TEST 41

LISTENING
I. LISTENING (5 points)
Part 1: For questions 1-5, listen to a radio interview in which a choreographer, Alice Reynolds,
discusses a dance programme and decide whether these statements are True (T) or False (F). Write
your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
1. The programme is designed to help youngsters by enabling them to convey their thoughts.
2. When talking about the nature of communication, Alice reveals that young people have a lot of pent up
negative emotions.
3. According to Alice, the release of feelings encourages teenagers to face their troubles.
4. Alice contrasts professional and amateur dancers in order to highlight the usefulness of the programme.
5. The point Alice makes about the study into a person’s personality is who people are can be recognised
through their movements.
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Part 2: For questions 6-10, listen to a talk about the world in 20 years' time and the questions. Write
NO MORE THAN FOUR WORDS taken from the recording each answer in the corresponding
numbered boxes provided.
6. What is the stimulant behind Africa's economic boom?
7. What will become heavily dependent on AI in Europe?
8. What have fossil fuels been labelled as in the Middle East?
9. What will stand in lieu of oil disputes in the future?
10. What will citizens across the globe become in order to fight cyber threat?

Your answers:
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Part 3: You will hear an interview with a radio science correspondent on issues relating to baldness
in men. For questions 11-15, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which fits best according to what you
hear.
11. According to Claire, the experiments at Howard Hughes University are promising because they
A. proved the researchers' theory.
B. produced no side-effects in the mice.
C. may lead to a new line of research.
D. mean investment can be directed to medical research.
12. Claire feels that a remedy for male baldness would
A. not interest men over twenty.
B. appeal only to older men.
C. appeal only to those with certain types of baldness.
D. would be a phenomenal commercial success.
13. The commercial success in the US of hair restoring products
A. has convinced major companies to invest in hair research.
B. indicates that companies have already made significant discoveries.
C. is linked to the popularity of certain types of products.
D. is surprising because of general suspicions about lifestyle drugs.
14. What have scientists already identified?
A. how to stop the body making DHT
B. which gene causes male baldness
C. how to modify the defective gene
D. the role of DHT in causing hair loss
15. What is true of both Propecia and Regaine?
A. They are taken in pill form.
B. They developed from the same research.
C. They have fallen short of expectations.
D. They have been linked to side-effects.
Your answers:
11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
Part 4: You will hear arboriculturist Marcella Im discussing her job on a radio programme. For
questions 16-25, complete the sentences with a word or short phrase in the corresponding numbered
boxes provided.

Im likens her job to that of a (16) _____, a term which people generally are more familiar with.
Im says her role mainly involves the growing and maintenance of (17) _____.
In built-up areas, Im says a big task is ensuring that trees exist (18) _____ with the concrete jungle around
them and its inhabitants.
(19) _____ are what determine whether Im will use modern or traditional equipment on any given job.
Safety issues and convenience are why Im would rather not use (20) _____ if she can help it.
Im's work frequently involves (21) _____, whereby leaves and branches are removed from mature trees.
An arboriculturist would be more inclined to be in a (22) _____ or supervisory position, rather than
actually doing the hands-on work itself like an arborist.
The reason Im wanted to establish her own consultancy was (23) _____.
Im must carry out tree surveys and compile reports for the likes of engineers, solicitors, (24) _____
and insurance companies.
Although learning to communicate well with people from different backgrounds was a challenge for Im,
operating as (25) _____ was what she found most difficult upon setting up her consultancy.
Your answers:
16. 21.
17. 22.
18. 23.
19. 24.
20. 25.

LEXICAL-GRAMMAR
1 lt was imperative for the authorities to...,.......... the epidemic.
a succeed b localise c spread d.define
2.His efforts, though futile, are still .............. .
a refined b intimidated c pious d commendable
3 To me friendship is a(n) .............. thing.
a precrous b insignificant c costly d obscure
4 He was reserved by nature, even .............. .
a cordial b morose c amiable d approachable
5 Misuse of the world's resources is one of the…….…..issues of our times.
a burning b heating c firing d boiling
6 That was an act of epic………….
a validity b price c valour d. location
7 What he did to support our cause was a small but .............. gesture.
a significant b stout c obvious d indecent
8 The vegetation on the island was
a exuberant b chivalrous c overcast d ingenious
9 He was regarded as the most …………….of contemporary wrtters of fiction.
a dense b daring c extensive d imaginary
10 Ronald had the……………. to blame his teachers for his failure.
a concern b chivalry c regard d audacity
11 Smoking can be to Your health.
a delightful b harmless c detrimental d indifferent
12 People their spending power when prices rise.
 a increase b curtail c prolong d.think
13 He became an outlaw by .,,,.......... the law.
a defying b observing c sticking to d abiding by
14 .....,,....... is a punishable offense.
a Hunting b Poaching c Jogging d Boxing
15 Marian was a beautiful, .....,,,...... young lady.
a corpulent b gaunt c slender d bony
16 Don't trust him; he's cruel, and unscrupulous.
a loving b slack c treacherous d trustworthy
WORD FORM
1. The building's name, El Centro, (SPEAK) _____________ this identity, as do its exuberant shape and
bright colors.
2 She hopes to (LAY) ___________ her success as a model into an acting career. 
3 His speech (IMPEDE)_____________ made it difficult for me to understand him. 
4 The judge’s (IMPPARTIAL)______________ is known to everybody. 
5 Ronald Reagan was deplored as a (BRAND) ______________ who might bring on a nuclear war.
6 The (PROFOUND)_____________ of his knowledge astonished all people present. 
7 His (INGENIOUS)_______________ can’t be denied. 
8 I'm not against .(SECTION) __________________ , but obviously we all want to avoid animals
suffering unnecessarily. 
9 The 1932 election represented a (SHED) _____________ in American politics. 
10 The people’s utter (DESTITUTE)______________ aroused our sympathy 

READING
There can be no {1}........ . that online shopping is of huge benefit to the consr.nner. Far from
becoming (2)...................... online shoppers are very demanding. Overpriced merchants with poor
services should beware. Gone are the days when stores could charge what they liked for goods and
get away with it. The same. too. for shady manufacturers: smarter consumers know which products
have a good (3)...................... and which do not. because online they now read not only the sales
(4)................... but also reviews f rom previous purchasers. And if customers are disappointed, a
few (5)................ of the mouse will take them to places where they can let the world know.
Nowadays there is nothing more damning than a flood of negative comments on the internet.
However, the big boys, as always, are ahead of the game. Some companies are already adjusting
their business models to take account of these trends. The stores run by Sony and Apple, for
instance, are more like brand showrooms than shops. They are there for people to try out
(6).. ............... and to ask questions to knowledgeable staff. Whether the products are ultimately
bought online or offline is of secondary importance. Online traders must also adjust. Amazon, for
one, is (7)................ turning lrom being primarily a bookseller to becoming a (8)................. retailer
by letting other companies sell products on its site, rather like a marketplace. During America's
Thanksgiving weekend last November, Amazon's sales of consumer electronics in the United
States (9).......... .. ................ its book sales for the first time in its history. Other transformations in
the retail business are (10)..... . . ..... to follow.
1. A. query B. examination C. question D. proposal
2. A. complacent B. dissatisfied C. competent D. compassionate
3. A. distinction B. resolution C. opinion D. reputation
14.4 A. bubble B. message C. blare D. blurb
5. A. taps B. clucks C. clicks D. prods
6. A. devices B. tools C. emblems D. schemes
7. A. mistakenly B. rapidly C. unreasonably D. secretly
8. A. mass B. block C. lump D. chunk
9. A. receded B. excluded C. repressed D. exceeded
10. A. tied B. secured C. bound D. fastened
FILL IN ONE WORD
Undeniably, the way in which we seek out employment opportunities has (1)____________ a massive
transformation in recent decades. Gone are the days when flicking through the employment section of the
local newspaper would be (2)_________ ; for the jobseekers of today, obtaining an interview depends on
extensive online searches and completing (3)__________ often seems like an endless number of lengthy
electronic applications. With more graduates than ever before attempting to (4)_________ the job market,
together with a shrinking economy, acquiring the insight into (5)___________ best to pursue one’s job
search has never been more important.
An important step we can all take to maximise our chances of (6)__________ an interview is to increase
our online presence. Nowadays, employers routinely put the names of applicants (7)__________ online
search engines as part of the initial screening process; if the search results produce nothing, or very little,
then the candidate appears out of (8)__________ . One way to boost your online presence and impress a
potential employer or recruiter is through blogging, and specifically, contributing to industry-relevant
threads and (9)__________ your opinion on topical issues. This presents the candidate as professional, well
informed and passionate about their industry. It is essential that a jobseeker dedicates time to
(10)________________ what these current industry trends are and then initiating and contributing to online
debates. After all, we live in the digital age and, therefore, must be able to demonstrate our competence and
willingness to engage with the Internet.
READING 1
Johnson's Dictionary

For the century before Johnson's Dictionary was The work was immense; filing about eighty large
published in 1775, there had been concern about the notebooks (and without a library to hand), Johnson
state of the English language. There was no standard wrote the definitions of over 40,000 words, and
way of speaking or writing and no agreement as to illustrated their many meanings with some 114,000
the best way of bringing some order to the chaos of quotations drawn from English writing on every
English spelling. Dr Johnson provided the solution. subject, from the Elizabethans to his own time. He
did not expel to achieve complete originality.
There had, of course, been dictionaries in the past, Working to a deadline, he had to draw on the best of
the first of these being a little book of some 120 all previous dictionaries, and to make his work one of
pages, compiled by a certain Robert Cawdray, heroic synthesis. In fact, it was very much more.
published in 1604 under the title A Table
Alphabeticall of hard usually English words. Like the Unlike his predecessors, Johnson treated English
various dictionaries that came after it during the very practically, as a living language, with many
seventeenth century, Cawdray's tended to concentrate different shades of meaning. He adopted his
on 'scholarly' words; one function of the dictionary definitions on the principle of English common law -
was to enable its student to convey an impression of according to precedent. After its publication, his
fine learning. Dictionary was not seriously rivalled for over a
century.
Beyond the practical need to make order out of
chaos, the rise of dictionaries is associated with the After many vicissitudes, the Dictionary was finally
rise of the English middle class, who were anxious to published on 15 April 1775. It was instantly
define and circumscribe the various worlds to recognised as a landmark throughout Europe. 'This
conquer -lexical as well as social and commercial. It very noble work;' wrote the leading Italian
is highly appropriate that Dr Samuel Johnson, the lexicographer, will be a perpetual monument of Fame
very model of an eighteenth-century literary man, as to the Author, an Honour to his own Country in
famous in his own time as in ours, should have particular, and a general Benefit to the Republic of
published his Dictionary at the very beginning of the Letters throughout Europe. The fact that Johnson had
 heydey of the middle class. taken on the Academies of Europe and matched them
(everyone knew that forty French academics had
Johnson was a poet and critic who raised common taken forty years to produce the first French national
sense to the heights of genius. His approach to the dictionary) was cause for much English celebration.
problems that had worried writers throughout the late
seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries was Johnson had worked for nine years, 'with little
intensely practical. Up until his time, the task of assistance of the learned, and without any patronage
producing a dictionary on such a large scale had of the great; not in the soft obscurities of retirement,
seemed impossible without the establishment of an or under the shelter of academic bowers, but amidst
academy to make decisions about right and wrong inconvenience and distraction, in sickness and in
usage. Johnson decided he did not need an academy sorrow'. For all its faults and eccentricities his two-
to settle arguments about language; he would write a volume work is a masterpiece and a landmark, in his
dictionary himself; and he would do it single-handed. own words, 'setting the orthography, displaying the
Johnson signed the contract for the Dictionary with analogy, regulating the structures, and ascertaining
the bookseller Robert Dosley at a breakfast held at the significations of English words'. It is the
the Golden Anchor Inn near Holborn Bar on 18 June cornerstone of Standard English, an achievement
1764. He was to be paid £1,575 in instalments, and which, in James Boswell's words, 'conferred stability
from this, he took money to rent 17 Gough Square, in on the language of his country'.
which he set up his 'dictionary workshop'.
The Dictionary, together with his other writing, made
James Boswell, his biographer described the garret Johnson famous and so well esteemed that his friends
where Johnson worked as 'fitted up like a counting were able to prevail upon King George III to offer
house' with a long desk running down the middle at him a pension. From then on, he was to become the
which the copying clerks would work standing up. Johnson of folklore.

Johnson himself was stationed on a rickety chair at  

an 'old crazy deal table' surrounded by a chaos of
borrowed books. He was also helped by six
assistants, two of whom died whilst the Dictionary
was still in preparation.

Questions 1-3
Choose THREE letters from A-H and write them on your answer sheet.
Write your answers in boxes  1-3 on your answer sheet.
NB. Your answers may be given in any order.

Which THREE of the following statements are true of Johnson's Dictionary?

A. It avoided all scholarly words.

B. It was the only English dictionary in general use for 200 years.
C. It was famous because of a large number of people involved.
D. It focused mainly on language from contemporary texts.
E. There was a time limit for its completion.
F. It ignored work done by previous dictionary writers.
G. It took into account subtleties of meaning.
H. Its definitions were famous for their originality.

 Questions 4-7
Complete the summary.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 4-7 on your answer sheet.

In 1764 Dr Johnson accepted the contract to produce a dictionary. Having rented a garret, he took on a
number of 4 ..................................... , who stood at a long central desk. Johnson did not have
a 5........... .......................... available to him, but eventually produced definitions of in excess of 40,000
words written down in 80 large notebooks. On publication, the Dictionary was immediately hailed in many
European countries as a landmark. According to his biographer, James Boswell, Johnson's principal
achievement was to bring 6......... ............................ to the English language. As a reward for his hard work,
he was granted a 7........ ............................. by the king.

Questions 8-13
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 71?
In boxes 8-13 on your answer sheet, write:

    TRUE    if the statement agrees with the information

    FALSE    if the statement contradicts the information
    NOT GIVEN    if there is no information on this

 8.  The growing importance of the middle classes led to an increased demand for dictionaries.  
 9.  Johnson has become more well known since his death.  
10. Johnson had been planning to write a dictionary for several years.  
11. Johnson set up an academy to help with the writing of his Dictionary.  
12. Johnson only received payment for his Dictionary on its completion.  
13. Not all of the assistants survived to see the publication of the Dictionary. 

READING 2

BAKELITE

The birth of modern plastics

In 1907, Leo Hendrick Baekeland, a Belgian scientist working in New York, discovered and patented a
revolutionary new synthetic material. His invention, which he named 'Bakelite', was of enormous
technological importance, and effectively launched the modern plastics industry.

The term 'plastic' comes from the Greek plassein, meaning 'to mould'. Some plastics are derived from
natural sources, some are semi-synthetic (the result of chemical action on a natural substance), and some
are entirely synthetic, that is, chemically engineered from the constituents of coal or oil. Some are
'thermoplastic', which means that, like candlewax, they melt when heated and can then be reshaped. Others
are 'thermosetting': like eggs, they cannot revert to their original viscous state, and their shape is thus fixed
for ever., Bakelite had the distinction of being the first totally synthetic thermosetting plastic.

The history of today's plastics begins with the discovery of a series of semi-synthetic thermoplastic
materials in the mid-nineteenth century. The impetus behind the development of these early plastics was
generated by a number of factors - immense technological progress in the domain of chemistry, coupled
with wider cultural changes, and the pragmatic need to find acceptable substitutes for dwindling supplies of
'luxury' materials such as tortoiseshell and ivory.

Baekeland's interest in plastics began in 1885 when, as a young chemistry student in Belgium, he embarked
on research into phenolic resins, the group of sticky substances produced when phenol (carbolic acid)
combines with an aldehyde (a volatile fluid similar to alcohol). He soon abandoned the subject, however,
only returning to it some years later. By 1905 he was a wealthy New Yorker, having recently made his
fortune with the invention of a new photographic paper. While Baekeland had been busily amassing
dollars, some advances had been made in the development of plastics. The years 1899 and 1900 had seen
the patenting of the first semi-synthetic thermosetting material that could be manufactured on an industrial
scale. In purely scientific terms, Baekeland's major contribution to the field is not so much the actual
discovery of the material to which he gave his name, but rather the method by which a reaction between
phenol and formaldehyde could be controlled, thus making possible its preparation on a commercial basis.
On 13 July 1907, Baekeland took out his famous patent describing this preparation, the essential features of
which are still in use today.

The original patent outlined a three-stage process, in which phenol and formaldehyde (from wood or coal)
were initially combined under vacuum inside a large egg-shaped kettle. The result was a resin known as
Novalak, which became soluble and malleable when heated. The resin was allowed to cool in shallow trays
until it hardened, and then broken up and ground into powder. Other substances were then introduced:
including fillers, such as woodflour, asbestos or cotton, which increase strength and. moisture resistance,
catalysts (substances to speed up the reaction between two chemicals without joining to either) and hexa, a
compound of ammonia and formaldehyde which supplied the additional formaldehyde necessary to form a
thermosetting resin. This resin was then left to cool and harden, and ground up a second time. The resulting
granular powder was raw Bakelite, ready to be made into a vast range of manufactured objects. In the last
stage, the heated Bakelite was poured into a hollow mould of the required shape and subjected to extreme
heat and pressure; thereby 'setting' its form for life.

The design of Bakelite objects, everything from earrings to television sets, was governed to a large extent
by the technical requirements of the moulding process. The object could not be designed so that it was
locked into the mould and therefore difficult to extract. A common general rule was that objects should
taper towards the deepest part of the mould, and if necessary the product was moulded in separate pieces.
Moulds had to be carefully designed so that the molten Bakelite would flow evenly and completely into the
mould. Sharp corners proved impractical and were thus avoided, giving rise to the smooth, 'streamlined'
style popular in the 1930s. The thickness of the walls of the mould was also crucial: thick walls took longer
to cool and harden, a factor which had to be considered by the designer in order to make the most efficient
use of machines.

Baekeland's invention, although treated with disdain in its early years, went on to enjoy an unparalleled
popularity which lasted throughout the first half of the twentieth century. It became the wonder product of
the new world of industrial expansion - 'the material of a thousand uses'. Being both non-porous and heat-
resistant, Bakelite kitchen goods were promoted as being germ-free and sterilisable. Electrical
manufacturers seized on its insulating: properties, and consumers everywhere relished its dazzling array of
shades, delighted that they were now, at last, no longer restricted to the wood tones and drab browns of the
prepfastic era. It then fell from favour again during the 1950s, and was despised and destroyed in vast
quantities. Recently, however, it has been experiencing something of a renaissance, with renewed demand
for original Bakelite objects in the collectors' marketplace, and museums, societies and dedicated
individuals once again appreciating the style and originality of this innovative material.

Questions 1-3
Complete the summary. Choose  ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes  1-3 on your answer sheet.

Some plastics behave in a similar way to 1 ......................... in that they melt under heat and can be moulded
into new forms. Bakelite was unique because it was the first material to be both entirely 2 ........................
in origin, and thermosetting.
There were several reasons for the research into plastics in the nineteenth century, among them the great
advances that had been made in the field of 3 ........................ and the search for alternatives to natural
resources like ivory.

Questions 4-8
Complete the flow-chart. Choose  ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes  4-8 on your answer sheet.

Questions 9-10
Write your answers in boxes 9 and 10 on your answer sheet.
NB. Your answers may be given in either order.

Which TWO of the following factors influencing the design of Bakelite objects are mentioned in the text?

A. the function which the object would serve

B. the ease with which the resin could fill the mould
C. the facility with which the object could be removed from the mould
D. the limitations of the materials used to manufacture the mould
E. the fashionable styles of the period
Questions 11-13
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 72?
In boxes 11-13  on your answer sheet, write:

TRUE    if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE    if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN    if there is no information on this

11.  Modern-day plastic preparation is based on the same principles as that patented in 1907.  
12. Bakelite was immediately welcomed as a practical and versatile material.  
13.  Bakelite was only available in a limited range of colours. 

Choose from paragraphs A-H the one which fits each gap in the main text. There is one extra
paragraph which you do not need.

A. But talking further revealed a simple truth: that having pretty much discovered all there is to know about
our world on the Earth, astronomy looks at the vast Terra Incognita which surrounds us. These scientists
see themselves very much as a mixture of Renaissance men and women: all questing for further
knowledge.

B. Every evening an engineer is assigned to one of these telescopes and his or her job is to get it ready so
that it can then be taken over at night by a three-person team. The engineer runs through a series of tests in
preparation for the work which will be done later that night.

C. The central unit inside weighs 450 tonnes and houses the main 8.5 m mirror. A second, smaller mirror is
made from beryllium, a rare metal. The external walls can all slide open to allow the telescope to point in
any direction as it rotates soundlessly on its base.

D. As we drive further into the desert, the road starts to rise gradually, with hills and steep valleys all
around us. The environment is harsh in the extreme and it’s hard to imagine that a community of European
scientists have chosen this place to establish a world-leading laboratory.

E. It is a question that many in Paranal find a little difficult to answer. Maybe because scientists, due to the
nature of their research and also, maybe, their mindsets, tend to focus on very specific areas of competence
and therefore are not required to have a broader ‘strategic’ view.

F. The other big consideration in the desert is the absence of cloud cover and, higher up, the lack of
atmospheric dust and all the other interference caused by humans or nature which contributes to partially
hiding the secrets of the universe. ‘Twinkle, twinkle little star’ is just what astronomers do not want to
hear, as this means there is debris between the eye, the telescopes and the stars.

G. We are in Paranal, in Chile’s Atacama Desert, where at 2,600 m above sea level, Europe has its most
advanced astronomical observatory. It’s a leading site, a joint undertaking by fourteen European countries
focused on developing the most advanced scientific tools for observing the universe and enhancing the
knowledge base for industry, education and culture.

H. Astronomers have also used the data from VLT for another purpose - to attempt to find out how old the
universe is. It seems that the oldest star is 13.2 billion years old, which means the universe must be even
older. They also use VLT to look into galaxies beyond ours, and where they continue to find evidence of
supermassive black holes, where all kinds of violent activity occurs.

Heavens on Earth
The white and silver buildings of the VLT or Very Large Telescope at the ESO (European Organisation for
Astronomical research in the Southern Hemisphere) stand tall and imposing on top of a mountain shining
brightly under the desert sun. At night they come alive, the outer walls open up and silently slide through
360 degrees, allowing an uninterrupted view of the Southern Hemisphere sky. Inside, a giant eye looks
deep into the stars and beyond, looking for life, mysteries and making sense out of the darkness.

35. ________________________

Getting to the place is a journey of discovery in itself. After leaving the Pacific Ocean, you head south and
hook up with the Panamericana Highway and into the desert, the driest on Earth. It's a two-hour drive to the
observatory, but it feels longer as the harsh light, the rocky, dusty desert, the complete absence of any form
of life, except for the giant trucks plying their trade along the highway, is unsettling.

36. ________________________

The reason, we are told, is simple. Astronomers need a clear view of the sky at night. Optimal conditions
are to be found in deserts; there are fewer of the negative factors like light pollution that can make the four
telescopes which form VLT work less effectively. Here no lights are allowed after dark, all windows are
screened, and even the main residence where 108 people sleep, leaks no more than 40W when the lights are
turned on.

37. ________________________

These monsters and their smaller auxiliaries bring to mind the set of Star Wars. But at sunset, they take on
another look. This could be Stonehenge, another magic circle where our forefathers tried to make sense of
the stars. Soon after arriving, we are taken to see the inside of one of the telescopes. They have all been
named in the indigenous Mapuche language following a competition among Chilean schoolchildren.

38. ________________________

Once these have been completed, the telescope is handed over to the team who will operate one or more of
the telescopes from a control room. All night long these giants will be moving and pointing to the sky
helping the scientists unravel new problems. Fourteen countries contribute around 160 million euros to
their joint astronomical cause, and Paranal is allocated 20% of that figure. Standing in the shadow of the
VLT, one wonders what all this taxpayers' money buys.

39. ________________________

They all answered with the usual 'finding out where we came from, where we are going, are we alone in the
universe...?’ And, as the ESO has no commercial use and is a not-for-profit organization, it's easy to
imagine these scientists indulging in their research and being cut off from reality.

40. ________________________

One of Paranal's great achievements was the discovery of a planet outside our solar system. It is huge: five
times bigger than Jupiter, and the work being done now is aimed at understanding the physical and
chemical composition of this, and other, giant Earth-like planets. Truly a quest for life in outer space.

41. ________________________

'We needed even sharper images to settle the issue of whether any other configuration is possible and we
counted on the ESO VLT to provide those,' says Reinhard Genzel, director at the Max-Planck Institute for
Extraterrestrial Physics. 'Now the era of observational physics has truly begun.'
You are going to read a newspaper article in which people talk about their experiences at job
interviews. For questions 20-34, choose from the people (A—F). When more than one answer is
required, these may be given in any order.

Which person mentions the following?

establishing how the interview will be conducted 42. ________________________

the importance of keeping to the point 43. ________________________

revealing what motivates you 44. ________ OR ________

awareness of body language 45. ________________________

sources of information about your prospective employer 46. ________________________

dressing appropriately 47. ________________________

taking responsibility for past errors 48. ________________________

appearing to have rehearsed responses 49. ________________________

preparing inquiries to put to a prospective employer 50. ________________________

foreseeing the consequences of feeling apprehensive 51. ________________________

an abrupt ending to an interview 52. ________________________

indicating that you view the interview as a transaction 53. ________________________

a relaxed atmosphere in the workplace 54. ________________________

advantages in being honest about your failings 55. ________________________

Tell us Something about Yourself

Being interviewed for a job can be a stressful experience. We asked six people what they learnt from being
in that situation.

A. My first interview for a job taught me a great deal. I was applying for the position of junior account
executive in an advertising company, which involves dealing with clients on a face-to-face basis. It follows
that you have to be good at interpersonal skills, and unfortunately, that’s not the impression I gave. Like a
lot of people, I tend to babble when I’m nervous. The interviewer began by asking me to say something
about myself, and I started talking about my hobbies. But I got carried away and went off at a tangent,
which made a bad impression. The other lesson I learnt was that if you are asked what your weaknesses
are, you really shouldn’t be evasive. You could mention a weakness that can also be a strength. For
example, being pedantic is not always a bad thing in certain circumstances, and you should explain how
you cope with that weakness, but you have to say something.

B. In my present job I have to interview applicants, and I can offer a few general tips. Firstly, a candidate
should not learn a speech off by heart; you will come across as insincere, as if you have practised
everything in front of a mirror. Secondly, it is crucial to understand what the interviewer wants you to talk
about. For instance, an interviewer might ask about a situation where your supervisor or manager had a
problem with your work. Now, what the interviewer is really after is to see how you react to criticism, and
the best thing is to say that you tried to leant from this. Finally, don’t try to conceal your real character.
When 1 was interviewed for a job many years ago, the interviewer asked me at the end of our talk if I had
any questions. I was very keen to get the job, so I asked what opportunities there were for promotion if I
were hired. I wondered if perhaps I had been too direct, but I later discovered that employers like you to
seem eager, and I think they were impressed by my enthusiasm and ambition.

C. One good way to prepare for an interview is to find out as much as you can about the company you have
applied to from its website and promotional material. When you are asked if you have any questions, you
can show that you have done this preparatory work, which will impress the interviewer. 1 also think a lot of
candidates are too defensive in interviews. It’s not enough just to avoid giving the ‘wrong’ answers; you
should also actively try to make a good impression. Make it clear that the interview is a two-way process:
after all, you want to be sure the company is the right place for you. It’s acceptable to take the opportunity,
when one is offered, to interview the interviewer! One way to do this is to ask him or her some penetrating
questions such as why he or she has stayed with the company for so long. Some people might think such a
question is arrogant, so size up the interviewer first and decide whether it would be an appropriate thing to
ask.

D. I remember one interview I attended with a company that makes ice cream and other dairy products. I
didn’t know much about the company, and it was brought home to me that I should have found out some
basic facts. I turned up in a smart business suit and tie, only to find that my prospective employers were in
jeans! They believed in being casual: no private offices, everyone ate in the same canteen, people all used
first names with each other etc. I realised I should have done more research. Needless to say, I didn’t get
the job. On another occasion, at the end of an interview, I was asked if I had anything to say. I was so
relieved that the interview was over that I just smiled and blurted out: ‘No thanks!’ I later realised this was
a mistake. A candidate should decide in advance on at least ten things to ask the interviewer: it’s not
necessary to ask more than two or three questions, but you need to have some in reserve in case the
question you wanted to ask is answered in the course of the interview.

E. Preparation is of extreme importance; things like finding out what form the interview will have. Will
there be any sort of written component, for instance, and will you be talking to one person or a panel? And
of course, you need to prepare answers to those awkward questions designed to find out more about your
character. For example, you might be asked about your most important achievement so far; don't answer
this in a way that makes you seem swollen headed or complacent as this will suggest that you don’t learn
easily. Actually, it's not so much what people say that makes them seem arrogant as the way they sit, how
they hold their heads, whether they meet the interviewer’s eye, so bear that in mind. Another question
interviewers sometimes ask, to find out how well you work in a team, is about mistakes you have made.
You should have an example ready and admit that you were at fault, otherwise it looks as though you are
the kind of person who shifts the blame onto others. But you should also show that you learnt from the
mistake and wouldn’t make it again.

F. Being nervous can make you forget things, so always take detailed notes with you to an interview, even
about the simplest things - this will help you feel less nervous. I also think you have to strike the right
balance between being too arrogant and too self- effacing. For example, if you are asked where you see
yourself in five years’ time, don’t be diffident about showing that you are ambitious. You could even say
you’d like to be doing the interviewer’s job! Show that your ambition is the force that drives you -
employers are happy to see this characteristic because it also suggests you will work hard. Take every
opportunity to reinforce the impression that you are eager; one way is by asking questions about the job.
This suggests that you will take it seriously. You could also ask what made the last person to fill the
position you have applied for successful, or what you could accomplish in the job that would satisfy the
interviewer. Naturally, the answers to questions like this are valuable in themselves, but frankly, the main
reason for asking is to ensure you make the right impression.

Write an essay on the following topic. (3 points)

In recent years sports stars have become increasingly famous and wealthy. For some this is a benefit,
raising the profile of sports, but for others it is a negative influence. Discuss both views and give your
own opinion.

Write at least 350 words.

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