Table of Contents
BEST IELTS General Reading Test 126
GENERAL READING TEST 126 – PASSAGE – 2
GENERAL READING TEST – 126
READING PASSAGE – 2
Rules and Regulations for Members Bringing Guests and Children to the Leisure Centre
Members’ Guests over 18.
Members are welcome to introduce guests to the club. Guests are required to register, pay the current guest fee and must be accompanied by a Member.
Members must ensure that their guests are fully aware of the clubs Terms & Conditions and Rules & Regulations.
Each Member can introduce the same person no more than 6 times per year as a guest.
The owners take no responsibility for accidents, injuries, misadventure, theft or damage to personal belongings experienced by guests of the club.
Children
Members are allowed to bring their children to the leisure centre during certain hours. Children’s hours are Monday to Friday 10am – 12noon and 3pm – 5pm. At weekends and on national holidays children are allowed to use the centre between 12 noon – 4pm.
A child is any individual under 16. All under 16’s should be supervised by an adult (over 18) when using the facilities during children’s hours. At age 17 all users must pay an adult membership fee.
Children under the age of 12 are not allowed to use the steam room, hot spa or sauna.
Questions 14 – 17
Based on the text above complete each sentence with the correct ending A-G below.
Write the correct letter A-G in boxes 14-17.
A. before 12 noon on workdays.
B. cannot use all leisure centre facilities
C. up to six occasions under guest terms.
D. may use the spa in the company of an adult.
E. unless a member is with them
F. during times it is open to children.
G. after 5pm on week days
14. Adult guests are not allowed to use the facilities
15. Non members can visit the gym
16. Children are not allowed to use the leisure centre
17. 11 year olds
Negotiating a pay rise
For many people, one of the hardest discussions they have with senior management is about a raise in pay. Employees often choose to look for a better paid position within another company rather than face their own boss, but that is a situation that can have a negative impact on the employee (who is seen to lack loyalty to the company) and the employer (who stands to lose a trained staff member who works well and has a good knowledge of the company). However, there are some salary negotiation tactics that might just help.
The most common error is, when finally gathering the courage to address the situation, many employees simply immediately accept whatever offer is first made. Research shows that younger job-seekers and female job-seekers often make this mistake – either from not completely understanding the negotiation process or from a dislike or discomfort with the idea of negotiating.
There is, of course, the financial aspect of not receiving a higher compensation, but more importantly this can have a significant effect on motivation and morale and can eventually lead an employee who hastily accepted an inadequate offer to begin to resent both the job and the employer.
Another common error is rating your required raise based on a value you personally need or would like. Few employers care whether you have enough money to pay for your mortgage or other bills, so negotiations should be based on your value to the company, based on good research of similar companies. Also, if possible, the actual figure aimed for in the negotiation should not be revealed until the last possible moment, giving as much flexibility as possible. Immediately blurting out a figure it then becomes clear the company will not meet puts both the employer and employee in an uncomfortable position.
As previously mentioned, one of the key factors in a successful salary negotiation is research and preparation. With the number and variety of salary resources available online — from salary.com and salaryexpert.com to professional associations – there should be no reason not to have an accurate market value in mind.
However, despite all the preparation and right attitude in the negotiation, there is another pitfall – declining an offer too quickly as it was lower than expected. A careful balance needs to be struck here; we have looked at the risks of accepting too quickly, but declining an offer can mean that the negotiation has nowhere to go. There are two points to consider at this juncture: a raise can also come in the form of other benefits such as better health cover, so if the money offered is low, think about discussing the perks of the job.
The second point is that you have to be realistic – if the job market is low and the company is not having a particularly outstanding year, you may have to accept a lower offer. However, if this is the case, it is common to request a review of the salary at a time in the not-too-distant future.
The final point that is essential in any business negotiation is not to take any rejection or low offers personally. Employees should maintain a professional approach to their job, and a salary negotiation is no exception. If negotiations break down between you and the employer, move on graciously, thanking the employer again for the opportunity — because you never want to burn any bridges.
Questions 18-23
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text above?
In boxes 18-23, 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
18. A mistake equally common across all types of employee is the premature acceptance of the first offer for a pay rise.
19. Employees can become demoralised despite having a pay raise.
20. Many people are unsuccessful in salary discussions because of poor research.
21. It is important to be clear what pay rise is expected at the beginning of the negotiation.
22. A negotiation could include a discussion of other benefits as well as salary.
23. You should avoid a pay negotiation when the employment market is not strong.
6 Rules for writing a successful cover letter
Rule #1
The first rule of most job applications is simple – never send your CV without a cover letter. Without it, your application will seem unprofessional and unprepared, and equally importantly, you will miss out on an opportunity to start ‘selling’ your abilities and qualifications to the potential employer.
Rule #2
When starting your cover letter, it is important to address it to a named individual rather than a general salutation like ‘Dear Sir or Madam’. It is, of course, very important that your cover letter is tailored specifically for the position you are applying for – sending an almost identical cover letter and CV to 10 employers is less likely to success than specifically targeting 2 or 3 and adapting your application to highlight the key features you feel are most relevant for the position.
Rule #3
From there, the next step is the first paragraph, and this is the point at which employers often make the crucial decision whether to consider your application or reject it. Avoid beginning with a standard, non-specific phrase such as ‘I am writing with regard the position advertised in…’; instead, try to be a little more dynamic – ‘My experience in the service industry offers much to a company that seeks motivated individuals in its employment, and am eager to put my solid education to work in a position such as the one you advertised in ..’.
Obvious statements such as ‘Please find my CV enclosed’ written in a cover letter should also be avoided – the potential employer will be well aware of what has been enclosed. In total, the cover letter should never spill on to a second page – if it does, then you haven’t been succinct enough.
Rule #4
In your letter, your aim should be to highlight the areas in which the company would benefit from having you as an employee; make sure that you don’t make the mistake of writing about how the job would be of benefit to you. For example, ‘I feel that working for such a dynamic company would suit my personality’ would be better phrased as ‘I feel that I could contribute to such a dynamic company.’
Rule #5
Other points to bear in mind about your letter are that you should always avoid negativity in any form, and make sure you have included a number of ways that the employer can contact you, even if that same information is on your CV. The more work you make the employer do to offer you the job, the less inclined they may be to actually offer it. When you have finished your cover letter, read it again carefully (ideally, ask a friend to read it as you might not notice typographical or grammatical errors you have made). Once that’s done, make sure that you sign the letter by hand, preferably in blue ink to stand out from darker, printed text.
Rule #6
The final point is that if you are serious about applying for the position and are keen to get an interview, you should take the initiative in your letter and tell the employer that you will follow up. Opinions vary, but it is generally acceptable to call 3 days after sending the CV, without necessarily waiting for the closing date for applications.
Questions 24-28
Based on the text above, for which rules are the following statements true?
Write the correct letter A-F in boxes 24–28. You may use any letter more than once.
A. Rule #1
B. Rule #2
C. Rule #3
D. Rule #4
E. Rule #5
F. Rule #6
24. Simplify for the employer
25. Don’t use redundant phrases
26. Avoid generalizations
27. Highlight your abilities to your employer
28. Keep it concise
ANSWERS ARE BELOW
ANSWERS
14. E
15. C
16. G
17. B
18. FALSE
19. TRUE
20. NOT GIVEN
21. FALSE
22. TRUE
23. NOT GIVEN
24. E
25. C
26. B
27. A
28. C