Recycling At Work – Handy Hints To Employers & How To Answer Any Interview Question - IELTS Reading Answers & Explanations
From Cambridge IELTS 08 General Training Reading Test 2 · Part 2 · Questions 15–27
Reading Passage
Read the text on pages 121 and 122 and answer Questions 15–21.
Recycling at work – handy hints to employers
It is estimated that avoidable waste costs UK businesses up to 4.5% of their annual revenue. Reducing waste in the workplace is about being efficient. By becoming more efficient, businesses not only increase profits but they also save natural resources.
On the island of Jersey, for example, the amount of waste produced each year has doubled since 1980. In 2004 it topped 100,000 tonnes – and 60% is generated by local businesses. A lot of waste for a small island!
Setting up a company scheme
Waste audit
Before starting a recycling scheme, perform an audit. This will make you aware of how much waste you are producing in the company.
Company policy
Consider switching your office waste contractor to one that provides a recycling service.
Buy recycled paper. Although this is sometimes more expensive, costs can be reduced by lowering consumption and using duplex printers.
Get everyone involved
- Raise awareness internally within the company, perhaps by putting up educational posters.
- Allocate a person to be the point of contact for anyone with queries.
There are also a couple of ways to increase motivation:
- Hold internal competitions between different departments. For example, see which can reduce their waste the most within a specific time period.
- Send out regular newsletters reporting on all waste improvements. Staff will then see the impact their actions are having.
What to recycle and how
Paper
According to a recent survey, 65% of waste produced is paper waste. Waste paper will inevitably be produced in the workplace, but it is not necessary to discard it. It can serve a variety of purposes before it is recycled, such as writing notes. Envelopes too can be re-used for internal mail.
Plastic cups
Rather than supplying disposable plastic cups in your workplace, get ceramic mugs that can be re-used. Not only do they make your tea taste better, but they can reduce your office waste by up to 1%!
Electrical equipment
Rather than giving up on any old electrical equipment and just throwing it away, why not try upgrading it? This reduces waste, as well as avoiding the need to manufacture a new machine – a process which creates a large amount of waste. You could also consider donating your old computers to charities when it comes to replacing them.
______________
Read the text below and answer Questions 22–27.
How to answer any interview question
To start, take a tip from consultants who coach executives on how to handle media interviews. They say you can deliver the message you want to an employer, regardless of the question you're asked.
'Unlike some politicians, who take no notice of press questions and immediately introduce a different topic in response, job candidates must answer employers' queries,' says John Barford of the interview training firm Genesis. 'However, you can quickly make the transition from your answer to the important points you want to convey about your qualifications,' he says.
He advises candidates at job interviews to apply the formula Q = A + 1: Q is the question; A is the answer; + is the bridge to the message you want to deliver; and 1 is the point you want to make.
Diligent preparation is also necessary to effectively answer any interview question, say senior executives. They give a number of useful tips:
- Learn as much as you can beforehand. Ask company employees questions prior to job interviews to gain as much insight as you can. If the company is publicly owned, find out how viable it is by reading shareholder reports. You can then tailor what you say to the company's issues.
- Be prepared for questions that require you to show how you handled difficult challenges. These questions require stories in response, but as it's unlikely that you'll have one that fits every situation, try to recall some from your past experience that show how you coped with a range of issues.
- Count on being asked about a past mistake or blemish on your career record, and don't try to dodge the issue. Ms Murphy, president of the Murphy Group, a media interview training firm, says that it's important to steer clear of lies at all costs. Just answer the question and move on.
- When discussing a mistake, focus on the positive outcomes. 'You learn as much by dropping the ball as you do by catching it,' says senior executive Mr Friedmann. When he was being interviewed for his current job, he mentioned he had been involved in many successful turnarounds and one that failed. 'And I said how I'd benefited in many ways from going through that experience,' he says.
Questions
Questions 15–21 Short Answers
Answer the questions below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the text for each answer.
15
What does the writer think should be carried out in a company before it starts recycling?
16
What machines can help to cut the stationery budget?
17
What can be displayed in the workplace to publicise the recycling scheme?
18
What can be distributed to motivate staff to recycle more?
19
What can unwanted paper be used for in the office?
20
What can be bought to cut down on the waste produced by staff refreshments?
21
Where can unwanted PCs be sent?
Questions 22–27 Sentence Completion
Complete the sentences below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the text for each answer.
- The writer warns candidates not to imitate the way that 22 ignore questions in interviews.
- Interviewees are recommended to follow a certain 23 to allow them to communicate their main points.
- Senior executives advise candidates to request information from 24 before an interview.
- A candidate can also learn about a business by studying its 25.
- The head of an interview training firm advises people to avoid telling 26.
- In his job interview, one executive explained how he had 27 considerably from a previous failure.
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q15 | an audit / audit / waste audit | Before starting a recycling scheme, perform an audit | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that before a company starts a plan to recycle things, they should first do a check to measure their trash. Answer Explanation: The answer is an audit or a waste audit, which is a formal check to see how much trash a company makes. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is an audit or waste audit because the text tells companies to 'perform an audit' before they begin 'a recycling scheme'. In the text, 'perform' means the same thing as 'carried out' in the question, and 'recycling scheme' refers to the process of starting to recycle. |
| Q16 | duplex printers / printers | costs can be reduced by lowering consumption and using duplex printers | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that spending can be lowered if the company uses less paper and uses printers that can print on both sides of the page. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to machines that can print on both sides of a sheet of paper to save money on paper costs. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is found in the section about company policy. The text explains that even though recycled paper might be more expensive, 'costs' (which refers to the stationery budget) can be 'reduced' (cut) by using less paper. Specifically, it mentions that using 'duplex printers'—machines that print on both sides—helps to achieve this cost reduction. |
| Q17 | educational posters / posters | Raise awareness internally within the company, perhaps by putting up educational posters | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that one way to let workers know about the recycling program is to put posters on the walls to teach them about it. Answer Explanation: The answer means large printed signs, specifically those meant to teach people something, that can be put on walls in the office. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is derived from the section on how to get employees involved in a company's recycling efforts. The text recommends raising 'awareness' (letting people know about the plan) by 'putting up' (displaying) posters that are educational. |
| Q18 | regular newsletters / newsletters | Send out regular newsletters reporting on all waste improvements. Staff will then see the impact their actions are having | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that giving workers frequent updates in a newsletter helps them stay motivated because they can see the positive change their actions cause. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to periodic reports or updates that an office can give to its workers to encourage them. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "(regular) newsletters" because the text suggests them as a specific method to "increase motivation" among employees. By providing these updates, staff are kept informed about "waste improvements," which helps them feel that their efforts are making a difference. |
| Q19 | writing notes / notes | It can serve a variety of purposes before it is recycled, such as writing notes | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that old paper can be used in many different ways before it is officially recycled, and one way is to use it to write down notes. Answer Explanation: The answer means that paper that would normally be thrown away can instead be used for jotting down short pieces of information. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is found in the 'Paper' section of the text. It explains that even though paper waste happens, you don't have to throw it away (discard it) right away. Instead, it mentions that paper can be used for several 'purposes' or 'uses' before it finally goes to be recycled. One specific example given for its use in the office is for 'writing notes.' |
| Q20 | ceramic mugs / mugs | Rather than supplying disposable plastic cups in your workplace, get ceramic mugs that can be re-used | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage suggests that companies should use ceramic mugs that can be used many times instead of giving out plastic cups that are thrown away after one use. Answer Explanation: The answer identifies ceramic mugs as a replacement for disposable cups to help reduce waste. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'ceramic mugs' because the text suggests using them instead of disposable plastic cups for drinks like tea. By choosing mugs that can be washed and used again, a business can reduce its total office waste by as much as 1%. The term 'staff refreshments' in the question refers to the drinks mentioned in the passage, such as tea. |
| Q21 | to charities / charities | You could also consider donating your old computers to charities when it comes to replacing them | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage suggests that when it is time to get new machines, you can give your old computers away to groups that help people. Answer Explanation: The answer means you can give computers you no longer want to organizations that help people for free. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is located in the section about electrical equipment. The text suggests that instead of throwing away 'old computers'—which are 'unwanted PCs'—businesses should think about giving them to 'charities' when they get new ones. |
| Q22 | some politicians / politicians | 'Unlike some politicians, who take no notice of press questions and immediately introduce a different topic in response, job candidates must answer employers' queries,' says John Barford of the interview training firm Genesis | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that politicians often do not listen to or answer the questions they are asked. Instead, they talk about something else. The text advises that people looking for jobs should not behave this way; they must answer the questions asked by the employer. Answer Explanation: The answer "politicians" refers to people who work in government. The text uses them as an example of people who do not answer questions directly. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer identifies a specific group of people that job seekers should not act like. In the text, John Barford mentions that some politicians "take no notice of" questions—which is a synonym for "ignore." He warns that while politicians might get away with changing the subject, job candidates must actually provide an answer to their employers' questions. Therefore, the writer uses politicians as the negative example to avoid. |
| Q23 | formula | He advises candidates at job interviews to apply the formula Q = A + 1: Q is the question; A is the answer; + is the bridge to the message you want to deliver; and 1 is the point you want to make | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that job seekers are coached to use a specific rule or system (Q = A + 1) so they can successfully share their main ideas during an interview. Answer Explanation: The answer "formula" refers to a specific plan or set of steps that someone can follow to reach a goal. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "formula" because the passage explicitly mentions that a trainer named John Barford recommends that job candidates "apply the formula Q = A + 1". In this context, using this specific method or set of steps allows the person being interviewed to connect their answer to the specific message or "points" they want to share with the employer. Keywords like "advises" and "apply" indicate that this is a recommendation for the candidates. |
| Q24 | company employees / employees | Ask company employees questions prior to job interviews to gain as much insight as you can | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage suggests that you should talk to and ask questions of the people who work at the business before you have your job interview so that you can learn more about the company. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to the people who are already working at the business where you want to get a job. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is derived from the advice given by senior executives on how to prepare for an interview. The text suggests that to gain a better understanding of the workplace, candidates should talk to and get information from the people who are already employed there before the actual interview takes place. This makes 'company employees' the correct group to contact. |
| Q25 | shareholder reports | If the company is publicly owned, find out how viable it is by reading shareholder reports | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that if a company is owned by the public, you should read the reports for its owners to see if the business is strong and doing well. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to official documents that provide information about a company's financial health and performance to its owners. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "shareholder reports" because the text advises job candidates to look at these documents if a company is owned by the public. By reading these papers, a person can understand how successful (viable) the business is before their interview. In this context, "reading" used in the text has the same meaning as "studying" used in the sentence. |
| Q26 | lies | Ms Murphy, president of the Murphy Group, a media interview training firm, says that it's important to steer clear of lies at all costs | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that Ms. Murphy, who is the head of an interview training business, believes it is vital to stay away from telling things that are not true. Answer Explanation: The answer "lies" refers to saying things that are not true or honest. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is derived from the section where Ms. Murphy, the leader of a training company, gives advice on handling questions about past mistakes. She tells candidates to avoid ("steer clear of") untruths or "lies" no matter what happens. |
| Q27 | benefited / benefitted | When he was being interviewed for his current job, he mentioned he had been involved in many successful turnarounds and one that failed. 'And I said how I'd benefited in many ways from going through that experience,' he says | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage shows that when the executive talked about a project that failed, he explained that he still gained something positive or grew ('benefited') because of that experience. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the person got something helpful or learned a good lesson from a bad situation. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'benefited' because the text describes an executive named Mr. Friedmann who talked about a project that did not work out (a failure) during his job interview. He explained that he gained knowledge or became a better professional because of that difficult situation. The word 'benefited' is used to show he gained an advantage or positive result from the experience, which matches the sentence requirement 'benefited considerably from a previous failure'. |