Section 1: Question 1-14

Manchester International Airport:

Check-In Information

Welcome to Manchester International Airport check-in service.  Located on the first floor of the airport, the check-in counters process two categories of traveller. Our Domestic Passport Counters are for UK Passport holders and our Overseas Passport Counters process all non-UK resident travellers. The colours of the counter boards are green and blue respectively. To facilitate a smooth arrival, please make sure you report to the appropriate counter.

Check-in desks:
All check-in desks open 2 hours before scheduled departures.  No flight guarantees can be given to passengers that check-in within 15 minutes before scheduled flight departure. All passengers must have a valid airline ticket, passport and visa (if required) before reporting to a check-in counter. Please note that the check-in counters will not accept any written confirmation from airlines regarding flight changes unless the change has been endorsed on the ticket. Once processed, travellers are issued with a boarding pass showing aircraft number, scheduled departure time, boarding gate and seat number. Note: for special seating needs, please notify a crew member before your boarding pass is issued.

Luggage information:
All items not being carried on to the plane must be deposited at the check-in counter. All luggage is subject to security checks that include X-ray scanning. Items sensitive to the X-ray process (camera film and some electronic devices) should be declared via the Luggage Declaration Form. These forms are available at the check-in counters or can be collected from airline ticket sales booths. The airport authority will take responsibility for the damage of any item of luggage due to the X-ray scanning process if a Luggage Declaration Form is completed. Once luggage has been deposited at the check-in counter, travellers receive a luggage card with a unique number and a barcode.  Travellers should write their name, passport number, flight number and their destination address on the card. Baggage weight allowance varies depending upon flight class. For Economy Class, the maximum allowance is 20kg while for Business Class it is 30kg. Excess baggage will incur an extra cost.

Live animal transportation:
An Animal Carriage form must be completed. Forms are available at the Office of the Customs Inspector (Suite 1044, North Block of the main airport building). The animal must be in a transport case that has proper ventilation and allows free movement of the animal. Adequate food considerations must also be made for the animal being transported.

Questions 1-7

Complete the sentences below with words taken from the passage.
Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 1-7 on your answer sheet.

1.  Passengers who want to find check-in counters at the airport must go to the …………… .
2.  Passengers without UK Passports should report to counters with ……………  boards.
3.  Passengers who check in …………… departure may not be able to fly.
4.  Before receiving their ……………, special needs travellers must talk with a crew member.
5.  A …………… is a kind of insurance against items affected by the security check process. 
6.  …………… passengers with 30kgs of baggage will pay more.
7.  An animal being transported must have enough ……………, air and room to move.

Read the text below and answer questions 8 -14.

Manchester City Council:

Household Waste Management

This leaflet contains guidelines for every household within the Manchester City Council area regarding the disposal of household waste. We hope that all households will strive to implement our 7-phase Waste Management Strategy 2010-2014.

 A.  All houses are provided with three bins: Red, Yellow and Green. Each bin has dimensions of 1 metre by ¼ metre by ¼ metre. Regular household waste such as food scraps, must be placed in the red bin. Residents must put all their recyclable waste – paper, bottles and cans – into the yellow bin. The green bin is for green waste such as grass, plants or household garden waste.

B.  City council waste trucks collect bins on Fridays between 6 am and 4 pm. Each truck will empty each of the three types of bins separately. Bins should be placed outside homes, close to the front door or the driveway of the house before 6 am.

C.  Initially, all regular household waste is unloaded from the collection trucks and transported to the Eastern City Land Filling Project. Some of the rubbish collected is used as landfill. It is therefore very important that non-bio-degradable items such as plastic bags and bottles are not placed inside green bins.  

D.  Containers with recyclable waste are stored inside a warehouse to sell to privately owned companies that specialise in the re-packaging and reuse of used products. Funds generated from the sale of these products are injected into the annual council budget.

 E.  Containers holding green waste are picked up by the logistics division of the State Fertiliser Department who transport the raw material to their fertiliser factory. There the green waste is converted into fertiliser. The council does not earn anything from this activity as the state-owned factory runs on government subsidies, providing fertiliser to the rural farmers at cost.

 F.  A quarterly survey is conducted with the assistance of an independent research firm to measure the proportion of all different waste types. The findings are forwarded to the Ministry of Environment. The ministry focuses on the status of non-bio-degradable wastes, which may threaten the environment. The report aims to assist in controlling the flow of non-bio-degradable items into the consumer marketplace.

G.  At the end of each financial year the Council alters its plan and operational procedures to meet the changing needs created in waste management. A household survey is conducted annually with a sample size of 25,000 houses to compile household feedback on waste management services.      

– Manchester City Council, PO BOX 40 99, MNC, UK –

Questions 8 – 14

Look at the seven phases (A-G) in the waste management strategy. For which phase are the following statements true? Write your answers A-G in boxes 8-14 on your answer sheet.

8. An activity that ensures waste management practices are current.
9. A way for the council to create income.
10. Different waste for different bins.
11. The place where all collected rubbish is first taken.
12. Where full bins should be deposited for emptying.
13. A study that is passed on to another government office.
14. Waste is transformed and used to help growth.

Section 2: Question 15-27

Professional Training Institute for Migrants (PTIM)

– General Information –

PTIM is a partially government-run training institute for skilled migrants. We focus on three key development areas for migrant professionals in the UK:

A. Getting professionals used to UK corporate culture:
Corporate cultures vary from country to country and sometimes, professionals migrating to the UK can find it challenging to adjust to the new culture. The challenges migrants face are usually related to employee-employer relationships, employee rights and responsibilities and professional relationships with colleagues. PTIM will assist migrant professionals to understand the corporate culture in the UK prior to starting their professional life.     

B. Offering industry-specific further training to meet UK industry standards:
Sometimes prior qualifications and experience do not exactly match the requirements of UK employers. PTIM offers 32 short courses each targeted at specific industries – banking, insurance, accounting, law, management and marketing are some. To better enable migrants to prepare for the English standards required in UK industries, training is available in both written and spoken English.

C. Placing professionals in appropriate organisations:
PTIM is well-connected with over 1,200 commercial organisations in a variety of industries. Although it is not guaranteed that the training at PTIM will lead to a job, it will help make finding a job much easier. PTIM organises a bi-annual job fair at its premises where our trainees can meet with employers and company representatives. These have proven to be very effective with around 30% of our trainees finding employment after the fair.

How to enrol: 
To enrol in any of our courses, book an appointment by calling 41 25 32 36 or visiting our website. Bring along to the initial interview your skilled migration visa along with all your previous educational and work-related documents. Provide us with as much detail as possible so we can determine what kind of training will be best for you. If you are offered a place in one of our courses, you will be notified within five business days and sent an enrolment form to complete.  

Fees and facilities: 
All students enjoy a subsidised rate for training which varies from course to course. Our courses range in price from around £200 to £1200. Fees cover all training costs and use of our resource library, internet and audio-visual materials. A field trip to an organisation within your industry is also included.

Withdrawal:
If you are allocated a course and want to withdraw, you need to do so at least 2 weeks prior to the commencement date in order to avoid a fine. Depending upon the cost of the course, a late withdrawal fine ranging from 10% to up to half the total fee may be charged – contact the registrar if you have any questions.

Questions 15-20:

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the passage on PTIM?
In boxes 15-20 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

15. PTIM is owned by the government.
16. Corporate cultures in the UK and other countries are quite similar.
17. All courses are conducted in English.
18. PTIM has relationships with many different businesses.
19. Migrant professionals pay a reduced price for all PTIM courses.
20. Withdrawing from a course one week before it starts may cost 50% of the course fee.

Read the information below and answer questions 21 -27.
 

Food and Beverage Company Limited (FBCL), Manchester

Overseas Personal Recruitment Procedure

FBCL is a privately owned company that has operated in Manchester for 15 years. We specialise in the production of a range of food and drink items which we market under several brand names primarily in the Manchester area. FBCL follows a decentralised management practice and is an equal opportunity employer. A significant portion of our employee base consists of professional migrants. As the assessment procedures of overseas degrees and professional experience are different than our domestic staff, all applications from migrant professionals go through a different recruitment process.

Positions vacant are always advertised in regional newspapers which include a full description of the job responsibilities and qualifications required. Our recruitment ads can also be found on our website. We collect all the applications sent to us within the stipulated deadlines. We then sort the applications into two groups – applicants with UK-based education and qualifications and all other applicants. Two different recruitment teams within FBCL assess these groups of applications since the method used to evaluate and validate details for each group differ significantly.

UK-based applicants are evaluated and short-listed. We examine university degree details – degree(s) achieved, units studied and results awarded. Regarding professional records, we concentrate on previous positions and job responsibilities. In most cases, we do a reference check with previous UK employers. Non-UK applicants are sent to a specialised independent recruitment company located in Manchester. The recruitment company is highly experienced in application evaluation with agent offices in over 120 countries. This ensures excellence in this phase of the selection process. At times, government databases are used in evaluations to ensure fixing of standards. Contact with international employers is occasionally made.

Once the applications from both groups have been reviewed and possible candidates selected, they are combined on one list.  The next stage of the process involves applications being further reviewed and a short-list is created by the directors of the company. The candidates in this new short list have made the final round and are then called for a face-to-face interview with the personnel manager.

Applicants selected by the personnel manager to join the company need to undergo a basic physical check-up at a preferred medical centre in Manchester. All those selected are then sent for compulsory 2-week training at FBCL headquarters, which is located 25km west of the metropolitan city. A lump-sum payment is made for the session with living expenses also covered.

After successful completion of the training, candidates are placed in marketing, sales or office positions. A provisional period of 3 months applies to all positions after which appointments become permanent. During the provisional period, benefits reserved for permanent employees are not included in the salary package, only a basic salary is paid.

Questions 21 – 27

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D. Write your answers in boxes 21-27 on your answer sheet.

21. Recruitment procedures at FBCL are different for international professionals because        
   A) most employees are from overseas.
   B) their jobs may require some retraining.
   C) formal qualifications and work tasks are different.
   D) recruitment is more decentralised.

22.  Positions vacant
   A) include work responsibilities and pay scales.
   B) can be found in newspapers and online.
   C) list work experience requirements.
   D) are organised into two distinct groups.

23. UK-based applications 
   A) are processed faster than non-UK applications.
   B) focus more on professional qualifications than work experience.
   C) are examined by several company departments.
   D) often lead to contact with past places of work.

24. The independent recruitment company           
    A) is based in East Manchester.
    B) keeps the selection process standards high.
    C) contacts international employers on behalf of FBCL.
    D) has a close relationship with government departments.

25.  The FBCL company directors 
      A) reduce the number of applicants.
      B) are involved with short-list interviews.
      C) review short-listed candidates with the personnel manager.
      D) design questions for the final round interview.

26.  The physical check-up
      A) is stricter for non-UK applicants.
      B) is the final stage in the interview process.
      C) is not difficult.
      D) is required for staff.

27.  Applicants who successfully complete their training 
     A) become permanent staff.
     B) are entitled to a financial benefit.
     C) are paid a wage.
     D) undertake three months of additional training.

Section 3: Question 28-40

Bushwalking

In the United Kingdom bushwalking is usually referred to as hiking – an activity that people do as a form of physical exercise rather than a form of outdoor enjoyment. In Australia, people bushwalk as a form of mental recreation and social interaction. In New Zealand, bushwalking or tramping, as it is called there, is seen more as a group trip for at least a couple of days where walkers stay overnight in different sites as a part of their journey. The Indian and Nepalese version of bushwalking is where participants enjoy trekking through forests and mountains.

Although tours by motorised vehicles have made it easy for people to satisfy their quest for exploration, the value and charm of bushwalking has remained unique as one of the most natural ways of exploring nature.  Unlike vehicle tours, bushwalking creates no noise pollution so the environment is largely left unspoiled.

In the early 1900s, the popularity of bushwalking as an adventure sport began to rise. The USA promoted it for the first time in an organised way by forming bushwalking clubs. A ‘hiking boom’ hit the USA in the 1930s as people joined bushwalking clubs by the thousands. These clubs brought together like-minded supporters of bushwalking and forged a strong connection with governmental authorities who developed and implemented the infrastructure for bushwalking. As a consequence, by the end of 1950s, bushwalking trails in the USA were established countrywide which, over time, led to an increase in the number of bushwalking clubs countrywide.

In the 1950s, Australia had around 20 bushwalking societies but today the number stands at well over 200. In the UK, some private tour companies and bushwalking guilds, have designed guided bushwalking tours ranging from a single day to over 2 weeks.  Canada invites adventurous tourists from around the globe to bushwalk through its vast Rocky Mountains. New Zealand’s South Island is considered by many to be more attractive than the North Island for three major geographical features – its vast forests of Podocarpus trees, Kahurangi Mountain and the Paparoa caves. In India, increasingly huge numbers trek the Dzongri-Goechala trail of Sikkim and the trails of the Himalayas. In Africa, the countries of Congo, Kenya, Morocco, Uganda and Zambia are very popular for national and international bushwalkers.

The reasons people bushwalk vary – often it is not simply a journey to reach a destination but rather an open-ended journey where the experience along the way is more important than actually reaching the destination. Taking photographs of the flora and fauna and exploring the natural landscapes are popular activities also enjoyed while bushwalking. Sometimes it is not only for pleasure – zoology, botany, environmental science or forestry professionals sometimes bushwalk for research purposes.  

There is a generally agreed etiquette among experienced bushwalkers which includes how they should treat the bush and how they should treat other fellow-walkers. The approach toward the bush known as ‘Minimum Impact Bushwalking (MIB)’ has been adopted in many countries and encourages bushwalkers to never harm the environment. The MIB motto is simply, ‘Take nothing but photos, leave nothing but footprints’.  The second piece of bushwalker etiquette relates to noise that may disturb other fellow bushwalkers. It is expected that bushwalkers keep noise to a minimum while walking and do not carry any items such as radios or other electronic equipment that can create continuous noise.

Although bushwalkers anticipate adventure and enjoyment, bushwalking can result in life-threatening situations if precautions are not taken. Some of the circumstances that pose the greatest threat include becoming lost, inclement weather; hazardous terrain which can result in internal injuries such as an ankle sprain¹; dehydration, exposure causing hypothermia and even sunburn are also among the perils bushwalkers may need to negotiate. To help bushwalkers, experts have developed a check-list, which is well known among bushwalkers as the ‘Ten Essentials of Bushwalking’ – map, compass, sunglasses, food & water, extra clothes, torch, first aid kit, fire starter, knife and, at least one other fellow bushwalker!

      
(1) A painful wrenching of the ankle ligaments

Questions 28-30

Look at the list of countries A-H below. In which THREE countries there are associations for bushwalkers?
Write your answers A-H (in any order) in boxes 28-30 on your answer sheet.

Questions 31-36

Do the following information agree with the information given in the passage?
In boxes 31-36 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

31. People in the UK bushwalk to keep fit.
32. The USA is the most popular bushwalking country in the world.             
33. The Paparoa caves are in New Zealand’s South Island.
34. Bushwalking in Canada can be dangerous.
35. Excessive cold and storms are major threats to bushwalkers.
36. According to experts, individuals should not bushwalk alone.

Questions 37-40

Answer the questions below. Chose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 36-40 on your answer sheet.

37. Who follows a set of rules in the bush?
38. What does Minimum Impact Bushwalking encourage bushwalkers to protect?
39. What should bushwalkers keep at a low level?
40. What can cause internal wounds amongst bushwalkers?