NOME: ________________________________________________________ N.

º / TURMA: ___________________
PROFESSORA:_______________

English Formative Test – 11th Form – Block 3

The final task you are expected to complete is to write a for and against essay.
Activities A and B will provide you with input for Activity C.

ACTIVITY A 10
1. Match the words with the corresponding definitions. Three of the definitions do not apply. Write only the
letters.
A B
1. freelancer ______ a. Chances of success, especially in a job or career.
b. The group of people who work for an organization.
2. telecommuter ______
c. Things that employers may offer you in addition to your wages.
3. prospects ______ d. Someone who is not permanently employed by a particular
4. workaholic ______ company, but sells their services to more than one company.
e. An amount of money taken from your paycheck every payday.
5. benefits ______ f. Practical work, especially when it involves hard physical effort.
g. Someone who works at home on a computer and communicates
with their office or customers by telephone, fax, or email.
h. A person who works a lot of the time and finds it difficult not to
work.

2. Fill in the gaps with words/expressions from the box. Use each word/expression just once. 20
in the search for who little choice in hungry for lack of prospects
striking alternative for as a consequence of job opportunities youth unemployment strengthen growth

Young Europeans ready to work abroad- It is true that some young people have 1)
_________________________ the matter. Factors like youth unemployment,
2)_________________________, the need to learn languages and the possibility of independence by
leaving their home countries have made 68% of young Europeans want to go abroad
3)_________________________ wider opportunities.
The level of 4) _________________________ is alarming. For this reason, every year the European Union
supports more than 400,000 young professionals in finding jobs and training. In Europe the preferred
destinations for people 5) ________________________ leave their country looking for better economic
opportunities are the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Switzerland. Young people are 6)
_________________________ new experiences and going abroad can provide a lot of prospects. It is an
attractive option in terms of life experience and a 7) _________________________ young people in terms
of 8) _______________________ and professional development. «I see a generation growing, who is
sacrificed, lost 9) ________________________ mass unemployment that affects European young people. I
believe if we are able to start a good investment program, it will 10) ________________________ and its
driving forces will benefit European youth», said Jean-Claude Juncker, President elect of the European
Commission.
10
3. Explain briefly what the picture shows and what it means. Write about 50 words.

____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Activity B

The changing world of work

The “job for life” is dead. Our parents and grandparents may have walked
into jobs which offered them security and a regular salary. We can’t think about
doing exactly what our parents did as the types of jobs our parents might have are
not around anymore. Today’s youngsters realise that they cannot possibly look to
older generations for careers advice. And they’re jobs they had all their lives. We
can’t think about doing exactly what our parents did. The world of work is
different than it was 20, 10, even five years ago. Both in terms of when you work
and where you work, more companies are offering—and more employees are asking for—workplace flexibility. As
the workplace has gone digital, employees based in an office can often take their work on the road, which provides
opportunities to live closer to family, relocate to a new city, travel, or simply work from home in your pajamas. §1
Entrepreneurship is hot, partly because startups like Facebook have gained notoriety, and partly because the
recession left some workers with no other option. More people became self-employed than during each of the past
15 years, according to a report from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, a think tank that focuses on
entrepreneurship. Most entrepreneurs work on their own, without hiring other workers, which means they're not
creating a significant number of jobs for the economy. However, great entrepreneurs have the ability to change the
way we live and work, on local and national bases. If successful, their innovations may improve standards of living,
and in addition to creating wealth with entrepreneurial ventures, they also create jobs and contribute to a growing
economy. The importance of entrepreneurship is not to be understated. §2
Unlike their grandparents and even parents, Millennials aren't likely to stay with one employer for their entire
career. In fact, by the time they hit 30, some GenY workers already have experience with several companies under
their belt. That means companies have to work harder to retain young workers, often offering lifestyle perks that
weren't on the table years ago. And for workers, it means more flexibility; you no longer have to stick it out at a job
for three years if the company's not right for you. §3
Several recent studies have concentrated on a particular aspect of work: finding meaning in it. Through their
research, experts have gleaned new insights, showing that meaningful work is good for the worker and for the
company — and that even employees in tiresome jobs can find ways to make their duties more meaningful. Maybe
because GenY watched their parents work their lives away, the workplace's newer employees want time to develop
their personal lives and interests outside of work. They also want work itself to be fulfilling, not just a paycheck.
Employers trying to compete for talent are meeting these demands in creative ways, offering at-work perks like food
and laundry service or giving workers the option of a sabbatical. §4
Long-term joblessness has become a fixture of our economy, so much so that some workforce experts worry the
class might become permanent. About 6.2 million people have been jobless for more than six months, the
benchmark for long-term unemployment, according to the Labor Department's July jobs report. And the longer
people are away from the workforce, the longer it takes them to return. “Their skills can deteriorate, or at a
minimum not keep up,” said Erica Groshen, labor economist at Cornell University. “They will lose confidence. They
will lose contacts with the working world. And their references may no longer be valid.” They also could face
employment discrimination. In many studies, researchers have sent fake resumes to job sites and found that the
longer they’re supposedly out of work, the harder it is to land an interview. And hiring managers may not be the only
people to stigmatize these job hunters. §5
12
1. Match the headings with the corresponding paragraph (write the number in full- e.g. 6 (six).

a) Work-life balance is a priority.

b) Not sticking with one job for a lifetime.

c) More people are working for themselves.

d) Long-term unemployment could be here to stay.

e) Changing workplaces and working times.

2. Find evidence for the following statements. Quote from the text. 20
2.1. Although in the past it was usual to finish school and get a job until people retired, the world of work has
changed drastically.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
2.2. Thanks to technology, today’s workers may be allowed to make changes so that they may work to better meet
their needs.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
2.3. The number of people who operate their own businesses has increased due to the current economic times and
social media usage.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
23
3. Complete the following sentences according to the text. Use your own words as far as possible.

3.1. When employers want to keep their staff, _________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

3.2. As today’s workers have different life goals, _______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Reread paragraph 1 and find synonyms/antonyms for the following words/expressions. 10

Given word/expression Synonym Antonym
• uncertainty ************************ 1.
• unsteady ************************ 2.
• cannot be found 3. ************************
• on a series of journeys 4. ************************
• move (v) 5. ************************

5. Rewrite the following sentences without altering their meaning. Start as indicated.

5.1. “We have had immediate access to information thanks to the latest technological boom. Despite this, we do not
manage to find a job in our field of study.”
John ___________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
5.2. “Are you aware that younger and younger Europeans are moving abroad to work? What exactly are the reasons
behind this rise? ”
Mr. Spencer ____________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
5.3. The capacity to work flexibly was rarely seen as key to success.
Rarely__________________________________________________________________________________________
5.4. They won’t accept the unforeseen consequences and unintended outcomes of modern science advances.
Under no circumstances_____________________________________________________________________
5.5. Some organizations are based upon the human capability to generate new ideas but they are not set up with the
needs of creative workers in mind.
In spite of ______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
ACTIVITY C
15
1. In note form list 5 must-have qualities of the modern employee.
1. _________________________________________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________________________________________
4. _________________________________________________________________________________
5. _________________________________________________________________________________

2. In about 220- 250 words write a for and against essay about the following quote: 55
Don’t forget to give it a title!

“The world of work has been undergoing huge changes, and all of us are being propelled into a future shaped by
astounding technological advances.”
Lynda Gratton
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________