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 – “Marketing advice for new businesses” & “Working Time Regulations for Mobile Workers”
Read the text below and answer Questions 15-20.
Marketing advice for new businesses
If you’re setting up your own business, here’s some advice on getting customers.
Know where your customers look
Your customers aren’t necessarily where you think they are. So if you‘re advertising where they’re just not looking, it’s wasted money. That’s why it pays to do a bit of research. Every time someone contacts your company, ask them where they found out about you. And act on this information so you’re advertising in the right places.
Always think like a customer
What makes your customers tick? Find out, and you’re halfway to saying the right things in your advertising. So take the time to ask them. A simple phone or email survey of your own customers, politely asking why they use you, what they really like and what they don’t, is invaluable.
Make sure customers know you’re there
If a customer can’t see you, they can’t buy from you. There are loads of opportunities to promote your business — print, press, direct mail, telemarketing, email and the internet — and using a mix of these increases your chances of being seen (and remembered).
Ignore your customers and they’ll go away
It sounds obvious, but companies who talk to their customers have much better retention rates than those that don’t, so it’s worth staying in touch. Capture your customers’ email addresses upfront. Follow up a transaction to check they’re happy with the service and, if possible, send them updates that are helpful, informative and relevant.
Know what works (and what doesn’t)
Do what the professionals do, and measure all your advertising. That’ll tell you what you’re doing right – and where there’s room for improvement. You never know, it might just throw up some information that could change your business for the better.
Remember word-of-mouth: the best advertising there is
A recent survey found that consumers are 50% more likely to be influenced by word-of-mouth recommendations than by TV or radio ads. So your reputation is your greatest asset. If your current customers are impressed with your company, they’ll be more inclined to recommend you to others. On the flip side, if they experience bad service they probably won’t complain to you – but you can be sure they will to their friends.
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. Some ………………………… will help you to discover the most effective places to advertise.
16. A ………………………… of your customers will show you how they feel about your company.
17. A ………………………… of forms of advertising will make it more likely that potential customers will find out about you.
18. lf you can, provide customers with useful ………………………… about your business.
19. Measuring the effects of your advertising can give you ………………………… that will improve your business.
20. Success in finding new customers largely depends on your ………………………… .
Read the text below and answer Questions 21-27.
Working Time Regulations for Mobile Workers
These rules apply to drivers and crew of heavy goods vehicles or public service vehicles. The rules limit the amount of time that can be worked.
Those defined in the Regulations as being self-employed are currently not covered by the Regulations.
What are the limits?
• An average of 48 hours’ work per week.
• In any single week up to 60 hours can be worked so long as the 48-hour average is maintained.
• Night work is limited to 10 hours per night, unless there is a workforce agreement to work longer.
• Statutory annual leave and any sick leave and/or maternity/paternity leave counts as working time.
What counts as work?
In general, any activitie performed in connection with the transport operation count as work, for example, driving, loading/unloading and those checks that are the responsibility of drivers, such as checking lights, brakes, etc. There are a number of periods of time that do not count as work, for example, travelling between home and your normal place of work, lunch or other breaks and periods of availability.
Periods of availability are periods of time during which the mobile worker is not required to remain at their workstation but is required to be available for work, the foreseeable duration of which is known about in advance, for example:
• Delays at a distribution centre.
• Reporting for work then being informed that no duties are to be undertaken for a specified period.
• Accompanying a vehicle being transported, for example by train.
A period of availability can be taken at the workstation. Providing the worker has a reasonable amount of freedom (e.g. they can read and relax) for a known duration, this could satisfy the requirements of a period of availability.
Situations when a period of time should not be recorded as a period of availability:
• Hold-ups due to congestion, because the driver would be stopping and starting the vehicle.
• Frequently moving up within a queue (e.g. waiting within a queue to load or unload) every other minute.
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.
Working Time Regulations for Mobile Workers
These apply to people working on lorries, buses, etc.
They don’t apply to 21 …………………….…… workers.
Maximum working hours: 60 hours a week, provided the 22 …………………….…… is no more than 48 hours.
Night work can be more than 10 hours with the 23 …………………….…… of the workers.
Work includes driving, loading and unloading, and carrying out various 24 …………………….…… of the vehicle.
Periods of availability include:
going on a 25 …………………….…… or other form of transport with a vehicle
a period at the workstation when the driver has some 26 …………………….…… might count as a period of availability
Periods of availability exclude:
time spent stopping and starting the vehicle when 27 …………………….…… causes delays being in a queue, e.g. in order to load or unload.
Answer:
15. research
16. survey
17. mix
18. updates
19. information
20. reputation
21. selfemployed/ self-employed
22. average
23. agreement
24. checks
25. train
26. freedom
27. congestion