IELTS Trainer 2 General Training Reading Test 3 (Online Test)

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 15-27, which are based on Reading Passage 2. Read Reading Passage 2 and answer Questions 15-20.

Setting up a home office, a how-to guide

Working from home is now an option in an increasing number of jobs, and many workers enjoy the flexibility this brings. However, not every home is automatically equipped to provide a workspace. Here are some tips for creating a professional home office, whether you are working for an employer or you have your own business:

• Establish the basic needs you have for your office. In most cases, you'll need a desk, adjustable chair and computer at least. Then you'll have an idea of how much space you'll need. You'll need a room away from noise and distractions and, if possible, it will be separate from communal areas with a closing door. Even if you don't share your home with others, it's a good idea to have a physical division between your home and work life.
• Maintaining a professional office means you'll need to be well-organised. Not only will you require space to spread out and work, you should allocate plenty of room for storage of files and supplies. You might have to store files in another room but, bear in mind that anything you use on a regular basis should be accessible.
• Getting the basics right is crucial: quality ergonomic furniture will ultimately save you money on treatment for physical problems caused by bad posture. While it can be tempting to skimp on key pieces and splurge on non-essentials like desk ornaments, it is far more important to have a reliable phone and computer, a fast internet connection and a chair that will support your lower back.
• Don't forget to hang a clock on the wall or put one on your desk where you can see it. It's easy to lose track of time when you're working from home and you might find yourself working for hours on end without a break. Conversely, you might feel it's time for a break before it actually is. You'll find you are far more efficient if you can set hours and stick to them. You'll stay more focused and clients will appreciate knowing when you can be reached.
• It is stipulated in health and safety policies of most workplaces that a first-aid kit should be provided, and this is best practice in the home office too. Ventilation, whether natural or artificial, must be adequate and the work area should be clear of obstructions.

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Read Reading Passage 2 below and answer Questions 21-27.

How to motivate your sales team: a guide for managers

Motivation is one of the most important ingredients of continued sales success over time. As a manager, you need to motivate your people as individuals and also as a team.

The foundation of motivation is trust. If your salespeople don't believe you have their best interests at heart, they won't be driven to put in their best effort at work. Take the time to find out their goals and the challenges they face in pursuing these goals.

The best way to find out what motivates your workers may simply be to ask them. Have them explain to you what management style they respond best to - some people need almost constant guidance while others like to be left to their own devices for most of the time. Ask them about the best times of the day or week to have meetings; although it may not always be possible, accommodate them when you can.

An often-overlooked factor is when and how to give feedback. Some need this - whether positive or negative - on a daily basis, while others would rather it was saved for more formal appraisals.

There are also some very tangible changes that may have an instant effect; these relate to the health and comfort of the workers. Ensure that they have time to recharge on their breaks and, if you can afford it, provide some nutritious, energy-giving snacks in the lunchroom. Some employers offer their workers a free or discounted membership at a gym and report that this pays for itself in healthy, motivated employees.

It's always worth remembering that people are motivated in different ways. The most commonly exploited motivator is money, whether it's a raise, bonus or commission, but that's not the only way of getting the best from your staff. Some thrive on competition, within or between teams. Others need acknowledgement for a job well done. Groups often respond positively to a chance to get out of the work environment, perhaps for social occasions or to attend sports events. Find what works for your sales people.

There are cases when workers are experiencing a slump and are not performing well. They may not rise to the challenge of working towards something they believe to be out of their reach. If this is the case, link their incentive to their improvement, rather than performance as measured against others.

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 28-40, which are based on Reading Passage 3.

The wallaby

Wallabies are small to medium-sized marsupials that inhabit the Australian continent and its surrounding islands. The word wallaby comes from the indigenous Australian language.

A

While the largest wallabies can measure 6 feet from head to tail, as big or bigger than some kangaroos, most species of wallaby are smaller than kangaroos. The smallest are around 12 inches when fully-grown. They have an upright posture supported by two disproportionately large hind legs and feet, small forelimbs and a large thick tail. Wallabies have strong hind legs that enable them to travel at speed; their sizeable Achilles tendons assist them in hopping. Besides hopping, the hind legs can also be used to deliver hard kicks to other wallabies. Their tails are not able to grip but are essential in that they provide balance when a wallaby is stationary or in motion.

Because wallabies are herbivores, they have a large jaw to allow them to chew grass and plants. This accounts for their elongated faces. One distinction between a wallaby and a kangaroo is the teeth: wallabies have flat molars at the back, while kangaroos' back teeth are curved.

B

Wallabies generally prefer bushy or rugged areas in remote locations of Australia, rather than the open arid plains that kangaroos prefer. Some smaller wallabies, such as pademelons, live in the forest. Often wallabies are named for the type of area where they reside, e.g. shrub wallabies, brush wallabies and rock wallabies.

From 1858 until 1870, about 12 species of marsupial were taken from Australia and liberated in New Zealand, but only the brush-tailed opossum and the wallabies adapted successfully to the new land. Inadequate early accounts of which exact species were introduced and where they were initially taken from, mean that there is still confusion with regards to which species of wallaby are actually present in New Zealand today.

In 1896, the acclaimed Australian painter Frederick McCubbin painted On the wallaby track, showing a family in the bush without a home, the woman with a child on her lap and the man boiling water for tea. The painting's title derives from the Australian colloquial term 'on the wallaby track' describing the wandering rural workers who moved from place to place for work and alluding to the nomadic tendency of wallabies.

C

In terms of their young, like all marsupials, wallabies are born at an early stage of development. Young wallabies, like young kangaroos, are called a joey. As soon as they are born, they crawl into their mothers' pouches and stay there, generally for around two months. At first, the joey spends varying lengths of time out of the pouch, grazing and acquiring vital survival skills. When it needs to sleep or it feels it is in danger; however, the joey will return to the pouch. In some species, joeys stay in the pouch for up to a year or until the next joey is born. However, for most wallabies the young are thought to be independent by 9 months.

There is significant variation when it comes to the daily habits of wallabies. The larger wallaby species tend to be diurnal (mostly active throughout the day) and live in mobs, or groups, whereas smaller species are generally nocturnal (active at night) and solitary.

D

There are animals that are native to Australia that have always hunted the wallaby; these include dingoes, wedge-tailed eagles and Tasmanian devils. However, it is species that were brought to Australia by settlers that have posed more danger. Foxes, cats and dogs have all taken their toll on wallaby numbers, as have herbivores like rabbits, sheep, goats and cattle that compete with wallabies for food. However, it is human activity that has had the most impact; land clearing and burning of bushlands have left great numbers of wallabies effectively homeless and without a source of food.

E

Four species of wallaby have already gone extinct. There are others that are classified as vulnerable or endangered, which means that they face a high or very high risk of extinction in the wild. Measures are being taken to help particular species, including conserving their habitats and breeding them in captivity, so they may be reintroduced into the wild at a later point when conditions are favourable.

While wallabies are considered by some farmers to be a pest, efforts are being made by the Australian Society for Kangaroos to stop farmers culling kangaroos and wallabies. Instead they advocate that they should be captured and relocated.