EXERCISE 20:Read the passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D to answer the following questions.
Volunteering offers many of the same social benefits, with the added bonus of helping others and developing useful skills to put on your CV. Plus, students are in a unique position to help, suggests Tom Fox. "They can take their enthusiasm and excitement for opportunities and share their passions, subject knowledge and experience with people." The idea of giving up time for nothing might seem impractical at first, especially once the pressures of study and coursework or exams begin to mount up. However, Michelle Wright, CEO of charity support organization Cause4, suggests seeing volunteering as a two-way street. "I think it is fine for undergraduates to approach volunteering as a symbiotic relationship where doing good is just one part of the motivation for reaching personal and professional goals."
Katerina Rudiger, head of skills and policy campaigns at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), says: "Volunteering can be a valuable way of gaining that experience, as well as building confidence, broadening your horizons, becoming a better team player and developing those all- important 'employability skills' such as communication and decision making." Amanda Haig, graduate HR manager, agrees that volunteering can help your employment prospects. "Volunteering can demonstrate positive personality traits and skill sets, such as proactivity, and teamwork," she says.
A positive side-effect of volunteering is improving your time at university by getting involved in the local community. Leaving the student bubble can make your time as an undergraduate much more varied. At Bath Spa University, more than 1,000 students volunteered over the past year, doing everything from working on local environmental projects to helping in schools or assisting the elderly. ”Quite often there can be a divide between students and permanent residents," says students' union president Amy Dawson, "but if students invest a little time now, they will be giving something back to the local community and will reap the benefits in the future."
“You might also find that volunteering helps your studies if you choose the right program. At Lancaster, volunteering is linked into academic modules in some cases", explains Fox. "This has multiple
wins. Students get to apply their learning in the classroom and share their interests with children in local schools or community organizations, while schools gain skilled students with a passion for a subject that enthuses their pupils."
Question 123: What is the most suitable title for this reading?
- Volunteering at university
- Volunteering helps employment prospects
- Students should take part in extracurricular activities to put it on CV
- The virtues of volunteering
Question 124: Which of the following information is NOT mentioned in paragraph 1?
- Many social benefits are provided by volunteering.
- Students are likely to be enthusiastic for chances and share their interests with people.
- Volunteering might increase the pressures of study and coursework or exam.
- Michelle Wright recommends seeing volunteering as a two-way street.
Question 125: What is inferred from Michelle Wright’s opinion about volunteering?
- It helps to build confidence and broaden the horizons.
- It is a part of the motivation for reaching personal and professional goals.
- It helps to demonstrate positive personality traits and skill sets, such as proactivity, and teamwork
- It helps students to take their enthusiasm and excitement for opportunities and share their passions.
Question 126: The word “gaining” in paragraph 2 can be replaced by .
A. getting B. making C. lacking D. taking
Question 127: Personality traits and skill sets include .
- communication and decision - making
- proactivity and collaboration
- proactivity and confidence
- passions, subject knowledge and experience.
Question 128: What does the word “side-effect” mean?
A. additional result that you did not expect or want B. an extra good result
C. another side of a street D. a two-way street
Question 129: What does the word "they" refer to in paragraph 3?
A. projects B. residents C. students D. benefits
Question 130: Which of the following most accurately reflects Fox’s explanation in the last paragraph?
- Students at universities must join at least one activity in volunteer campaign at local schools.
- Students at universities should join as many activities in volunteer campaign at local schools as possible.
- Students at universities who join volunteer work will gain a lot of purposes for the community only.
- Students at universities who join volunteer work will gain a lot of purposes for not only themselves but also the community.
