Professional Credentials: Advice For Immigrants & How to Prepare for a Presentation - IELTS Reading Answers & Explanations
From Cambridge IELTS 09 General Training Reading Test 2 · Part 2 · Questions 15–27
Reading Passage
Read the text below and answer Questions 15–20.
Professional Credentials: Advice for Immigrants
As an immigrant to North America, you will need to ensure that employers and organisations such as colleges and universities properly recognise your international credentials. These may be trade certificates, but also educational qualifications such as degrees or diplomas, that you have completed or partially-completed.
It is common for hiring personnel to have little or no training in evaluating an academic background earned outside of North America. But at the same time, employers see formal education as very important when hiring. Education is a hiring requirement for 60% of employment opportunities, but 40% of human resources staff say that if they do not know a lot about the value of documents attained elsewhere, they will not recognise them.
Research has shown that sometimes immigrants start with a lower salary level than people who have completed their training in North America. You may want to apply for employment opportunities with companies whose staff understands your situation or, more importantly, who know where to send you to get your North American qualifications. If you need to complete your training in North America, apprenticeships leading to skilled trades are in high demand. Apprenticeship training is a hands-on program where about 10% is in a classroom setting at community colleges, and 90% of the training is on-the-job. The training involves working for an employer and earning income during the training period. Sometimes there is a limit of 5 years for training. You may be able to use this training toward college or university credits or education. There is a good potential for long-term job security after completion of apprenticeship training.
If you earned your papers outside of North America, you will need to get them translated if you want to work or study. It is important for you that your education is assessed by an accredited assessment service when you are applying for jobs, and particularly if the job posting has an education requirement. As well, it is recommended that you include a copy of the report with your cover letter. It is suggested that you provide this information early and do not wait until the time you actually meet with the employer. Getting job interviews is more than 50% of the whole process of securing employment; and with an evaluation report, you want to make sure that employers are screening you 'in' rather than 'out'.
Establishing yourself in North America is a difficult process, but companies do consider integrating immigrants into the workforce important to the workplace mosaic. Employers are making significant progress in improving diversity at work.
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Read the text below and answer Questions 21–27.
How to Prepare for a Presentation
The first time your boss suggests that you formally present something to your department or a client, your reaction may be to panic. But remember that being asked to present is a compliment. Someone believes that you have valuable information to share with the group, and wants to listen to your ideas.
You need to decide exactly what you will say during the allotted time. Condense your topic into one sentence. What do you want your audience to remember or learn from your talk? This is your 'big idea'. Remember that you are dealing with the short attention spans of individuals who tend to have many things on their minds.
Think of three main points you want to make to support your overall topic. Develop a story to demonstrate each of those concepts. This could be something that happened to you or someone you know, or something you read in a newspaper or magazine.
We have all heard the saying A picture is worth a thousand words. Think about how your presentation can be more interesting to watch. Props are a wonderful way to make your talk come alive. You could do something as simple as holding up a toy phone receiver when talking about customer service or putting on a hat to signal a different part of your talk.
Think of a dynamic and unusual way to start your presentation. This might involve telling anecdotes that relate to your topic. Never begin with, 'Thank you for inviting me here to talk with you today.' You will put your audience to sleep right away. Start off enthusiastically so they will listen with curiosity and interest. After your energetic introduction, identify yourself briefly and thank the audience for taking the time to listen to you.
Plan your ending, and finish in a memorable way. Your listeners remember best what they hear at the beginning and end of a speech, so conclude with a game in which they can participate, or tell a humorous story and your audience will leave laughing.
Don't try to memorise your talk or read it word-for-word. It will sound stilted and boring. Instead, practise your dynamic introduction and conclusion until you can deliver them effortlessly. If you do this you'll feel a burst of confidence that will help you sail through the whole of the speech.
Questions
Questions 15–20 Sentence Completion
Complete the sentences below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the text for each answer.
- New arrivals to North America need to make sure that their academic qualifications or their 15 are accepted.
- A significant number of companies view 16 as a major requirement.
- People educated in North America may initially be offered a higher 17 than immigrants.
- 18 courses often provide more job stability.
- Most of the effort to find work is spent trying to obtain 19 .
- As more newcomers enter the workforce, 20 increases.
Questions 21–27 Sentence Completion
Complete the sentences below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the text for each answer.
- You should regard an invitation to speak as a 21 .
- Express your main idea in a 22 .
- Try using a 23 to support the major points you are making.
- Add visual excitement to your talk by using 24 .
- Express appreciation to your listeners for their 25 .
- A 26 will get the audience to interact.
- It is important to prepare well as this will increase your 27 .
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q15 | trade certificates | These may be trade certificates, but also educational qualifications such as degrees or diplomas, that you have completed or partially-completed | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that these official papers can be for a specific job (trade certificates) or for school (educational qualifications like university degrees). Answer Explanation: The answer "trade certificates" refers to official papers that prove a person has successfully finished training in a specific job or skill, such as building, plumbing, or electrical work. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "trade certificates" because the passage explains that immigrants must make sure their old workplace and school papers are properly accepted in North America. The text specifically lists "trade certificates" alongside "educational qualifications" (which is a synonym for the "academic qualifications" mentioned in the task) as examples of documents that require recognition. |
| Q16 | formal education / education | Education is a hiring requirement for 60% of employment opportunities, but 40% of human resources staff say that if they do not know a lot about the value of documents attained elsewhere, they will not recognise them | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that 60% of job openings have a rule that you must have some level of school training (education) to be hired. Answer Explanation: The answer means that having a school degree or record is what many bosses want from someone looking for a job. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is education because the text says it is a 'hiring requirement' for 60% of jobs. The phrase 'significant number' in the question refers to this 60% statistic. Additionally, the text mentions that 'formal education' is seen as very important by employers when they are looking for new workers. |
| Q17 | salary level / salary | Research has shown that sometimes immigrants start with a lower salary level than people who have completed their training in North America | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that people who come from other countries might get paid less money when they first start a job compared to people who studied in North America. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to the amount of money a person is paid for their work. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "salary (level)" because the text points out that people who finish their schooling or training in North America might get paid more at first than people who moved there from other countries. The passage notes that immigrants often start with a "lower salary level," which is another way of saying that those trained locally receive a higher one. |
| Q18 | apprenticeship training / apprenticeship | There is a good potential for long-term job security after completion of apprenticeship training | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that people who finish apprenticeship training have a very good chance of keeping their jobs for a long time. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to a type of learning program called an apprenticeship, where a person learns a skill while working. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'apprenticeship (training)' because the text mentions that these programs offer a good chance for 'long-term job security.' In the question, the phrase 'job stability' is used, which has the same meaning as 'job security.' The passage explains that completing this type of training helps a person keep their job for a long time. |
| Q19 | job interviews / interviews | Getting job interviews is more than 50% of the whole process of securing employment; and with an evaluation report, you want to make sure that employers are screening you 'in' rather than 'out' | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that more than half of the steps involved in getting a job are focused on getting a meeting or interview with an employer. Answer Explanation: The answer means meetings with an employer where you talk about yourself and your skills so they can decide if they want to hire you. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is found in the text which states that 'Getting job interviews' is the largest part of the work needed to find a job. The passage says this part is 'more than 50%' of the job-seeking process. In the question, 'most of the effort' is a way to say more than 50%, and 'securing employment' is a formal way to say finding work. |
| Q20 | workforce diversity / workplace diversity / diversity | Employers are making significant progress in improving diversity at work | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that company bosses are doing a good job of making sure their workforce includes many different kinds of people. Answer Explanation: The answer means having many different types of people, such as those from different countries or backgrounds, working together in the same company. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is found in the final paragraph of the text. It explains that companies want to bring immigrants into their teams to build a 'workplace mosaic' (a mix of different people). It notes that employers are 'improving diversity at work,' which means that as more immigrants (newcomers) join the staff, the variety of people, or the 'diversity,' increases. Key words like 'integrating immigrants' and 'diversity' help link the arrival of new workers to the growth of a diverse environment. |
| Q21 | compliment | But remember that being asked to present is a compliment | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that if you are chosen to give a presentation, you should think of it as a nice thing that shows people value your work. Answer Explanation: The answer is a piece of praise or something that shows people respect you and your ideas. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "compliment" because the text explains that when someone asks you to give a talk, you should not just feel scared. Instead, you should see it as a positive sign or praise. This is because they believe you have good ideas that people want to hear. Paying attention to this positive view helps change your perspective on the task. |
| Q22 | sentence | Condense your topic into one sentence | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage tells you to take the main thing you are talking about and make it short so that it fits into just one sentence. Answer Explanation: The answer "sentence" refers to a short group of words that tells a complete thought. When you speak, you should be able to say your main point using only one of these. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "sentence" because the text instructs the speaker to make their main subject very brief. It uses the phrase "Condense your topic into one sentence," where "topic" is a synonym for "main idea." By following this advice, the speaker can clearly identify their "big idea" for the audience. |
| Q23 | story | Think of three main points you want to make to support your overall topic. Develop a story to demonstrate each of those concepts | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage suggests picking three big things you want to talk about. To make these ideas clear, it tells you to use a story to explain each one. Answer Explanation: The answer 'story' means a short description of events that happened to you or someone else, which you tell to help explain an idea. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'story' because the text instructs the reader to create one for each of their important ideas. The passage mentions thinking of 'main points' and then says to develop a 'story' to show what those 'concepts' (the main points) mean. |
| Q24 | props | Props are a wonderful way to make your talk come alive | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that using physical items or objects can make a presentation more exciting and interesting for the audience. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to physical objects that you show to the audience while you are speaking. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is supported by the text's suggestion to make a presentation more interesting for people to look at. The passage explains that using 'props'—like a toy phone or a hat—is a great way to make a speech 'come alive' and keep the audience's visual attention. |
| Q25 | time | After your energetic introduction, identify yourself briefly and thank the audience for taking the time to listen to you | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that you should say thank you to the people watching your talk because they are using their time to hear you speak. Answer Explanation: The answer "time" refers to the period during which the audience sits and listens to your presentation. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "time" because the passage gives specific instructions on how to behave during the introduction of a speech. It states that after you introduce yourself, you should "thank" (express appreciation to) your "audience" (listeners) for "taking the time to listen to you." This directly matches the sentence structure in the question. |
| Q26 | game | so conclude with a game in which they can participate, or tell a humorous story and your audience will leave laughing | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that you should finish your talk with a game. This is helpful because it allows the listeners to take part in the activity (participate), making the end of your presentation fun. Answer Explanation: The answer 'game' refers to a fun activity or play that involves the people listening to you. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'game' because the text suggests ending your speech with a game to make it memorable. The text explains that people can 'participate' in a game. For a learner, 'participate' is a synonym for 'interact', which means the audience will be involved and active during that part of your talk. |
| Q27 | confidence | Instead, practise your dynamic introduction and conclusion until you can deliver them effortlessly. If you do this you'll feel a burst of confidence that will help you sail through the whole of the speech | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that if you practice the start and end of your talk until you can say them easily, you will suddenly feel much more sure of yourself. This feeling will help you finish your entire talk well. Answer Explanation: The answer means feeling sure of yourself and your ability to do a good job. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'confidence' because the text says that practicing (preparing) specific parts of your talk until they are easy to say will give you a 'burst of confidence.' This feeling helps you perform the entire speech successfully. In this context, 'practise' corresponds to the idea of preparing well. |