Table of Contents
BEST IELTS General Reading Test 555
IELTS GENERAL READING TEST 555 – PASSAGE – 2
IELTS GENERAL READING TEST – 555
READING PASSAGE – 2
Dressed for work
For some people, especially when starting in a new job, the decision of how to dress can be a difficult one. Dress too casually, and your colleagues and employer can get the impression that you are not taking the role seriously and your future prospects within the company can rapidly narrow. Dress too formally and colleagues may take this as a sign that you have too high an opinion of your role, that you are not relaxed and won’t be much fun to work with.
If possible, always check the dress code after you have been offered a position. In fact, when attending interviews, take the opportunity to see what others around are wearing. However, there are some useful tips to help you get started.
IELTS General Reading Test
The rules for men are generally quite simple – in an office based environment, dark trousers, shoes and a simple shirt are generally acceptable. On the first day, you can wear a tie but be alert to the people around you. If you are the only one wearing a tie, you might want to reconsider on your second day. Take a suit jacket in case the workplace is formal, but you may not want to wear it.
For women, the situation can be a little more complicated. In some companies, a sleeveless top may be considered acceptable and in others it may lead to suggestions that you are under-dressed. Again, a good indicator is to look at what other people in the same office and in similar positions wear and adjust accordingly.
IELTS General Reading Test
One thing to bear in mind is that, at least in America and Europe, there has been a shift away from casual attire in the office to more formal business attire. Larger corporate businesses are instituting new and more stringent dress codes, even going so far as to mandate employee uniforms for management.
Here are some more tips:
– Colour plays a big part in professional image. Traditional career colours are navy (trustworthy), gray (conservative) and black (chic). Be careful with loud colours or prints – not to say that you shouldn’t wear them, just be sure that they are not going to get you any unwanted attention.
– Larger, hanging jewellery should generally be avoided. Opt for stud earrings or single bracelets, rather than pendulous earrings or stacks of bangles.
– Good hygiene is also important in office attire. Clean and tidy hair, clean and trimmed or manicured nails, even scuff-free shoes are important.
– Be careful with designer labels. Small, discrete logos on well fitted clothing or accessories looks fine, but heavily logoed clothing and accessories look out of place at work. Choose well-made items that are free from obvious designer labels for the most professional look.
IELTS General Reading Test
Questions 15-20
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the text for each answer.
15. During what should you start looking at the dress code employees seem to be following?
16. What might men want to think about wearing or not wearing on the second day?
17. Apart from being in the same office, what other factor makes a colleague a useful guide for what to wear?
18. What type of company is introducing the idea of a management uniform?
19. What might wearing brighter colours or printed clothing get you at work?
20. Accessories or clothing from well-known brands are acceptable if what is not too obvious?
IELTS General Reading Test
Read the text below and answer questions 21-27.
Training and development
Traditionally, training and development was instigated as a direct result of identifying a weakness or area that requires improvement, largely because of information gathered from staff appraisals. However, in more recent years, the concept of training as a tool for positive growth, expansion and development has become far more common.
The potential for employees to upskill with training is used as a way of retaining staff who may have otherwise looked for opportunities with other companies. Learning new skills that can be applied in the workplace tends to make employees feel more motivated and more highly valued within the company. There is also an element of training involved when a company expands and diversifies. Not wishing to employ new staff, many companies now opt to train existing staff in new areas rather than advertise externally.
IELTS General Reading Test
However, perhaps the most pressing need for training has come about due to changing technologies in the workplace. Some 50 years back, a secretary may have required some typing training at the commencement of their employment and this was sufficient for them right up to the point of retirement. These days, knowledge of word processing software and other peripherals such as handheld devices and conference calling equipment all need to be learned and regularly updated. For many companies, it is essential for staff to remain abreast of changes in technology as this may prove to be a point of comparison with other companies, with the significant risk of losing business.
There are a number of common areas that staff may require training in. There is, as previously mentioned, a technological imperative to training, but there are also other factors to be considered. Customer service training, for example, is prioritised in the majority of industries, as increased competition in today’s global marketplace makes it critical that employees understand and meet the needs of customers. Also related to global workplace, training in understanding and working in ethnically diverse companies has also become a common form of training. These training seminars focus on how people have different perspectives and views, and include techniques to value diversity, thus offering a significant advantage to the company.
IELTS General Reading Test
With increasingly tight government regulations in place to protect employees, health and safety training has also become a significant part of any training and development programme. Risk management, correct procedures and basic first aid, especially in industries with heavy equipment or dangerous working environment is becoming increasingly important.
Training and development, as previously mentioned, is significant in the retention of key staff as it leads to increased job satisfaction and morale among employees.
This in turn leads to a general feeling of motivation among staff, and the feeling that the company is interested in their wellbeing and development. There are, of course, improvements in efficiency, but also in innovation and employee support of the company. The image of the company also benefits, as better trained staff reflect well on the employer.
IELTS General Reading Test
Questions 21-27
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text on the opposite page?
In boxes 21 – 27 on your answer sheet, 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.
21. Training commonly highlighted areas of weakness.
22. Employees often look for promotion after having received training.
23. When companies are expanding, current staff are often overlooked in favour of recruiting external experience.
24. The main demand for training is a direct result of the need to understand equipment in the office.
25. Customer service training is often overlooked.
26. Training employees to work with people from different cultural backgrounds is more advantageous than most companies realise.
IELTS General Reading Test
IELTS General Reading Test
ANSWERS
15. INTERVIEWS
16. A TIE
17. SIMILAR POSITIONS
18. LARGER CORPORATE BUSINESSES
19. UNWANTED ATTENTION
20. THE LOGO / THE LABEL / LABELS / LOGOS
21. FALSE
22. NOT GIVEN
23. FALSE
24. TRUE
25. FALSE
26. NOT GIVEN
IELTS General Reading Test