PART ONE: READING COMPREHENSION Questions Choose the correct answer according to the text. Only one is correct. 0.5 points for each correct answer. Look at the example. Example: 0. a) b) c) d)
How has the way gap-year travellers spend their year off changed? Many of them now go to Africa. A lot of them prefer to work in companies now. They tend to prefer voluntary work rather than just long holidays. There has been no change in the way travellers spend their gap year.
1. a) b) c) d)
Seeing a member of the royal family doing voluntary work… has changed the image of voluntary work. was good news for Chile. has encouraged people to work in bars and visit beaches. reinforced old ideas of volunteer work.
2. a) b) c) d)
Which of the following statements about voluntary work is correct? Volunteer numbers have remained stable. Voluntary work is well paid. A lot of people now do gap-year voluntary work. The number of people doing gap-year voluntary work is increasing.
3. a) b) c) d)
Which of the following is true about companies that organise voluntary work projects? They produce a lot of brochures. There are not very many companies of this type nowadays. They provide information and support for the volunteer. The number of companies has dropped.
4. a) b) c) d)
When taking part in voluntary projects… participants are free to go off backpacking. participants should be fully aware of what the work involves. participants mustn‘t get involved with the people in the community they are working in. participants should travel and work in schools.
5. a) b) c) d)
The Year Out Group aims to… provide information about cowboys. remain small. establish and maintain a certain level of quality in the area of voluntary work. reduce costs for volunteers.
6. a) b) c) d)
According to the text, which of the following is true about gap-year voluntary work? Participants are never out of pocket. The trips are expensive because not many people participate. Participants can make a lot of money. The cost puts people off participating.
7. a) b) c) d)
According to the text, people like doing voluntary work because… it is motivating. they find it rewarding to help people. it is more interesting than working in a bar. they can travel around lots of different places.
8. a) b) c) d)
Companies prefer to employ people who… have worked as a volunteer in their year out. have gone straight to university. have not taken a year out. have travelled and worked.
PART TWO: WRITING Choose one topic: write about 100 words. (4 points in total given for: grammar, vocabulary, organisation of text, maturity.) 1. Describe what you would do if you could take a gap year before going to university. 2. You want to take part in a voluntary project. Write an application letter to a company that organises this type of trip explaining why you would like to participate in the scheme.
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