Section 1: Question 1-13

EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

Revised July 2011
This applies to all persons on the school campus
In cases of emergency (e.g. fire), find the nearest teacher who will: send a messenger at full speed to the Office OR inform the Office via phone ext. 99.

PROCEDURE FOR EVACUATION

1. Warning of an emergency evacuation will be marked by a number of short bell rings. (In the event of a power failure, this may be a hand-held bell or siren.)
2. All class work will cease immediately.
3. Students will leave their bags, books and other possessions where they are.
4. Teachers will take the class rolls.
5. Classes will vacate the premises using the nearest staircase. If these stairs are inaccessible, use the nearest alternative staircase. Do not use the lifts. Do not run.
6. Each class, under the teacher’s supervision, will move in a brisk, orderly fashion to the paved quadrangle area adjacent to the car park.
7. All support staff will do the same.
8. The Marshalling Supervisor, Ms Randall, will be wearing a red cap and she will be waiting there with the master timetable and staff list in her possession.
9. Students assemble in the quad with their teacher at the time of evacuation. The teacher will do a head count and check the roll.
10. Each teacher sends a student to the Supervisor to report whether all students have been accounted for. After checking, students will sit down (in the event of rain or wet pavement they may remain standing).
11. The Supervisor will inform the Office when all staff and students have been accounted for.
12. All students, teaching staff and support personnel remain in the evacuation area until the All Clear signal is given.
13. The All Clear will be a long bell ring or three blasts on the siren.
14. Students will return to class in an orderly manner under teacher guidance.
15. In the event of an emergency occurring during lunch or breaks, students are to assemble in their home-room groups in the quad and await their home-room teacher.

Questions 1-8

Complete the sentences below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the text for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 1–8 on your answer sheet.
1. In an emergency, a teacher will either phone the office or …………………. .
2. The signal for evacuation will normally be several …………………. .
3. If possible, students should leave the building by the …………………. .
4. They then walk quickly to the …………………. .
5. …………………. will join the teachers and students in the quad.
6. Each class teacher will count up his or her students and mark …………………. .
7. After the …………………. , everyone may return to class.
8. If there is an emergency at lunchtime, students gather in the quad in …………………. and wait for their teacher.

Look at the information about Community Education. Then answer the questions 9-14 below.

Community Education

SHORT COURSES: BUSINESS

Business Basics
Gain foundation knowledge for employment in an accounts position with bookkeeping and business basics through to intermediate level; suitable for anyone requiring knowledge from the ground up.
Code B/ED011
16th or 24th April 9am–4pm
Cost $420

Bookkeeping
This course will provide students with a comprehensive understanding of bookkeeping and a great deal of hands-on experience.
Code B/ED020
19th April 9am–2.30pm (one session only so advance bookings essential)
Cost $250

New Enterprise Module
Understand company structures, tax rates, deductions, employer obligations, profit and loss statements, GST and budgeting for tax.
Code B/ED030
15th or 27th May 6pm–9pm
Cost $105

Social Networking – the Latest Marketing Tool
This broad overview gives you the opportunity to analyse what web technologies are available and how they can benefit your organisation.
Code B/ED033
1st or 8th or 15th June 6pm–9pm
Cost $95

Communication
Take the fear out of talking to large gatherings of people. Gain the public-speaking experience that will empower you with better communication skills and confidence.
Code B/ED401
12th or 13th or 14th
July 6pm–9pm
Cost $90

Questions 9-14

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text?

In boxes 9-14 on your answer sheet, write
    TRUE        if the statement agrees with the information
    FALSE      if the statement contradicts the information
    NOT GIVEN  if there is no information on this
9. Business Basics is appropriate for beginners.
10. Bookkeeping has no practical component.
11. Bookkeeping is intended for advanced students only.
12. The New Enterprise Module can help your business become more profitable.
13. Social Networking focuses on a specific website to help your business succeed.
14. The Communication class involves speaking in front of an audience.

Section 2: Question 15-28

BENEFICIAL WORK PRACTICES FOR THE

KEYBOARD OPERATOR

A.  Sensible work practices are an important factor in the prevention of muscular fatigue; discomfort or pain in the arms, neck, hands or back; or eye strain which can be associated with constant or regular work at a keyboard and visual display unit (VDU).
B.  It is vital that the employer pays attention to the physical setting such as workplace design, the office environment, and placement of monitors as well as the organisation of the work and individual work habits. Operators must be able to recognise work-related health problems and be given the opportunity to participate in the management of these. Operators should take note of and follow the preventive measures outlined below.
C.  The typist must be comfortably accommodated in a chair that is adjustable for height with a backrest that is also easily adjustable both for angle and height. The backrest and sitting ledge (with a curved edge) should preferably be cloth-covered to avoid excessive perspiration.
D.  When the keyboard operator is working from a paper file or manuscript, it should be at the same distance from the eyes as the screen. The most convenient position can be found by using some sort of holder. Individual arrangements will vary according to whether the operator spends more time looking at the VDU or the paper – whichever the eyes are focused on for the majority of time should be put directly in front of the operator.
E.  While keying, it is advisable to have frequent but short pauses of around thirty to sixty seconds to proofread. When doing this, relax your hands. After you have been keying for sixty minutes, you should have a ten-minute change of activity. During this spell, it is important that you do not remain seated but stand up or walk around. This period could be profitably used to do filing or collect and deliver documents.
F.  Generally, the best position for a VDU is at right angles to the window. If this is not possible then glare from the window can be controlled by blinds, curtains or movable screens. Keep the face of the VDU vertical to avoid glare from overhead lighting.
G.  Unsatisfactory work practices or working conditions may result in aches or pain. Symptoms should be reported to your supervisor early on so that the cause of the trouble can be corrected and the operator should seek medical attention.

Questions 15-21

The text on the next page has seven sections, A–G. Choose the correct heading for each section from the list of headings below. Write the correct number, i–x, in boxes 15–21 on your answer sheet.

Look at the information about “Workplace dismissals“. Then answer the questions 22-28 below.

Workplace Dismissals

Before the dismissal
If an employer wants to dismiss an employee, there is a process to be followed. Instances of minor misconduct and poor performance must first be addressed through some preliminary steps.

Firstly, you should be given an improvement note. This will explain the problem, outline any necessary changes and offer some assistance in correcting the situation. Then, if your employer does not think your performance has improved, you may be given a written warning. The last step is called a final written warning which will inform you that you will be dismissed unless there are improvements in performance. If there is no improvement, your employer can begin the dismissal procedure.

The dismissal procedure begins with a letter from the employer setting out the charges made against the employee. The employee will be invited to a meeting to discuss these accusations. If the employee denies the charges, he is given the opportunity to appear at a formal appeal hearing in front of a different manager. After this, a decision is made as to whether the employee will be let go or not.

Dismissals
Of the various types of dismissal, a fair dismissal is the best kind if an employer wants an employee out of the workplace. A fair dismissal is legally and contractually strong and it means all the necessary procedures have been correctly followed. In cases where an employee’s misconduct has been very serious, however, an employer may not have to follow all of these procedures. If the employer can prove that the employee’s behaviour was illegal, dangerous or severely wrong, the employee can be dismissed immediately: a procedure known as summary dismissal.

Sometimes a dismissal is not considered to have taken place fairly. One of these types is wrongful dismissal and involves a breach of contract by the employer. This could involve dismissing an employee without notice or without following proper disciplinary and dismissal procedures. Another type, unfair dismissal, is when an employee is sacked without good cause.

There is another kind of dismissal, known as constructive dismissal, which is slightly peculiar because the employee is not actually openly dismissed by the employer. In this case, the employee is forced into resigning by an employer who tries to make significant changes to the original contract. This could mean an employee might have to work night shifts after originally signing on for day work, or he could be made to work in dangerous conditions.

Questions 22 and 23

Complete the sentences below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the text for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 22–23 on your answer sheet.

22. If an employee receives a ………………….. , this means he will lose his job if his work does not get better.
23. If an employee does not accept the reasons for his dismissal, a ………………….. can be arranged.

Questions 24–28

Look at the following descriptions (Questions 24–28) and the list of terms in the box below.
Match each description with the correct term A–E. Write the appropriate letter A–E in boxes 24–28 on your answer sheet.

24. An employee is asked to leave work straight away because he has done something really bad.
25. An employee is pressured to leave his job unless he accepts conditions that are very different from those agreed to in the beginning.
26. An employer gets rid of an employee without keeping to conditions in the contract.
27. The reason for an employee’s dismissal is not considered good enough.
28. The reasons for an employee’s dismissal are acceptable by law and the terms of the employment contract.

A.  Fair dismissal
B.  Summary dismissal
C.  Unfair dismissal
D.  Wrongful dismissal
E.  Constructive dismissal

Section 3: Question 29-40

Employment in Japan

A.  Every autumn, when recruitment of new graduates and school leavers begins, major cities in Japan are flooded with students hunting for a job. Wearing suits for the first time, they run from one interview to another. The season is crucial for many students, as their whole lives may be determined during this period.

B.  In Japan, lifetime employment is commonly practised by large companies. While people working in small companies and those working for sub-contractors do not, in general, enjoy the advantages conferred by the large companies, there is a general expectation that employees will, in fact, remain more or less permanently in the same job.

C.  Unlike in many Western countries where companies employ people whose skills can be effective immediately, Japanese companies select applicants with potential who can be trained to become suitable employees. For this reason, recruiting employees is an important exercise for companies, as they invest a lot of time and money in training new staff. This is basically true both for factory workers and for professionals. Professionals who have studied subjects which are of immediate use in the workplace, such as industrial engineers, are very often placed in factories and transferred from one section to another. By gaining experience in several different areas and by working in close contact with workers, the engineers are believed, in the long run, to become more effective members of the company. Workers too feel more involved by working with professionals and by being allowed to voice their opinions. Loyalty is believed to be cultivated in this type of egalitarian working environment.

D.  Because of this system of training employees to be all-rounders, mobility between companies is low. Wages are set according to educational background or initial field of employment, ordinary graduates being employed in administration, engineers in engineering and design departments and so on. Both promotions and wage increases tend to be tied to seniority, though some differences may arise later on as a result of ability and business performance. Wages are paid monthly, and the net sum, after the deduction of tax, is usually paid directly into a bank account. As well as salary, a bonus is usually paid twice a year. This is a custom that dates back to the time when employers gave special allowances so that employees could properly celebrate bon, a Buddhist festival held in mid-July in Tokyo, but on other dates in other regions. The festival is held to appease the souls of ancestors. The second bonus is distributed at New Year. Recently, bonuses have also been offered as a way of allowing workers a share in the profits that their hard work has gained.

E.  Many female graduates complain that they are not given equal training and equal opportunity in comparison to male graduates. Japanese companies generally believe that female employees will eventually leave to get married and have children. It is also true that, as well as the still-existing belief among women themselves that nothing should stand in the way of child-rearing, the extended hours of work often do not allow women to continue their careers after marriage.

F.  Disappointed career-minded female graduates often opt to work for foreign firms. Since most male graduates prefer to join Japanese firms with their guaranteed security, foreign firms are often keen to employ female graduates as their potential tends to be greater than that of male applicants.

G.  Some men, however, do leave their companies in spite of future prospects, one reason being to take over the family business. The eldest sons in families that own family companies or businesses such as stores are normally expected to take over the business when their parents retire. It is therefore quite common to see a businessman, on succeeding to his parents’ business, completely change his professional direction by becoming, for example, a shopkeeper.

H.  On the job, working relationships tend to be very close because of the long hours of work and years of service in common. Social life, in fact, is frequently based on the workplace. Restaurants and nomi-ya, “pubs”, are always crowded at night with people enjoying an evening out with their colleagues. Many companies organise trips and sports days for their employees. Senior staff often play the role of mentor. This may mean becoming involved in the lives of junior staff in such things as marriage and the children’s education.

I.  The average age of retirement is between 55 and 60. For most Westerners, retirement may be an eagerly awaited time to undertake such things as travel and hobbies. Many Japanese, however, simply cannot get used to the freedom of retirement and they look for ways of constructively using their time. Many look for new jobs, feeling that if they do not work they will be abandoned by society. This has recently led to the development in some municipalities of municipal job centres which advertise casual work such as cleaning and lawn mowing. Given that Japan is facing the problem of an increasingly ageing society, such activities may be vital in the future.

Questions 29-37

The Reading Passage has nine paragraphs A–I.
Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below.

Questions 38-40

Complete the sentences below with words taken from the reading passage.
Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
38.  Japanese employers believe that moving professionals within companies and listening to workers’ views leads to .………………..
39.  Employees receive their wages monthly and a bonus …………………
40.  Japanese workers often form close personal relationships and older staff may even become a ………………. to junior staff.