IELTS Reading Note completion

 

Gateway Academy Pre-Sessional Courses

Our pre-sessional courses are ideal for students who have a conditional place at a British university, but who need to achieve a certain level of English in order to be accepted. The course aims to provide students with the English language and study skills that they need in order to be successful at university or another academic establishment. It is important to note that completion of the course does not guarantee students entrance into a university. It is necessary for students to show during the course that they have understood the information and skills that they have been taught, and can incorporate it into their work.

Pre-sessional students at Gateway Academy will benefit from:

·         Small class sizes (no more than 10 students per class)

·         Twenty-three hours of tuition per week

·         Individual support and tutorials

·         Regular guest lecturers

·         The use of the Academy’s study and recreational facilities, including the Language Library, the computer suite, and the academy’s sports facilities.

·         A varied social programme including evening entertainments and weekend excursions to popular tourist attractions and cities such as Stonehenge, Oxford and Stratford-on-Avon.

The course offers a holistic approach to learning and covers reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. During the course, students will receive instruction on important techniques such as summary-writing, analysing essay titles, organising writing, note-taking in lectures, giving seminars and making presentations. Students will gain experience in working both individually and in groups. As part of the course, all students will work towards a 5000-word project in their own field of study. Students will receive guidance from their tutors on how best to conduct research and write it up effectively. Students will also work towards a presentation on the same subject.
There is no final examination. Students are assessed continuously, taking into account their attendance, successful completion of assignments and participation in class. Students will be given a full report on their progress at the end of the course. Students need to be aware that the course involves a great deal of coursework, which will require students to manage their time effectively.

Gateway Academy offers three pre-sessional courses. A five-week course beginning in August is available for advanced level students; a ten-week course beginning in July is available for upper-intermediate students. Intermediate level students should take our twenty-week course beginning in May. Intermediate level students get a two-week break in July.

Questions 14-21

Complete the sentences below.
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the text for each answer.
14. The Pre-Sessional course is suitable for students whose place at a British university is …………………
15. During the course, students need to show that they can understand and ………………. new skills.
16. Students will be able to use many of the Academy’s ………………. while they are studying.
17. Students will have the opportunity to visit ………………. on Saturdays and Sundays.
18. Students will work both alone and ………………..
19. Students will have to research and write up a ……………………. related to their subject area.

20. In order to successfully complete their assignments, students will have to ………………. well.
21. ………………. students should start their course in July.

 

Read the text below and answer Questions 15-21.

Guide to employees on workplace monitoring

What is workplace monitoring?
Employers have the right to monitor your activities in many situations at work. For example, your activities may be recorded on CCTV cameras, and your letters may be opened and read. In addition, your employer may use an automated software programme to check the emails you receive at work. Phone calls may be listened to and recorded, and the log of websites you use may be checked.
All of these forms of monitoring are covered by data protection law. Data protection law doesn’t prevent monitoring in the workplace. However, it does set down rules about the circumstances and the way in which monitoring should be carried out.
Before deciding whether to introduce monitoring, your employer should identify any negative effects the monitoring may have on staff. This is called impact assessment.
Monitoring electronic communications at work
Your employer can legally monitor your use of electronic communications in the workplace if the monitoring relates to the business and the equipment being monitored is provided partly or wholly for work.
Except in extremely limited circumstances, employers must take reasonable steps to let staff know that monitoring is happening, what is being monitored and why it is necessary.
As long as your employer sticks to these rules, they don’t need to get your consent before they monitor your electronic communications, but only if the monitoring is for specific reasons. These may be to establish facts which are relevant to the business or to check standards, for example, listening in to phone calls to assess the quality of your work. Monitoring is also allowed if its purpose is to prevent or detect crime. It may be necessary to make sure electronic systems are operating effectively, for example, to prevent computer viruses entering the system. Your employer is also allowed to listen in to any calls you make to confidential helplines, but in this case, he or she is not allowed to record these calls.

Questions 15-21

Complete the notes below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the text for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 15-21 on your answer sheet.

Guide to employees on workplace monitoring

Your employer may monitor you at work by checking
•    recordings of your activities
•    your letters and (15) .......................
•    your phone calls and which websites you have visited
Rules for monitoring are established by data protection law. This states that employers must carry out a procedure that is known as (16) ....................... before introducing monitoring,
In general, monitoring is legal if
•    it relates to the business
•    you are using (17) ....................... intended for work
•    the worker has been informed
Monitoring may be used
•    to evaluate the (18) ....................... of your work
•    to stop of find out about (19) .......................
•    to stop the possibility of (20) ....................... affecting systems
•    to check calls to (21) ....................... (these cannot be recorded)

 

Sample 2

Read the text below and answer Questions 15-20.

Dress regulations at work

Your contract may state that you need to dress in a certain manner or wear a uniform. Your contract might also state that you need to dress ‘smartly’, rather than specifying any particular garments. As you might well have conflicting ideas of what counts as smart’, you should ask your employer for clarification. Many employers that have a strict dress code choose to provide clothing or a discount on clothing. However, this is not necessarily compulsory for the employer and is a factor you need to consider when taking a job.
Protective clothing and equipment
Your employer can tell you to put on protective clothing and equipment (such as gloves, a visor, boots, etc.). If you don’t, your employer is entitled to take disciplinary action, which can include excluding you from the workplace.
You are required to:
•    co-operate with your employer on health and safety
•    correctly use work items provided by your employer, including protective equipment, in accordance with instructions

•    not interfere with or misuse anything provided for your health and safety or welfare.

Of course, any protective gear has to fit and be appropriate for the situation. It shouldn’t cause you pain. If it does, you should negotiate alternative equipment or arrangements. Don’t be put off. Sometimes employers can, out of caution, interpret health and safety rules unnecessarily rigidly. And of course, you shouldn’t be required to pay for any protective equipment or clothing that you need. However, if your employer buys the gear, they are entitled to keep it when you leave.

The obligation to maintain protective clothing lies with the employer. The employer is also required to provide an appropriate storage space to keep the protective equipment in when it is not being used. And finally, the employer must provide the equipment and service free of charge to the employee.

Jewellery
Banning employees from wearing jewellery and loose clothing may be justified to prevent a potential hygiene hazard if you work in areas of food production or areas which need to be kept sterile.

Likewise, your employer can judge that loose jewellery may constitute a snagging hazard if you operate machinery. If you think restrictions are not justified by health and safety concerns, talk to your workplace union rep if you have one, as they may know of solutions to the problem which other employees have used before.

Questions 15-20

Complete the sentences below.

Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the text for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 15-20 on your answer sheet.

15.   If employees are unsure what their company wishes them to wear for work, they should request ................
16.   Some companies offer their employees a ................ when they buy items to wear for work.
17.   Employees who fail to wear protective clothing when required could be subject to ................ procedures.
18.   Employees ought not to be in ................ because of protective clothing or equipment.
19.   It is the company’s responsibility to ensure that there is a suitable place for the ................ of protective equipment.
20.   Employees who work with certain types of ................ may have to remove jewellery to avoid potential injuries.

 

Sample 3

Read the text below and answer Questions 21-27.

Appendix: Dealing with absence in the workplace

This appendix considers how to handle problems of absence and gives guidance about the authorised and unauthorised absence of employees from work.

The organisation should be aware of the rights of employees and in particular the requirements of the Equality Act 201O when making any decisions about absences of employees who are disabled. In these cases, the employer should consider what reasonable adjustments could be made in the workplace to help the employee. This might be something as simple as supplying an appropriate chair for the use of the employee. In cases where an employee suffers from an allergy caused by something in the workplace, the employer should consider remedial action or a transfer to alternative work.

If the absence is because of temporary difficulties relating to dependants, the employee may be entitled to have time off under the provisions of the Employment Rights Act 1996. In cases where the employee has difficulty managing both work and home responsibilities, employees have the right to request flexible ways of working, such as job-sharing, and employers must have a good business reason for rejecting any such application.

Employers should investigate unexpected absences promptly and the employee should be asked for an explanation at a return-to-work interview. In order to show both the employee concerned and other employees that absence is regarded as a serious matter and may result in dismissal, it is very important that persistent absence is dealt with firmly and consistently. Records showing lateness and the duration of and explanations for all spells of absence should be kept to help monitor levels of absence or lateness. If the employer wishes to contact the employee’s doctor for more information about a medical condition, he or she must notify the employee in writing that they intend to make such an application and they must secure the employee’s consent in writing. Consideration should be given to introducing measures to help employees, regardless of status or seniority, who may be suffering from stress. The aim should be to identify employees affected and encourage them to seek help and treatment.

Questions 21-27

Complete the notes below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the text for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 21-27 on your answer sheet.

Absence in the workplace

Employees’ rights

·         help with issues related to disabilities, e. g. provision of a suitable 21 ..................

·         provision of arrangements to deal with any work-related 22 ..................

·         time off work to deal with short-term problems of 23 ..................

·         possibility of arrangements that are 24 .................. to help with domestic responsibilities

Recommendations to employers

·         make it clear that absence is a possible reason for 25 ..................

·         ask employees for consent before contacting their 26 ..................

·         identify employees affected by 27 ..................and provide suppor