Started on Sunday, 12 March 2023, 4:20 PM

State Finished
Completed on Sunday, 12 March 2023, 5:10 PM
Time taken 50 mins 44 secs
Grade 8.75 out of 10.00 (88%)

Information
The quiz has a time limit of 1 hour. 
Reading 1
For this exercise there are 2 texts. Each text has 2 tasks.
Information
Text 1: Read the text and answer the questions in Tasks A and B, which are based
on it.
Challenges with Working in a Cross-Cultural and Multilingual Environment

1. It is not a secret that a company’s success is heavily based on its people, their skill
set and their dedication and passion to the job they are performing. An employee is
defined by their talents, knowledge and ability to perform a certain role or meet a client’s
needs. This is the “visible” side of an employee. The “hidden” side, which is equally as
important, is the cultural identity. 
2. The culture of an employee impacts their perception of life, work, business
relationships and how they handle challenges. In a multicultural team, good teamwork
and willingness to understand the other person are even more important for a healthy
company atmosphere. For this blog, let’s look at some issues that may arise when
working in a cross-cultural and multilingual environment.
The Language Barrier
3. When your colleagues speak different languages, it is very easy to misunderstand
each other. Pronunciations can cause confusion and people may feel uncomfortable
asking someone to repeat themselves, especially when the situation is stressful.
4. To illustrate this with personal experience, when I applied for the position at GPI,
during the interview we were discussing quotations, and my interviewer, who is from
Egypt, was saying “quote” but to me, it sounded like “court”. It took me a while to
understand what he meant, and I still remember how confused I felt when I had to reply
but I did not have a clue what he was asking about. Never feel too shy or uncomfortable
to ask your conversation partner to repeat the sentence and elaborate. It will save you
from making costly mistakes and show your partner that you are really making an effort
to do your best at understanding him or her.
The Cultural Background
5. Things that are normal or routine in one culture can be totally unacceptable in another
culture. A person cannot possibly be aware of all the cultural specifics of another
person, and sometimes people unintentionally make inappropriate comments or behave
in a way someone is not accustomed to. Let me share a simple example regarding
emails, calls and business hours: in my home country of Latvia it is a normal practice
not to expect replies by email after normal working hours and I will only disturb a
colleague if the matter is very serious.
6. However, in other countries, like Russia and Egypt, the tendency is to work 24/7 in
response to the industry needs. Familiarize yourself with the behavior patterns accepted
in your colleagues’ countries, investigate their traditions and lifestyle. Make sure to mind
what you are saying until you learn what is acceptable for this person. Give it time,
eventually you will navigate the best way to respectfully communicate.
Mutual Understanding
 7. Cultural and language barriers can cause frustrations when there are
miscommunications. Don’t let emotions take over. Think about the objective you want to
reach, and use the most appropriate means for it. For example, email does not convey
the speaker’s emotions and limits the possibility to ask questions and elaborate on the
topics being discussed. It can be very easy to misinterpret what someone means in an
email. Calling someone on the phone, hearing their tone and asking questions can
alleviate problems caused by a language barrier.
8. If you feel something is not getting done correctly, make an effort to understand the
other person and think about the best way to communicate with him or her. Don’t expect
that your way of approaching the problem is the only option. Explain your reasoning and
make the communication person-oriented, and you will be surprised by the level of
understanding you will receive in return. Working with colleagues from other countries
and cultures can at times be challenging, but it is so rewarding when you can learn from
each other and open your eyes to other ways of life.

Source: https://www.globalizationpartners.com/2016/06/23/challenges-with-working-in-
a-cross-cultural-and-multilingual-environment/

Task A: (2.5 points) Choose the correct option (a, b or c) according to the text.
Example
0. (Para. 1) According to the article, a worker’s cultural identity
a)       has the same value as their technical knowledge.
b)       does not define their ability to do their job.
c)       is the defining feature of their ability to do their job.
In paragraph 1, the text says “ The “hidden” side, which is equally as important, is the
cultural identity.”

Question 1 (Para. 3) Speaking different languages

Correct
Select one:
Mark 0.50 out of
0.50
is an obstacle that most companies overcome.

can make working in multicultural teams problematic.

In paragraph 3, the text says “It is easy to misunderstand colleagues when they
speak different languages.”
makes employees more valuable to the company.

Your answer is correct.

The correct answer is: can make working in multicultural teams problematic.
Question 2 (Para. 4) In terms of pronunciation, the writer recommends 
Correct
Select one:
Mark 0.50 out of
0.50 making an effort to be clear so people feel comfortable.

not asking for repetition as this can be impolite.

asking for repetition even if you feel uncomfortable.
In paragraph 4, the text says “Never feel too shy or uncomfortable to ask your
conversation partner to repeat the sentence and elaborate.”

Your answer is correct.

The correct answer is: asking for repetition even if you feel uncomfortable.

Question 3 (Para. 5) In Latvia answering work emails out of work hours is

Correct
Select one:
Mark 0.50 out of
0.50 only done occasionally for emergencies.
In paragraph 5, the text says “ it is a normal practice not to expect replies by email
after normal working hours and I will only disturb a colleague if the matter is very
serious.”
an acceptable part of working life.

common practice in certain sectors.

Your answer is correct.

The correct answer is: only done occasionally for emergencies.

Question 4 (Para. 6) As you are getting to know your new colleagues,

Correct
Select one:
Mark 0.50 out of
0.50 be careful at the beginning to avoid being disrespectful. In paragraph 6, the
text says “mind what you are saying until you learn what is acceptable for this
person.”

explain your traditions so people understand your culture.

ask questions about local traditions and how to behave.

Your answer is correct.

The correct answer is: be careful at the beginning to avoid being disrespectful.
Question 5 (Para. 7) The best way to minimise problematic situations is to
Correct
Select one:
Mark 0.50 out of
0.50 avoid using the telephone as this may be too direct. 

write emails in which you address everyone’s emotions.

talk to people in real time, so misunderstandings can be resolved. In
paragraph 7, the text says “Calling someone on the phone, hearing their tone and
asking questions can alleviate problems caused by a language barrier”.

Your answer is correct.

The correct answer is: talk to people in real time, so misunderstandings can be
resolved.
Information
Now do Task B below, which is based on the same text.
Challenges with Working in a Cross-Cultural and Multilingual Environment

1. It is not a secret that a company’s success is heavily based on its people, their skill
set and their dedication and passion to the job they are performing. An employee is
defined by their talents, knowledge and ability to perform a certain role or meet a client’s
needs. This is the “visible” side of an employee. The “hidden” side, which is equally as
important, is the cultural identity. 
2. The culture of an employee impacts their perception of life, work, business
relationships and how they handle challenges. In a multicultural team, good teamwork
and willingness to understand the other person are even more important for a healthy
company atmosphere. For this blog, let’s look at some issues that may arise when
working in a cross-cultural and multilingual environment.
The Language Barrier
3. When your colleagues speak different languages, it is very easy to misunderstand
each other. Pronunciations can cause confusion and people may feel uncomfortable
asking someone to repeat themselves, especially when the situation is stressful.
4. To illustrate this with personal experience, when I applied for the position at GPI,
during the interview we were discussing quotations, and my interviewer, who is from
Egypt, was saying “quote” but to me, it sounded like “court”. It took me a while to
understand what he meant, and I still remember how confused I felt when I had to reply
but I did not have a clue what he was asking about. Never feel too shy or uncomfortable
to ask your conversation partner to repeat the sentence and elaborate. It will save you
from making costly mistakes and show your partner that you are really making an effort
to do your best at understanding him or her.
The Cultural Background
5. Things that are normal or routine in one culture can be totally unacceptable in another
culture. A person cannot possibly be aware of all the cultural specifics of another
person, and sometimes people unintentionally make inappropriate comments or behave
in a way someone is not accustomed to. Let me share a simple example regarding
emails, calls and business hours: in my home country of Latvia it is a normal practice
not to expect replies by email after normal working hours and I will only disturb a
colleague if the matter is very serious.
6. However, in other countries, like Russia and Egypt, the tendency is to work 24/7 in
response to the industry needs. Familiarize yourself with the behavior patterns accepted
in your colleagues’ countries, investigate their traditions and lifestyle. Make sure to mind
what you are saying until you learn what is acceptable for this person. Give it time,
eventually you will navigate the best way to respectfully communicate.
Mutual Understanding
7. Cultural and language barriers can cause frustrations when there are
miscommunications. Don’t let emotions take over. Think about the objective you want to
reach, and use the most appropriate means for it. For example, email does not convey
 the speaker’s emotions and limits the possibility to ask questions and elaborate on the
topics being discussed. It can be very easy to misinterpret what someone means in an
email. Calling someone on the phone, hearing their tone and asking questions can
alleviate problems caused by a language barrier.
8. If you feel something is not getting done correctly, make an effort to understand the
other person and think about the best way to communicate with him or her. Don’t expect
that your way of approaching the problem is the only option. Explain your reasoning and
make the communication person-oriented, and you will be surprised by the level of
understanding you will receive in return. Working with colleagues from other countries
and cultures can at times be challenging, but it is so rewarding when you can learn from
each other and open your eyes to other ways of life.

Source: https://www.globalizationpartners.com/2016/06/23/challenges-with-working-in-
a-cross-cultural-and-multilingual-environment/

Task B: (2.5 points) Find words in the text with the same meaning.
Example
0.  worker   Answer: employee

Question 6 (Para. 2) deal with

Correct

Mark 0.25 out of Answer: handle

0.25

The correct answer is: handle

Question 7 (Para. 2) happen

Correct

Mark 0.25 out of Answer: arise

0.25

The correct answer is: arise

Question 8 (Para. 3) tense
Correct

Mark 0.25 out of Answer: stressful

0.25

The correct answer is: stressful

Question 9 (Para. 4) give more details

Incorrect

Mark 0.00 out of Answer: illustrate

0.25

The correct answer is: elaborate

Question 10 (Para. 5) used to

Correct

Mark 0.25 out of Answer: accustomed to

0.25

The correct answer is: accustomed to

Question 11 (Para. 5) concerning

Incorrect

Mark 0.00 out of Answer: aware

0.25

The correct answer is: regarding

Question 12 (Para. 6) find your way
Incorrect

Mark 0.00 out of Answer: navigate the best way

0.25

The correct answer is: navigate

Question 13 (Para. 7) minimise

Correct

Mark 0.25 out of Answer: alleviate

0.25

The correct answer is: alleviate

Question 14 (Para. 8) choice

Correct

Mark 0.25 out of Answer: option

0.25

The correct answer is: option

Question 15 (Para. 8) gratifying

Incorrect

Mark 0.00 out of Answer: challenging

0.25

The correct answer is: rewarding

Information
Text 2: Read the text and answer the questions in Tasks C and D, which are based
on it.
How ‘ugly’ fruits and vegetables can help solve world hunger

About a third of the planet’s food goes to waste, often because of its looks. That’s
enough to feed two billion people.
1. Tristram Stuart has 24 hours to produce a restaurant meal for 50 people—to plan a
menu, gather food, then welcome guests to a venue in a city not his own. Complicating
what sounds like a reality-show contest is a singular rule: Nearly all the ingredients must
be sourced from farms and vendors intending to throw them out.
2. After racing back to New York City from a New Jersey farm where he gleaned 75
pounds of crookneck squash deemed by the farmers too crooked to sell, Stuart bolts
from a car creeping through traffic and darts into a Greenwich Village bakery. Tall and
blond, with a posh English accent, he launches into his ten-second spiel: “I run an
organization that campaigns against food waste, and I’m pulling together a feast
tomorrow made with food that won’t be sold or donated to charity. Do you have any
bread that we could use?” The bakery doesn’t, but the clerk hands him two broken
chocolate-chip cookies as consolation.
3. Stuart flings himself into the car. His next stop: the Union Square farmers market,
where he spies a chef wrapping fish in squares of brioche dough, then trimming them
into half circles. “Can I have your corners?” Stuart asks, with a meant-to-be-charming
smile. The chef, uncharmed, declines. He’s going to make use of this dough himself.
Undaunted, Stuart sails on through the market, delivering his pitch and eventually
procuring discarded beet greens, wheatgrass, and apples.
4. Eighteen hours later scores of chefs, food-recovery experts, and activists talk shop
over chef Celia Lam’s squash tempura, turnip and tofu dumplings, and spiralized
zucchini noodles. Stuart himself had cooked very little, but he had, without a single
formal meeting, ensorcelled a half dozen people to devise a menu, gather ingredients,
and then prep, cook, serve, and clean up a meal for little more than the chance to be
associated with one of the most compelling figures in the international fight against food
waste.
5. Across cultures, food waste goes against the moral grain. After all, nearly 800 million
people worldwide suffer from hunger. But according to the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations, we squander enough food—globally, 2.9 trillion
pounds a year—to feed every one of them more than twice over. Where’s all that food—
about a third of the planet’s production—going? In developing nations much is lost
postharvest for lack of adequate storage facilities, good roads, and refrigeration. In
comparison, developed nations waste more food farther down the supply chain, when
retailers order, serve, or display too much and when consumers ignore leftovers in the
back of the fridge or toss perishables before they’ve expired.
6. Wasting food takes an environmental toll as well. Producing food that no one eats—
whether sausages or snickerdoodles—also squanders the water, fertilizer, pesticides,
seeds, fuel, and land needed to grow it. The quantities aren’t trivial. Globally a year’s
production of uneaten food guzzles as much water as the entire annual flow of the
Volga, Europe’s most voluminous river. Growing the 133 billion pounds of food that
retailers and consumers discard in the United States annually slurps the equivalent of
more than 70 times the amount of oil lost in the Gulf of Mexico’s Deepwater Horizon
disaster, according to American Wasteland author Jonathan Bloom. These staggering
numbers don’t even include the losses from farms, fishing vessels, and
slaughterhouses. If food waste were a country, it would be the third largest producer of
greenhouse gases in the world, after China and the U.S. On a planet of finite resources,
with the expectation of at least two billion more residents by 2050, this profligacy, Stuart
argues in his book Waste: Uncovering the Global Food Scandal, is obscene.
7. Others have been making similar arguments for years, but reducing food waste has
become a matter of international urgency. Some U.S. schools, where children dump up
to 40 percent of their lunches into the trash, are setting up sharing tables, letting
students serve themselves portions they know they’ll eat, allotting more time for lunch,
and scheduling it after recess—all proven methods of minimsing waste. Countless
businesses, such as grocery stores, restaurants, and cafeterias, have stepped forward
to combat waste by quantifying how much edible food isn’t consumed, optimizing their
purchasing, shrinking portion sizes, and beefing up efforts to move excess to charities.
Stuart himself has made a specialty of investigating conditions farther up the supply
chain, where supermarket standards and ordering practices lead to massive, but mostly
hidden, dumps of edible food.
Source: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/article/global-food-waste-
statistics
Task C: (2.5 points) Choose the correct option according to the text.
Question 16 (Para. 1) What do we learn about Tristram in the first paragraph?
Correct
Select one:
Mark 0.50 out of
0.50 He plans to cook food that was meant to go to waste.
In paragraph 1, the text says “Nearly all the ingredients must be sourced from farms
and vendors intending to throw them out.”

He is competing in a reality show about cooking.

He has run out of time to plan an important meal.

Your answer is correct.

The correct answer is: He plans to cook food that was meant to go to waste.

Question 17 (Para. 2 & 3) Why is Tristram visiting different locations in New York City?
Correct
Select one:
Mark 0.50 out of
0.50 to learn about how much food is thrown away
to meet new restaurant suppliers there

to collect a variety of ingredients for a meal

In paragraph 2, the text says “I’m pulling together a feast tomorrow made with food
that won’t be sold or donated to charity.”

Your answer is correct.

The correct answer is: to collect a variety of ingredients for a meal

Question 18 (Para. 5) What does the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations say
Correct about global hunger?

Mark 0.50 out of

Select one:
0.50
More than enough food is produced to feed the hungry.
In paragraph 5, the text says “we squander enough food—globally, 2.9 trillion
pounds a year—to feed every one of them more than twice over.”

Food is wasted in the same ways everywhere.

A third of hungry people live in developed countries.

Your answer is correct.

The correct answer is: More than enough food is produced to feed the hungry.
Question 19 (Para. 6) Why are the figures in paragraph 6 given?
Correct
Select one:
Mark 0.50 out of
0.50 to show the degree of pollution in the world’s oceans and rivers

to highlight the unsustainability of excess food production

In paragraph 6, the text says “Globally a year’s production of uneaten food guzzles
as much water as the entire annual flow of the Volga, Europe’s most voluminous
river…  Growing the 133 billion pounds of food that retailers and consumers discard
in the United States annually slurps the equivalent of more than 70 times the
amount of oil lost in the Gulf of Mexico’s Deepwater Horizon disaster…. If food
waste were a country, it would be the third largest producer of greenhouse gases in
the world,”
to compare the financial cost of wasted food in the US and China

Your answer is correct.

The correct answer is: to highlight the unsustainability of excess food production

Question 20 (Para. 7) Who applies evidence-based research to their food waste reduction efforts?
Correct
Select one:
Mark 0.50 out of
0.50 schools
In paragraph 7, the text says “Some U.S. schools, where children dump up to 40
percent of their lunches into the trash, are setting up sharing tables, letting students
serve themselves portions they know they’ll eat, allotting more time for lunch, and
scheduling it after recess—all proven methods of boosting consumption.”
grocery stores
restaurants

Your answer is correct.

The correct answer is: schools
Information
Text 2: Read the text and answer the questions in Tasks C and D, which are based
on it.
How ‘ugly’ fruits and vegetables can help solve world hunger

About a third of the planet’s food goes to waste, often because of its looks. That’s
enough to feed two billion people.
1. Tristram Stuart has 24 hours to produce a restaurant meal for 50 people—to plan a
menu, gather food, then welcome guests to a venue in a city not his own. Complicating
what sounds like a reality-show contest is a singular rule: Nearly all the ingredients must
be sourced from farms and vendors intending to throw them out.
2. After racing back to New York City from a New Jersey farm where he gleaned 75
pounds of crookneck squash deemed by the farmers too crooked to sell, Stuart bolts
from a car creeping through traffic and darts into a Greenwich Village bakery. Tall and
blond, with a posh English accent, he launches into his ten-second spiel: “I run an
organization that campaigns against food waste, and I’m pulling together a feast
tomorrow made with food that won’t be sold or donated to charity. Do you have any
bread that we could use?” The bakery doesn’t, but the clerk hands him two broken
chocolate-chip cookies as consolation.
3. Stuart flings himself into the car. His next stop: the Union Square farmers market,
where he spies a chef wrapping fish in squares of brioche dough, then trimming them
into half circles. “Can I have your corners?” Stuart asks, with a meant-to-be-charming
smile. The chef, uncharmed, declines. He’s going to make use of this dough himself.
Undaunted, Stuart sails on through the market, delivering his pitch and eventually
procuring discarded beet greens, wheatgrass, and apples.
4. Eighteen hours later scores of chefs, food-recovery experts, and activists talk shop
over chef Celia Lam’s squash tempura, turnip and tofu dumplings, and spiralized
zucchini noodles. Stuart himself had cooked very little, but he had, without a single
formal meeting, ensorcelled a half dozen people to devise a menu, gather ingredients,
and then prep, cook, serve, and clean up a meal for little more than the chance to be
associated with one of the most compelling figures in the international fight against food
waste.
5. Across cultures, food waste goes against the moral grain. After all, nearly 800 million
people worldwide suffer from hunger. But according to the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations, we squander enough food—globally, 2.9 trillion
pounds a year—to feed every one of them more than twice over. Where’s all that food—
about a third of the planet’s production—going? In developing nations much is lost
postharvest for lack of adequate storage facilities, good roads, and refrigeration. In
comparison, developed nations waste more food farther down the supply chain, when
retailers order, serve, or display too much and when consumers ignore leftovers in the
back of the fridge or toss perishables before they’ve expired.
6. Wasting food takes an environmental toll as well. Producing food that no one eats—
whether sausages or snickerdoodles—also squanders the water, fertilizer, pesticides,
seeds, fuel, and land needed to grow it. The quantities aren’t trivial. Globally a year’s
production of uneaten food guzzles as much water as the entire annual flow of the
Volga, Europe’s most voluminous river. Growing the 133 billion pounds of food that
retailers and consumers discard in the United States annually slurps the equivalent of
more than 70 times the amount of oil lost in the Gulf of Mexico’s Deepwater
Horizon disaster, according to American Wasteland author Jonathan Bloom. These
staggering numbers don’t even include the losses from farms, fishing vessels, and
slaughterhouses. If food waste were a country, it would be the third largest producer of
greenhouse gases in the world, after China and the U.S. On a planet of finite resources,
with the expectation of at least two billion more residents by 2050, this profligacy, Stuart
argues in his book Waste: Uncovering the Global Food Scandal, is obscene.
7. Others have been making similar arguments for years, but reducing food waste has
become a matter of international urgency. Some U.S. schools, where children dump up
to 40 percent of their lunches into the trash, are setting up sharing tables, letting
students serve themselves portions they know they’ll eat, allotting more time for lunch,
and scheduling it after recess—all proven methods of minimising waste. Countless
businesses, such as grocery stores, restaurants, and cafeterias, have stepped forward
to combat waste by quantifying how much edible food isn’t consumed, optimizing their
purchasing, shrinking portion sizes, and beefing up efforts to move excess to charities.
Stuart himself has made a specialty of investigating conditions farther up the supply
chain, where supermarket standards and ordering practices lead to massive, but mostly
hidden, dumps of edible food.
Source: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/article/global-food-waste-
statistics
Task D: (2.5 points) Find words in the text with the same meaning.

Example:
0. (Para. 1) collect    Answer: gather
Question 21 (Para. 2) manage
Correct

Mark 0.25 out of Answer: run

0.25

The correct answer is: run

Question 22 (Para. 2) given for free

Correct

Mark 0.25 out of Answer: donated

0.25

The correct answer is: donated

Question 23 (Para. 4) a large number

Correct

Mark 0.25 out of Answer: scores

0.25

The correct answer is: scores

Question 24 (Para. 4) opportunity

Correct

Mark 0.25 out of Answer: chance

0.25

The correct answer is: chance

Question 25 (Para. 5) put on view
Correct

Mark 0.25 out of Answer: display

0.25

The correct answer is: display

Question 26 (Para. 5) unused food

Correct

Mark 0.25 out of Answer: leftovers

0.25

The correct answer is: leftovers

Question 27 (Para. 6) irrelevant

Correct

Mark 0.25 out of Answer: trivial

0.25

The correct answer is: trivial

Question 28 (Para. 6) boats

Correct

Mark 0.25 out of Answer: vessels

0.25

The correct answer is: vessels

 Question 29 (Para. 7) throw away
Incorrect

Mark 0.00 out of Answer: dump up

0.25

The correct answer is: dump

Question 30 (Para. 7) invisible

Correct

Mark 0.25 out of Answer: hidden

0.25

The correct answer is: hidden

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