products are injected into the annual council budget.
E Containers holding green waste are picked up by the logistics division of the State Fertiliser Department who transport the raw material to their fertiliser factory. There the green waste is converted into fertiliser. The council does not earn anything from this activity as the state-owned factory runs on government subsidies, providing fertiliser to the rural farmers at cost.
F A quarterly survey is conducted with the assistance of an independent research firm to measure the proportion of all different waste types. The findings are forwarded to the Ministry of Environment. The ministry focuses on the status of non bio-degradable wastes, which may threaten the environment. The report aims to assist in controlling the flow of non bio-degradable items into the consumer marketplace.
G At the end of each financial year the Council alters its plan and operational procedures to meet the changing needs created in waste management. A household survey is conducted annually with a sample size of 25,000 houses to compile household feedback on waste management services.
Questions 8 - 14
SECTION 2
PTIM is a partially government-run training institute for skilled migrants. We focus on three key development areas for migrant professionals in the UK:
A. Getting professionals used to UK corporate culture
B. Offering industry-specific further training to meet UK industry standards
C. Placing professionals in appropriate organisations
How to enrol
To enrol in any of our courses, book an appointment by calling 41 25 32 36 or visiting our website. Bring along to the initial interview your skilled migration visa along with all your previous educational and work-related documents. Provide us with as much detail as possible so we can determine what kind of training will be best for you. If you are offered a place in one of our courses, you will be notified within five business days and sent an enrolment form to complete.
Fees and facilities
All students enjoy a subsidised rate for training which varies from course to course. Our courses range in price from around £200 to £1200. Fees cover all training costs and use of our resource library, internet and audio-visual materials. A field trip to an organisation within your industry is also included.
Withdrawal
If you are allocated a course and want to withdraw, you need to do so at least 2 weeks prior to the commencement date in order to avoid a fine. Depending upon the cost of the course, a late withdrawal fine ranging from 10% to up to half the total fee may be charged – contact the registrar if you have any questions.
Questions 15-20
15 PTIM is owned by the government.
16 Corporate cultures in the UK and other countries are quite similar.
17 All courses are conducted in English.
18 PTIM has relationships with many different businesses.
19 Migrant professionals pay a reduced price for all PTIM courses.
20 Withdrawing from a course one week before it starts may cost 50% of the course fee.
Read the information below and answer Questions 21-27.
Food and Beverage Company Limited (FBCL), Manchester
FBCL is a privately owned company that has operated in Manchester for 15 years. We specialise in the production of a range of food and drink items which we market under several brand names primarily in the Manchester area. FBCL follows a decentralised management practice and is an equal opportunity employer. A significant portion of our employee base consists of professional migrants. As the assessment procedures of overseas degrees and professional experience are different than our domestic staff, all applications from migrant professionals go through a different recruitment process.
Positions vacant are always advertised in regional newspapers which include a full description of the job responsibilities and qualifications required. Our recruitment ads can also be found on our website. We collect all the applications sent to us within the stipulated deadlines. We then sort the applications into two groups – applicants with UK-based education and qualifications and all other applicants. Two different recruitment teams within FBCL assess these groups of applications since the method used to evaluate and validate details for each group differ significantly.
UK-based applicants are evaluated and short-listed. We examine university degree details – degree(s) achieved, units studied and results awarded. Regarding professional records, we concentrate on previous positions and job responsibilities. In most cases we do a reference check with previous UK employers. Non-UK applicants are sent to a specialised independent recruitment company located in Manchester. The recruitment company is highly experienced in application evaluation with agent offices in over 120 countries. This ensures excellence in this phase of the selection process. At times, government databases are used in evaluations to ensure fixing of standards. Contact with international employers is occasionally made.
Once the applications from both groups have been reviewed and possible candidates selected, they are combined on one list. The next stage of the process involves applications being further reviewed and a short-list is created by the directors of the company. The candidates in this new short list have made the final round and are then called for a face-to-face interview with the personnel manager.
Applicants selected by the personnel manager to join the company need to undergo a basic physical check-up at a preferred medical centre in Manchester. All those selected are then sent for compulsory 2 week training at FBCL headquarters, which is located 25km west of the metropolitan city. A lump-sum payment is made for the session with living expenses also covered.
After successful completion of the training, candidates are placed in marketing, sales or office positions. A provisional period of 3 months applies to all positions after which appointments become permanent. During the provisional period, benefits reserved for permanent employees are not included in the salary package, only a basic salary is paid.
Questions 21 - 27
21 Recruitment procedures at FBCL are different for international professionals because
Read the passage and answer questions 28-40
Bushwalking
In the United Kingdom bushwalking is usually referred to as hiking – an activity that people do as a form of physical exercise rather than a form of outdoor enjoyment. In Australia, people bushwalk as a form of mental recreation and social interaction. In New Zealand, bushwalking or tramping, as it is called there, is seen more as a group trip for at least a couple of days where walkers stay overnight in different sites as a part of their journey. The Indian and Nepalese version of bushwalking is where participants enjoy trekking through forests and mountains.
Although tours by motorised vehicles have made it easy for people to satisfy their quest for exploration, the value and charm of bushwalking has remained unique as one of the most natural ways of exploring nature. Unlike vehicle tours, bushwalking creates no noise pollution so the environment is largely left unspoiled.
In the early 1900s, the popularity of bushwalking as an adventure sport began to rise. The USA promoted it for the first time in an organised way by forming bushwalking clubs. A ‘hiking boom’ hit the USA in the 1930s as people joined bushwalking clubs by the thousands. These clubs brought together like-minded supporters of bushwalking and forged a strong connection with governmental authorities who developed and implemented infrastructure for bushwalking. As a consequence, by the end of 1950s, bushwalking trails in the USA were established countrywide which, over time, led to an increase in the number of bushwalking clubs countrywide.
In the 1950s, Australia had around 20 bushwalking societies but today the number stands at well over 200. In the UK, some private tour companies and bushwalking guilds, have designed guided bushwalking tours ranging from a single day to over 2 weeks. Canada invites adventurous tourists from around the globe to bushwalk through its vast Rocky Mountains. New Zealand’s South Island is considered by many to be more attractive than the North Island for three major geographical features - its vast forests of Podocarpus trees, Kahurangi Mountain and the Paparoa caves. In India, increasingly huge numbers trek the Dzongri-Goechala trail of Sikkim and the trails of the Himalayas. In Africa, the countries of Congo, Kenya, Morocco, Uganda and Zambia are very popular for national and international bushwalkers.
The reasons people bushwalk vary – often it is not simply a journey to reach a destination but rather an open-ended journey where the experience along the way is more important than actually reaching the destination. Taking photographs of the flora and fauna and exploring the natural landscapes are popular activities also enjoyed while bushwalking. Sometimes it is not only for pleasure - zoology, botany, environmental science or forestry professionals sometimes bushwalk for research purposes.
There is a generally agreed etiquette among experienced bushwalkers which includes how they should treat the bush and how they should treat other fellow-walkers. The approach toward the bush known as ‘Minimum Impact Bushwalking (MIB)’ has been adopted in many countries and encourages bushwalkers to never harm the environment. The MIB motto is simply, ‘Take nothing but photos, leave nothing but footprints’. The second piece of bushwalker etiquette relates to noise that may disturb other fellow bushwalkers. It is expected that bushwalkers keep noise to a minimum while walking and do not carry any items such as radios or other electronic equipment that can create continuous noise.
Although bushwalkers anticipate adventure and enjoyment, bushwalking can result in life-threatening situations if precautions are not taken. Some of the circumstances that pose the greatest threat include becoming lost, inclement weather; hazardous terrain which can result in internal injuries such as an ankle sprain1; dehydration, exposure causing hypothermia and even sunburn are also among the perils bushwalkers may need to negotiate. To help bushwalkers, experts have developed a check-list, which is well known among bushwalkers as the ‘Ten Essentials of Bushwalking’ - map, compass, sunglasses, food & water, extra clothes, torch, first aid kit, fire starter, knife and, at least one other fellow bushwalker!
Questions 28-30
List of countries
Questions 31-36
Check-In Information
Manchester City Council: Household Waste Management |
This leaflet contains guidelines for every household within the Manchester City Council area regarding the disposal of household waste. We hope that all households will strive to implement our 7-phase Waste Management Strategy 2010-2014.
A All houses are provided with three bins: Red, Yellow and Green. Each bin has dimensions of 1 metre by ¼ metre by ¼ metre. Regular household waste such as food scraps, must be placed in the red bin. Residents must put all their recyclable waste - paper, bottles and cans - into the yellow bin. The green bin is for green waste such as grass, plants or household garden waste.
B City council waste trucks collect bins on Fridays between 6am and 4pm. Each truck will empty each of the three types of bins separately. Bins should be placed outside homes, close to the front door or the driveway of the house before 6am.
C Initially, all regular household waste is unloaded from the collection trucks and transported to the Eastern City Land Filling Project. Some of the rubbish collected is used as landfill. It is therefore very important that non bio-degradable items such as plastic bags and bottles are not placed inside green bins.
D Containers with recyclable waste are stored inside a warehouse to sell to privately owned companies that specialise in the re-packaging and reuse of used products. Funds generated from the sale of these products are injected into the annual council budget.
E Containers holding green waste are picked up by the logistics division of the State Fertiliser Department who transport the raw material to their fertiliser factory. There the green waste is converted into fertiliser. The council does not earn anything from this activity as the state-owned factory runs on government subsidies, providing fertiliser to the rural farmers at cost.
F A quarterly survey is conducted with the assistance of an independent research firm to measure the proportion of all different waste types. The findings are forwarded to the Ministry of Environment. The ministry focuses on the status of non bio-degradable wastes, which may threaten the environment. The report aims to assist in controlling the flow of non bio-degradable items into the consumer marketplace.
G At the end of each financial year the Council alters its plan and operational procedures to meet the changing needs created in waste management. A household survey is conducted annually with a sample size of 25,000 houses to compile household feedback on waste management services.
– Manchester City Council, PO BOX 40 99, MNC, UK –
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PTIM is a partially government-run training institute for skilled migrants. We focus on three key development areas for migrant professionals in the UK:
A. Getting professionals used to UK corporate culture
Corporate cultures vary from country to country and sometimes, professionals migrating to the UK can find it challenging to adjust to the new culture. The challenges migrants face are usually related to employee-employer relationships, employee rights and responsibilities and professional relationships with colleagues. PTIM will assist migrant professionals to understand corporate culture in the UK prior to starting their professional life.
B. Offering industry-specific further training to meet UK industry standards
Sometimes prior qualifications and experience do not exactly match the requirements of UK employers. PTIM offers 32 short courses each targeted at specific industries – banking, insurance, accounting, law, management and marketing are some. To better enable migrants to prepare for the English standards required in UK industries, training is available in both written and spoken English.
C. Placing professionals in appropriate organisations
PTIM is well-connected with over 1,200 commercial organisations in a variety of industries. Although it is not guaranteed that the training at PTIM will lead to a job, it will help make finding a job much easier. PTIM organises a bi-annual job fair at its premises where our trainees can meet with employers and company representatives. These have proven to be very effective with around 30% of our trainees finding employment after the fair.
How to enrol
To enrol in any of our courses, book an appointment by calling 41 25 32 36 or visiting our website. Bring along to the initial interview your skilled migration visa along with all your previous educational and work-related documents. Provide us with as much detail as possible so we can determine what kind of training will be best for you. If you are offered a place in one of our courses, you will be notified within five business days and sent an enrolment form to complete.
Fees and facilities
All students enjoy a subsidised rate for training which varies from course to course. Our courses range in price from around £200 to £1200. Fees cover all training costs and use of our resource library, internet and audio-visual materials. A field trip to an organisation within your industry is also included.
Withdrawal
If you are allocated a course and want to withdraw, you need to do so at least 2 weeks prior to the commencement date in order to avoid a fine. Depending upon the cost of the course, a late withdrawal fine ranging from 10% to up to half the total fee may be charged – contact the registrar if you have any questions. |
Food and Beverage Company Limited (FBCL), Manchester
Overseas Personal Recruitment Procedure
|
FBCL is a privately owned company that has operated in Manchester for 15 years. We specialise in the production of a range of food and drink items which we market under several brand names primarily in the Manchester area. FBCL follows a decentralised management practice and is an equal opportunity employer. A significant portion of our employee base consists of professional migrants. As the assessment procedures of overseas degrees and professional experience are different than our domestic staff, all applications from migrant professionals go through a different recruitment process.
Positions vacant are always advertised in regional newspapers which include a full description of the job responsibilities and qualifications required. Our recruitment ads can also be found on our website. We collect all the applications sent to us within the stipulated deadlines. We then sort the applications into two groups – applicants with UK-based education and qualifications and all other applicants. Two different recruitment teams within FBCL assess these groups of applications since the method used to evaluate and validate details for each group differ significantly.
UK-based applicants are evaluated and short-listed. We examine university degree details – degree(s) achieved, units studied and results awarded. Regarding professional records, we concentrate on previous positions and job responsibilities. In most cases we do a reference check with previous UK employers. Non-UK applicants are sent to a specialised independent recruitment company located in Manchester. The recruitment company is highly experienced in application evaluation with agent offices in over 120 countries. This ensures excellence in this phase of the selection process. At times, government databases are used in evaluations to ensure fixing of standards. Contact with international employers is occasionally made.
Once the applications from both groups have been reviewed and possible candidates selected, they are combined on one list. The next stage of the process involves applications being further reviewed and a short-list is created by the directors of the company. The candidates in this new short list have made the final round and are then called for a face-to-face interview with the personnel manager.
Applicants selected by the personnel manager to join the company need to undergo a basic physical check-up at a preferred medical centre in Manchester. All those selected are then sent for compulsory 2 week training at FBCL headquarters, which is located 25km west of the metropolitan city. A lump-sum payment is made for the session with living expenses also covered.
After successful completion of the training, candidates are placed in marketing, sales or office positions. A provisional period of 3 months applies to all positions after which appointments become permanent. During the provisional period, benefits reserved for permanent employees are not included in the salary package, only a basic salary is paid.
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Read the passage and answer questions 28-40
There is a generally agreed etiquette among experienced bushwalkers which includes how they should treat the bush and how they should treat other fellow-walkers. The approach toward the bush known as ‘Minimum Impact Bushwalking (MIB)’ has been adopted in many countries and encourages bushwalkers to never harm the environment. The MIB motto is simply, ‘Take nothing but photos, leave nothing but footprints’. The second piece of bushwalker etiquette relates to noise that may disturb other fellow bushwalkers. It is expected that bushwalkers keep noise to a minimum while walking and do not carry any items such as radios or other electronic equipment that can create continuous noise.
TRUE
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if the statement agrees with the information
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FALSE
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if the statement contradicts the information
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NOT GIVEN
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if there is no information on this
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31 People in the UK bushwalk to keep fit.
32 The USA is the most popular bushwalking country in the world.
33 The Paparoa caves are in New Zealand’s South Island.
34 Bushwalking in Canada can be dangerous.
35 Excessive cold and storms are major threats to bushwalkers.
36 According to experts, individuals should not bushwalk alone.
32 The USA is the most popular bushwalking country in the world.
33 The Paparoa caves are in New Zealand’s South Island.
34 Bushwalking in Canada can be dangerous.
35 Excessive cold and storms are major threats to bushwalkers.
36 According to experts, individuals should not bushwalk alone.
Questions 37-40
Answer the questions below.
Chose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 36-40 on your answer sheet.
37 Who follows a set of rules in the bush?
38 What does Minimum Impact Bushwalking encourage bushwalkers to protect?
39 What should bushwalkers keep at a low level?
40 What can cause internal wounds amongst bushwalkers?
Answers
1 first floor • It is mentioned that the check-in counters are located on the first floor of the airport.
2 blue • The text states that non-UK passport holders should report to the blue counter board.
3 15 minutes before • It is mentioned that no guarantees can be given to passengers that check-in 15 minutes before flight departures.
4 boarding pass • It is stated in the text that ‘for special seating needs, please notify a crew member before your boarding pass is issued’.
5 Luggage Declaration Form • It is mentioned that items sensitive to an X-ray (which is a part of the security checking process) should be mentioned on the Luggage Declaration form. If filled in, the aiport will take responsibility for any damage (this is a kind of insurance).
6 Economy Class • It is stated that for Economy Class the maximum allowance is 20kg. It is also stated that excess baggage will incur an extra cost, this means Economy Class passengers with 30kg baggage will pay more.
7 food • It is mentioned that 'adequate (i.e. enough) food considerations must also be made for the animal being transported'.
8 G • Phase G mentions that at the end of each financial year the Council alters its plan and operational procedures to meet the changing needs of waste management, which means that practices are current.
9 D • It is mentioned in phase D that the council earns money by selling the recyclable waste to privately owned companies.
10 A • Phase A gives instruction regarding different types of waste for different bins – regular household waste in red bin, recyclable waste in yellow and green waste in green bin.
11 C • Phase C mentions about the place where all collected rubbish are first taken – “Initially, all regular household waste is unloaded from the collection…”.
12 B • Phase B mentions about where to put the bins for emptying - outside homes, close to the front door or the driveway of the house.
13 F • Phase F states about a study that is forwarded (i.e. passed on) to the Ministry of Environment, which refers to a government office.
14 E • It is mentioned in phase E that green waste is transformed into fertiliser, which is a nourishing ingredient for the growth of the crops.
15 Not Given • It is mentioned that PTIM is a partially government-run institute. Whether or not it is owned by the government is not given.
16 False • The passage states that corporate cultures vary (i.e. not similar) from country to country and sometimes, professionals migrating to the UK can find it challenging to adjust to the new culture.
17 Not Given • It is stated that there are training courses for various industries and also there are courses on English language. Whether or not all courses (i.e. industry specific courses too) are conducted in English is not given.
18 True • It is mentioned that PTIM is well-connected (i.e. has relationship) with over 1,200 commercial organisations (i.e. businesses) in a variety of industries.
19 True • The passage states that migrant professionals are charged a subsidised rate (i.e. reduced price) for training.
20 True • It is mentioned that a late if withdrawal is not at least 2 weeks prior then fine can be up to half the total fee (i.e. 50% of the course fee).
21 C • It is mentioned that the assessment procedures of overseas degrees and professional experience (i.e. formal qualification and work task) are different than the domestic staff.
22 B • It is mentioned that position vacant ads are placed in newspapers as well as on the website (i.e. online) of the company.
23 D • It is stated that for UK based applicants in most cases the company does a reference check with previous UK employers (i.e. past places of work). 9 | Page fb.com/IELTSClick
24 B • The text states that the recruitment company is highly experienced in application evaluation with agent offices in over 120 countries. This ensures excellence in this phase of the selection process. It also mention that at times government databases are used in evaluations to ensure fixing of standards. All of this keeps the selection process standards high.
25 A • It is mentioned that the directors of the company further review and short-list the candidates (i.e. the directors reduce the number of applicants).
26 D • Applicants selected by the personnel manager to join the company (i.e. staff) undergo a basic physical check-up.
27 C • It is mentioned that after the training the candidates are paid a basic salary (i.e. wage).
F
G
H • It is stated that in the USA the number of bushwalking clubs (i.e. associations) continued to grow till date.
• It is mentioned that in Australia there are now over 200 bushwalking societies (i.e. associations).
• It is mentioned that in the UK bushwalking guilds (i.e. associations) organise tours.
31 True • It is mentioned that in the UK bushwalking is seen as a form of physical exercise (i.e. people do it to keep fit).
32 Not Given • It is mentioned that the USA pioneered bushwalking clubs and developed countrywide trails. But, whether or not the USA is the most popular country for bushwalking is not given.
33 True • It is mentioned that New Zealand’s South Island is more attractive for bushwalking because the Paparoa caves are there.
34 Not Given • The passage mentions about some dangerous consequences of bushwalking in general. Whether or not bushwalking in Canada is dangerous is not given.
35 True • It is mentioned that inclement weather (i.e. stormy/cold weather) as well as hypothermia (a condition caused by excessive cold) are threats.
36 True • It is mentioned in the check-list by bushwalking experts that there should be at least one fellow bushwalker, which means individuals should not bushwalk alone.
37 experienced bushwalkers • It is mentioned that there is a generally agreed etiquette (i.e. rules governing acceptable behaviour) among experienced bushwalkers.
38 the environment • It is stated that ‘Minimum Impact Bushwalking (MIB)’ encourages bushwalkers to never harm (i.e. to protect) the environment.
39 noise • It is mentioned that bushwalkers should keep noise to a minimum (i.e. low level of noise) while walking.
40 hazardous terrain • It is stated that hazardous terrain can result in internal injuries (i.e. wounds).
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