Writing Test for 9th Form Students
You should use your own ideas, knowledge and experience and support your arguments with relevant evidence. Write at least 250 words.
1. Recent research shows that the consumption of junk food is a major factor in poor diet and this is detrimental to health. Some people believe that better health education is the answer to this problem but others disagree. What is your opinion?
2. Television has had a significant influence on the culture of many societies. To what extent would you say that television has positively or negatively affected the cultural development of your society? 3.Every culture has stories. Stories serve different purposes. Some entertain. Others teach history or help people understand their own culture. In many cultures, stories are used to teach the difference between right and wrong behaviours. What kinds of stories are traditional in your culture? Describe a story that teaches a lesson.
Reading Comprehension Test for 9th Form Students (41 tasks)
Directions: In this Test you will read five texts. Each text is followed by 5 – 10 tasks. You should do the tasks following a text on the basis of what is stated or implied in that text. For each task you will choose the best possible answer and mark your choice on the Answer Sheet.
TEXT 1 You are going to read an article about customer service in banks. Six sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences A-G the one which fits each gap. There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.
A Although people do not expect much from the internet these days, this will change in the future.
B The managers recognise that customers find them impersonal and unnatural.
C First National is also preparing to adopt this personal approach to its internet banking.
D They have the attitude that some skills, such as keyboard skills and so on, can be taught, but a member of staff can’t be taught to be a nice person.
E Telephones are very personal because staff are speaking to people on their own territory.
F And if customers try to contact the bank by telephone, they are put through to a call centre in another country where they have to speak slowly in order to be understood.
G Not everyone wants a chatty, friendly service.
Customer Service in Banks The banking profession doesn’t have a very good reputation for customer service at the moment, and it’s not just due to loss of savings. High street branches are shutting down and where banks are available, their opening hours are inconvenient. Staff at the desks are surly, increasingly under-qualified and often unable to answer questions (1 ). Astonishingly, however, 86% of the customers at one bank are either ‘extremely satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ with the service they receive. And what is even more surprising is that the bank in question has no High Street outlets at all. First National bank is run entirely through the telephone and the internet. And its success shows that customer service is just about face-to-face contact with clients. The primary concern of the bank is recruiting the right people. (2 ) So they only recruit people who already exhibit good communication skills. And unlike other services that operate primarily over the telephone, the staff at First National do not use scripts. (3 ) What this bank asks for is that staff be themselves and establish a rapport with their customers. Part of this is recognizing people’s needs. (4) Some want the process to be swift and efficient. The member of staff has to pick up on the caller’s mood and react accordingly. (5 ) The idea that customer service can be improved on a medium where there is no actual contact with a member of staff may seem strange at first. However, the website designers at First National spend a great deal of time understanding their customers and offering services which meet their needs. (6 ) First National is already taking steps to fill this demand. They already offer a service in which customers receive a text when funds are received or when their account falls below a certain level. In the future, online systems may pre-empt customers’ needs in even more sophisticated ways.
TEXT 2
Read the text below and decide which answer A, B, C or D best fits each space.
MOBILE MANIA SPREADS as PHONES BECOME the MUST-HAVE GADGET By Robert Uhlig, technology correspondent 1 More than 24 million Britons now own a mobile phone, according to statistics released yesterday. The growth is expected to accelerate in the next few years as the mobile phone overtakes the personal computer as the most used method of accessing the Internet. No longer a tool only of well-heeled travelling executives and plumbers, the mobile phone is now as likely to be found in school satchels and shopping bags as in briefcases. 2 According to Vodafone, the market leader, of the 24 million cell phones in use, 11.9 million are prepaid, many of which are now used by teenagers. Schools have even taken to banning the use of mobile phones in classrooms and playgrounds. 3 The pre-pay services, using phone cards, have proved the most popular with phone users keen to keep their bills under control. The advent of 'pay-as-you-go' schemes has brought the mobile phone to millions who could not previously afford one or failed the necessary credit ratings. The average pre-pay customer spends £198 a year whereas the typical business customer receives a bill of £556 a year. 4 Around 40 percent of Britons now have a mobile, but by the end of next year, analysts expect the figure to increase by at least half. Even then, we will lag behind Finland, where 71 percent of people own a cellphone. 5 Already, analysts are predicting that within a few years more people will actually watch the six o'clock news or Match of the Day on their mobile phone than on television. The phone networks say more people are already using their mobiles at six o'clock each evening than the BBC claims are watching its evening news bulletin. 6 In recent years, a new technology called WAP, which enables the Internet to be viewed on a cellphone screen, was introduced. Now, almost all mobiles will be WAP phones. Mike Caldwell, of Vodafone, said: 'The average person will not realise it is the Internet that is coming to them on their mobile phone. They'll just use it to watch what they think is television.'
1 Why is the number of users of mobile phones expected to go up so much?
a) They are going to become cheaper.
b) They will be more popular amongst teenagers. programmes from the Internet.
c) Phones will be used to connect with the Internet
d) They are so convenient.
2 Who used to be main users of mobile phones?
a) Internet users.
b) Self-employed and business people.
c) People with very big incomes.
d) People who travelled a lot.
3 Why have pre-pay phone cards increased the number of users?
a) The phone calls are cheaper.
b) They are more convenient.
c) Bills tend to be lower.
d) Users have to pay before making calls.
4 What link is there between mobile phones and television?
a) People often use their phones during the six o'clock news.
b) Third generation mobiles will show live TV programmes from the Internet.
c) The new generation of phones will be much smaller than earlier ones.
d) Mobiles are good for watching the news and sports programmes.
5. 'well-heeled' means
a) technologically competent
b) fashionable.
c) tired of travel
d) quite wealthy.
You should use your own ideas, knowledge and experience and support your arguments with relevant evidence. Write at least 250 words.
1. Recent research shows that the consumption of junk food is a major factor in poor diet and this is detrimental to health. Some people believe that better health education is the answer to this problem but others disagree. What is your opinion?
2. Television has had a significant influence on the culture of many societies. To what extent would you say that television has positively or negatively affected the cultural development of your society? 3.Every culture has stories. Stories serve different purposes. Some entertain. Others teach history or help people understand their own culture. In many cultures, stories are used to teach the difference between right and wrong behaviours. What kinds of stories are traditional in your culture? Describe a story that teaches a lesson.
Reading Comprehension Test for 9th Form Students (41 tasks)
Directions: In this Test you will read five texts. Each text is followed by 5 – 10 tasks. You should do the tasks following a text on the basis of what is stated or implied in that text. For each task you will choose the best possible answer and mark your choice on the Answer Sheet.
TEXT 1 You are going to read an article about customer service in banks. Six sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences A-G the one which fits each gap. There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.
A Although people do not expect much from the internet these days, this will change in the future.
B The managers recognise that customers find them impersonal and unnatural.
C First National is also preparing to adopt this personal approach to its internet banking.
D They have the attitude that some skills, such as keyboard skills and so on, can be taught, but a member of staff can’t be taught to be a nice person.
E Telephones are very personal because staff are speaking to people on their own territory.
F And if customers try to contact the bank by telephone, they are put through to a call centre in another country where they have to speak slowly in order to be understood.
G Not everyone wants a chatty, friendly service.
Customer Service in Banks The banking profession doesn’t have a very good reputation for customer service at the moment, and it’s not just due to loss of savings. High street branches are shutting down and where banks are available, their opening hours are inconvenient. Staff at the desks are surly, increasingly under-qualified and often unable to answer questions (1 ). Astonishingly, however, 86% of the customers at one bank are either ‘extremely satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ with the service they receive. And what is even more surprising is that the bank in question has no High Street outlets at all. First National bank is run entirely through the telephone and the internet. And its success shows that customer service is just about face-to-face contact with clients. The primary concern of the bank is recruiting the right people. (2 ) So they only recruit people who already exhibit good communication skills. And unlike other services that operate primarily over the telephone, the staff at First National do not use scripts. (3 ) What this bank asks for is that staff be themselves and establish a rapport with their customers. Part of this is recognizing people’s needs. (4) Some want the process to be swift and efficient. The member of staff has to pick up on the caller’s mood and react accordingly. (5 ) The idea that customer service can be improved on a medium where there is no actual contact with a member of staff may seem strange at first. However, the website designers at First National spend a great deal of time understanding their customers and offering services which meet their needs. (6 ) First National is already taking steps to fill this demand. They already offer a service in which customers receive a text when funds are received or when their account falls below a certain level. In the future, online systems may pre-empt customers’ needs in even more sophisticated ways.
TEXT 2
Read the text below and decide which answer A, B, C or D best fits each space.
MOBILE MANIA SPREADS as PHONES BECOME the MUST-HAVE GADGET By Robert Uhlig, technology correspondent 1 More than 24 million Britons now own a mobile phone, according to statistics released yesterday. The growth is expected to accelerate in the next few years as the mobile phone overtakes the personal computer as the most used method of accessing the Internet. No longer a tool only of well-heeled travelling executives and plumbers, the mobile phone is now as likely to be found in school satchels and shopping bags as in briefcases. 2 According to Vodafone, the market leader, of the 24 million cell phones in use, 11.9 million are prepaid, many of which are now used by teenagers. Schools have even taken to banning the use of mobile phones in classrooms and playgrounds. 3 The pre-pay services, using phone cards, have proved the most popular with phone users keen to keep their bills under control. The advent of 'pay-as-you-go' schemes has brought the mobile phone to millions who could not previously afford one or failed the necessary credit ratings. The average pre-pay customer spends £198 a year whereas the typical business customer receives a bill of £556 a year. 4 Around 40 percent of Britons now have a mobile, but by the end of next year, analysts expect the figure to increase by at least half. Even then, we will lag behind Finland, where 71 percent of people own a cellphone. 5 Already, analysts are predicting that within a few years more people will actually watch the six o'clock news or Match of the Day on their mobile phone than on television. The phone networks say more people are already using their mobiles at six o'clock each evening than the BBC claims are watching its evening news bulletin. 6 In recent years, a new technology called WAP, which enables the Internet to be viewed on a cellphone screen, was introduced. Now, almost all mobiles will be WAP phones. Mike Caldwell, of Vodafone, said: 'The average person will not realise it is the Internet that is coming to them on their mobile phone. They'll just use it to watch what they think is television.'
1 Why is the number of users of mobile phones expected to go up so much?
a) They are going to become cheaper.
b) They will be more popular amongst teenagers. programmes from the Internet.
c) Phones will be used to connect with the Internet
d) They are so convenient.
2 Who used to be main users of mobile phones?
a) Internet users.
b) Self-employed and business people.
c) People with very big incomes.
d) People who travelled a lot.
3 Why have pre-pay phone cards increased the number of users?
a) The phone calls are cheaper.
b) They are more convenient.
c) Bills tend to be lower.
d) Users have to pay before making calls.
4 What link is there between mobile phones and television?
a) People often use their phones during the six o'clock news.
b) Third generation mobiles will show live TV programmes from the Internet.
c) The new generation of phones will be much smaller than earlier ones.
d) Mobiles are good for watching the news and sports programmes.
5. 'well-heeled' means
a) technologically competent
b) fashionable.
c) tired of travel
d) quite wealthy.
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