You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 15-27.
GT Reading Sample: Recycling at work – handy hints to employers & How to answer any interview question
Read the text below and answer Questions 15-21.
Recycling at work – handy hints to employers
It is estimated that avoidable waste costs UK businesses up to 4.5% of their annual revenue. Reducing waste in the workplace is about being efficient. By becoming more efficient, businesses not only increase profits but they also save natural resources.
On the island of Jersey, for example, the amount of waste produced each year has doubled since 1980. In 2004 it topped 100,000 tonnes – and 60% is generated by local businesses. A lot of waste for a small island!
Setting up a company scheme
Waste audit
Before starting a recycling scheme, perform an audit. This will make you aware of how much waste you are producing in the company.
Company policy
Consider switching your office waste contractor to one that provides a recycling service.
Buy recycled paper. Although this is sometimes more expensive, costs can be reduced by lowering consumption and using duplex printers.
Get everyone involved
• Raise awareness internally within the company, perhaps by putting up educational posters.
• Allocate a person to be the point of contact for anyone with queries.
There are also a couple of ways to increase motivation:
• Hold internal competitions between different departments. For example, see which can reduce their waste the most within a specific time period.
• Send out regular newsletters reporting on all waste improvements. Staff will then see the impact their actions are having.
What to recycle and how
Paper
According to a recent survey, 65% of waste produced is paper waste. The waste paper will inevitably be produced in the workplace, but it is not necessary to discard it. It can serve a variety of purposes before it is recycled, such as writing notes. Envelopes too can be re-used for internal mail.
Plastic cups
Rather than supplying disposable plastic cups in your workplace, get ceramic mugs that can be re-used. Not only do they make your tea taste better, but they can reduce your office waste by up to 1%!
Electrical equipment
Rather than giving up on any old electrical equipment and just throwing it away, why not try upgrading it? This reduces waste, as well as avoiding the need to manufacture a new machine – a process which creates a large amount of waste. You could also consider donating your old computers to charities when it comes to replacing them.
Questions 15-21
Answer the questions below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the text for each answer.
Write your answers in boxed 15-21 on your answer sheet.
15. What does the writer think should be carried out in a company before it starts recycling?
16. What machines can help to cut the stationery budget?
17. What can be displayed in the workplace to publicise the recycling scheme?
18. What can be distributed to motivate staff to recycle more?
19. What can unwanted paper be used for in the office?
20. What can be bought to cut down on the waste produced by staff refreshments?
21. Where can unwanted PCs be sent?
Read the text below and answer Questions 22-27.
How to answer any interview question
To start, take a tip from consultants who coach executives on how to handle media interviews. They say you can deliver the message you want to an employer, regardless of the question you’re asked.
’Unlike some politicians, who take no notice of press questions and immediately introduce a different topic in response, job candidates must answer employers’ queries,’ says John Barford of the interview training firm Genesis. ‘However, you can quickly make the transition from your answer to the important points you want to convey about your qualifications,’ he says.
He advises candidates at job interviews to apply the formula Q = A + 1: Q is the question; A is the answer; + is the bridge to the message you want to deliver; and 1 is the point you want to make.
Diligent preparation is also necessary to effectively answer any interview question, say senior executives. They give a number of useful tips:
• Learn as much as you can beforehand. Ask company employees questions prior to job interviews to gain as much insight as you can. If the company is publicly owned, find out how viable it is by reading shareholder reports. You can then tailor what you say to the company’s issues.
• Be prepared for questions that require you to show how you handled difficult challenges. These questions require stories in response, but as it’s unlikely that you’ll have one that fits every situation, try to recall some from your past experience that show how you coped with a range of issues.
• Count on being asked about a past mistake or blemish on your career record, and don’t try to dodge the issue. Ms Murphy, president of the Murphy Group, a media interview training firm, says that it’s important to steer clear of lies at all costs. Just answer the question and move on.
• When discussing a mistake, focus on the positive outcomes. 7ou learn as much by dropping the ball as you do by catching it,’ says senior executive Mr Friedmann. When he was being interviewed for his current job, he mentioned he had been involved in many successful turnarounds and one that failed. ’And I said how I’d benefited in many ways from going through that experience,’ he says.
Questions 22-27
Complete the sentences below
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the text for each answer.
Write your answers in boxed 22-27 on your answer sheet.
22. The writer warns candidates not to imitate the way that …………….. ignore questions in interviews.
23. Interviewees are recommended to follow a certain …………….. to allow them to communicate their main points.
24. Senior executives advise candidates to request information from …………….. before an interview.
25. A candidate can also learn about a business by studying its ……………..
26. The head of an interview training firm advises people to avoid telling ……………..
27. In his job interview, one executive explained how he had …………….. considerably from a previous failure.
Answer:
15. audit// an audit// waste audit
16. (duplex) printers
17. (educational) posters
18. (regular) newsletters
19. (writing) notes
20. (ceramic) mugs
21. (to) charities
22. (some) politicians
23. formula
24. (company) employees
25. shareholder reports
26. lies
27. benefited// benefitted
[Note: Words in brackets are optional – they are correct, but not necessary.]