IELTS General Reading Test 59

Read the advertisements below and answer Questions 1-4.

Telephone numbers of resident support services

A I am a 25-year-old nanny with 6 years experience in childcare with babies, toddlers and older children. I also worked with newborn babies in a hospital. I have checkable references, a childcare certificate, police check and a First Aid Certificate. I am a driver and non-smoker. I have lived in Berlin for more than 7 years; my English and Spanish are very good. I am looking for a live-in nanny job in Madrid from November. If you need a loving, caring, responsible person to look after your children and teach them English, please contact me by email or by phone.

B Australian woman 32yrs, experienced PA, seeks job in Malaysia. Available end May. Bilingual in English and French. Partner: French. Work as a couple possible. Email: …

C Indian web publisher seeks work: Website design, desktop publishing, book layout, graphic design. Part time or contract. Experienced, skilled, reliable. Contact: …

D I have experience within banking, hotels, local government and manufacturing – all mostly working in administration type roles with vast experience of Microsoft packages, Sage and a range of other bespoke systems.
I look forward to any replies or guidance …

E Driving job needed

– Highly skilled driver, over 25
– Have held full clean Class Cl licence for 10 years
– Know London extremely well
– Willing to do physical work such as loading trucks
– Want full time work
– Contact …

F Science and Maths lessons given. Experienced tutor, specialising in helping secondary school students with their state exams.
Degree in Physics.
Email …

Questions 1-4
Look at the six job advertisements A-F. NB You may use any letter more than once.

1. Which person wants a teaching job?
2. Which people mention their foreign language skills? (Example: A,B)
3. Who would be willing to do part-time work?
4. Which person describe their personal qualities?

Read the text below and answer Questions 5-10.

Telephone numbers of resident support services

Your work – Problems with your work e.g. pay, tax, hours, contracts, number to dial – 156

Money worries – Opening a bank account, overdraft, borrowing money, debts, overdue bills, number to dial 143

Communication – Access to email and other computer platforms, cheap phone cards and phone lines, using the post office, number to dial 102

Health – Accidents and emergencies, check-ups, dentist, depression and mental health, number to dial 146

Everyday living – Washing your clothes, where to eat, shopping, opening hours, keeping your room clean, number to dial – 133

Free time, hobbies and interests – Clubs, social activities, volunteering, meeting spots, number to dial – 158

Sports – Gym, football, cycling, mountaineering, racquet sports, swimming, keep-fit, number to dial – 144

Papers, papers, papers – Problems with bureaucracy e.g. paying bills, booking accommodation, legal advice, number to dial – 103

Language support – Translation services and facilities, extra English classes, on-line support, number to dial – 105

Adapting – Dealing with new people, new places, culture shock, loneliness – a friendly voice to help you with your problems, number to dial – 104

Religion – Information on services available, venues, number to dial – 157

Personal tutor – All hostel residents are given a personal tutor who they can 116 talk to about anything concerning them . To find out who yours is and how to contact them, ring, number to dial – 116

Questions 5-10
Answer the questions below. NB You may use any number more than once.

What number should you dial if …

5. you don’t know where to buy something you need?
6. you suddenly feel very ill?
7. you are having problems getting used to being in another country?
8. you don’t understand the procedure for finding a place to stay?
9. you want to do some exercise?
10. you don’t know if your salary is right?

Read the text below and answer Questions 11-14.

Giving personal information in job interviews

When you go to job interviews you often need to give personal information about yourself, especially your work experiences, so before you go to the interview:

• Prepare answers to questions which you think the interviewer may ask you.
• Think of examples of your achievements in previous jobs or while at school, and how you have managed any difficult situations.
• Think about your personal strengths and weaknesses, or how you would describe your own personality.
• Make sure that you know the correct English expressions to describe what you have done in the past.

Think about the kind of person the interviewer is looking for. Put yourself in the interviewer’s position. Ask yourself why they should choose to employ you, instead of the other people who are applying. The interviewer will also want to find out about your personal qualities. These are some examples of the kind of person the interviewer may want:

• Team player
• Friendly and fun
• Long-term
• Hard-worker
• Good communication skills
• Honest
• Business-minded
• Flexible

Questions 11-14
Answer the questions below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the text for each answer.

11. What personal information are employers particularly interested in?
12. What should you prepare before the interview?
13. Whose needs must you try to understand in the interview?
14. What other personal information will the interviewer want to know about?

Section 2
Read offer our summer staff below and answer Questions 15-20.

Accommodation for temporary summer staff

We offer our summer staff two kinds of accommodation.

Staying with a family
You can stay in the home of a local family. All our families are carefully chosen and will provide you with a single bedroom. If you have any special dietary requirements we, together with the family, will make sure your needs are met. This year, staying with a family costs £ 150 per week for half board i.e. breakfast and evening meal. There are many advantages of staying with a family: the first is experiencing the culture, seeing from the inside how people live in another country. The others, of course, are making local friends and having opportunities for language practice.

Residential accommodation
If you prefer, you could stay in residential accommodation. This is on the site of the local Tourist Training Institute. It provides individual study bedrooms with en-suite shower facilities and a fully equipped kitchen which you share with other summer workers who will be living in the eight rooms in your block. This option costs £90 per week, including the room, bed linen and towels, and weekly cleaning. It does not include food. In the vicinity of the Institute there are many good, cheap cafes and restaurants, or you could buy food and cook for yourself. On the site, you have access to TV lounges, tennis courts and a swimming pool. If your job application is accepted you will be sent a form for you to complete telling us which accommodation you require, and giving your bank details etc.

Questions 15-20
Answer the questions below. Choose NO MORE THAN FOUR WORDS AND/OR NUMBERS from the text for each answer

15. What kind of room do you get when staying with families?
16. What meals are included in the price?
17. Name one advantage of staying with a family.
18. What private facility does a residential bedroom offer?
19. Who do you share the residential accommodation with?
20. Name a room you can use with other occupants.

Read the text and answer Questions 21-27

McDonald Industrial Training Centre

A. Lincoln
Our training centre is based in the city of Lincoln, close to Hull, Sheffield, Nottingham and the east coast. Over the centuries, Lincoln’s geographic position helped it grow into a well-known market town in the Middle Ages and later into an important industrial centre. Nowadays, with a population of approximately 120,000, Lincoln is a bustling, energetic city, thriving on its recent developments such as IT and the new university as well as its many tourist attractions such as the cathedral, the castle, the Roman remains and its medieval houses. And we must not forget its strong cultural life. Lincoln offers, among other things, theatre, film and archaeology, a famous Christmas market and many events and activities geared towards teenagers and those in their twenties.

B. Around Lincoln
Apart from all the many attractions of the town itself, Lincoln is surrounded by beautiful countryside, and the sea is within easy reach. Nearby too are famous country houses , important nature reserves and historical seaside resorts. You can go seal-spotting, bird watching and swimming in the sea in just one day. All this helps to put Lincoln and Lincolnshire among the most attractive tourist destinations in the UK.

C. McDonald Training Centre
Our newly built training centre is about 3 miles outside Lincoln with which it has excellent transport links. It comprises lecture and seminar rooms, laboratories, workshops, accommodation and leisure facilities such as a cinema and a bowling alley, which are open to the public. It has already won prizes for its outstanding architecture and is surrounded by beautiful woodland.

D. Accommodation
All trainees have single accommodation in residences. This consists of a study bedroom with a private en-suite bathroom. The bedrooms are fully furnished, centrally heated and air-conditioned. Please note that towels and bed-linen are not provided. There are also shared kitchens, which are equipped with fridge, freezer and oven or microwave; trainees need to provide their own cooking ” utensils, crockery and cutlery. The residential accommodation is 2 minutes walk from the training facilities and 5 minutes from bus stops.

Questions 21-27
The text has four sections, A-D. Which section mentions the following? NB You may use any letter more than once.

21. very old buildings
22. somewhere to cook
23. the history of a place
24. things for young people to do
25. an outdoor leisure activity
26. interesting looking buildings
27. what trainees need to bring with them

Section 3
Read the text below and answer questions 28-40.

You and your CV

It is the first thing a future employer sees about you, and if it’s not right, may be the last. An employer will do no more than glance at your CV – it’s estimated that most employers spend more than twenty seconds looking at each CV, so you have very little time to make the impression. Here’s some advice to help you make the most of those twenty seconds.

What it should look like
The first rule of all CVs is to keep them clear and simple – anything complicated or long tends to get rejected instantly. Achieving that is a matter of making good use of lists, bullet points and note form, and of keeping your CV to the right length. There are no fixed rules on how long it should be, and it will vary, of course, according to your age, experience, etc., but keep it to one page if you can – this length is convenient for your reader to work with.

As for style, there are different kinds of layouts you can follow – look at the examples on this site to see which one you prefer – but the basic rule is to use headings well to signal clearly where all the relevant information is. Make sure you include these sections: qualifications, skills, education, work experience, references, personal interests/hobbies, personal qualities, then label them clearly so that your prospective employer can find the information they want quickly and easily.

Content
CVs tend to follow a fixed order. They start with your personal details such as name, address and contact details, then go on to personal qualities such as those things in your personality that might attract an employer e.g. conscientious, adventurous, punctual, etc., and your career goals.

After this comes the main part of your CV starting with education, then work experience. Use reverse chronological order to list these, starting with what you’re doing now. It’s most common to go back no more than 10 years. Give your job details such as job titles, the names of the organisations you worked for, an outline of your job duties and then note your particular achievements.

Then go on to your personal interests and finish up with the details of some good, reliable referees. Your future employer may not follow up on these, but they do make an impression.

Do’s and don’ts
A glance at your CV should create a good impression. Don’t make spelling mistakes, and don’t send in anything crumpled or with coffee stains on it. Anything like that leads to instant rejection. Use good quality A4 paper and don’t send in anything other than a cover letter. Diplomas, testimonials, etc., will be requested later ~ they’re interested in you. When you think you’ve finished writing your CV, read it over very carefully. Check your full stops, use of bullets, indentation, use of capital letters, etc. And never include in your CV anything that’s not true. It’s very easy for an employer to check, and if your CV doesn’t match what they find out, then your chances of getting that job are probably gone.

Finally, carry out the instructions in the job ad very carefully. If they require three copies, then send them three copies, not two or four. Make sure you meet the deadline too, and put the right stamp on your envelope. You’ll need to accompany your CV with a cover letter. This should be tailored to each job you apply for. Follow the link below for advice on how to write a cover letter.

And last of all “Good luck”!

Remember to include:
– Career history
– Skills and strengths
– Awards and achievements
– Contact details

Questions 28-30
Do the following statements agree with the information in the text? In boxes 28-30 on your answer sheet write

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN If there is no information on this

28. CVs are essential when applying for jobs.
29. Employers spend a long time reading applicants’ CVs.
30. The style of CVs varies from country to country.

Questions 31-34
Complete the flowchart below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the text for each answer.

How to write your CV

Your CV should follow this progression:
• Name, address, contact details
• Personal (31)………………: including relevant personality strengths, and immediate career goals
• Education
• Work experience (now long-arrow-right.png (32)……………..years ago; including job details and (33)………………..)
• (34)………………….
• References

Questions 35-40
Complete the summary in the box with words (A-K) below.

A deliver
B ensure
C customise
D look
E let
F listen to
G fit
H check for
I accompany
J attach
K follow

Advice on writing CVs

The article advises people to:

• make sure their CVs (35)…………….good
• (36)…………….. spelling mistakes
• not to (37)…………….any other documents
• (38)……………..them on time
• (39)………………a covering letter for each job
• (40)……………..the instructions of the job advert

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