:: Reading :: GT READING 9 T1

Questions 1–14

Read the text below and answer Questions 1–6.

A. HELP – snack bar serving person

Bright, friendly, experience not essential
Energy and enthusiasm an absolute must
Sat & Sun only
Call or drop in at Kingsway Centre, Melbourne/Royston.
Tel: 01763 24722 and ask for the Manager.

B. Granta Hotel

Requires a part-time silver service waiter/waitress.
Only applicants with experience and good references need apply.
Excellent wages, meals on duty.
Tel: 01223 51468 (office hours).

C. WANTED

From January till July, a nanny/carer for Toby, 2 years.
Formal qualifications not as important as a sensible, warm, and imaginative approach.
Hours: 8:30-5:00 Mon-Fri.
Car driver essential, non-smoker.
References required.
For further details phone: 01480 88086 after 6pm.

D. Cleaner required for 12-floor modern office block in the Station Road area, St. Ives.

2 hours per day, Mondays to Fridays.
To finish work before the offices open.
Wages: £80 per week.
Tel: 01223 93929.

E. Mature, experienced Administrator/Secretary

For soft furnishing company, working within the hotel industry.
Hours: 1pm–5pm, Mon–Fri.
Phone: Mr. S. Quinn 01353 71251.

F. FULL-TIME COOK

For a new and exciting café venture.
Good conditions. Pay and hours can be negotiated.
Apply Red Café (01863) 72052.

G. 50-Seater Restaurant TO LET

Ideal for very experienced person looking to start up on their own.
Located on busy A10 road.
Reply: Box No. P172, Newmarket Newspapers Ltd., 51 Cambridge Road, Newmarket, CB8 2LN.

INTERCITY Sleeper between London and Scotland

Most tickets may be used for travel by Sleeper, subject to availability, and a reservation in a two-berth cabin can be made for £25, except in the case of Solo and Special tickets, which include Sleeper reservations in the fare. The price includes an early morning tea or coffee and biscuits. A Continental or hot breakfast can be ordered if you wish.

Choose from a range of tickets to suit your journey.

A – SuperApex

Available for travel after 9 am.
Book at least a week ahead and travel between Edinburgh or Glasgow and London for the unbeatable price of £59 return.
This ticket is non-refundable unless the service is cancelled.

B – Apex

A real bargain fare. Only £69 return between Edinburgh or Glasgow and London.
Great value Sleeper travel available by booking at least a week before outward travel.
Ticket refundable after payment of a £25 administration charge.

C – SuperSaver

Available right up to the day of travel and any day except these peak days: all Fridays, also 18-30 December, 31 March to 18 May.
Departures between midnight and 2 am count as previous day’s departure.
London to Glasgow or Edinburgh £82.

D – Saver

This flexible ticket is valid every day and can be bought on the day of travel.
Your ticket allows standard class travel on any train between 10 am and midnight.
No seat reservations allowed.
London to Glasgow or Edinburgh £95.

E – Solo

Treat yourself and enjoy exclusive use of a Standard cabin.
Solo is an inclusive return travel ticket with Sleeper reservations for one on both directions.
Outward and return reservations should be made at the time of booking.
The journey must include a Saturday night stay.
£140-£160 London to Edinburgh/Glasgow return.

F – Special

Special is an inclusive return travel package for two people, including Sleeper reservations for on both directions.
It can mean savings for both of you.
Outward and return reservations should be made at the time of booking.
From £120.

G – Standard

Not the cheapest option but available up to the time of travel, subject to availability.
You are advised to turn up early for travel on a Friday.

FORMAL DRESS CODE FOR COMPANY EMPLOYEES

At Trans European, the company’s objective in establishing a formal dress code is to enable our employees to project the professional image that is in keeping with the needs of our clients and customers who expect our serious, impartial, and professional services. Because our industry depends on appearance of trusted business professionals and we serve clients at our site on a daily basis, a more formal dress code is necessary for our employees.

Formal Dress Code Guidelines

In a formal business environment, the standard of dressing for men and women is a suit. Alternatively, a jacket may be worn with appropriate accessories. Torn, dirty, or frayed clothing is unacceptable. Clothing should be pressed and never wrinkled. No dress code can cover all contingencies, so employees must exercise a certain amount of judgment in their choice of clothing to wear to work. If you experience uncertainty, please ask your supervisor for clarification.

Shoes and Footwear

Conservative walking shoes, dress shoes, loafers, boots, flats, dress heels, and backless shoes are acceptable for work. Not wearing stockings or socks is inappropriate. Tennis shoes and any shoe with an open toe are not acceptable in the office.

Accessories and Jewellery

The wearing of ties, scarves, belts, and jewellery is encouraged, provided they are tasteful. Items which are flashy, should be avoided.

Makeup, Perfume, and Cologne

A professional appearance is encouraged and excessive makeup should be avoided. Remember that some employees may be allergic reactions to the chemicals in perfumes and make-up, so wear these substances in moderation.

Hats and Head Covering

Hats are not appropriate in the office. Head covers that are required for reasons of faith or to honour cultural tradition are permitted.

Dress Down Days

The company has designated dress-down days, generally Fridays. On these days, business casual clothing is allowed. Clothing that has our company logo is strongly encouraged. Sports team, university, and fashion brand clothing are not generally acceptable. However, you may wish to keep a jacket in your office in case a client unexpectedly appears.

Violation of Dress Code

If clothing fails to meet the company’s standards, as determined by the employee’s supervisor, the employee could be asked to not wear the inappropriate item to work again. If the problem persists, the employee will receive a verbal warning and may be sent home to change clothes.

JLP RETAIL: STAFF BENEFITS

Whatever your role, your pay range will be extremely competitive and reviewed in the light of your progress. In addition to your salary, you will enjoy an array of excellent benefits from the moment you join the company.

Paid holiday

The minimum holiday entitlement is four weeks per year, rising to five weeks after three years in the job. For graduate trainees, after promotion to management, this increases further. There are further long-service increases for most staff after ten or fifteen years. Managers, including graduate trainees, receive five weeks’ holiday from the outset.

Pension scheme

We offer a non-contributory final salary pension scheme, payable from the age of 60, to most staff who have completed the qualifying period of five years.

Life assurance

Our life assurance scheme pays a sum equivalent to three times your annual salary to your nominated beneficiary.

Discounts

After three months' service, all staff are entitled to a 12% discount on most purchases from the business’s stores. This rises to 25% after one year.

Subsidised dining room

In most sites, we provide a dining room where you can enjoy excellent food at very reasonable prices.

Holiday and leisure facilities

The business owns a number of residential clubs and hotels, offering heavily subsidised accommodation for staff with at least three years’ service.

Sports clubs

We support an extensive range of sports activities, including football, netball, golf, skiing, sailing, squash, riding, and gliding.

Ticket subsidies

Ticket subsidies of 50% of the cost of plays or concerts are available. Staff may also take advantage of corporate membership to bodies such as the Science Museum.

Education subsidies

We give generous financial support to staff who wish to acquire leisure skills or continue their education, e.g. through the Open University or evening classes.

Extended leave

Staff who complete 25 years’ service can enjoy paid sabbatical leave of up to six months.

Health services

We have an occupational health service, staffed by full-time doctors and health advisers.

Financial help, benefits, and discounted deals

In cases of particular hardship, we help staff with loans. We have also negotiated a range of benefits for staff at a discounted price, along with a number of cut-price deals with hotels and amusement parks.

OUT OF THE ASHES

A

On the afternoon of 30th August 1989, a fire broke out at Uppark, a large eighteenth-century house in Sussex. For a year, builders had been replacing the lead on the roof, and on that day, at around 3:17 PM, within minutes of an alarm bell ringing, the fire brigade arrived at the scene. However, nothing could be done to save the priceless collection of art. The fire had started at the front, from an oil painting, or a dog, which the firemen set up to check, but it quickly spread to the rear of the building.

B

Due to the courage and swift action of the previous owner, the Meade-Featherstonhaugh family, and the staff, stewards, and visitors to the house, bowls formed human chains to pass the precious pieces of porcelain, furniture, and paintings out onto the lawn. 95% of the content was removed from the ground floor and carried out before the roof fell in. As the fire continued to burn the upper floors, the conservators were being mobilized, and donations from local businesses were especially sought to provide the bulk supplies of bubble wrap to desperately help pack the objects.

C

As the following morning arrived, Uppark stood in ruins, with piles of wet, burnt-out charcoal covering the ground floor and basement, and many rooms charred and fallen timbers blocking the interior. It was a scene of utter devastation.

D

After the initial shock, the days which followed the fire were filled with discoveries. Helped by volunteers, National Trust archaeologists, and conservators, a meticulous sorting of all the materials took place to find and identify as much as possible. Every single fragment was recorded, and all debris was stored in countless dustbins before being sifted and categorized.

There were great excitements as remnants of the lantern from the Staircase Hall were pulled out from the debris of two fallen floors, and also the week’s takings from the Red Room carpet, thought to have been totally lost, was found wrapped around the remains of a piano. There was a lucky survivor—the State Bed, as the fire had not reached that room. Staff who had fought the fire thought that the house was lost, but by morning, they realized much had survived.

E

The scale of the task to repair Uppark was unprecedented in the National Trust. The immediate question was whether it should be done at all. A decision had to be taken quickly, as the building was unsound and could become dangerous if left for too long.

F

In June 1990, the building programme was completed, on time and on budget. The total cost of the work to restore the house and its contents came to nearly £20 million, largely met from insurance. In addition, it made economic sense for the National Trust to invest time and money in upgrading water and heating systems, installing modern environmental controls, and updating fire and security equipment.

G

The final stages of restoration and the massive programme of reinstalment took eight months. The family and the room stewards were visibly moved when returning to their old haunts, perhaps the best testament that the spirit of Uppark had not died. But the debate will no doubt continue as to whether or not it was right to repair the house after the fire. The National Trust has done its best to remain true to Uppark, it is for others to judge the success of the project.

Note: The National Trust is a charitable organisation in Britain set up over a hundred years ago to preserve the national heritage.

Question (1)

Questions 1–6

Question (7)

Questions 7–14

Questions 15 - 21

NOTES ON COMPANY DRESS CODE

Questions 22 - 27

Question (28)

List of Headings

Question (38)

Questions 38–40

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