Table of Contents
BEST IELTS General Reading Test 199
IELTS GENERAL READING TEST 199 – PASSAGE – 2
IELTS GENERAL READING TEST – 199
READING PASSAGE – 2
How to Choose Charities
You should pick the charities and give money before being asked. Not only are you more likely to find groups whose missions matter to you, but your money will go further. When donors give money in response to a fund-raising appeal, only a portion of the gift goes for the charity’s mission, according to the American Institute of Philanthropy. The rest will be spent on the cost of the appeal.
Here are some other tips to help make sure your money is well spent.
1. Give to groups you know
It’s not always possible, of course, but experts say it’s the best thing to do. “Be very reluctant to give to strangers,” says Dan Moore, vice president of public affairs for Guide Star, an online source of financial information on charities. “If you know the organization and you know their work, you will know with some degree of confidence that your gift will be put to good use.”
IELTS General Reading Test
2. Make sure the charity is the one you think it is
That police association may be based in another state, and do nothing for your local officers. The group that says it grants wishes for sick children may have deliberately adopted a name similar to a well-respected organization. Don’t assume you know the group or what it does.
3. Ask if your gift is tax-deductible
Some nonprofit organizations that solicit gifts are not charities, meaning that you can’t deduct your donation at tax time.
4. Make sure you understand the group’s work
Charities tackle problems in different ways. For example, groups that try to lower the rate of teenage pregnancy may do so by teaching sex education, by promoting sexual abstinence or by offering programs that aim to build self-esteem among teen girls. “There’s no single right answer,” says Guide Star’s Moore. “You want to give a gift that’s addressing a cause that tugs at your heartstrings, in a way that best addresses your needs.”
5. Make sure the charity is legitimate
The Internal Revenue Service maintains a list of all organizations registered as charities. Also check with your state’s attorney general or charities bureau, which is responsible for policing charities within the state and can provide a wealth of information about them. Don’t know your state’s charity regulator? Go towww.nasconet.org, a national association of state charity officers, to find yours.
IELTS General Reading Test
6. Don’t be afraid to ask questions
Charities are required to provide information about their programs and expenses. Start with these questions: How will my gift be spent? How many people did you help last year? In what way? If you don’t get adequate answers, don’t give anything.
7. Find out about expenses
Even if the charity is a good one, you might feel cheated if you later find out that most of your gift went to pay the people who called you up and asked for money, or to pay the salaries of the group’s top officers. In general, efficient groups will spend at least 65 percent of their funds on the causes they support, says Laurie Styron, an analyst with the Chicago-based American Institute of Philanthropy, which rates charities for donors.
The percentage may be lower for groups that support controversial causes such as abortion rights, since those groups have more trouble raising money. You can ask the charity for this information, which it is required to provide, or search the Web. The New York attorney general’s office, for example, has for years published an annual report, “Pennies for Charity,” that details how much money specific charities receive from various telephone appeals.
IELTS General Reading Test
8. Think twice before giving to a university or hospital
While worthy, these institutions are also the heavyweights of the fundraising world, bringing in hundreds of millions of dollars a year. For example, Harvard University’s endowment, the amount of money it has tucked away in savings, now stands at more than $25 billion. Meanwhile, soup kitchens, homeless shelters and other groups often struggle to raise enough to keep going. Many arts organizations also have trouble balancing their budgets. Such groups may not have the resources to solicit funds from you, but that doesn’t mean they won’t appreciate your gift and make good use of it.
9. Protect yourself
Don’t give out credit card or personal information in response to phone, e-mail or door-to-door appeals: They may be fraudulent. If giving online, locate the charity’s Web site yourself rather than linking through an e-mail. Above all, don’t give cash. Your best bet is to mail a check to the organization.
IELTS General Reading Test
Questions 15 – 21
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the text for each answer.
15. Only a percentge of the money from ………………… goes to a charity’s mission.
16. Dan Moore believes you will have more ………………… in charities you know.
17. Be careeful because not all non-profit organisations are registered ………………… .
18. Make sure you receive ………………… to your questions before giving gifts.
19. Organisations which help ………………… may spend less than 65% on the mission itself.
20. Some less well-known organisations who ………………… may well be worthy causes.
21. Some email appeals are unfortunately ………………… .
IELTS General Reading Test
Read the text and answer Questions 22 – 27.
Ethical volunteering overseas
In recent years, concern has grown that some organisations are failing to meet the expectations of overseas volunteers and that volunteers themselves have not thought through what their placement will involve. ‘Volunteers frequently feel let down by the experiences that they have in their host environments,’ says the charity Tourism Concern. ‘Many of those who volunteer do not necessarily understand that they will be involved in development work or what the implications of that are for themselves and the host communities.’
So, before you sign a contract or hand over any money, spend time working out what you want from your overseas volunteering assignment and be realistic about how to achieve this.
IELTS General Reading Test
Questions to ask yourself
For many people, volunteering overseas is a life-changing experience, but a successful placement can only come from matching what you want and can offer with what actually needs to be done. Ethical volunteering is about ensuring the contribution you make is meaningful to the host community and has a lasting, positive impact.
So, start by asking yourself the basics. Why do you want to volunteer overseas? What existing skills and experience do you have to offer already? Consider the practicalities – do you really want to spend months away from your family and friends? Are you prepared to spend time in a country which might not have the infrastructure and amenities you’re used to? And are you able to cope with the cost? See our article on finding an opportunity overseas for more information.
IELTS General Reading Test
Once you have worked out what you have to offer, you are better placed to judge whether your contribution overseas will be meaningful and worthwhile.
It’s also worth asking yourself whether you have fully considered the options available closer to home. There are many ways to make a difference that don’t first require a 12-hour flight and sometimes it can be better to volunteer at home and be a tourist overseas.
Choosing an ethical organisation
It’s easy to assume that if you are volunteering then you’re bound to be doing good, but that isn’t necessarily the case. For example, by offering to work for free, you might even be taking away a job from a local person. A good organisation will ensure that it works in partnership with local communities to ensure volunteers only provide a service a community genuinely needs.
IELTS General Reading Test
Ethical Volunteering has put together a list of seven questions to help you pick an ethical overseas volunteering placement:
1. Exactly what work will you be doing? Can the organisation provide you with a brief job description?
2. Does the organisation work with any local partner organisations?
3. Does the organisation make any financial contribution to its volunteer programmes? If so exactly how much, minus any payments for food and accommodation for volunteers, is this contribution?
4. Does the organisation have any policies on eco and ethical tourism practices, and if so what are these and how are they implemented?
IELTS General Reading Test
5. What time frame is the volunteer programme run on? How long has the programme been running and what are the plans for the future?
6. Can the organisation give you precise contact details for your chosen programme?
7. What support and training will you receive?
Further detail about these questions is available in an Ethical Volunteering leaflet.
Travelling far from home, especially to a developing country, may spark other questions. For example, if the country has an oppressive government, what is the organisation’s attitude towards it and relationship with it? Carbon emissions from flying contribute to global warming – what is the attitude of the organisation towards this? These are tough questions with no easy answers. A good organisation should welcome questions and be ready with some options.
IELTS General Reading Test
Know before you go
If possible, meet a representative of an organisation face-to-face before signing up to a placement. You should also ask them if you can be put in touch with other volunteers – either those still overseas of some who have recently returned. You can meet people yourself through Facebook, Twitter and new volunteering network i-volunteer. Some organisations, like VSO, have their own online communities where you can ask questions and seek advice.
Of course, everyone will have different experiences and one person, is unlikely to persuade you either way. But other volunteers can at least give you a feel for what the placement is like and suggest some further questions you might want to ask the organisation.
IELTS General Reading Test
The web is also your friend when it comes to digging for information on your chosen organisation – check out review sites like www.gapyearreview.co.uk.
Time spent researching before you make a decision about whether or where to go is definitely worthwhile, and reputable organisations should welcome your enquiries. Volunteering overseas frequently requires significant cost and commitment. And it can go wrong, so never be shy of asking what might seem difficult or obvious questions.
Questions 22 – 27
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
22. Many volunteers feel
A. they could have contributed more by the end of their placement
B. disappointed with the experience
C. certain about what their involvement will be
IELTS General Reading Test
23. A successful placement will mainly depend on
A. the questions a volunteer asks themselves
B. how much experience the volunteer has
C. how useful the volunteers skills are for the tasks ahead
24. People who offer to work for no pay
A. are always welcome
B. may be doing more harm than good
C. can often approach the local community directly
25. When choosing an ethical organisation, you should ask
A. about the period of time the volunteer scheme has been operating
B. what contribution the local partner makes to the scheme
C. about their views on the local tourist industry
IELTS General Reading Test
26. A representative of the organisation should be able
A. to direct you to their Facebook page B to meet with you in person
C. to introduce you to other volunteers
27. Other volunteers
A. will be able to answer most of your questions
B. share views on some reputable websites
C. can give you a feel for the cost and commitment required
IELTS General Reading Test
ANSWERS ARE BELOW
IELTS General Reading Test
ANSWERS
15. DONORS
16. CONFIDENCE
17. CHARITIES
18. ADEQUATE ANSWERS
19. CONTROVERSIAL CAUSES
20. SOLICIT FUNDS
21. FRAUDULENT
22. B
23. C
24. B
25. A
26. B
27. B
IELTS General Reading Test