GT Reading Test 17
GT Reading Test 17
GT Reading Test 17
Questions 1-14
Read the text below and answer Questions 1-5.
Is Your Child at School Today?
School Attendance Information for Parents/Carers
Introduction
Receiving a good full-time education will give your child
the best possible start in life. Attending school regularly
and punctually is essential if children are to make the most
of the opportunities available to them. The law says that
parents must ensure that their child regularly attends the
school where he/she is registered.
What you can do to help
• Make sure your child arrives at school on time. This
encourages habits of good timekeeping and lessens any
possible classroom disruption. If your child arrives after
the register has closed without a good reason, this will be
recorded as an ‘unauthorised’ absence for that session.
• If your child has to miss school it is vital that you let the
school know why, preferably on the first morning of
absence. (Your child’s school will have an attendance
policy explaining how this should be done.)
• If you know or think that your child is having difficulties
attending the school you should contact the school. It is
better to do this sooner rather than later, as most
problems can be dealt with very quickly.
Authorised and Unauthorised Absence
If your child is absent and the school either does not
receive an explanation from you, or considers the
explanation unsatisfactory, it will record your child’s
absence as ‘unauthorised’, that is, as truancy.
Most absences for acceptable reasons will be authorised
by your child’s school:
• Sickness
• Unavoidable medical or dental appointments (if possible,
arrange these for after school or during school holidays)
• An interview with a prospective employer or college
• Exceptional family circumstances, such as bereavement
• Days of religious observance.
Your child’s school will not authorise absence for the
following reasons:
• Shopping during school hours
• Day trips
• Holidays which have not been agreed
• Birthdays
• Looking after brothers or sisters or ill relatives.
Questions 1-5
Do the following statements agree with the information
given in the text?
In boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet, write
TRUE if the statement is true
FALSE if the statement is false
NOT GIVEN if the information is not given in the passage
1 Children must go to the school where they are
registered.
2 All arrivals after the register has closed are recorded as
‘unauthorised’ absences.
3 If your child is absent from school, you must send the
school a letter to explain why.
4 Staff who think a child is having difficulties at school will
contact the parents.
5 Schools will contact other authorities about children
who take frequent unauthorised absences.
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SECTION 2
Questions 15-27
Read the text below and answer Questions 15-21.
GZJ TRAVEL – Recruitment Info
We’re looking for keen and effective people who are
passionate about travel to work as Travel Sales
Consultants in our rapidly-growing team. Our recruitment
process has five stages. Here’s how it works:
The first stage is to use our online application form to
apply for a current vacancy. This is your chance to tell us
about yourself, and the qualities and experience you have
that make you the ideal person for the job. For the Travel
Sales Consultant role, you’ll need to provide us with
evidence that you have extensive experience in a
marketing environment, as well as a solid academic
background. If you’re interested in a career as a Corporate
Travel Consultant, you’ll need at least one year’s
experience as a Travel Consultant.
If you reach Stage Two, we’ll arrange a telephone
discussion, where you can find out more about us,
including the rewards on offer. For instance, once a year
we like to acknowledge outstanding efforts and celebrate
successes with our co-workers, and we have prize-giving
ceremonies designed to do just this.
In Stage Three we’ll be able to give you more information
about GZJ Travel and find out more about you, at an
interview which you’ll attend with a small group of other
applicants. We’ll be asking you about your ambitions and
of course your sales ability, the most vital quality for our
business. You’ll also be required to complete a
psychometric test so we can find out more about your
working style and characteristics. We’ll also tell you about
some of the perks – for example, as a Flight Center
employee you can take advantage of the free
consultations conducted by our in-house health and
wellbeing team, Healthwise.
Next, in Stage Four, you’ll be introduced to the Area
Leader and you’ll also visit one of our shops, where you’ll
meet the team and find out more about the sort of work
that’s involved. If you successfully pass Stage Four,
you’ve reached the final stage of the process and we’ll be
in touch with a job offer! And if you accept, we’ll book you
into our Learning Center to get your training underway as
soon as possible. Careerwise, the department responsible
for the training, will then organise individual coaching to
assist in setting goals for your career path.
Questions 15-21
Complete the process/flow-chart below.
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the text for
each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 15-21 on your answer sheet.
GZJ Travel – Recruitment Process
Stage One – Application form
• Go online and apply for jobs advertised.
• Give proof of achievement so far both in education and
in a 15……………………
(Note: additional requirements for applicants interested in
the role of 16……………………)
↓
Stage Two – Telephone discussion
• More information is given about company and
the 17…………………… you could receive.
• Information about the annual event, where the prizes are
given to those who have made 18……………………
↓
Stage Three – Group interview
• Chance to tell us about how good you are at selling, and
also about the 19…………………… you have.
• Take part in a 20…………………… (used to learn about
your way of working)
• Information given on benefits (e.g. health consultations)
↓
Stage Four – Individual interview
• Meet a manager, and the 21…………………… working
in a particular store.
↓
Stage Five – Job offer
• Job offer sent out to successful applicants.
Read the text below and answer Questions 22-27.
Hilton Laboratory
Health and safety in the workplace
Personal safety
You must be familiar with the emergency procedures in
your building so that you know what to do in the event of
fire, spillages or other accidents. Do not enter restricted
areas without authorisation, and at all times observe the
warnings given. Do not wedge open fire doors or tamper
with door closures, and do not block doorways, corridors
or stairs, as obstructions may affect access in the event of
a fire. Avoid leaving drawers and doors open
unnecessarily and do not trail cables or flexes across the
floor.
How to dispose of rubbish safely
We aim to protect the environment by saving and recycling
glass, waste paper, and an increasing range of other
materials. It is important to check materials carefully for
contamination before placing them in recycling containers.
Never put sharp objects such as razor blades or broken
glass into waste bins without having wrapped the items
carefully to protect those emptying the bins. Other waste
procedures may vary – contact your Building Manager or
Divisional Safety Officer for advice with regard to your
particular department.
How to handle heavy objects
Make sure that shelves are not overloaded and that glass
and heavy objects are stored at working height where they
will be easier to reach. Use steps or ladders to reach items
at height; never climb on benches, tables or chairs. Never
move anything that is beyond your capability. Wherever
possible you should use the trolleys provided in the
workplace to do the job for you. If repetitive manual
operations are routine in your work, your department will
ensure you receive appropriate instruction on safe working
practices and posture.
Staying alert
If you become mentally or physically tired during the
working day, and find that you’re feeling drowsy or not
concentrating properly, you could be at risk of causing an
accident or making a mistake that could harm you or your
colleagues. To prevent this, make sure that you take
regular breaks when necessary.
Questions 22-27
Complete the sentences below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the text for each
answer.
Write your answers in boxes 22-27 on your answer sheet.
22 There are certain places in the building that staff
should avoid unless they have ……………………
23 To ensure people can get out easily, it is important that
there are no …………………… to exits.
24 Items which could cause injury must be
…………………… before they are disposed of.
25 Not all departments have the same system for dealing
with …………………… so you need to check before
throwing things away.
26 …………………… are available to make tasks, which
require moving objects easier.
27 You should have …………………… while you are
working.
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SECTION 3
Questions 28-40
Read the text below and answer Questions 28-40.
The Zebras’ long walk across Africa
James Gifford investigates some interesting new research into
migration patterns of zebras living in Botswana in southern Africa.
A
For any animal to travel over 270 km in Botswana partly
across the sand and low bush terrain of the Kalahari
Desert is a remarkable achievement. But to do so in 11
days and without any obvious motivation, as this zebra
population does, is quite extraordinary. On average their
journey involves an exhausting round-trip of 588 km –
between the Makgadikgadi salt pan area and the
Okavango river – making it second only to the great trek
undertaken by the zebra herds in the Serengeti National
Park. However, what is even more incredible still in my
view is that until recently it was completely unheard of.
B
Hattie Bartlam, a researcher, discovered this migration
while she was tracking zebra groups, officially known as
harems, by the Okavango River for her PhD, Each harem
consists of a stallion and his seven or eight mares with
juvenile foals. There is no loyalty between zebras beyond
this social group, though harems often gather together into
so-called herds. For her study, Hattie had planned to
compare the small-scale movement patterns of 11
different zebra herds in the area.
C
In December, when the annual rains had transformed the
roads into rivers, Hattie was, therefore, more than a little
surprised when she checked the data sent by the radio
collars she fits to the zebras she is tracking to find that six
of the harems were 270 km away on the edge of the
Makgadikgadi, a huge mineral-rich area where salt has
collected over the years as water evaporates in the heat.
Then, when the last of the moisture from the rains had
disappeared in May the following year, five of those
harems came wearily back to the Okavango. This raised
the question: why, despite a plentiful supply of food and
water, were the zebras being drawn eastwards to the salt
pans? Even more difficult to understand was what made
six of the groups travel so far, while the other five
remained by the Okavango.
D
This discovery created quite a buzz in the research
community. I decided to visit Hattie and she explained that
a century ago the large number of Botswana’s zebra and
wildebeest herds and the resulting competition for grass
made migration essential. One of the migration tracks
went from the Okavango to Makgadikgadi. But in the late
1960s, giant fences were put up to stop foot and mouth
and other diseases spreading between wildlife and
domestic cattle. One of these went across the migration
track. Though the animals could get round the obstacle,
each leg of their journey would now be 200 km longer – an
impossible distance given the lack of permanent water on
the extended route. Even today, with the fence gone (it
was taken down in 2004), there is dangerously little
drinking water to support the zebras on the return journey
to the Okavango.
E
As a zebra can live up to 20 years, the migration must
have skipped at least one generation during the 40 or so
years that the fences were up. This prompts another
question: it has always been assumed that the young of
social herbivores like zebras learn migratory behaviour
from their parents, so how did the latest generation learn
when and where to go? Not from their parents, who were
prevented from migrating. Did they follow another species,
such as elephants? We may never know.
F
Hattie’s data points to the conclusion that there are
several zebra populations adopting different behaviour.
The first, like the vast majority of the Okavango zebras,
take it easy, spending the entire year by the river. The
second group, 15,000-20,000 strong, work a bit harder.
They divide their time between the Makgadikgadi salt pans
and the Boteti River, which is reasonably nearby. They
sometimes struggle to find water in the Boteti area during
the dry season, often moving 30 km in search of fresh
grazing. Their reward: the juicy grass around the
Makgadikgadi after the rains. The final group of zebras,
whose numbers are more modest (though as yet
unknown), must surely be considered as among the
animal kingdom’s most remarkable athletes. By moving
between the Okavango and the salt pans, they enjoy the
best of both worlds. But the price they pay is an
extraordinary journey across Botswana.
G
Endangered species naturally tend to grab the headlines,
so it’s refreshing for a relatively abundant animal like the
zebra to be the centre of attention for once. Zebras are a
vital part of the food chain: understanding their migration,
in turn, helps us to interpret the movements of their
predators, and Hattie’s research has shed light on the
impact of fences on migratory animals. So what triggered
her interest in zebras? She explains that it is easier to get
funding to study exciting animals like lions. Crucial as that
undoubtedly is, she believes that herbivores like zebras
are key to understanding any ecosystem. The scientific
community is fortunate that people like Hattie are willing to
take the hard option.
Questions 28-34
The reading passage has seven sections, A-G.
Choose the correct heading for each section from the list
of headings below.
Write the correct number, i-x, in boxes 28-34 on your
answer sheet.
List of Headings
i A decrease in the zebra population
ii An obstruction on the traditional route
iii An unknown species
iv Some confusing information
v Staying permanently in the Makgadikgadi
vi Nearly a record in the zebra world
vii Three different ways of living
viii The original aim of the work
ix How was the information passed on?
x Why it is important to study zebras
28 Section A
29 Section B
30 Section C
31 Section D
32 Section E
33 Section F
34 Section G
Questions 35-37
Complete the summary below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the text for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 35-37 on your answer sheet.
Social behaviour in zebras
Zebras tend to live together in small units, which experts
call 35………………… . Here, a male zebra has charge of
a number of adult 36………………… and their young.
These units sometimes assemble in bigger groupings
or 37…………………, but it is still clear that the zebras’
loyalty only extends to the small unit they live in.
Questions 38-40
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Write the correct letter in boxes 38-40 on your answer sheet.
38 How did Hattie feel when she heard some of the
zebras had travelled so far?
A annoyed because she would have to follow them to
Makgadikgadi
B disappointed that not all of them made it back to
Okavango
C frustrated as the rains had made the roads unusable
D unsure as to their real motivation for going
39 When describing the different Botswana zebra
populations, the writer indicates
A his admiration for the ones who migrate the furthest
distance.
B his sympathy for the ones who stay by the Okavango
River.
C his disbelief that those by the Boteti have difficulty
finding food.
D his anxiety that their migration patterns may not be able
to continue.
40 What does the writer suggest in the final paragraph?
A Too much time has been wasted on research into the
predators like lions.
B it is sometimes necessary to go against the trend in
research matters.
C Research will result in a ban on fences in areas where
zebras live.
D Research into animals which are not endangered will
increase.