Table of Contents
BEST IELTS General Reading Test 114
GENERAL READING TEST 114 – PASSAGE – 2
GENERAL READING TEST – 114
READING PASSAGE – 2
Read the text below and answer Questions 15-22.
Safety when working on roofs
A fall from height is the most serious hazard associated with roof work. Preventing falls from roofs is a priority for WorkSafe New Zealand. Investigation by WorkSafe into falls that occur while working at height show that more than 50 percent of falls are from under three metres, and most of these are from ladders and roofs. The cost of these falls is estimated to be $24 million a year – to say nothing of the human costs that result from these falls. More injuries happen on residential building sites than any other workplace in the construction sector.
In order to prevent such injuries, a hazard assessment should be carried out for all work on roofs to assess potential dangers. It is essential that the hazards are identified before the work starts, and that the necessary equipment, appropriate precautions and systems of work are provided and implemented. Hazard identification should be repeated periodically or when there is a change in conditions, for example, the weather or numbers of staff onsite.
The first thing to be considered is whether it is possible to eliminate this hazard completely, so that workers are not exposed to the danger of falling. This can sometimes be done at the design, construction planning, and tendering stage. If the possibility of a fall cannot be eliminated, some form of edge protection should be used to prevent workers from falling. It may be possible to use the existing scaffolding as edge protection.
If this is not practicable, then temporary work platforms should be used. In cases where such protection is not possible, then steps should be taken to minimise the likelihood of any harm resulting. This means considering the use of safety nets and other similar systems to make it less likely that injury will be caused if a fall does occur.
Ladders should only be employed for short-duration maintenance work such as touching up paint. People using ladders should be trained and instructed in the selection and safe use of ladders. There should be inspection of all ladders on a regular basis to ensure they are safe to use.
Questions 15-22
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the text for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 15-22 on your answer sheet.
Safety when working on roofs
Investigations show that
● over half of falls are from less than (15)……………….
● most falls are from ladders and roofs
● falls cost $24 million per year
● the majority of falls occur on (16)……………….
Hazard identification should be carried out
● before the work starts
● when conditions such as the weather or worker numbers change
Controls
● (17)………………. the hazard at the planning stage before the work begins if possible
● prevent a fall by using edge protection, e.g. scaffolding or (18)……………….
● reduce the likelihood of injury, e.g. by using (19)……………..
Ladders
● these should only be used for (20)……………… which does not take a long time
● training should be provided in their (21)…………….. and use
● regular (22)……………… of ladders is required
Read the text below and answer Questions 23-27.
Maternity Allowance for working women
You can claim Maternity Allowance once you’ve been pregnant for 26 weeks. Payments start 11 weeks before the date on which your baby is due.
The amount you can get depends on your eligibility. You could get either:
● £140.98 a week or 90% of your average weekly earnings (whichever is less) for 39 weeks
● £27 a week for 14 weeks
Maternity Allowance for 39 weeks
You might get Maternity Allowance for 39 weeks if one of the following applies:
● you’re employed
● you’re self-employed and pay Class 2 National Insurance (including voluntary National Insurance)
● you’ve recently stopped working
You may still qualify even if you’ve recently stopped working. It doesn’t matter if you had different jobs, or periods when you were unemployed.
Maternity Allowance for 14 weeks
You might get Maternity Allowance for 14 weeks if for at least 26 weeks in the 66 weeks before your baby is due:
● you were married or in a civil partnership
● you were not employed or self-employed
● you took part in the business of your self-employed spouse or civil partner
How to claim
You’ll need an MA1 claim form, available online. You can print this and fill it in, or fill it in online. You also need to provide a payslip or a Certificate of Small Earnings Exemption as proof of your income, and proof of the baby’s due date, such as a doctor’s letter.
You should get a decision on your claim within 24 working days.
You should report any changes to your circumstances, for example, if you go back to work, to your local Jobcentre Plus as they can affect how much allowance you get.
Questions 23-27
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the text for each answer.
23. The maximum amount of money a woman can get each week is £……………… .
24. Being ………………. for a time does not necessarily mean that a woman will not be eligible for Maternity Allowance.
25. In order to claim, a woman must send a ………………. or a Small Earnings Exemption Certificate as evidence of her income.
26. In order to claim, a woman may need to provide a ………………. as evidence of the due date.
27. Payment may be affected by differences in someone’s ………………., such as a return to work, and the local Jobcentre Plus must be informed.
ANSWERS ARE BELOW
ANSWERS
15. 3 / THREE METRES / METERS
16. RESIDENTIAL BUILDING SITES
17. ELIMINATE
18. (TEMPORARY) (WORK) PLATFORMS
19. SAFETY NETS
20. (MAINTENANCE) WORK
21. SELECTION
22. INSPECTION
23. 140.98
24. UNEMPLOYED
25. PAYSLIP
26. DOCTOR’S LETTER
27. CIRCUMSTANCES