11th Form Level 7

Reading Comprehension and Grammar Test

Name: ________________________________ Number: ___ Class: __ Date: ___/___/___
Mark: ______________________ Teacher: _____________ Tutor: _________________

Employment and Young People

Last September, we asked some young Europeans the

following question:
Why is it harder for most young Europeans to find a job
nowadays?
And this is what Sharmin had to say:
Its hard for everyone!
The problem of finding a job isnt just the case for young Europeans; it seems to be the current trend
everywhere. I think this is because of the importance attached to qualifications and I dont feel there is anything
wrong with that. More qualifications mean that people are more qualified for the career market and that can only be
a good thing for everyone involved.
More people nowadays, anyway, are gaining qualifications than they were twenty or thirty years ago, so I
dont feel people are struggling to take a diploma. For example, it is very common for young people to attend
university. This means, however, that there are more people with the same qualifications as you, applying for the
same job as you and so there is increasing competition. Perhaps the problem is that while many of us may have
university degrees, we dont have the specific qualifications for specific jobs. This is the complaint of Klaus
Mangol of DEBIS (Daimler-Benz Inter Services). He feels that the yawning skills gap has left many jobs unfilled
across the region of Berlin. In Britain alone, where more than 500,000 people are employed in IT jobs, some
positions go begging because of lack of available people with programming skills. But this is a pan-European
problem.
Another explanation for the reason why young Europeans may find it difficult to find a job is because of
slower growth in the world economy. The economic slowdown is making it harder for young people just out of
school to find a job. The problem seems to be so bad in the Netherlands that they have devised a plan to ensure that
within six months every unemployed young person either starts work or goes back to school.
I do feel in general that employers are looking for quite a lot in their potential employees, more than in the
past. They should have qualifications, have a packed CV and have relevant work experience. However, young
people only have limited work experience because they have only been in the labour market for a short time.

I feel as long as we leave school (and preferably university) with qualifications, have extra curricular activities
and perhaps some work experience, all we can do is go out into the real world and look for a job. Because,
eventually we will find one.
http://www.generation-europe.eu.com/ (adapted)

Group I Reading Comprehension

A Match the words taken from the text with its meaning/explanation.
1. pan-European ____

a) general direction in which a situation is changing or developing

2. slowdown _____

b) associated with

3. trend _____

c) reason for not being satisfied

4. to ensure _____

d) connected with all European countries

5. attached _____

e) decline in (economic) activity

6. devised _____

f) to make sure of certain

B - Are these sentences true or false? Correct the false ones.

1.
F

It is hard for everyone to find a job nowadays.

_____________________________________________________________

2.

The most important requirements for a job are academic qualifications.

F
_____________________________________________________________

3.
F

People used to be more qualified for their jobs than they are now.

_____________________________________________________________

4.
F

There are more people with the same qualifications.

_____________________________________________________________

5.
F

Education does not match companies needs.

_____________________________________________________________

6.

There is no link between youth unemployment and the current economic crisis. T

F
_____________________________________________________________
C Complete the sentences according to the information given in the text.
1. In Germany, lots of jobs have remained unfilled
_________________________________
2. The same happened in ____________, where __________________________________
3. The Dutch want unemployed young people _____________________________________
4. After leaving school, young people __________________________________________
D Answer the questions.
1. According to Sharmin, what are the reasons that may explain young peoples difficulties in
finding a job?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
2. Do you agree with Sharmins view on the matter? Justify your answer.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Group II Grammar
A A Active or Passive? Thick the correct option.

Act
1. Boys like to play soccer with their
friends.

Pas

Act
6. The report must be
completed by next Friday.

Pas

2. This room has been painted blue.

7. They were singing a song

in the lesson yesterday.

3. Cricket is played in Australia.

8. A letter was written to

her some days ago.

4. I am given a book.

9. The black bike is being

repaired at the moment.

5. We have lost our keys.

10. You might see dolphins

here.

B - Rewrite the following sentences in the passive voice starting with the words provided.
1. You will have completed all your work by five oclock this evening.
All _______________________________________________________________________
2. They have changed the date of the meeting.
The _____________________________________________________________________
3. She uses the computer to do all the paper work.
The computer _______________________________________________________________
4. The enterprise owner inaugurated a new factory last year.
A ________________________________________________________________________
5. People say that teachers will be replaced by robots.
It is said __________________________________________________________________
6. The government is trying to solve the economic crisis.
It _______________________________________________________________________
7. They showed her the easiest way to do the project work.
She ______________________________________________________________________
8. Our neighbour gave me a lift to work today.
I ________________________________________________________________________

Group III Writing

Write three/four paragraphs on your plans for your future career.

Good Work!