SAMPLE TEST 2

SECTION 1: WRITING (1 mark)

Part 1: Paraphrase the following text.
Cultural diversity is important because our country, workplaces, and schools increasingly consist of
various cultural, racial, and ethnic groups. We can learn from one another, but first we must have a
level of understanding about each other in order to facilitate collaboration and cooperation. Learning
about other cultures helps us understand different perspectives within the world in which we live, and
helps avoid personal biases about different groups. In addition, cultural diversity helps us recognize
and respect “ways of being” that are not necessarily our own, so that as we interact with others we can
build bridges to trust, respect, and understanding across cultures.
Source:
Belfield, L. D. (2012). What is cultural diversity? Retrieved from Purdue University:
https://www.purdueglobal.edu/blog/social-behavioral-sciences/what-is-cultural-diversity/
Part 2: Summarise the following text.
It is no secret that a good education has the power to change a life. Governments are investing more
than ever before in educating their citizens. A growing number of people are spending more of their
own money on educating their families. Employers are looking for a new sort of colleague - someone
with the skills to flourish in the 21st century. Combined with technologies that continue to develop at
breakneck speed, the result is a world that has the want, and the means, to learn at scale. Yet there is
so much to be done. One in five adults lack the written communication skills they need to progress in
life, and 57 million children do not know what it is like to step inside a classroom. Many millions
more are in education, but not learning effectively.
Source:
Pearson. (n.d.). The importance of education. Retrieved from Pearson:
https://www.pearson.com/corporate/about-pearson/the-importance-of-education.html

SECTION 2: READING (9 marks)

Part 1: Read the text and complete the tasks that follow.

What colour is your career?

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Choosing the right career path isn’t an exact science and nowadays most people will change their
career a number of times through life. For those people who have discovered their perfect job, most of
them found it through trial and error rather than knowing from childhood what they wanted to do.
However, new research suggests that choosing the right career could be a simple process of choosing
the right colour!
By choosing from a selection of colours and picking the ones you prefer most and least, you can find
out how you approach work and the type of working environment that might suit you. The Colour
Career Counsellor produced by the Dewey Colour System uses colours instead of long questionnaires.
The creator of the test believes that by choosing colours you give a more honest answer than you do
with written questions.
So how does it work? You look at a screen and you choose between different sets of colours. Firstly,
between red, yellow or blue, then green, purple or orange, and finally black, white or brown. The
preferences from this first stage show the kinds of talents you have and what you consider most
important when prioritizing different tasks at work.
So, in the first test, the answers mean the following: If you chose yellow, you like information. Blue
shows you like ideas but red shows you like results. In the second part, green means you are good at
evaluating situations, purple shows you like fact-finding and orange means you choose between what
is possible and what is not. Finally, people who choose black, consider the value of things more than
anything else, white shows you like options and brown shows you like to start and finish a task.
The test also asks you which colours you don’t prefer or prefer least. So, if your least favourite is
orange, you are the kind of person who promises and tries to do too much. Green suggests you solve
problems for other people when you should delegate them.
Now the test has discovered what kind of person you are, it says what kind of profession could be
right for you. Here’s how you interpret the choice of colours:
 Good communicators usually prefer yellow, purple and white. You are someone who can
understand the other person’s point of view. You are able to deal with an angry customer or
find solutions to problems. You should think about a career in an area that needs good
communication with people such as marketing or religion.
 If you prefer red and black you’re an investor. You’re analytical and your career path should
lead you into areas like finance, accounting or banking. But you could also think about careers
in sales or teaching.
 People who prefer blue, orange or brown have strong beliefs about right and wrong. You want
to improve services for others and have influence on the world around you. In business, you
will do well in engineering or developing new products or companies. More generally, you
could also consider a career in the police force, in firefighting or with local and regional
government.
These are only some of the suggestions. For a complete and more detailed analysis of your career,
you’ll have to try out the Colour Career Counsellor for yourself.

2/5
Task 1: Read the text and choose the correct answer from A, B or C.

1. The writer thinks most people _______.

A. know the career they want B. have the same job for life C. don’t have an exact career plan
2. The results of the test suggest _______.
A. the perfect job B. the area you could work in C. a good colour for your office
3. People who choose the colours red or black should mainly deal mainly with _______.
A. people B. money C. products
4. The writer _______.
A. thinks the test is reliable
B. doesn’t think the test is useful
C. doesn’t give an opinion
5. The creator of the test thinks it is better than a questionnaire because _______.
A. it is accessible to everyone
B. you are frank in giving the answer
C. a dedicated machine will analyse the results

Task 2: Find the words in the text which have a similar meaning to the underlined words in these
sentences.

6. I’m bilingual in Spanish and English so I translate for a British company that does a lot business in
South America.

7. It’s important that accountants are precise because they deal with money.

8. What time would be good for you to meet?

9. Please give me a truthful answer. I don’t want any lies.

10. What’s your opinion about this test?

11. We have a new employee with lots of skills and natural ability. He’s definitely a future leader.

Task 3: What do the following phrases mean? Explain them in your own words.

12. through trial and error (paragraph 1)

13. you should delegate them (paragraph 5)

14. your career path should lead you into areas like finance, accounting or banking (paragraph 9)

3/5
15. have strong beliefs about right and wrong (paragraph 10)

Part 2: Read the text and complete the tasks that follow.

Australia is facing a serious economic crisis; it is running out of men! According to recent figures
there were almost 100,000 more females in Australia than males. Just 30 years ago the figures were
the complete opposite, with more men than women. So what has caused this ‘man drought’?

The first suggested reason is the changes in immigration policy. In the 1970s it was easier for non-
Australian males to come into the country to find work than it was for non-Australian females.
Recently the immigration policy has become much fairer.

The second reason is emigration. All Australians seem to like travelling, but men are more likely to
stay abroad long term, whereas women tend to travel for a short time and then return home. Strong
economies in places like Dubai, Hong Kong, and the UK have attracted Australian men. It is now
thought that about one million Australian passport holders live outside the country. It used to be a
source of pride for Australian parents if they could tell friends and neighbours about the successful
careers of their sons who were abroad, but people are now realizing that this man shortage will cause
economic problems both now and in the future.

The man shortage means that there are fewer people to do important jobs in Australia. Most of the
Australians who are in Dubai or the UK are the educated ones who have specific skills that are
difficult to replace. So Australia is facing a real brain drain.

The Australian government is also suffering because of the man drought. The typical age for a man to
leave Australia is 24, after school and university, but before starting full-time work. This means the
state has paid for the education of its population, but cannot get the money back through taxes because
these men are earning their money in other countries. It is also feared that these men will return to
Australia when they are older – when they need more support from the government. This will put
more pressure on the taxpayers who stayed in the country. As a result of this, the Australian
government is looking at ways to restrict emigration, including tax rewards for people who stay in the
country and launching advertising campaigns in Dubai, London, and Hong Kong encouraging
Australian men to return home.

For the moment the real losers are Australian women over 35, who are finding it more and more
difficult to find a partner.

Task 1: What do these numbers in the text refer to?

e.g. 100.000: how many more woman than men there are in Australia

1. 30

2. 1970s

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3. 1.000.000

4. 24

5. 35

Task 2: Read the text and decide whether the following statements are true (T), false (F) or not
given (NG).

6. Australia’s current economic crisis arises from the imbalance between men and women.
7. In the 1970s, fewer women immigrated into Australia than men.
8. Male Australians tend to stay abroad shorter than female Australians.
9. Dubai, Hongkong and the UK are popular destinations for Australians due to their economies.
10. Australian parents take pride in their successful sons who live overseas.
11. The economic problems associated with man shortage will be solved soon.
12. Australia is experiencing a brain drain because most Australian who work abroad are skilled ones.
13. Australian taxpayers are facing more pressure as the government is unable to fund education.
14. One of the ways to restrict emigration from Australia is to raise the awareness of its citizens.
15. Australian women over 35 are losers because they cannot compete with men for employment.

-THIS IS THE END OF THE FINAL TEST-

5/5