Cambridge 19 General Reading - Test4

SECTION 1 Questions 1–14

Read the text below and answer Questions 1–7.

Regulations for Cycling in Quairading Shire

When riding a bicycle, you must:

  • ride in a bike lane if one is available
  • use a helmet – this must be properly fitted and fastened
  • travel with at least one hand on the handlebars
  • be seated in the saddle when the bicycle is moving (except when the bicycle is not fitted with a saddle).

When riding a bicycle, you must not:

  • ride more than two bicycles side by side. When riding side by side, you must not be more than 1.5 metres from the other bicycle
  • carry anyone unless they are on a seat designed for carrying a passenger
  • carry anything that may affect your ability to control the bicycle
  • hold on to another vehicle to be pulled along
  • ride within 2 metres behind a moving motor vehicle for more than 200 metres
  • lead an animal from your bicycle.

Bicycles must be equipped with:

  • at least one effective brake
  • a bell or similar warning device in working order.

When riding at night or in weather with reduced visibility, your bicycle must show:

  • a white light at the front that can be seen for at least 200 metres
  • a red light at the rear that can be seen for at least 200 metres
  • a red reflector at the rear that can be seen for at least 50 metres.

Reflective clothing for night cycling

There are no laws specifying what clothes you have to wear when cycling but it is strongly recommended that, at night or when visibility is poor, you wear a reflective vest or jacket or, alternatively, clothing with reflective strips. You can obtain these items from cycle shops, outdoor clothing shops and sports stores.

Riding with children

When cycling with your family, make sure you are all visible – especially your children. Maximise visibility by attaching reflector strips to the back and front of the bike, helmet, arms, legs and shoes. Children twelve years and over have to follow the same road rules as adults.

Cycling offences

If you break cycling rules you will be fined. For instance, the fine for not wearing a helmet correctly fixed is $100. When senior police officers are asked to name the most foolish cycling behaviour, they all agree that cycling without a helmet causes the most serious injuries.

Read the text below and answer Questions 8–14.

Campus Health Orientations and Health Insurance at Graybridge University

Campus Health orientations for international students

International students registered in courses at the university need to attend a Campus Health orientation session. During the orientation session, students will learn about the range of services we provide at Campus Health, how to access these services and how to access health care in Australia more generally. It is important that international students have information about the local health system; for example, many students may be unaware that Australian universities do not have doctors on campus.

Health insurance

According to the rules of the university, all international students are required to have health insurance for the entire period of their studies. The university has an agreement with International Care Cover, which specialises in health insurance plans for international students in Australia. During the orientation, therefore, students will also learn how to use their International Care Cover policy to cover medical expenses during their study period.

Graybridge international students

Prior to arrival at Graybridge, the International Care Cover policy will have been arranged for each student and the cost added to their university fees. If students arrive outside office hours, they should report to the International Student Centre (ISC) on the next business day. The ISC will guide students through the procedures for:

  • registering for classes at the university
  • providing proof of living arrangements (e.g., with a relative or friend, or at a student residence)
  • supplying emergency contacts (these should be either a parent, a local relative, or friend)
  • verifying the start date of their International Care Cover policy
  • locating their International Care Cover number, which is required when requesting a medical appointment.

Making appointments

Appointments for medical services need to be made either by phone or in person at the Campus Health reception. Online bookings for services cannot be made at Campus Health as each student's eligibility for services needs to be verified.

Students should not wait until they are sick to contact Campus Health. Even if students are unsure which service to request, the reception staff can advise them.

When making an appointment, students must bring their student card and International Care Cover number. Most appointments are available free of charge for international students covered by International Care Cover. Health service fees for appointments with a specialist are payable by the student at the time of the appointment and can then be reimbursed by International Care Cover.

Students should arrive promptly for their appointments. If they must cancel, students should give staff 24 hours' notice. If they fail to attend an appointment, the administration reserves the right to bill them for the cancelled appointment.

SECTION 2 Questions 15–27

Read the text below and answer Questions 15–21.

Work in the Archives Department

The Bushley Archives Department collects documents and materials of historical interest from the neighborhood. Recently the department received a grant from the South East Digital Scheme (SEDS) to update our equipment and make our digital catalogue more user-friendly. We need a part-time worker to help us achieve these aims.

The post is suitable for someone who is reliable, committed, interested in exploring local history and willing to spend time working with older people. You should be reasonably competent with computers, so that you can scan documents and upload information onto our digital database and catalogue. An interest in books and libraries would also be an advantage.

The work will involve helping to develop electronic methods for storing, retrieving and sharing information, so that it is more accessible. In the near future, we expect to interview a large number of elderly residents to record their memories of the area as it was 40 to 50 years ago. You will be responsible for contacting suitable people and conducting the interviews.

We would like someone who can work in the Archives Department at least two days per week. We would be particularly interested in someone who can work on a Thursday when the senior archivist offers training sessions in local history. The hourly salary will be £10 and traveling expenses will also be paid, if applicable.

Description of work

This post involves a variety of duties on a weekly basis:

  • helping to develop our online local history blog
  • posting on social media: a minimum of three posts per week
  • scanning photographs, which could include visiting people in their homes if the materials are too large or fragile to be moved
  • collecting stories from local people, including arranging and carrying out interviews, which we will record
  • researching local history in our archives and publishing your findings online or in our occasional magazine
  • liaising with other departments within the archives.

Person specification

Education of at least A level or equivalent is required. The following attributes are key:

  • good communication skills, both verbally and in writing
  • pleasant and friendly manner when dealing with the public and volunteers
  • ability to work independently
  • a willingness to learn how to use our digital equipment if required
  • solid IT skills, including experience of word-processing
  • an interest in local history.

If this post interests you, send your CV to Sarah Austin by 10 May. If your application is successful, you will be invited to a short interview, so that you can see our facilities and find out a bit more about the post.

Read the text below and answer Questions 22–27.

Designing a Training Programme

As a trainer or training manager in a business organisation, you may need to design training programmes for new or existing employees. Here are some guidelines to help you in this task.

Step 1: Identify the aims of the training

Start by identifying what you expect the employees to be able to do when they have completed the training programme. For this, it is important to meet and speak to the individual or team who requested the training. For example, if you are designing a programme that instructs staff on how to use a company induction manual, it is important to learn who the induction manual is written for and in what context it is going to be used. Talk to those who made the request and try to anticipate issues that might arise. This can save time and resources. Discuss details such as what the employees are doing now and what they should be able to do after the training.

Step 2: Map out the stages

When writing down the stages of your programme, start by outlining the main aims and then break these down into smaller steps. For example, if the aim is to teach staff how to organise a meeting from start to finish, you might include steps like: 'prepare an agenda, book a venue, ensure the right people attend'. When deciding the order of the steps, it can be useful to arrange the programme chronologically, starting with what needs to be done first. Alternatively, you can structure the programme around competence levels (from simple to complex actions), to build the confidence of the training participants.

Step 3: Get feedback

Consulting as many people as possible before delivering the programme can prevent expensive errors. You can discuss the content with experts on the subject, with future participants, or with potential users such as a participant's manager.

Step 4: Choose appropriate training methods

The most effective way to structure the programme is to combine various types of activities, including, for example, mini-lectures or handouts, followed by discussions and exercises that allow participants to relate the information to their own experience. Participants benefit not only from the trainer's expertise, but also from the shared knowledge and experience of other participants.

For a programme to be useful to participants, however, it must relate to the real world. Thus, role-plays, simulations, and team activities should be based on realistic working environments. Trainers can ask participants to bring examples of relevant documents or issues from their own workplace, which can serve as examples for practical activities.

Finally, you need to write down the final programme. Include a breakdown of teaching points, how they will be explored (e.g., through group work, presentation, simulation, etc.) and how much time each will take. Set out a timetable, noting activities, discussions and other items. Remember, however, that programmes should be flexible. Not all programmes run at the same pace; some groups may take longer to cover certain material, while others may already be familiar with some of the content.

SECTION 3 Questions 28–40

Read the text below and answer Questions 28–40.

Communicating Climate Change

A Scientists and governments have been slow to respond to the large-scale environmental threats facing the world today – in particular global climate change. It has taken decades for governments to accept that climate change is happening, largely because vested interests with huge financial resources have been effective in swaying public opinion. In contrast, a very active environmental campaigning movement has emerged since the middle of the twentieth century. This has raised awareness and gradually gained increasing influence on key decision-makers.

B From the 1990s onwards, however, the campaigns and media messages coming from the environmental movement have increasingly been criticised for their overly negative tone and for creating 'climate fatigue'. By constantly focusing on large-scale disasters and extreme weather, but offering no realistic strategies beyond urgent demands for governments to ban fossil fuels, environmental campaigns have been accused of failing to engage the public, and even of alienating those who might otherwise be supporters. As a result, there have been widespread calls for more emotionally balanced messaging and, in particular, for offering people concrete suggestions on how they can be part of the solution.

C Early writers on environmental communication, such as Peter Sandman, suggested that where there was urgent need for action, the most effective strategy for engaging the public was to make them feel 'appropriately scared'. But research has since shown that too much fear can create a defensive emotional reaction in people, which can result in their feeling helpless or ignoring or denying the risk. More recently, environmental campaigners have argued that making people feel guilty or fearful can demoralise them, and that it would be better to find more 'emotionally balanced' ways of engaging with them. In particular, they propose a greater emphasis on solutions and the potential for positive change, drawing on more recent research, which indicates that seeing practical solutions lessens negative feelings about environmental problems.

D Recently, a number of environmental organisations have revised their communications strategies to incorporate these ideas. For example, in the UK, a group called the Climate Coalition has emphasised the positive things people care about that could be affected by climate change. And in the US, the Environmental Defence Fund has started setting out solutions to climate change, rather than simply saying what the problem is. Meanwhile, in many countries there has been a growth in local environmental groups engaged in activities such as community gardens for food growing, or care and protection of natural environments. These focus on practical activities that can benefit both the environment and the communities concerned. Engaging with these groups can connect people to nature in their own local area.

E On the other hand, George Marshall from the Climate Outreach and Information Network has criticised what he sees as the overemphasis by environmental organisations on presenting rational arguments, believing this to be motivated by a false assumption that people are rational. Certainly, it is clear that attitudes towards environmental issues are affected by people's cultural values and beliefs: someone with a strongly individualistic worldview, for example, may be less receptive to messages about the importance of regulating business. In some parts of the world, climate change is seen as a political rather than a scientific issue. Different views on this issue can also lead to people ignoring or dismissing scientific information, or rejecting policies because they are seen to represent the views of opposing political perspectives. Because of this, environmental campaigners increasingly recognise the need to listen to and use the language of those whose minds they are trying to change.

F However, Pat Dade, of the cultural values mapping company Cultural Dynamics, believes many environmental campaigns and messages are still based on guilt. One of the main problems with guilt as an emotion is that creating it depends on a moralising approach – implying that some actions are right while others are wrong. And people who are told they are doing something 'wrong' tend to feel judged and criticised, and to respond defensively. This is why a more positive approach is often most effective. People in general have a range of psychological needs, such as feeling that they can decide their own destiny, that there is meaning in what they do, and that they are connected to others. Where environmental campaigners can show that protecting the environment also offers a way of meeting those needs, it is likely that more people will respond positively.

G So, what kind of approach would the evidence suggest is likely to be most successful? A group of UK government-funded researchers has proposed a set of principles for effective environmental communication. It advises environmental campaigners to understand what matters to their audiences, and to show how environmental protection can deliver those things for them. It encourages communicators to make sure they live by the advice they give to others, but at the same time to avoid creating a new moral code that judges those who do not conform. It also stresses that environmental campaigns need to show that they understand the pressures that modern living places on people, and to use language and ideas that reflect shared values (for example, the concept of 'wastefulness').

H Above all, this approach suggests that people need both information and empowerment: they need to have their intelligence treated with respect but also to be given realistic strategies through which they can implement change. No wonder fear and guilt are counterproductive. The important principle is creating confidence that the environmental challenges facing the world can be addressed. Fear can create a sense of urgency, but effective communication about environmental threats such as climate change needs to be coupled with confidence that there are things that can be done, individually and collectively, to avert potential disaster.