REVIEW

I. Use words from Box A and Box B to make word partnerships which describe the
activities in Exercise A. Write your answers below each sentence (from number 1 to
number 10)
A
bribery price environmental sex insider
tax counterfeit money animal industrial

B and corruption testing discrimination fraud trading

fixing laudering goods pollution espionage

1. A new contact suggests that a payment into his private bank account will enable a company
to win a valuable supply contract.
……………………..
2. An employee informs some friends about a company takeover before it is generally known
so they can buy shares and make a profit.
……………………..
3. A company is making copies of luxury branded products and selling them in street markets.
……………………..
4. An upmarket private airline only employs attractive women under 25 years old as cabin crew
and ground staff.
……………………..
5. An industrial company is disposing of waste chemicals in the sea.
……………………..
6. A car manufacturer is secretly taking photos of a rival's new model at a test track.
……………………..
7. A cosmetics and pharmaceutical company tries out all its products on rats and mice.
……………………..
8. Some criminals buy property and expensive cars with money they got from illegal activities.
The goods are then sold and the now 'clean' money is used in other businesses and new bank
accounts.
……………………..
9. A group of rival mobile phone companies get together and agree to charge approximately the
same amount for a range of services and packages.
……………………..
10. A company tells the authorities that it is making a lot less profit than it actually is.
……………………..

How important is job satisfaction?

At its most basic, a job is (0)_______ a collection of tasks and duties. An employee’s
enjoyment of his or her job will thus (11)_______ depend upon whether or not he or she is
happy with the particular mix of tasks and duties (12)_______ to that position. Naturally, each
and every member of staff is different - some employees want to do easy. (13)_______ tasks
without any responsibilities at all, whilst others prefer challenging, varied ones and are pleased
to accept any additional responsibilities offered to them. Of course, with a job there are more
(14)_______ in play than this: work conditions, pay, working relations and future prospects are
(15)_______ too. Nevertheless, tasks and duties are the central feature, and should therefore be
considered as a separate (16)_______ in themselves.
So, how important is an employee’s enjoyment of his or her individual (17)_______ of
tasks and duties? Most business owners and managers would (18)_______ that it is very
significant indeed. If a member of staff considers his or her tasks and duties to be too easy or
unchallenging or, in contrast, too diverse or irksome, then he or she will feel dissatisfied, and
all the inevitable knock-on effects will (19)_______ themselves - absences, lateness, reduced
work-rate and performance, conflict, low morale, or even resignations. Thus it is important that
staff are well suited to their employment, that jobs are improved as far as possible and
redesigned as and when necessary - all to (20)_______ that your employees enjoy what they
do.
11. A. highly B. largely C. extensively D. widely
12. A. devoted B. intended C. identified D. allocated
13. A. customary B. habitual C. usual D. routine
14. A. pieces B. roles C. factors D. parts
15. A. connected B. relevant C. appropriate D. related
16. A. result B. effect C. issue D. outcome
17. A. set B. order C. rank D. line
18. A. insist B. accentuate C. reiterate D. assent
19. A. uncover B. demonstrate C. unmask D. manifest
20. A. confirm B. ensure C. convince D. assure

Read four short texts, such as adverts, product descriptions, etc. For questions 21-25,
choose which extract each sentence refers to. One extract may be chosen more than once.

A
Having a good brand identity is critical. It can not only position a company above its
competitors, but it also communicates to your customers the reason why they should choose
you instead of your competitors. But developing a strong brand image takes time, money and
effort, and it involves much more than redesigning a logo or developing a new tagline. Your
new brand identity should evolve from your previous identity. Be careful not to start from
scratch and come up with something completely new, as you may end up losing loyal
customers who have forged emotion ties with your product.
B
It’s important to understand that changing the visual aspects of your company, your logo, your
packaging and so forth, you are not actually changing your brand identity. Your brand identity
is the promise a company makes to its customers – its features, quality, values and service
support. Just modernising visual image does not entail a change in brand values. Many
companies, sadly, are led to believe by branding agencies that visual changes will alter
customer’s perception of their products. But such changes only inform consumers that a
company is concerned about how it looks. At best, they will assume the company is modern; at
worst they will accuse the company of unnecessary extravagance.
C
Successful branding may not be actually connected with the product at all, but may represent a
greater sense of purpose or a more satisfying experience. They may affirm that drinking a cup
of coffee can really make a difference, or that exercising may bring about a sense of challenge
and personal achievement. Many successful brands study emerging societal ideals and trends,
so that they can take advantage of how customers wish they could be. Then they push forward
the message that by using their product, their dreams can be fulfilled, and the customer can gain
the lifestyle he or she is looking for, be it a sense of glamour, freedom, popularity or self-
satisfaction.
D
Lack of consistency is probably the most common pitfall when it comes to designing an image
for your brand. You need to provide a consistent message in your proposals and presentations
so that your company develops credibility and gets noticed and remembered. To ensure that
your branding ins consistent, gather all the information that leaves your company, be it faxes,
emails, advertisements, invoices or packages. Examine them for discrepancies in your
company’s image. Doing so will also give you the chance to evaluate the image you are trying
portray.

Which section, A, B, C or D, does each statement 21-25 refer to?

21. a list of some items which should display your brand identity
Extract A Extract B Extract C Extract D

22. the difference between brand identity and logo design

Extract A Extract B Extract C Extract D

23. brands which do not reflect the product itself

Extract A Extract B Extract C Extract D

24. what is involved in creating an image for your brand

Extract A Extract B Extract C Extract D

25. why companies study current social trends to develop a brand

Extract A Extract B Extract C Extract D

You read the article and mark sentences 26-30 TRUE, FALSE or NOT GIVEN

The students’ problem

The college and university accommodation crisis in Ireland has become ‘so chronic’
that students are being forced to sleep rough, share a bed with strangers – or give up on
studying altogether.
The deputy president of the Union of Students in Ireland, Kevin Donoghue, said the
problem has become particularly acute in Dublin. He told the Irish Mirror: “Students are so
desperate, they’re not just paying through the nose to share rooms – they’re paying to share a
bed with complete strangers. It reached crisis point last year and it’s only getting worse.
“We’ve heard of students sleeping rough; on sofas, floors and in their cars and I have to stress
there’s no student in the country that hasn’t been touched by this crisis. “Commutes – which
would once have been considered ridiculous – are now normal, whether that’s by bus, train or
car and those who drive often end up sleeping in their car if they’ve an early start the next
morning.”
Worry is increasing over the problems facing Ireland's 200,000 students as the number
increases over the next 15 years. With 165,000 full-time students in Ireland – and that figure
expected to increase to around 200,000 within the next 15 years –fears remain that there aren’t
enough properties to accommodate current numbers.
Mr. Donoghue added: “The lack of places to live is actually forcing school-leavers out
of college altogether. Either they don’t go in the first place or end up having to drop out
because they can’t get a room and commuting is just too expensive, stressful and difficult.”
Claims have emerged from the country that some students have been forced to sleep in
cars, or out on the streets, because of the enormous increases to rent in the capital. Those who
have been lucky enough to find a place to live have had to do so ‘blind’ by paying for
accommodation, months in advance, they haven’t even seen just so they will have a roof over
their head over the coming year.
According to the Irish Independent, it’s the ‘Google effect’ which is to blame. As
Google and other blue-chip companies open offices in and around Dublin’s docklands area,
which are ‘on the doorstep of the city’, international professionals have been flocking to the
area which will boast 2,600 more apartments, on 50 acres of undeveloped land, over the next
three to 10 years.
Rent in the area soared by 15 per cent last year and a two-bedroom apartment
overlooking the Grand Canal costs €2,100 (£1,500) per month to rent. Another two-bedroom
apartment at Hanover Dock costs €2,350 (almost £1,700) with a three-bedroom penthouse –
measuring some 136 square metres – sits at €4,500 (£3,200) per month in rent.
Ireland’s Higher Education Authority admitted this was the first time they had seen
circumstances ‘so extreme’ and the Fianna Fáil party leader, Michael Martin, urged on the
Government to intervene. He said: “It is very worrying that all of the progress in opening up
access to higher education in the last decade – particularly for the working poor – is being
derailed because of an entirely foreseeable accommodation crisis.

26. Commutes are considered ridiculous.

A. TRUE B. FALSE C. NOT GIVEN
27. The number of students in Ireland is not likely to increase in the future.
A. TRUE B. FALSE C. NOT GIVEN
28. Due to the opening of the new offices around Dublin, the number of local restaurants will
go up significantly over the next 3 to 10 years.
A. TRUE B. FALSE C. NOT GIVEN
28. The rent price went up by 15% last year.
A. TRUE B. FALSE C. NOT GIVEN
30. Michael Martin stated that crisis could have been omitted if the government reacted
properly.
A. TRUE B. FALSE C. NOT GIVEN

Direction: In this part of the test, you will read the text and decide which answer: A, B, C
or D best fits each space.
0) A. involves B. engages C. consists D. contains
Leadership is the heart of the managerial process, because it (0)______ initiating action.
Other terms identifying the same idea are directing, executing, supervising, ordering, and
guiding. Whatever term is used, the idea is to (11)______ into effect the decisions, plans, and
programs that have previously been worked (12)______ for achieving the goals of the group.
Leadership concerns the overall (13)______ in which a manager influences the actions of
subordinates. First, it includes the (14)______ of orders that are clear, comprehensive, and
within the capabilities of subordinates to accomplish. Second, it implies a continual training
activity in which subordinates are given instructions to enable them to (15)______ the
particular assignment in the existing situation. Third, it necessarily involves the motivation of
workers to try to (16)______ the expectations of the manager. Fourth, it consists of maintaining
discipline and rewarding those who (17)______ properly. In short, leading is the final action of
a manager in getting others to act after all preparations have been made.
The manager’s style of direction depends upon his or her own personal traits and the
situation in (18)______. In leadership, more than any other function, the manager must
determine an approach alone, after surveying the (19)______ that are available. In any event,
each manager will (20)______ well to act as an individual, and not to try to act as others act or
to proceed according to the textbook.
11. A. set B. place C. get D. put
12. A. in B. out C. over D. around
13. A. manner B. method C. means D. mode
14. A. telling B. issuing C. committing D. granting
15. A. reach B. finalise C. terminate D. complete
16. A. please B. attain C. gratify D. fulfil
17. A. achieve B. exercise C. perform D. execute
18. A. topic B. question C. subject D. argument
19. A. varieties B. chances C. options D. selections
20. A. go B. be C. do D. work

Read this article. Choose the best answer A, B, C or D for each question from 21 to 25.

Brands through people

By Simon Glynn
What makes consumers choose one airline over another or one mortgage provider over its
rival?
Our research shows that your reaction to a brand depends on your experience of buying,
using or owning it and not just on advertising. The most important part of that experience is
often your personal interaction with people. This is an area that most companies don’t
understand or invest enough in.
Take airlines. Satisfaction with cabin crew contributes more to people choosing the
same airline again than other factors.
Why do companies not spend more on their people when there are clear benefits? Here
are two common reasons.
It’s too expensive
Many organisations know that people matter. But they don’t invest in this area because
they think it is a luxury they cannot afford. And it’s true that some role models, such as the
Four Seasons hotel group or Virgin Atlantic Upper Class, would be too expensive for most to
copy.
 But there are smart, affordable solutions that create a lot of brand value out of only a
little customer interaction. First Direct earns the highest level of customer recommendation of
any UK bank through just the telephone contact with its customers.
Customers at QVC, the market-leading television shopping channel, value their
interaction with the station’s people – in this case not the call centre staff who take the
shopping orders, so much as the relationship that viewers believe they have with QVC’s
onscreen presenters.
The importance is not clear
Satisfaction surveys can hide the importance of people. For example, choosing a
mortgage is often very influenced by counter staff in a bank or building society. Research with
customers at the critical stage, where they have received a quote but not yet signed a document,
shows that their interaction with the mortgage provider’s representative is the biggest single
influence on their choice.
It is bigger than perceptions of the products and fees, which are often the subject of the
brand’s advertising and communications. Yet in the same research conducted after the loan is
given, customers may have forgotten the good customer service they received and may focus
more on general brand impressions. If you conduct your research at that point – and this is
often the case – the very important role that your staff have played will not be clear.

21 First Direct has created high customer satisfaction with _______________ interaction.
a) only a little b) frequent c) Internet-only
22 QVC customers feel that they have _______________ with the company’s presenters.
a) little time b) a relationship c) two-way communication
23 _______________ don’t always give a clear understanding of customers.
a) Satisfaction surveys b) Sales figures c) Perceptions
24 Mortgage customers’ experience with staff is _________influence on their decision to buy.
a) not considered a big b) almost never an c) the most important
25 Brand advertising and communication often focuses on _______________.
a) customer satisfaction b) staff c) products and fees

Five sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences A-G the
one which fits each gap. There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use. There
is one example (Question 0).
Question 0 A B C D E F G

A. Although people do not expect much from the internet these days, this will change in the
future.
B. The managers recognise that customers find them impersonal and unnatural.
C. First National is also preparing to adopt this personal approach to its internet banking.
D. They have the attitude that some skills, such as keyboard skills and so on, can be taught, but
a member of staff can’t be taught to be a nice person.
E. Telephones are very personal because staff are speaking to people on their own territory.
F. And if customers try to contact the bank by telephone, they are put through to a call centre
in another country where they have to speak slowly in order to be understood.
G. Not everyone wants a chatty, friendly service.

Customer Service in Banks

 The banking profession doesn’t have a very good reputation for customer service at the
moment, and it’s not just due to loss of savings. High street branches are shutting down and
where banks are available, their opening hours are inconvenient. Staff at the desks are surly,
increasingly under-qualified and often unable to answer questions. (0) _________ .
Astonishingly, however, 86% of the customers at one bank are either ‘extremely satisfied’ or
‘very satisfied’ with the service they receive. And what is even more surprising is that the bank
in question has no High Street outlets at all.
First National bank is run entirely through the telephone and the internet. And its success
shows that customer service is just about face-to-face contact with clients. The primary
concern of the bank is recruiting the right people. (26)_________ . So they only recruit
people who already exhibit good communication skills.
And unlike other services that operate primarily over the telephone, the staff at First
National do not use scripts. (27) _________ . What this bank asks for is that staff be
themselves and establish a rapport with their customers. Part of this is recognizing people’s
needs. (28) _________ . Some want the process to be swift and efficient. The member of staff
has to pick up on the caller’s mood and react accordingly.
(29) _________ . The idea that customer service can be improved on a medium where
there is no actual contact with a member of staff may seem strange at first. However, the
website designers at First National spend a great deal of time understanding their customers and
offering services which meet their needs. (30) _________ . First National is already taking
steps to fill this demand. They already offer a service in which customers receive a text when
funds are received or when their account falls below a certain level. In the future, online
systems may pre-empt customers’ needs in even more sophisticated ways.
26. A B C D E F G
27. A B C D E F G
28. A B C D E F G
29. A B C D E F G
30. A B C D E F G