Table of Contents
BEST IELTS General Reading Test 516
IELTS GENERAL READING TEST 516 – PASSAGE – 2
IELTS GENERAL READING TEST
READING PASSAGE – 2
STRESS AT WORKING PLACE
No doubt, stress has become relatively common today and in a majority of offices it is considered a part of normal routine life. However, stress which is difficult to handle, can harm your productivity and affect your physical and mental wellbeing. Ability to handle stress differs from person to person.
Those who can take it, come out as successful persons in life and those who cannot, are termed losers. True, it’s difficult to control each and every situation at the work place, but that does not mean you are not capable enough to tackle the situation. It is not difficult to find out ways to tackle the problems at work place. One just needs to focus on the solution rather than keep thinking about the problem.
IELTS General Reading Test
It is common for the employees to face the problem of meeting targets and the result is increased fear, uncertainty, and higher levels of stress. During the periods of economic crisis, fear of loss of job as well as stress, increase manifold, but that does not mean that one should be discouraged. Rather this is the period when it’s imperative to know new and better ways to tackle the stressful situations.
Feelings are contagious. The way you interact with others reflects the stress you carry with yourself. The better you are capable of managing your tensions, the more positive impact you have on others. It is proven that people with positive energy cannot be easily affected by any negativity.
IELTS General Reading Test
There are various ways by which one can handle stress easily. There are number of steps one can take to manage stress:
1. Understand the importance of utilising the leisure time in a useful way so that you can relax physically and mentally.
2. Avoid the company of people who have the tendency to create negative environment around you.
3. Always be a learner; learning is a never ending process.
4. Don’t compete with others. Be passionate about your work and do it honestly.
IELTS General Reading Test
Questions 15 – 21
Write ONLY ONE WORD in each gap.
In today’s working environment, stress is quite common. Stress can play on the fitness as well as (15)…………….. of an employee. The ones who are able to deal with the stressful situations are the winners and the ones who aren’t, are the losers.
Attention must be focused on the (16)…………….. , not on the (17)…………….. . Employees may feel a sense of insecurity and tension due to the pressure to meet (18)…………….. . Particularly in times of recession, there could be added stress and risk of loss of job. (19)…………….. cannot impair the outlook of optimistic people. Recreational activities and avoiding the (20)…………….. of pessimistic people can be helpful in (21)…………….. the level of stress. Be passionate and be honest toward your work.
IELTS General Reading Test
Read the text below and answer questions 22-27.
WRITING AN INQUIRY LETTER
What’s an inquiry letter, and how can it help you get hired? Not every job opening appears on a job board or search engine. Some of the best opportunities are filled internally or through referrals, so you might have to get proactive to find your dream job at a company you’d love to work for.
One of the best ways to get noticed is to ask about job openings before they’re advertised. Even if the organisation isn’t hiring, you might be able to capture someone’s attention for future reference if you submit a well-written inquiry letter.
IELTS General Reading Test
What to Include in an Inquiry Letter
The bottom line is that an inquiry letter is a sales pitch. You must sell your expertise to the reader and get her thinking about the possibility of hiring you.
Your letter should be written in a professional business letter format:
• Introduce yourself and your interest in the company right away in the first paragraph.
• The second paragraph should include a brief synopsis of your experience, education, and qualifications -“brief” being the operative word. Focus on the highlights.
• Use the third paragraph to request a meeting to discuss a possible career with the company. You might also mention that you’ll follow up by telephone in a few days or a week.
IELTS General Reading Test
Options for Addressing the Letter
If you already know someone at the organisation, you can write directly to that individual. Otherwise, to whom you address your letter can depend on the size of the company.
Address it to the CEO or the president of a smaller employer because the person who runs the company will most likely be involved in hiring decisions. For a large company, try to locate someone on the management team who’s responsible for the department in which you want to work.
Do be sure to address it to someone. Letters and emails sent to a general email account (careers@company.com) – or to the company without a contact person specified – probably won’t get read.
IELTS General Reading Test
Should You Use Mail or Email?
Most hiring takes place online these days, but an inquiry letter sent by mail has a better chance of being read than an email message when you’re inquiring about unadvertised openings.
Questions 22 – 27
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the text for each answer.
GETTING HIRED WITH INQUIRY LETTERS
• Choose inquiry letter over job postings because some of the best opportunities are filled (22)…………….. or through recommendations.
• Structure your letter as:
1. First paragraph: Introduce your (23)……………..
2. Second paragraph: Mention a brief summary of your experience and qualification
3. Third paragraph: Request for a (24)…………….. to discuss the opportunity
IELTS General Reading Test
• (25)…………….. the letter to either someone you know at the company or someone on the management team.
• Don’t send it to any of the (26)…………….. email account of the company.
• Use (27)…………….. as it simply has a better chance of being read than an email.
IELTS General Reading Test
ANSWERS
15. PRODUCTIVITY
16. SOLUTION(S)
17. PROBLEM(S)
18. TARGETS
19. NEGATIVITY
20. COMPANY/NEGATIVITY
21. HANDLING/MANAGING
22. INTERNALLY
23. INTEREST
24. MEETING
25. ADDRESS/WRITE
26. GENERAL
27. MAIL/LETTER
IELTS General Reading Test