You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 15-27, which are based on Reading Passages below.
Write answers to questions in boxes 15-27 on your answer sheet.
GT Reading Sample – “Guide to employees on workplace monitoring” & “International Experience Canada: application process”
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)
Read the text below and answer Questions 22-27.
International Experience Canada: application process
If you want to travel and work temporarily in Canada as part of International Experience Canada (IEC), your first step is to become a candidate in one or more IEC pools. There are three categories of pool: International Co-op (Internship), Working Holiday and Young Professionals.
To apply, first use our questionnaire to see if you meet the criteria to get into the IEC pools. This should take you about ten minutes. You can find it at www.cic.gc.ca/ctc-vac/cometocanada.asp. After completing this, if you are eligible you will be sent a personal reference code, which you should use to create your online account. At the same time, you should fill in any remaining fields in your profile with the required information, including which IEC pools you want to be in. (Some parts will already have been completed for you.)
If you are sent an invitation to proceed with your application, you will have 10 days to decide whether to accept this or not. If you accept, click the ‘Start Application’ button. You then have 20 days to complete your application.
For International Co-op and Young Professionals categories, your employer in Canada must pay the compliance fee and inform you of your offer of employment number. (This does not apply to the Working Holiday pool.)
Once you have received this, you should then upload copies of police and medical certificates, if required. If you do not have these, you should upload proof that you have applied for them. You should then pay your participation fee of C$126 online by credit card. (There is an additional payment of C$100 if you are applying for the Working Holiday category.)
Your application will then be assessed. You can apply to withdraw at this stage and will be given a refund if you do this within 56 days. If your application is successful, you will receive a letter of introduction which you can show to Immigration when you enter Canada.
Questions 22-27
Complete the flow-chart below.
Choose ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER ONLY from the text for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 22-27 on your answer sheet.
Applying to International Experience Canada
Fill in the online 22 ………………….. to get a personal reference code.
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Create your 23 ………………….., and provide the necessary information for the profile in your application.
↓
If sent an invitation, you must accept this within 24 ………………….. . You then have a limited time to 25 ………………….. the application.
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Your 26 ………………….. is required to send you an offer of employment number.
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Upload copies of any necessary certificates or proof of application.
↓
Make the payment for participation online. You may receive a 27 ………………….. later if you change your mind.
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If successful, you will receive a letter of introduction to be shown at Immigration.
Answer:
15. emails
16. impact assessment
17. equipment
18. quality
19. crime
20. (computer) viruses
21. (confidential) helplines
22. questionnaire
23. account
24. 10 days
25. complete
26. employer
27. refund