Starting A New Business: Points To Consider & Hay And Walford Ltd: Social Media Policy For Employees - IELTS Reading Answers & Explanations
From IELTS Trainer 2 General Training Reading Test 6 · Part 2 · Questions 15–27
Reading Passage
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 15-27, which are based on Reading Passage 2. Read the text and answer Questions 15-21.
Starting a new business: points to consider
Starting a business can mean a huge change in lifestyle and also a large financial commitment. However, it is possible to be ready for this if you are well prepared from the start. We've put together some tips to help you:
Evaluate your idea
You may believe you have a great idea, but you need to ask yourself if the present market demands it; gather and analyse information to establish the feasibility of your business.
Make a plan
Doing this will mean that you clarify goals for the business and what you will do to achieve them. Always be generous in your costing to allow for unforeseen circumstances; it's safest to consider the worst-case scenario.
Business models
You need to select the business structure that is most suitable for your purposes. Take professional advice if you are unsure. Here are some examples:
- sole trader – an individual trading on their own
- partnership – a number of people or entities running a business together
- company – a legal entity that is separate from its owners
Analyse yourself
Operating a business is not just about being self-employed. There are many questions to ask yourself in order to be sure that running a business is the best option for you, and you need to be honest with yourself from the beginning.
- Why do you want to have your own business?
- Do you have the right temperament to deal with challenges and possible setbacks?
- Do you have management skills and expertise in the industry?
- What are your personal strengths, and, on the flipside, what weaknesses may you need to overcome?
What if...?
You need to consider potential problems before they occur.
- Do you need to have your product patented? You don't want anyone stealing your invention. If it's a new product or process, speak to a patent attorney to make sure your idea is protected.
- Who will run the business when you can't? Many small business owners want to do everything themselves, but eventually everyone needs to take holidays and family demands may take them away from the business. Do you have good staff you can trust to keep the business going in your absence?
- Will your business be able to withstand emergencies? Check you have insurance that covers you and your business for anything that could possibly go wrong, from theft, to natural disaster, to ill health.
______________
Read the text below and answer Questions 22-27.
Hay and Walford Ltd: Social Media Policy for employees
Here at Hay and Walford Ltd, we acknowledge the role social media plays in shaping our public image and the image our clients and associates have of us.
Whether on our official company accounts or workers' individual social media accounts, we encourage all employees to bear in mind that they represent the firm and comments remain on the internet long after they were first made.
Company social media accounts
You do not know the influence a throwaway remark may have. For this reason, please refrain from commenting on any litigation that the company is involved in.
Similarly, anything that is labelled 'for internal use only' is not to be shared in full or in part on social media.
Messages from the CEO are automatically confidential and should not be mentioned in social media posts.
The company's finances are especially sensitive information and must not be shared, commented on or speculated on at all.
If you make an error of fact or wish to review your professional opinion, please take immediate steps to make corrections or delete the post.
Bear in mind that we are bound by regulations relating to copyright. As such, do not share the work of other people or companies without correctly acknowledging them as creators.
To be on the safe side, if you are in any doubt as to whether to put something on our social media accounts, please do not post in the first instance and seek advice from one of the team in Communications about whether the information is sensitive or unsuitable from the company's point of view.
Individual accounts
Even via private accounts, employees can be associated with the company.
If you wish to mention the company but are not an official spokesperson for Hay and Walford Ltd, make it clear what your position in the company is.
Whether discussing company business or not, be aware that comments made by employees that contradict our values of equality and decency can reflect badly on the company. We ask that you always treat other users of social media with respect, whatever the situation.
To the extent that your image on social media is public, it needs to be in line with the professional image that you, and Hay and Walford Ltd, wish to present.
Questions
Questions 15–21 Sentence Completion
Complete the sentences below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY from the text for each answer.
- Before investing in a new business, do research about its 15 in the current market.
- Making a business plan will help you be clear about your 16.
- Choose the 17 which best matches how you want to run your business.
- In terms of your personality, ask yourself if your 18 allows you to manage difficult situations.
- Be aware of any 19 you have, as well as the skills and qualities you possess.
- You may need to look into ways of ensuring the 20 of your business idea.
- You should make sure your plan includes 21 to safeguard against problems in future.
Questions 22–27 Note Completion
Complete the notes below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the text for each answer.
Hay and Walford's official social media accounts
- Never post about:
- 22 that is currently taking place.
- matters marked 'for internal use only'.
- anything that relates to the company's 23 .
- Correct / delete any misinformation immediately.
- Observe the 24 of other brands and individuals.
- Consult 25 if unsure about appropriacy of post.
Employees' private accounts
- If discussing the company:
- must state your role unless you are a company 26 .
- If not discussing company:
- still need to show 27 .
- Ensure private accounts are consistent with professional image.
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q15 | feasibility | gather and analyse information to establish the feasibility of your business | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage tells people to look at information carefully to decide if their business idea can actually work in real life. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to the quality of being possible or practical to do. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'feasibility' because the passage advises potential business owners to collect and look at data to see if their business idea will work in the present market. In the text, the phrase 'gather and analyse information' is a synonym for 'do research', and 'establish the feasibility' means to find out if the business is possible to succeed. |
| Q16 | goals | Doing this will mean that you clarify goals for the business and what you will do to achieve them | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that making a business plan helps you understand your targets better and decide on the steps you need to take to reach those targets. Answer Explanation: The answer "goals" means the specific things or targets that a business wants to achieve. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "goals" because the passage mentions under the heading "Make a plan" that doing so will help you "clarify goals". To "clarify" something means to make it clear or easy to understand. Therefore, making a plan helps you be clear about the aims of your business. |
| Q17 | structure | You need to select the business structure that is most suitable for your purposes | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that you should pick the kind of business organization that works best for what you want to achieve. Answer Explanation: The answer is "structure," which refers to the way a business is organized or set up. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "structure" because the text advises someone starting a business to pick the type of business organization that is right for them. In the section "Business models," it says you should "select" (which means choose) the "business structure" that is "most suitable" (which means it matches well) for your goals. |
| Q18 | temperament | Do you have the right temperament to deal with challenges and possible setbacks | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage asks if you have the kind of character or nature needed to handle problems and hard times that happen in business. Answer Explanation: The answer means a person's nature or character, which determines how they behave and react to different situations. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'temperament' because the text asks if the reader has the right personality to handle 'challenges and possible setbacks.' In the sentence to be completed, 'difficult situations' is a synonym for 'challenges and possible setbacks,' and the question specifically asks about the reader's personality. |
| Q19 | weaknesses | What are your personal strengths, and, on the flipside, what weaknesses may you need to overcome | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage tells the reader to think about their strong points and also the areas where they are weak so they can succeed in business. Answer Explanation: The answer "weaknesses" refers to the parts of your character or your skill set where you are not strong and might need to improve. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is found in the 'Analyse yourself' section. The text advises people starting a business to look at both their 'strengths' (positive qualities or things they are good at) and their 'weaknesses' (negative qualities or things they are not good at). The sentence in the task asks the reader to be aware of their skills and qualities/strengths while also noting these weaker points. |
| Q20 | protection | speak to a patent attorney to make sure your idea is protected | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage suggests talking to a professional to ensure your new idea is safe and cannot be taken by someone else. Answer Explanation: The answer 'protection' refers to the act of keeping your business idea safe so that other people cannot legally steal or copy it. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'protection' because the text advises that if you have a new product or process, you should talk to a 'patent attorney' (a lawyer specializing in inventions). This person helps 'make sure your idea is protected.' While the text uses the word 'protected' as a verb/adjective, 'protection' is the matching noun for the task, indicating the goal of keeping the business idea secure from theft. |
| Q21 | insurance | Check you have insurance that covers you and your business for anything that could possibly go wrong, from theft, to natural disaster, to ill health | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage advises new business owners to get insurance so they are protected if bad things happen, such as someone stealing from them, a natural event causing damage, or getting sick. Answer Explanation: The answer is a service that people pay for to protect themselves or their company from financial loss if something bad happens in the future. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'insurance' because the text explains that business owners should check they have this to protect their business against anything that might go wrong. In the task, 'safeguard against problems' means the same thing as protecting the business against 'anything that could possibly go wrong' like theft or disasters. |
| Q22 | litigation | For this reason, please refrain from commenting on any litigation that the company is involved in | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage tells employees not to write or talk about any legal cases (lawsuits) that the company is part of at the moment. Answer Explanation: The answer means a legal process in a court of law; a lawsuit. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is derived from the section on 'Company social media accounts.' The text instructs employees to 'refrain from commenting on any litigation that the company is involved in.' In this context, 'refrain from commenting on' matches the instruction to 'Never post about,' and 'litigation that the company is involved in' refers to the legal case or lawsuit 'that is currently taking place.' |
| Q23 | finances | The company's finances are especially sensitive information and must not be shared, commented on or speculated on at all | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that details about the company's money are private. Employees are not allowed to post about these details online. Answer Explanation: The answer means the company's money and how it uses that money. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "finances" because the passage explains that this type of information is very private or "sensitive." It says that employees must not share or talk about the company's money records on social media. |
| Q24 | copyright | Bear in mind that we are bound by regulations relating to copyright | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage tells workers to remember that they have to follow rules about protecting other people's work (copyright). Answer Explanation: The answer means employees must follow the laws that protect the creative work owned by other people or businesses. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "copyright" because the text says workers must follow rules about who owns creative work. This section warns employees not to share things made by other people or companies without saying who made it. The word "copyright" is the specific legal term used in the passage for these rules. |
| Q25 | Communications | To be on the safe side, if you are in any doubt as to whether to put something on our social media accounts, please do not post in the first instance and seek advice from one of the team in Communications about whether the information is sensitive or unsuitable from the company's point of view | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that if you are not sure about a post, you should not post it and instead talk to the group called Communications to see if the information is okay to share. Answer Explanation: The answer is the name of the specific department employees should go to for help if they are not sure about posting something on social media. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is Communications because the text advises employees who are unsure (meaning they are "in any doubt") about a social media post to ask for help ("seek advice") from the Communications team. This matches the note which asks who to 'consult' (talk to for advice) if 'unsure'. |
| Q26 | spokesperson | If you wish to mention the company but are not an official spokesperson for Hay and Walford Ltd, make it clear what your position in the company is | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that employees who are not official speakers for the company must tell everyone what their job title is if they talk about the business online. Answer Explanation: The answer means a person who is chosen to speak officially for a company or group. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'spokesperson' because the text explains the rules for workers using their own social media accounts to talk about the company. It states that if you are not an official 'spokesperson', you must tell people what your specific job ('position') is. The word 'position' in the text matches the word 'role' in the question, and 'unless' in the question matches 'not' in the text. |
| Q27 | respect | We ask that you always treat other users of social media with respect, whatever the situation | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that employees must be polite toward everyone else on social media at all times. Answer Explanation: The answer means that employees should be polite and kind to other people online. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'respect' because the passage states that employees must always treat others with respect on social media, regardless of the situation. This applies even when they are not talking about the company's business, as their behavior online can still impact the company's reputation. The note 'if not discussing company' corresponds to the phrase 'whatever the situation' in the text. |