1.
The THATCHEROur popular feature Amazing Jobs takes a look at a really unusual occupation this week. Tim Darby left school at sixteen with very few qualifications, but, although he does admit to wishing he’d worked just a little bit harder at his studies, he has no regrets about leaving the classroom and finding a job. Only two years on from his last day at school, Tim finds himself up on a roof each day, working as a thatcher – one of the oldest, most traditional crafts that still survives in England. If you’ve ever visited a small English village, you may have seen the beautiful old roofs on ancient cottages which are made of thousands of long, thin water reeds, all packed tightly together. Well, they are difficult to maintain, and that’s Tim’s job. He spends his working life up a ladder in all weathers, putting together thatched roofs.In his job, Tim travels all over southern England, so it wasn’t easy to track him down, but eventually I found him on top of a 17th century cottage in a small village in the county of Dorset. He told me how he had been spending the last few weeks and what he would have been doing if it hadn’t been the middle of summer.‘At this time of year, when it’s warm and sunny, I’m up on the roofs restoring and reconstructing houses like this one,’ said Tim. ‘But if you’d met up with me back in February, you would have seen me doing a very different job – my favourite. In the colder months, our job is to cut the water reed, which grows in rivers. It’s a thick, straight grass and if you gather it together in bundles and dry it, you’ll have great thatch. It’s traditionally used near the coast. If I was working in a village in the middle of the country, I’d be using something else – wheat, perhaps. So, our job is very seasonal and varied – preparing the thatch in the winter and repairing roofs in the summer.’As we chatted, Tim went on to add that most of the work he got to do was on historic houses, and that he never got to work on anything new. He pointed out there were older, more experienced thatchers in his company whose expertise lay in the challenging art of creating new roofs on houses that had just been built. However, he has no great desire to get into that line of work.‘What I enjoy most about my job is having to push myself every day,’ Tim told me. ‘Thatching is highly-skilled work, so there’s always something new to learn – and, of course, being in the open air in the summer is fantastic. If I hadn’t got into this line of work, I’d probably be spending most of my days in an office or a shop in a dead-end job, and, of course, I’d be neither fit nor sun-tanned!’
2.
A FIRST JOBIf you ask most young people, they 11____________ you that they don’t want to 12____________ rely on their parents for money. That’s why finding a first job is so important to young people. Here’s some advice for getting off on the right 13____________ in the workplace. A careers advisor told me that first 14 ____________ were vital at an interview. Young job applicants 15____________ be arrogant. She also suggested 16____________ sure you 17____________ lots of questions to ask at the interview. Some people recommend that you know as much as possible about the job you’re applying for, and to make sure it’s a job you’ve really decided 18 ____________ ! You don’t want to 19____________ the wrong decision, and think, if only I 20 ____________ so quickly.
3.
According to the text, Tim Darby has a typical job.
Correct Answer
B. False
Explanation
The text does not provide any information about Tim Darby's job, so it cannot be determined whether he has a typical job or not. Therefore, the answer is false.
4.
Tim wishes he’d worked harder at school. ___
Correct Answer
A. True
Explanation
The given correct answer is "True" because the sentence implies that Tim regrets not putting in more effort in school. The use of the word "wishes" indicates a sense of longing or desire for a different outcome, suggesting that Tim believes working harder at school would have been beneficial.
5.
Tim left school approximately two years ago.
Correct Answer
B. False
Explanation
The statement "Tim left school approximately two years ago" is false. This means that Tim did not leave school approximately two years ago.
6.
During the warmer months you will often find Tim working in a village.
Correct Answer
A. True
Explanation
During the warmer months, Tim can be found working in a village. This suggests that Tim is likely involved in some kind of seasonal work or activity that takes place specifically during the warmer months. This answer implies that Tim is actively engaged in work in the village during this time, indicating that the statement is true.
7.
Tim works in lots of different places throughout the year.
Correct Answer
B. False
Explanation
The statement states that Tim works in lots of different places throughout the year. However, the correct answer is "False" which means that the statement is not true. This implies that Tim does not work in lots of different places throughout the year.
8.
Tim prefers the work he does in the summer to the work he does in the winter.
Correct Answer
B. False
Explanation
Tim prefers the work he does in the summer to the work he does in the winter. The correct answer is False. This means that Tim does not prefer the work he does in the summer over the work he does in the winter. It could be that Tim enjoys the work he does in the winter more or that he has a preference for the type of work or activities that are typically associated with the winter season.
9.
Roof thatch can be made from different raw materials.
Correct Answer
B. False
Explanation
Roof thatch can indeed be made from different raw materials such as straw, reeds, grass, or palm leaves. Therefore, the statement "Roof thatch can be made from different raw materials" is true, not false.
10.
It’s more difficult to put a thatched roof on a new house than on an old house.
Correct Answer
B. False
Explanation
Putting a thatched roof on a new house is not more difficult than putting it on an old house. This is because a new house would typically have a more stable structure and a roof that is better suited for the installation of a thatched roof. Additionally, the process of installing a thatched roof is generally the same regardless of whether it is a new or old house. Therefore, the statement is false.
11.
Tim has nothing else to learn about his job.
Correct Answer
B. False
Explanation
The statement suggests that Tim has already learned everything there is to know about his job. However, it is unlikely that anyone can claim to know everything about their job, as there is always room for growth, learning new skills, and adapting to changes in the industry. Therefore, the correct answer is "False."
12.
Tim enjoys being outside in his job.
Correct Answer
B. False
Explanation
The statement suggests that Tim does not enjoy being outside in his job.
13.
Correct Answer
A. A tell
Explanation
The correct answer is "a tell" because the verb "tell" is in its base form, which is used after the auxiliary verb "will" to form the future tense. In this case, "will" is not present, so the base form "tell" is the correct choice.
14.
Correct Answer
B. b ought to
Explanation
"Ought to" is used to express moral obligation or duty. In this context, it implies that there is a strong recommendation or suggestion to do something. It suggests that it is the right thing to do, although it is not mandatory. Therefore, "ought to" is the correct answer as it best fits the given context.
15.
Correct Answer
B. b hand
Explanation
The question is asking for a body part that is commonly associated with the term "hand". The options provided are foot, hand, face, and head. Among these options, the term "hand" is the correct answer as it is specifically mentioned in the question.
16.
Correct Answer
D. d enquiries
17.
Correct Answer
A. A shouldn’t
Explanation
The correct answer is "a shouldn't". This is because "shouldn't" is the negative form of "should", indicating that something is not advisable or recommended. The other options do not convey the same meaning. "Wouldn't" refers to a hypothetical situation, "haven't" is the present perfect tense and does not fit the context, and "needn't" suggests that something is not necessary but does not imply that it is not advisable.
18.
Correct Answer
C. c making
Explanation
The correct answer is "c making" because it is the present participle form of the verb "make". In this context, "making" is used to indicate the ongoing action of making something. The other options, "a make", "b made", and "d to making", are not grammatically correct or appropriate in this sentence.
19.
Correct Answer
B. B have
Explanation
The correct answer is "b have" because it is the correct verb form to use with the subject "a." "Have" is the plural form of the verb "to have," which agrees with the plural subject "a."
20.
Correct Answer
D. d to doing
21.
Correct Answer
B. b make
Explanation
The correct answer is "b make" because it is the only option that fits grammatically with the sentence fragment "a do". "Make" is a verb that can be used to indicate the act of creating or producing something, which makes sense in the context of the sentence. The other options, "do", "get", and "have" do not fit grammatically or contextually with the sentence fragment.
22.
Correct Answer
C. c don’t act
Explanation
The correct answer is "c don't act". This is because the sentence is in the present tense, so the correct verb form to use with the subject "I" is "don't act". The other options are in the past tense or use incorrect verb forms.