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help Learn how to HIGHLIGHT & ADD NOTES
- HOLD LEFT CLICK
- DRAG MOUSE OVER TEXT
- RIGHT CLICK SELECTED TEXT
Read the text below and answer questions 15-21.
Company Dress Code
At Allegheny Limited, we pride ourselves in presenting a professional atmosphere in the office and with our distinguished clients. In order to effectively assist our clients and customers who need our professional input, we expect our employees to maintain a dignified appearance. While we have begun to offer up alternative solutions during the work-week and relaxed our standards, we expect our employees to use the Employee Handbook in times of doubt or clarification.
Basic Guidelines
Allegheny Limited requires all employees to wear formal attire each day. On a basic level, this includes a matching two-piece suit for both men and women. However, in some cases, alternative jackets and pants (for men) and skirts and pants (for women) will suffice. Employees must not wear clothing that is torn or dirty. Of course, we ask that employees use their best judgement when deciding what to wear to the office. In the case that a doubt arises, please check our Employee Handbook on the company website.
Footwear
For women, heels must be tasteful and are not to exceed 5 inches. For men, shoes must be cleaned and formal. In general, appropriate shoes include and are not limited to: dress shoes, loafers, flats, or heels. Sneakers or backless shoes are not acceptable.
Tattoos
All tattoos must be covered by clothing and unable to be seen, even during Relaxed Casual Days, explained below. If employees are in the office with visible tattoos, they will receive a written warning from their direct supervisor.
Accessories
Men must wear ties with suits and jackets during the work day. Women are asked to use good judgement in accessories without wearing anything considered too extravagant for the office setting. However, please note that employees may be sensitive to chemicals in perfumes. Thus, we urge our employees to use perfumes and fragrances as sparingly as possible.
Hats and Religious Covers
Allegheny Limited is an equal opportunity employer. Thus, all religious head covers or those that honor one's culture are permitted. Hats, however, are not allowed in the office.
Relaxed Casual Days
Due to our participation in national fundraisers, our entire company reserves various days for “Relaxed Casual Days” in order to support our causes. In order to participate, employees must pay a $10.00 fee for the day, which goes directly to the cause at hand. While we strongly encourage our employees to wear clothing that has our company logo, any type of business casual attire will be accepted during these days. Keep in mind, however, that jackets should be kept in the office in the case that a visiting client stops by the office.
Violations
If the employee dress code does not meet the aforementioned standards, the employee will receive a written warning. If the problem persists, a mandatory meeting with the employee's direct supervisor will be necessary, as well as possible punitive action in terms of pay.
Read the text below and answer questions 22-27.
While it's only been on Working Career Mom's 100 Best Companies for two years, the Winston Daniels Co. has a long history of influencing women's ability to balance work and life. Winston Daniels Co. is honored to be considered a nonprofit with limited resources that can make this distinguished list five years in a row! This shows that any company truly dedicated to supporting mothers and families can make a difference for its employees. We are pleased to offer policies and benefits that promote the health of babies and mothers. Among the benefits Winston Daniels Co. offers to new mothers are:
...and that's not all! Winston Daniels Co. also offers an Employee Assistance Program. What does this include? In addition to immediate medical coverage, starting on the first day of employment for expectant mothers, it also covers significant others, regardless of legal marital status. We also include paid time off (up to 4 weeks) for new fathers/significant others for the birth of a child and an additional paid week off if their newborn requires a NICU treatment. Additionally, we include paid time off (1 week) for adoption or foster care placement of a child. In some cases, extended parental leave of absence is necessary. We understand this and can offer an additional six months of unpaid leave for new mothers. Expectant mothers may request two months of this leave prior to the delivery date, even if it is not medically necessary. |
Reading Passage Vocabulary
Read the text below and answer questions 15-21.
Company Dress Code
At Allegheny Limited, we pride ourselves in presenting a professional atmosphere in the office and with our distinguished clients. In order to effectively assist our clients and customers who need our professional input, we expect our employees to maintain a dignified appearance. While we have begun to offer up alternative solutions during the work-week and relaxed our standards, we expect our employees to use the Employee Handbook in times of doubt or clarification.
Basic Guidelines
Allegheny Limited requires all employees to wear formal attire each day. On a basic level, this includes a matching two-piece suit for both men and women. However, in some cases, alternative jackets and pants (for men) and skirts and pants (for women) will suffice. Employees must not wear clothing that is torn or dirty. Of course, we ask that employees use their best judgement when deciding what to wear to the office. In the case that a doubt arises, please check our Employee Handbook on the company website.
Footwear
For women, heels must be tasteful and are not to exceed 5 inches. For men, shoes must be cleaned and formal. In general, appropriate shoes include and are not limited to: dress shoes, loafers, flats, or heels. Sneakers or backless shoes are not acceptable.
Tattoos
All tattoos must be covered by clothing and unable to be seen, even during Relaxed Casual Days, explained below. If employees are in the office with visible tattoos, they will receive a written warning from their direct supervisor.
Accessories
Men must wear ties with suits and jackets during the work day. Women are asked to use good judgement in accessories without wearing anything considered too extravagant for the office setting. However, please note that employees may be sensitive to chemicals in perfumes. Thus, we urge our employees to use perfumes and fragrances as sparingly as possible.
Hats and Religious Covers
Allegheny Limited is an equal opportunity employer. Thus, all religious head covers or those that honor one's culture are permitted. Hats, however, are not allowed in the office.
Relaxed Casual Days
Due to our participation in national fundraisers, our entire company reserves various days for “Relaxed Casual Days” in order to support our causes. In order to participate, employees must pay a $10.00 fee for the day, which goes directly to the cause at hand. While we strongly encourage our employees to wear clothing that has our company logo, any type of business casual attire will be accepted during these days. Keep in mind, however, that jackets should be kept in the office in the case that a visiting client stops by the office.
Violations
If the employee dress code does not meet the aforementioned standards, the employee will receive a written warning. If the problem persists, a mandatory meeting with the employee's direct supervisor will be necessary, as well as possible punitive action in terms of pay.
Read the text below and answer questions 22-27.
While it's only been on Working Career Mom's 100 Best Companies for two years, the Winston Daniels Co. has a long history of influencing women's ability to balance work and life. Winston Daniels Co. is honored to be considered a nonprofit with limited resources that can make this distinguished list five years in a row! This shows that any company truly dedicated to supporting mothers and families can make a difference for its employees. We are pleased to offer policies and benefits that promote the health of babies and mothers. Among the benefits Winston Daniels Co. offers to new mothers are:
...and that's not all! Winston Daniels Co. also offers an Employee Assistance Program. What does this include? In addition to immediate medical coverage, starting on the first day of employment for expectant mothers, it also covers significant others, regardless of legal marital status. We also include paid time off (up to 4 weeks) for new fathers/significant others for the birth of a child and an additional paid week off if their newborn requires a NICU treatment. Additionally, we include paid time off (1 week) for adoption or foster care placement of a child. In some cases, extended parental leave of absence is necessary. We understand this and can offer an additional six months of unpaid leave for new mothers. Expectant mothers may request two months of this leave prior to the delivery date, even if it is not medically necessary. |
IELTS General Reading Tips for Success
Tips to improve your reading speed
Keep in mind, having a slow reading speed makes skimming or scanning a reading passage more difficult. The process of quickly skimming through a reading passage for specific keywords or main ideas is a requirement for you to employ successful reading strategies to improve your IELTS reading score. In other words, skimming and scanning are critical skills to ensure you complete all questions in the allotted time frame.
IELTS Reading Strategies
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Step 1: Read questions first
One of the most common mistakes that candidates make when approaching the reading exam is reading every single word of the passages. Although you can practice for the exam by reading for pleasure, "reading blindly" (reading without any sense of what the questions will ask) will not do you any favors in the exam. Instead, it will hurt your chances for effectively managing your time and getting the best score.
The main reason to read the questions first is because the type of question may determine what you read in the passage or how you read it. For example, some question types will call for the "skimming" technique, while others may call for the "scanning" technique.It is important to answer a set of questions that are of the same question type. You'll need to determine which question type you want to tackle first. A good strategy would be to start with the easier question type and move on to more difficult question types later. The Easiest question types are the ones where you spend less time reading. For example, the Matching Heading question type is an easier one because you only need to find the heading that best describes the main idea of a paragraph. An example of a difficult question type would be Identifying Information. For this question type, you'll need to read each paragraph to find out if each statement is TRUE, FALSE, or NOT GIVEN according to the passage.
Here is a table that lists the difficulty levels for each question type. Use this table as a reference when choosing which question type you want to tackle first.
Difficulty level Question Type Easy Sentence Completion
Short answerMedium Matching Features
Multiple choice
Matching Headings
Summary, Table, Flow-Chart CompletionDifficult Matching Sentence Endings
Matching Information
Identifying Information (TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN)
Identifying Viewer's claims (YES/NO/NOT GIVEN)
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Step 2: Read for an objective
After you've read the questions for the passage, you will be able to read for an objective. What does this mean? For example, if you come across a question that includes the year "1896", you can make a note of when this year comes up in the text, using it to answer the question later on. There are two reading techniques that will help you stay on track with reading for an objective. The first one, skimming, is best defined as reading fast in order to get the "gist", or general idea, or a passage. With this technique, you are not stopping for any unfamiliar words or looking for specific details. The second technique, scanning, is best defined as reading for specific information. With this technique, you are not reading for the overall gist, but rather, specific information. Notice how each of these techniques has a specific objective in mind. This will help you find information more quickly.
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Step 3: Take notes
As you're reading for an objective, you should also be making notes on the margins of the passage, placing stars next to key information, or underlining things that you believe will help you answer the various questions. This will make it easier for you to check back when you are asked certain things in the questions. Choose whichever note-taking system is right for you - just make sure you do it!
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Step 4: Answer wisely
After you've read the questions, read the passage, and have taken any appropriate notes, you you should have located the part of the text where you where you need to read carefully. Then just read carefully and think critically to determine the correct answer.