Passage 1: Koalas

A. Koalas are just too nice for their own good. And except for the occasional baby taken by birds of prey,
koalas have no natural enemies. In an ideal world, the life of an arboreal couch potato would be
perfectly safe and acceptable.

B. Just two hundred years ago, koalas flourished across Australia. Now they seem to be in decline, but
exact numbers are not available as the species would not seem to be ‘under threat’. Their problem,
however, has been man, more specifically, the white man. Koala and aborigine had co-existed peacefully
for centuries.

C. Today koalas are found only in scattered pockets of southeast Australia, where they seem to be at risk
on several fronts. The koala’s only food source, the eucalyptus tree has declined. In the past 200 years, a
third of Australia’s eucalyptus forests have disappeared. Koalas have been killed by parasites, chlamydia
epidemics and a tumour-causing retro-virus. And every year 11000 are killed by cars, ironically most of
them in wildlife sanctuaries, and thousands are killed by poachers. Some are also taken illegally as pets.
The animals usually soon die, but they are easily replaced.

D. Bush fires pose another threat. The horrific ones that raged in New South Wales recently killed
between 100 and 1000 koalas. Many that were taken into sanctuaries and shelters were found to have
burnt their paws on the glowing embers. But zoologists say that the species should recover. The koalas
will be aided by the eucalyptus, which grows quickly and is already burgeoning forth after the fires. So
the main problem to their survival is their slow reproductive rate – they produce only one baby a year
over a reproductive lifespan of about nine years.

E. The latest problem for the species is perhaps more insidious. With plush, grey fur, dark amber eyes
and button nose, koalas are cuddliness incarnate. Australian zoos and wildlife parks have taken
advantage of their uncomplaining attitudes, and charge visitors to be photographed hugging the furry
bundles. But people may not realise how cruel this is, but because of the koala’s delicate disposition,
constant handling can push an already precariously balanced physiology over the edge.

F. Koalas only eat the foliage of certain species of eucalyptus trees, between 600 and 1250 grams a day.
The tough leaves are packed with cellulose, tannins, aromatic oils and precursors of toxic cyanides. To
handle this cocktail, koalas have a specialised digestive system. Cellulose- digesting bacteria in the break
down fibre, while a specially adapted gut and liver process the toxins. To digest their food properly,
koalas must sit still for 21 hours every day.

G. Koalas are the epitome of innocence and inoffensiveness. Although they are capable of ripping open a
man’s arm with their needle-sharp claws, or giving a nasty nip, they simply wouldn’t. If you upset a
koala, it may blink or swallow, or hiccup. But attack? No way! Koalas are just not aggressive. They use
their claws to grip the hard smooth bark of eucalyptus trees.

H. They are also very sensitive, and the slightest upset can prevent them from breeding, cause them to
go off their food, and succumb to gut infections. Koalas are stoic creatures and put on a brave face until
they are at death’s door. One day they may appear healthy, the next they could be dead. Captive koalas
have to be weighed daily to check that they are feeding properly. A sudden loss of weight is usually the
only warning keepers have that their charge is ill. Only two keepers plus a vet were allowed to handle
London Zoo’s koalas, as these creatures are only comfortable with people they know. A request for the
koala to be taken to meet the Queen was refused because of the distress this would have caused the
marsupial. Sadly, London’s Zoo no longer has a koala. Two years ago the female koala died of a cancer
caused by a retrovirus. When they come into heat, female koalas become more active, and start losing
weight, but after about sixteen days, heat ends and the weight piles back on. London’s koala did not.
Surgery revealed hundreds of pea-sized tumours.

Almost every zoo in Australia has koalas – the marsupial has become the Animal Ambassador of the
nation, but nowhere outside Australia would handling by the public be allowed. Koala cuddling screams
in the face of every rule of good care. First, some zoos allow koalas to be passed from stranger to
stranger, many children who love to squeeze. Secondly, most people have no idea of how to handle the
animals; they like to cling on to their handler, all in their own good time and use his or her arm as a tree.
For such reasons, the Association of Fauna and Marine parks, an Australian conservation society is
campaigning to ban koala cuddling. Policy on koala handling is determined by state government
authorities. “And the largest of the numbers in the Australian Nature Conservation Agency, with the aim
of instituting national guidelines. Following a wave of publicity, some zoos and wildlife parks have
stopped turning their koalas into photo.

Questions 1-5

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

Write the correct letter in boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet.

1. The main reason why koala declined is that they are killed EXCEPT FOR

A. by poachers

B. by diseases they got

C. giving too many birth yet survived little!

D. accidents on the road

2. What can help koalas folly digest their food?

A. toxic substance in the leaves

B. organs that dissolve the fibres

C. remaining inactive for a period to digest

D. eating eucalyptus trees

3. What would koalas do when facing the dangerous situation?

A. show signs of being offended

B. counter attack furiously

C. use sharp claws to rip the man

4. In what ways Australian zoos exploit koalas?

A. encourage people to breed koalas as pets

B. allow tourists to hug the koalas

C. put them on the trees as a symbol

D. establish a koala campaign

5. What would the government do to protect koalas from being endangered?

A. introduce koala protection guidelines

B. close some of the zoos

C. encourage people to resist visiting the zoos

D. persuade the public to learn more knowledge

Iboxes 6-12 on your answer sheet, writen

NO if the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this passage

6. new coming human settlers caused danger to koalas.

7. Koalas can still be seen in most of the places in Australia.

8. it takes decade for the eucalyptus trees to recover after the fire.

9. Koalas will fight each other when food becomes scarce.

10. It is not easy to notice that koalas are ill.

11. Koalas are easily infected with human contagious disease via cuddling

12. Koalas like to hold a person’s arm when they are embraced.

Questions 13

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

Write the correct letter in boxes 13 on your answer sheet. From your opinion this article written by

A. a journalist who write for magazine

B. a zoo keeper in London Zoo.

D. a government official who studies koalas to establish a law

"Passage 3: Case study in flexible working: Frank Russell company

A. Two phrases that Frank Russell Company uses to identify itself also suggest why flexible work options
are a perfect fit for this American financial services firm. ‘The sun never sets in Russell’ means this 24-
hour, multi-country organizations’ flexible work hours are essential to conducting its business.
‘Employees first, clients second’ expresses the bottom line worth that management sees in employee
satisfaction and creating an excellent work environment that includes opportunities to work from home.
Telework, (i.e. working away from the traditional office) compressed workweeks and flexitime serve
Russell both as strategic business tools and valued employee benefits. ‘ Of we have happy staff first, we
will have happy client,’ says Mike Phillips, the company’s chief executive.

B. Flexible work options are offered in all departments, but the level and type of use vary widely among
the 970 employees based at the company’s headquaters in Tacoma, Washington State. In the early
1990s, several work groups pioneered various forms of flexible working, including telework. As the
programs spread, management discovered one size does not fit all. Rather than attempt to cover every
possibility, Russell now provides general guidelines under which departments customize plans to
accommodate individuals’ personal circumstances.

C. Implementing telework becomes less of a leap when a company’s staff and clients are already
scattered around the world. Pam Johnson, Manager of International Assignments, works in Tacoma but
reports to a supervisor based in London. She is responsible for transfers of staff from one country to
another, including negotiating the terms, shipping belongings and obtaining work permits. She works
from home several times a month. Johnson says, 'I take homework that involves reading, writing,
creating spreadsheets and answer emails.’ Johnson says she is a more loyal employee because of the
combination of benefits, flexibility and trust her employer offers. ‘I’ve been here 11 years. Once in a
while I wonder if I should look elsewhere, but the opportunity to flex my hours and work at home are
part of the formula that always ends up on the Russell side.’

D. Email and technology such as remote network access not only transformed the office environment
and the communication abilities between branch offices, they supported the growth of telework. Mike
Phillips is as reliant on email and remote access as anyone, regardless of whether he is working in
Singapore, Tacoma or from home. ‘Email is our primary means of communication,’ Phillips says. ‘I can get
up two hours early Singapore and respond to 20 emails from associates around the world or send a
company-wide memo from home.’

E. The ability to vary start times or work the longer days of a compressed workweek are a way of doing
business at Russell. An earlier start or a longer day increases telephone communication with
international staff. In addition, since the New York Exchange opens at 9 a.m, traders on the West Coast
need to start by 6 a.m local time. Another group, which provides desktop computer support, finds four
10-hour days make it easier to accomplish some tasks before or after employees need to use their
computers.

F. The larger consulting department offers compressed workweeks to administrative staff. Administrative
Assistant Jean Boelk works different proportions of alternate weeks in order to receive one extra day off
every other week. She is part of team of four administrative staff who jointly support a work group of
four executives. People are more willing to help each other because we’re dependent on each other on
our days off, Boelk says. Increasing the hours of coverage, plus the idea of cross-training and shared
work, results in less overtime. So long as coverage is adequate, staff can change days off from one pay
period to the next.

G. What motivates teleworkers is usually a combination of work and personal needs. Senior Technical
Analyst Scott Boyd, who is in the Computer Operation section, works at home twice a month. Boyd’s job
involves responding to telephone requests, and in the office it’s hard to work longer than 10 minutes
without getting interrupted by the phone. It’s an incredible relief to be so productive for one day at
home,’ he says.

H. A number of managers also find that working at home improves their overall performance. Sales and
Marketing Services Manager Tricia O’Connell works at home approximately two days a month. She gives
staff her home telephone number and advance notice of her plans, then checks voice mail every half
hour and email every hour from home. In addition, she schedules weekly meetings in her office with
each of eight members of her team to discuss challenges and encourage top performance. ‘This means I
am more able to focus on staff when it counts,’ she says.

I. In the end, management asks two questions when making decisions about work option requests: 1)
Will it improve overall employee satisfaction or job performance? and 2) Will it hurt performance of
duties in some way that it not acceptable or is not offset by other improvements? For Frank Russell
Company, the answers these questions show that flexible working is highly satisfactory for business.

Reading Passage 3 has nine paragraphs, A-I.

Choose the correct heading for paragraphs A-D and F-I from the list of headings below.

Write the correct number, i-xi, in boxes 27-34 on your answer sheet.

List of Headings
i Flexible working meets differing business needs

ii The disadvantages of flexible working

iii The process of organising flexible working has changed

iv Involving clients in deciding how best to serve them

v Technical developments have facilitated flexible working

vi The cost/benefit analysis of flexible working

vii Flexible working increases co-operation among staff

ix Flexible working encourages commitment to the company

x The workforce is the company’s top priority

xi It’s easier to get on with the work at home

Example Answer

Paragraph E i

27. iiiiiiivvviviiviiiixxxi Paragraph A

28. iiiiiiivvviviiviiiixxxi Paragraph B

29. iiiiiiivvviviiviiiixxxi Paragraph C

30. iiiiiiivvviviiviiiixxxi Paragraph D

31. iiiiiiivvviviiviiiixxxi Paragraph F

32. iiiiiiivvviviiviiiixxxi Paragraph G

33. iiiiiiivvviviiviiiixxxi Paragraph H

34. iiiiiiivvviviiviiiixxxi Paragraph I

QUESTIONS 35 - 37

Look at the following descriptions (Questions 35-37) and the list of staff below.

Match each description with the correct person, A-E.

Write the correct letter. A-E in boxes 35-37 on your answer sheet.

List of Staff
A Mike Phillips

B Pam Johnson

C Jean Boelk

D Scott Boyd

E Tricia O’Connell

35. ABCDE provides contact details when working out of the office

36. ABCDE is convinced that staff feelings have an impact on company

37. ABCDE performance has responsibilities which are shared with certain colleagues

QUESTIONS 38 - 40

Complete the sentence below.

Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.

Write your answer in boxes 38-40 on your answer sheet.

38. The Frank Russell Company aims to ensure that staff gain a sense of from their work.

39. Mike Phillip mostly uses to contact staff.

40. In the consulting department flexible working reduces the amount of done by staff.

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