Section A – Reading Comprehension (7 marks)

Five-Star Hotel

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Hong Kong’s dynamic architecture gives it a skyline that is considered to be one of the most stunning in the world It is also the home to one of the leading hotels on the planet, the Mandarin Oriental, which has 540 rooms.

Ivy Lee, 34, a personal assistant to the general manager, believes she knows the key to the hotel’s success: “All the staff go beyond the guest’s expectations. There is a team spirit which make it seem like an extended family.”

Before taking up her present post five years ago, Mrs. Lee trained at secretarial college and worked for an insurance company and a business centre. She has also worked at another hotel in the same group as secretary to the technical services director. “I guess I always knew I wanted to work in the service industry,” she says.

Her official hours at the Mandarin are 9am to 5.30pm but Mrs. Lee is in the office by 8.30 am and often stays until as late as 8pm. “The thing about hotel work is that although I have a list of things to complete during the day, I may have to drop them and react to another request,” she explains. Guests at 5-star hotels can be demanding and Mrs. Lee often receives calls from individuals who ask for the general manager instead of dialling housekeeping. She handles calls and passes on requests to the relevant department. “We all communicate and things happen swiftly.”

Every morning she attends a 45 - minute meeting with the general manager and department managers at which she delivers details on their visitors for the day. All their preferences are discussed. Before the meeting, Mrs. Lee assesses this information from a profile of guests, which is kept on computer. She stresses that she is very careful as it is confidential. She then checks VIP arrivals, goes through the manager’s diary and checks his calls. “He is demanding but very approachable,” she says.

While hours may be long, the job is not all bad. The hotel overlooks Victoria harbour and is close to major fashion stores. Managers mix with other staff in the free canteen. This gives staff the opportunity to find out what is going on in other sections of the hotel. Mrs. Lee also has a laundry allowance and gets discounts on products sold in the hotel shops. To deal with any stress, she joins her friends at a yoga class once a week.

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1. What does the personal assistant think is the reason for the hotel’s success?

A the attitude towards familiesB the type of guests they receiveC the co-operation between employees

2. When discussing her career background, Mrs Lee says that

A she had a clear idea about where she wanted to work.B she needed more than secretarial training for her present job.C she took some time to realise what she wanted to do.

3. What does Mrs Lee say about her working day?

A Her official duties keep increasing.B The hours are not typical of hotel work.C She sometimes has to deal with the unexpected.

4. The writer suggests that some of the Mandarin’s guests

A use the telephone too much.B expect a lot of personal attention.C complain when they do not get enough attention.

5. During the morning meeting, Mrs Lee

A discusses any problems she is having.B provides information on current guests.C takes notes on her personal computer.

6. Which of the following does the writer think is an advantage of Mrs Lee’s job?

A the location of the hotelB the standard of food in the hotelC the variety of people who visit the hotel

7. In paragraph 4, the word swiftly refers to

A quicklyB concurrentlyC suddenly

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Section B – Vocabulary (23 marks)

Select the best word or phrase to complete this passages.

Passage 1

So you’re out of work and looking for a new job. Don’t panic! The first thing you have to accept is that job hunting is a full-time (8) ______. Although it is (9) ______ to exploit your free time, don’t start sleeping late or watching TV all day. Get up at your (10) ______ hour, shower, eat breakfast and go to work.

Effective and comprehensive research into any company you are interested in working for (11) ______ potential employers that you do your homework and (12) ______ ahead of other applicants. Increase your opportunities by researching a large number of companies within your (13) ______ industries and geographic region. Study a target company’s last three annual reports, promotional sales materials, trade publications and relevant magazine articles to (14) ______ yourself with the company’s corporate culture and industry as a whole. Don’t forget the internet, which can be very helpful when you are (15) ______ facts to use during interviews or in writing CV’s.

Professional associations are a great (16) ______ for job opportunities, advice and research. They also offer opportunities to network. Through them, you can contact other professionals to (17) ______ them about your goals and ask for guidance.Finally, you could approach a company with a letter introducing yourself and enquiring about possible opportunities. If you do this, (18) ______ it up with a timely phone call, which should be short and to the (19) _______. Check that your letter was received and ask if any additional information is required. If necessary (20) ______ your message on their voice mail.

If you follow these steps, they could lead you to the job you want.

8. A profession B occupation C position D appointment

9. A convincing B persuading C tempting D promising

10. A usual B general C daily D typical

11. A proves B shows C appears D seems

12. A keep B hold C carry D maintain

13. A preferable B settled C desirable D chosen

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14. A understand B familiarise C comprehend D analyse

15. A piling B raising C collecting D heaping

16. A resource B supply C reserve D stock

17. A tell B explain C say D describe

18. A make B run C take D follow

19. A item B point C detail D particular

20. A set B get C leave D lay

Passage 2

A Waste of Energy

The amount of energy consumed – and wasted – in commercial buildings is increasing all the

time. The (21) __________ in numbers of items of electronic office equipment threatens to

reach its maximum in main business centres in the next ten years. Office staff leaves

equipment (22) __________ on unnecessarily for a number of reasons. These include fear of

(23) ___________ the machine, lack of knowledge of the actual cost of running the machine

and just plain laziness.

(24) ______ to control the energy usage of office equipment is wasteful, and can lead to costs

far higher than most managers (25) ________. The Energy Efficiency and Conservation

Authority (EECA is introducing a two-fold programme aimed at saving the £55 million

which is wasted every year, or about 1.5% of the country’s (26) __________ electricity

consumption.

Further, the EECA now (27) _________ that the number of office machines will double

before the end of the decade. By this time, office machinery energy consumption is (28)

__________ to be about 800 GWh per year. A survey of offices in the city’s central business

district revealed that 40% of office equipment was left (29) __________ overnight and

through the weekend, as well as during working hours. It also found that about half the

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energy consumed during office hours is wasted, because machines remain on when not in

use. In particular, most PCs, printers and photocopiers are fully (30) _________ for only

about 40% of a working day.

21 A growth B count C progress D result

22 A connected B switched C remained D stayed

23 A hurting B damaging C spoiling D destroying

24 A Neglect B Ignorance C Inability D Failure

25 A discover B realise C identify D recognise

26 A sum B whole C entire D total

27 A estimates B proposes C foretells D guesses

28 A argued B awaited C expected D scheduled

29 A operating B going C working D running

30 A managed B supervised C utilised D employed

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Section C – Grammar (20 marks)CNDDD

Read the following passage and choose the best answer.

Most men and women pass (31) _________ life without ever considering or criticising (32)

_________ their own conditions or those of the world at large. They find themselves born into a

certain place in society, and they accept what each day (33) _________, without any thought

beyond what the immediate present requires. They seek the satisfaction of the needs of the

moment, without much forethought, and without thinking that by sufficient effort the conditions

of their lives (34) _________ be changed. A certain percentage, guided by personal ambition,

make the effort of thought and will which is necessary to place themselves among the more (35)

_________ members of the community; but very few among these are seriously concerned to

secure for all the advantages which they seek for (36) _________. Only a few rare and

exceptional men have that kind of love toward mankind at large that makes them unable to

endure patiently the general mass of evil and suffering, (37) _________ of any relation it may

have to their own lives. These few, driven by sympathetic pain, will seek for some new system of

society by which life may become richer, full of (38) _________ and less of preventable evils

(39) _________ it is at present. But in the past such men have, as a rule, failed to interest the

very victims of the injustices (40) _________ they wished to remedy.

31. A. out B. at C. through D. above

32. A. if B. either C. when D. both

33. A. was B. finishes C. brings D. is missing

34. A. could B. must C. would D. had better

35. A. numerous B. innocent C. honest D. fortunate

36. A. him B. them C. themselves D. anyone

37. A. despite B. regardless C. because D. on account

38. A. problems B. themselves C. excuses D. joy

39. A. than B. which C. although D. when

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40. A. who B. which C. where D. whom

The internet is a collection of thousands of computer networks throughout the world. It (41)

_________ in the United States and has the most number of people on this gigantic computer

network. However, the number of users all over the world is (42) _________ very quickly.

Eighty countries are fully (43) _________ to the Internet. If you are on the Internet you are able

to (34) _________ with over 35 million people. You can (44) _________ friends through the

Internet, get all sorts of information and nowadays, as businessmen (45) _________, carry out

commercial activities as well.

(46) with a computer, modem and phone line can join the Internet through one (47) _________

the Public Providers. There is no central (48) _________ or governing body, though there is an

Internet Society established several years ago to (49) _________ and standardise rules of

operation. Because of the number of different organisations involved, (50) _________ knows for

sure how big the Internet is.

41. A. start B. started C. starting D. had started

42. A. grow B. grew C. growing D. grown

43. A. concurrent B. allied C. related D. connected

44. A. communicate B. impart C. publicise D. connect

45. A. is doing B. were doing C. has done D. are doing

46. A. Someone B. Anyone C. Everybody D. Everyone

47. A. by B. of C. with D. near

48. A. ability B. right C. authority D. permission

49. A. coordinate B. match C. compete D. reunite

50. A. somebody B. everybody C. anybody D. nobody

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Section D – Writing (20 marks)CNDDD

The company you work for is going to install a new computer system next month. Write an email to all staff:

• explaining why the new system is necessary • saying how long it will take to install • telling them what to do if they have any problems with it.

Your email should be between 150-200 words.

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