GT Reading Test 33 Section 2 - Mountain biking & Classified Ads

GT Reading Test 33 Section 2 - Mountain biking & Classified Ads

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Written by IELTS Mentor

Read the passage below and answer Questions 15-20.
 

Mountain biking?
Canada is calling!

Experience the best summer adventure ever!
12 mountain biking adventures throughout Canada

At Zenith Biking we have been exceeding mountain bikers’ expectations since our founding in 1988 in Ottawa, Canada.  Over the years we have expanded our operations to cover other Canadian cities including Montreal and Toronto. Currently, with a base of over 100 experienced staff, we are your first choice for mountain biking!

For the past five years our international network, comprising offices in four continents, has been organising Canadian mountain biking adventures for bikers around the world.  Annually, an average of 3000 clients enjoy an unforgettable biking experience throughout Canada.  Should you be interested in extending your adventure to other countries, our extensive Inter-country Zenith Network can organise additional connections for you. Obtaining a visa for entry into some countries can be a time-consuming and frustrating process however at Zenith, our experienced team will assist you in obtaining your visa least amount of time.

At Zenith we have our own accommodation facilities for bikers, in Ottawa and Toronto. Accommodation fees are reasonable and depend on the size and the location of the room chosen. The most economical option is our 8-bed dorms.    

Summer Experience, 2012:
Fees for this adventure include:

•  Return air-ticket from London to Toronto (excluding onward travel in Canada)
•  Bikers’ kit (consisting of apparel, headgear and energy food)
•  Direct transfer to Meet & Greet camp from airport  
•  Bikers workshop for beginners to advanced by our experienced staff
•  Extensive directory of Canadian Hills and Mountains
•  Zenith Biking 24-hour help and support phone service
•  24-hour emergency medical assistance.

Eligibility:
Participants must:

•  be at least 18 years old
•  be in excellent physical condition
•  have at least a basic level of mountain biking competence
•  be excited about the experience of a lifetime!

Join the Zenith Bikers’ Forum (ZBF)
Once you book with us for any biking experience, you will automatically become a member of the Zenith Bikers’ Forum (ZBF).  Based on the many requests we received from our clients we formally launched the ZBF 3 years ago.  On the ZBF you can ask and have answered any biking-related questions you may have.  Our website also has a chat-room.  You are encouraged to submit your ideas, questions and suggestions and they will be quickly answered by past clients and staff.  

Questions 15 – 20

Complete the summary below with a word taken from the passage.

Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 15-20 on your answer sheet. The first one has been done for you.

Zenith Biking began in 1988 in the city of …Ottawa... and provides biking adventures in several (15) ……….…  .

Experienced Zenith staff provide assistance for bikers worldwide via an (16) ...….. .  Not all of Zenith’s 3000 annual clients mountain bike in Canada – the Inter-country Zenith Network can organise connections to (17) …..…. 

In Ottawa and Toronto, Zenith Accommodation is available and room rates are based on (18) …….…… .  The Summer Experience 2012 offers several exciting options including air-ticket, transport and 24-hour emergency service.

The Zenith Bikers’ Forum began (19) ……..…. and helps paying customers by answering all biking-related questions.  Customers can also find answers to their questions in the (20) …….……. .

Read the text below and answer Questions 21-27.
 

CLASSIFIED ADS – A USEFUL JOB-SEEKING RESOURCE

In their search for employment, increasing numbers of job seekers are once again turning to the help-wanted classified ads in their local newspapers. For some time this popular resource slumped as the heavily trafficked internet job sites became widely regarded as offering greater numbers of employment opportunities. In many cases, this is a valid assumption. A local newspaper focuses on positions vacant in a specific town or region, whereas the online job site will typically contain advertisements for the whole country and possibly even overseas.

If you are seeking work in your neighborhood, and do not wish to drive a long distance or move, the local, classified ads in your newspaper may be a viable option. Recent canvassing has revealed that some local and regional employers don’t always post their position vacant ads on the major websites. Many prefer to advertise closer to home and to hire locally in order to avoid having to pay relocation costs.

Often it is not necessary to purchase the newspapers, as these publications are widely available in libraries, coffee shops and even some waiting rooms. In addition, online newspaper editions, which contain the help-wanted ads, are now widely available and have contributed to the popularity of this form of advertising. These ads are usually searchable by date, category, keyword and location, making them competitive with the larger career and employment agencies found on the Internet.

Whether you apply for a job through a large, on-line employment agency or via a classified ad in a newspaper the same strategy is valid. First of all, read the ad carefully and do your best to answer the following questions:

•  Am I the type of person the employer is looking for – do I have the essential skills and experience?
•  With whom would I be working – a group of people, one person or would I work independently?
•  What other talents and experience can I include in my application?
•  What opportunities and experiences might be available in this position that would be advantageous to my career?
•  Do I have the skills to negotiate the challenges and problems of the position? (For example: working with much older employees or a woman working in an office full of men.)

Importantly, try to find a way to stand out from the other applicants. Remember, whether you are responding to a positions vacant advertisement from an internet agency or a newspaper, your goal is to secure the interview before you stand a chance of being hired for the job.

Questions 21 - 27

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text?

In boxes 21-27 on your answer sheet, write

    TRUE     if the statement agrees with the information given in the text.
    FALSE    if the statement contradicts the information in the text.
    NOT GIVEN         if there is no information on this in the text.

21. Classified ads have become more popular due to increases in unemployment.
22. On-line job sites list more vacancies than job sites in newspapers.
23. Internet job sites are recommended for local employment positions.
24. To avoid paying for moving expenses, employers advertise locally.
25. Compared with jobs online, jobs in newspapers require a slightly different approach.
26. An application should mention additional, relevant work experience.
27. When answering a positions vacant ad, the first aim is to be hired.

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