Dupont Mortgage Brokers: An Eco-friendly Workplace & Becoming a Tour Guide - IELTS Reading Answers & Explanations
From IELTS Trainer 2 General Training Reading Test 1 · Part 2 · Questions 15–27
Reading Passage
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 15-27, which are based on the two reading texts below. Read the text below and answer Questions 15-21.
Dupont Mortgage Brokers: an eco-friendly workplace
Here at Dupont, we take our responsibility to the environment seriously. We are committed to considering sustainability issues when making decisions about planning and management. We aim to improve environmental performance by continually addressing environmental risk. To this end we have established a dedicated team to promote environmental awareness and ensure employees are aware of their environmental responsibilities. We encourage all employees to notify us when they see that company practices have a negative impact on the environment and need improvement.
We have done a lot in the last years to be greener in our workplace, but we could do more. Here's a reminder of some basic actions that will lessen our environmental impact:
Good habits in the office
We ask that all employees continue to turn off all lights and electronic equipment, including computers, at the end of the day. If this isn't done, we are asking 'offenders' to pay a small fine – there is a jar for this purpose on Kevin Wu's desk and the proceeds will go to the Positive Planet regeneration scheme.
We're doing our bit to reduce landfill by having our used ink cartridges collected. These should be placed in the box by the stationery cupboard - Jetco, the manufacturer we use, arranges collection for recycling on a monthly basis.
In terms of reducing our use of paper, first consider whether it's necessary to print out a document. Will a soft copy do? Save it on file and save paper! We've ordered good quality recycled paper for the office to be used as needed; where you do have to print, make use of both sides of the paper. There is a tub in the photocopying room for any used paper; the cleaners will empty this into the large bin for recycling every week.
Placing orders
In terms of ordering stationery and office equipment, please use the following approved suppliers, which are all committed to reducing waste and eliminating their carbon footprint:
GreenCo Office Supplies
Down to Earth
Jetco
Okapi Stationery
In all parts of the company including office, kitchen, bathrooms and staffroom, please use 'green' products, provided that they are within the allocated budget. To check a product's rating in terms of environmental impact, go to checkisitgreen.co.uk and opt for products that have a four-star rating or higher.
______________
Read the text below and answer Questions 22-27.
Becoming a tour guide
Many people dream of travelling for a living, but what does it actually involve?
Tour guides accompany visitors on tours, providing special information on places of interest, and managing the schedule for the tour.
Starting out
While you can work as a tour guide without formal qualifications, entry to the occupation may be easier if you can show you are qualified and you may like to consider taking a course. Options vary, but the Centre for Further Education offers a General Certificate in Guiding along with more specific subjects such as Guiding a 4WD Tour and Guiding a Ski Tour. You will also get some informal training on the job.
Many would-be guides start out as volunteers, working in a place they know well, showing tourists around. Experience in a related field such as hospitality is generally looked on favourably by employers in the travel industry.
Skills and qualities needed
While everyone brings their own personality to the job, there are some basic qualities that all tour guides should possess:
- Energy and enthusiasm are an absolute must – when the day's tour is done, a guide still needs to study commentary and confirm the next day's activities, so you will often need to operate on very little sleep.
- A friendly personality is needed when interacting with clients, tour operators and the general public.
- An insight into a wide range of cultures helps a guide negotiate all kinds of issues, not only in the place being visited, but also among the people on the tour.
- Knowledge of emergency procedure and the ability to remain calm in a crisis will stand any tour guide in good stead. Your confidence as tour leader will filter down to the group.
- The ability to handle any tricky questions that arise is a crucial component of the role. If you're stuck for an answer, you should be able to find the information and follow up.
Know the reality
Life as a tour guide often requires long spells away from home. Some find that busy times at work fall on holidays they would like to spend with loved ones. Burn-out is also a factor to consider but it does not mean the end of a career in travel. There are often openings for roles in product development and sales within the industry; experience as a guide will stand you in good stead for these.
Questions
Questions 15–21 Note Completion
Complete the notes below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the text for each answer.
Dupont, an environmentally sustainable workplace
Commitment to the environment
- ongoing process
- set up a 15 to focus on implementing policy
- workers to identify 16 that cause harm
In the office
- turn off lights, computers when leaving
- forget to turn off equipment → put donation in 17
- recycle 18 → current brand organises pick up
Paper
- avoid printing
- use - recycled
- both sides
- put in 19 when discarding
Purchasing
- choose products from a list of 20
- where 21 allows, order eco-friendly products
- look up eco-rating
Questions 22–27 Sentence Completion
Complete the sentences below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
- 22 aren't necessary to become a tour guide but they can help.
- If you have worked in 23, it may help your chances of employment as a tour guide.
- Tour guides must be prepared to work despite a lack of 24.
- An understanding of different 25 will help a tour guide manage groups of people.
- Dealing with difficult 26 is part of working as a tour guide.
- Being a tour guide may lead to a position in 27 or in putting together new tours for customers.
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q15 | team | To this end we have established a dedicated team to promote environmental awareness and ensure employees are aware of their environmental responsibilities | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that the company created a special group of people (a team) to help everyone learn about the environment and follow the company's green rules. Answer Explanation: The answer "team" refers to a specific group of people chosen to work together on a particular task or project. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "team" because the text mentions that the company has "established" (meaning set up) a "dedicated team" specifically to encourage environmental awareness and make sure staff understand their duties regarding the environment. This matches the note which says they set up a group to focus on environmental policy. |
| Q16 | practices | We encourage all employees to notify us when they see that company practices have a negative impact on the environment and need improvement | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that the company wants its workers to tell them if the things they do at work are bad for the natural world. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to the specific ways or habits in which a business operates. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'practices' because the passage encourages employees (workers) to speak up if they notice that the way the company works (its practices) is hurting or having a negative effect on the environment. The word 'practices' fits the context of identifying things within the company that cause harm. |
| Q17 | jar | If this isn't done, we are asking 'offenders' to pay a small fine – there is a jar for this purpose on Kevin Wu's desk and the proceeds will go to the Positive Planet regeneration scheme | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that if staff members forget to turn off lights or computers, they must pay some money. This money should be put into a container (a jar) kept on a desk. Answer Explanation: The answer 'jar' refers to a small, cylindrical container, usually made of glass, used to hold the money paid by employees who forget to turn off their equipment. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'jar' because the text explains that when employees do not turn off lights or electronic equipment at the end of the day, they are considered 'offenders'. These individuals are required to pay a small fine, which serves as a donation. The text explicitly states that there is a 'jar' on Kevin Wu's desk specifically for this collection. |
| Q18 | cartridges | We're doing our bit to reduce landfill by having our used ink cartridges collected. These should be placed in the box by the stationery cupboard - Jetco, the manufacturer we use, arranges collection for recycling on a monthly basis | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that the company saves old ink cartridges so they don't end up in the trash. It says that Jetco, the company that makes the cartridges, comes to get them every month so they can be recycled. Answer Explanation: The answer is the containers that hold ink for office printers. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "cartridges" because the passage mentions that the office reduces waste by collecting used ink cartridges. It specifies that Jetco, the brand or manufacturer they use, picks these items up every month to recycle them. This matches the notes about recycling a specific item that the current brand collects. |
| Q19 | tub | There is a tub in the photocopying room for any used paper; the cleaners will empty this into the large bin for recycling every week | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that there is a container called a tub kept in the room where people copy documents, and it is for paper that has already been used. Answer Explanation: The answer 'tub' is the name of the specific container where employees should put paper they have finished using. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'tub' because the text explains that after people use paper, they should place it in a tub located in the photocopying room. The word 'discarding' in the notes means Throwing away or getting rid of something you don't need, which matches the description of 'used paper' that is put into the tub for recycling. |
| Q20 | suppliers | In terms of ordering stationery and office equipment, please use the following approved suppliers, which are all committed to reducing waste and eliminating their carbon footprint | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage tells employees to buy office items only from a certain list of approved sellers (suppliers) who help protect the planet. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to the companies or providers that sell products to the office. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'suppliers' because the section titled 'Placing orders' instructs employees to use a specific list of 'approved suppliers' when buying stationery and office equipment. These suppliers are chosen because they care about the environment. |
| Q21 | budget | In all parts of the company including office, kitchen, bathrooms and staffroom, please use 'green' products, provided that they are within the allocated budget | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that workers should use environmentally friendly items in every part of the building, as long as the cost of those items fits inside the money plan the company has made. Answer Explanation: The answer is the specific amount of money that a person or company has set aside to spend on something. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'budget' because the text explains that employees are encouraged to buy eco-friendly ('green') products for different areas of the company. However, they can only do this if the price of those products is not more than the 'allocated budget,' which is the money the company has allowed for those items. In the notes, 'where budget allows' means the same thing as staying within that money limit. |
| Q22 | Formal qualifications | While you can work as a tour guide without formal qualifications, entry to the occupation may be easier if you can show you are qualified and you may like to consider taking a course | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that even though you don't strictly need official school papers to start working as a tour guide, having them can make it simpler to get a job in that field. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'Formal qualifications', which refers to official certificates, degrees, or diplomas that prove a person has completed a specific course of study or training. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'Formal qualifications' because the text explicitly states that while you can be a tour guide without them, having them can make starting the job ('entry to the occupation') easier. The phrase 'aren't necessary' in the question matches 'without' in the text, and 'can help' in the question matches 'may be easier' in the text. |
| Q23 | hospitality | Experience in a related field such as hospitality is generally looked on favourably by employers in the travel industry | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that having worked in roles like serving guests or managing visitors (hospitality) is helpful when you want to get a job leading tours because travel companies value that experience. Answer Explanation: The answer 'hospitality' refers to a type of business that provides services to travelers or guests, such as working in hotels or restaurants. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'hospitality' because the text mentions that people who hire workers in the travel industry like to see previous experience in this specific field. In the sentence from the text, 'looked on favourably' means that employers think it is a good thing and it will help someone get a job. |
| Q24 | sleep | Energy and enthusiasm are an absolute must – when the day's tour is done, a guide still needs to study commentary and confirm the next day's activities, so you will often need to operate on very little sleep | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that because a guide's work involves extra tasks after the tour finishes, they often do not get enough time to rest before the next day starts. Answer Explanation: The answer means the rest people get when they close their eyes at night. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer 'sleep' is identified because the passage mentions that tour guides often have to 'operate' (which means work or function) while having 'very little' of it. The question uses the phrase 'lack of', which acts as a synonym for 'very little' as used in the text. |
| Q25 | cultures | An insight into a wide range of cultures helps a guide negotiate all kinds of issues, not only in the place being visited, but also among the people on the tour | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that understanding many different cultures helps a tour guide handle problems or situations that happen during a trip, especially with the group of people they are taking care of. Answer Explanation: The answer "cultures" refers to the different ways of life, beliefs, and backgrounds of people from various parts of the world. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "cultures" because the text mentions that having an "insight" (which means understanding) into various cultures is a useful skill. This skill helps a guide manage or "negotiate" issues that might come up among the tourists they are leading. |
| Q26 | questions | The ability to handle any tricky questions that arise is a crucial component of the role | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that a very important part of being a tour guide is being able to answer questions that are hard or complex. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'questions,' which refers to the hard or complicated things that travelers may ask their guide. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'questions' because the text states that handling 'tricky questions' is a 'crucial component' (a very important part) of the job. In the question, the word 'difficult' is used as a synonym for 'tricky.' |
| Q27 | sales | There are often openings for roles in product development and sales within the industry; experience as a guide will stand you in good stead for these | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that having experience as a tour guide is very helpful if you want to get a job in creating new travel products or in selling those products to people. Answer Explanation: The answer "sales" refers to the part of a business where employees work to sell travel packages or services to customers. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "sales" because the text identifies it as one of the alternative jobs available to former tour guides. The passage mentions two specific roles: "product development," which matches the description of "putting together new tours" in the sentence, and "sales." |