General Training Reading 2025-05 Test 9

A. ARUNDEL: Built in the 11th century overlooking the river Arun and the stunning Sussex countryside is this remarkable castle, seat of the Dukes of Norfolk. The castle was fully restored in the 18th century and hosts a wide variety of events throughout the year. Medieval encampments give visitors a chance to feel what it was like to live in that period of history by learning about the music, costumes and sports of the time. A highlight of the summer months is watching iconic Shakespearean drama in the grounds of this atmospheric castle. B. HASTINGS: This castle may be in ruins, but it is still a fascinating place to experience history. Overlooking the English Channel, visitors can imagine ancient battles against 'William the Conqueror'. A film about the events of the best-known year in English history. The 1066 story plays on a loop in a mini cinema in the grounds. There are several picnic areas in the grounds and close by. C. RYE: The castle at Rye was built in the 13th century and has been used as a prison at different times in its history. Part of the castle now houses a museum, displaying medieval pottery and artefacts, antique toys and games, and items showcasing the area's history of sailing. D. HERSTMONCEUX: This castle is a late example of a castle, not built until the mid-15th century. By this time, the owners of castles were less concerned with defence and more concerned with comfort and appearance. There are walking trails through the grounds and visitors can interact with birds of prey, such as falcons, owls and hawks. E. KNEPP: This castle has been owned by the same family for over 220 years. The family has been rewilding the land since 2001. Introducing cattle and deer and restoring natural water courses, they have encouraged an increase in wildlife, including several rare species. Visitors can choose from a range of guided safaris, including bats and moths, butterflies and wild horses. There are also shepherd's huts and a campsite in the grounds for those who wish to stay the night. F. BODIAM: Unlike most other castles, the entire castle was built at the same time, so has a consistent architectural style. It is most famous for its wide moat which encircles the castle. While the interior is now in ruins, the outer structure remains. Visitors can visit the well-stocked gift shop and have a drink and snack at the tearoom.

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Nowadays, more and more employers are saving money and time by interviewing prospective staff online. Just when jobseekers thought they knew how to ace an interview, the rules changed. This is our guide to landing your dream job, even if the interview is online. Dress for success: Wear professional attire, unless you are sure the company has a casual dress policy. Even if that is the case, it is better to err on the side of caution. If employees usually wear jeans and T-shirts to work, it is still risky to do so at an interview as it gives the impression that you have not made an effort. It might not be necessary for men to wear a tie with a suit, but don't go more casual than that. Check the technology: Even if you have used the video call platform many times before, check the link sent by the company interviewing you as soon as possible. This will give you time to contact them if there is anything wrong. Don't forget to check your microphone and camera are in good working order and your internet connection is reliable. If in doubt, ask a friend or family member with good internet if you can use their device or Wi-Fi connection. Practise answering questions: It is a good idea to look up common interview questions for the field you work in and develop answers for them. Nowadays, 'tell us about a time when...' questions are popular because they elicit very specific examples from candidates. These are the toughest ones to handle without preparation. Think about some key events from your career which demonstrate teamwork, customer service, time management, goal orientation or whatever skills and competencies you are likely to be asked to show evidence of. Certain projects or accomplishments could be tailored to several different 'tell us about...' questions. The advantage of being online is that you can discreetly refer to notes, so make the most of this opportunity and have screen notes or a notebook to hand. Be and appear relaxed: Interviews are rarely relaxed situations but if your interview is online, it is easier to create a relaxed atmosphere. Try lighting some fragranced candles, for example, or surround yourself with family photos. Make yourself a cup of herbal tea and use cushions to ensure you are comfortable and sitting up straight. At home, you will be able to take deep breaths before you begin without being observed. Whether online or in person, smiling, breathing steadily and speaking slowly are all good ways to avoid seeming nervous. Be aware of your body language: Even in an online interview, body language matters. Look into the camera and make eye contact with the interviewer. It may be a good idea to have a trial run with a friend so that you identify the best part of the screen to focus on. Practise active listening when the interviewer is talking, by nodding and smiling when appropriate.

15. Don't dress casually and avoid ____________. 16. Make sure equipment such as ____________ are functioning. 17. Prepare to share some ____________ of achievements in your career to answer 'tell us about...' questions. 18. Establish a ____________ at home so that you don't feel or appear anxious. 19. It might take practice to know how to maintain ____________ during online conversations. 20. Demonstrate ____________ by nodding and smiling at the speaker.

Dress code: Customer facing roles require formal office attire. This means a suit and tie for men and a skirt/trouser suit or similar smart dress for women. Jackets and ties may be removed when not in contact with customers. Employees in back-office roles may wear smart casual attire if preferred. However, the following items are not permitted: ripped jeans, shorts, slogan T-shirts, flip-flops. Use of technology: This policy applies to all employees (including temporary employees) who use company devices and IT systems ('users'). The company provides technology to users for the purpose of fulfilling their job responsibilities. Users are expected to exercise good judgment and professionalism in the use of all company technology. Occasional personal use of company technology is permissible as long as it does not interfere with workplace productivity. Workers must not: • download films, games, or music • access illegal sites • use the company's technology for commercial purposes • send unsolicited emails Users should be aware that all use of company technology is subject to monitoring. Users have no right to privacy with respect to their use of technology belonging to the company. All members of staff must ensure that laptops, mobile devices, and desktop computers are protected by lock screen passwords of between 8 and 12 characters in length and that screens are set to lock within 10 minutes of inactivity. Company laptops, phones or other devices must be kept securely and not shared with anyone outside the company, including family members. Break policy: The company operates a flexible break policy. On a normal day, staff may take an hour for lunch and leave at 5pm or half an hour early if they wish to leave at 4.30. In exceptional circumstances, staff may finish at 4pm provided they make up the time. Staff using computers are encouraged to take a short screen break every hour. Tea/coffee breaks may be taken at the employee's discretion. The company believes that it is beneficial for staff to informally interact with each other to build rapport and create a relaxed working environment. As such, breaks are generally not monitored by management, except in the case of trainees. Those on the graduate scheme, however, are exempt.

21. What kind of clothes should employees who interact with the public wear? ____________ 22. What kind of footwear is banned in the workplace? ____________ 23. What is the minimum length of an employee's password? ____________ 24. How long can a computer be out of use before the password needs to be re-entered? ____________ 25. What is the earliest employees can leave on a regular basis? ____________ 26. How frequently can staff take short screen breaks? ____________ 27. What kind of employees have their break times checked by senior staff? ____________

A. Chimpanzees are a species of apes that are most closely related to humans. Chimpanzees inhabit tropical forests and savannahs of equatorial Africa. Individuals vary considerably in size and appearance, but chimpanzees stand approximately 1-1.7 meters tall when erect and weigh about 32-60 kg. Males tend to be larger and more robust than females. Chimpanzees are covered by a coat of brown or black hair, but their faces are bare except for a short white beard. Skin color is generally white except for the face, hands, and feet, which are black. The faces of younger animals may be pinkish or whitish. Among older males and females, the forehead often becomes bald and the back becomes gray. B. Chimpanzees awaken at dawn, and their day is spent both on trees and on the ground. After a lengthy midday rest, late afternoon is usually the most intensive feeding period. In the trees, where most feeding takes place, chimps use their hands and feet to move about. They also leap and swing by their arms skilfully from branch to branch. Movement over any significant distance usually takes place on the ground. Though able to walk upright, chimpanzees more often move about on all fours, leaning forward on the knuckles of their hands. Chimpanzees are unable to swim, but they will wade in water. The chimpanzee diet is primarily vegetarian and consists of mostly fruits, berries, leaves, blossoms and seeds, but also bird eggs and chicks. They also appear to use certain plants medicinally to cure diseases and expel intestinal parasites. At night they usually sleep in the trees in nests they build of branches and leaves. C. The female chimpanzee bears a single young at any time of year after a gestation period of about eight months. The new-born weighs about 1.8 kg, is almost helpless, and clings to the fur of the mother's belly as she moves. From about 6 months to 2 years, the youngster rides on the mother's back. Weaning takes place at about 5 years. Males are considered adults at 16 years of age, and females usually begin to reproduce at about 13 years, but often only two offspring survive during her lifetime. The longevity of chimps is about 45 years in the wild and 58 in captivity; however, older individuals have been documented. For example, Cheetah the chimpanzee, an animal actor from the Tarzan movies of the 1930s and '40s, was reported to have lived approximately 80 years. D. Chimpanzees are highly social and live in loose and flexible groups known as communities or unit groups that are based on associations between adult males within a home range, or territory. A community can number from 20 or fewer to well over 100 members. Social dominance exists, with adult males being dominant over adult females and adolescent males. Within a community, there are twice or three times as many adult females as adult males; the number of adults is about equal to the number of immature individuals. The dominance hierarchy among male chimpanzees is very fluid; individuals associate with each other and join and leave different subgroups with complete freedom. The alpha male of a group can monopolize ovulating females through possessive behavior. On the other hand, gang attack by subordinate males can expel an alpha male. Males spend all of their lives in the community they are born in, but occasionally a juvenile male may transfer to another community with his mother. In contrast to males, most females leave their group of birth to join a neighboring group when they mature at around age 11. Female chimpanzees spend most of their time with their young or with other females. Females have been known to form coalitions against a bullying adult male or newly immigrated female. E. Chimpanzees are highly intelligent and are able to solve many kinds of problems posed to them by human trainers and experimenters. A number of researchers have taught chimpanzees to use sign language or languages based on the display of tokens or pictorial symbols. Communication between chimps in the wild takes the form of facial expressions, gestures, and a large array of vocalizations including screams, hoots, grunts, and roars. Males display excitement by standing erect, stamping or swaying, and letting out a chorus of screams. Chimps use louder calls and gestures for long-distance communication (such as drumming on tree buttresses) and quieter calls and facial expressions for short-distance communication. Chimpanzees "fish" for termites and ants with probes made of grass stalks, vines, branches, peeled bark, and midribs of leaves. They crack hard nuts open by using stones, roots, and wood as hammers or leafy sponges (a nanataro to eu leaves or moss to and water, Branches and leaves are attached and sprayed during courtship. Chimpanzees' intelligence, responsiveness, and exuberance have made them ideal nonhuman subjects for psychological, practical, and biological experiments. Young chimpanzees can become very attached to their human trainers, and their expressions of feeling resemble those of humans more closely than any other animal.

LIST OF HEADINGS i. Growing their lineage ii. Matters related to gender iii. A normal work-day iv. Of gray matters v. The basics vi. Height, weight and color vii. Dietary habits