Ms.

Linh – English 4 Kids

Luyện thi HSG và tuyển sinh vào lớp 6, lớp 10
LISTENING TEST 8AA
Part 1
You can hear the audio TWICE.
You will hear a young man called Sam Parker talking about doing volunteer work in other
countries.
For questions 1-8, complete the sentences with a word or short phrase.
International volunteering
Some countries have specific rules about the (1).......................... of people who volunteer for
work there.
Sam learnt most about (2).......................... during his time at a safari park.
Sam appreciated being taught to use (3)........................... and basic tools to build a hut.
Sam says that (4).......................... is the minimum commitment recommended for a placement.
A volunteer should not expect an organisation to fit in with his or her (5)................................,
according to Sam.
Sam says that it is best to have a clear idea of who the (6).......................... are of any agency
that finds a position for volunteers.
According to Sam, those volunteering projects that are most effective provide (7)........................
for volunteers to read before going.
Sam was surprised that he never suffered from (8).......................... during his time volunteering.

Part 2
You can hear the audio TWICE.
Questions 1-3
Choose the correct letters A, B or C.
1. What is the company’s sales figures trend from 2005-2010?
A. Fluctuation, with great increase in the first stage
B. no change during the period
C. great increase during the period
2. What is the relationship of the three departments this year?
A. both Furniture and home appliances are decreased.
B. only apparel is decreased.
C. all three departments remain unchanged.
3. Which is the best description about the number trend of temporary staff in the
company?
A. The trend is the same over the years.
B. The trend turns down this year.
C. The trend is increasing over the years.

MS. Linh | Email:

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 Ms.Linh – English 4 Kids
Luyện thi HSG và tuyển sinh vào lớp 6, lớp 10
Questions 4-8
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS in each gap.
Parkson Approach to Retail Business
Mission Statement
- the drive to (4).................................
- pursuing ways need to be creative and distinctive to fulfil customer's demand
Four Priorities
- compelling and distinctive assortments
- (5)..........................................
- enhanced shopping experience
- (6)..........................................
Magical Special Events
- Thanksgiving Day Parade
- Halloween Fireworks
- celebrity appearances
- (7).................................
- Arrival of Santa Claus
- (8).................................
- animated window displays
Questions 9-10
9 & 10. Choose TWO letters A-E.
Which TWO things must be done today?
A. handing in application form
B. reading the brochure
C. submitting certificate
D. applying for staff discount
E. getting security pass

MS. Linh | Email:

mylinhvuhoang0902.ftu@gmail.com - 0965445838
 Ms.Linh – English 4 Kids
Luyện thi HSG và tuyển sinh vào lớp 6, lớp 10
AUDIO-SCRIPTS
Part 1
You will hear a man called Sam Parker talking about doing volunteer work in other countries.
For questions 1-8, complete the sentences with a word or short phrase.
I'd like to tell you about some of the opportunities there are for international volunteering and a
little about my own experiences. I should say, first of all, that most organisations prefer
participants to have qualifications or a particular skill. if you don't have these, it's crucial to
consider what sort of impact you can have as a volunteer. Its also important to bear in mind that
there are age requirements in certain countries.
My first volunteer experience was at a safari park in Thailand. It was rescue work taking care of
birds that had been injured.
Besides learning a lot about the bird's names and habits as well as all the various diseases they
get, I also got to know more about wild cats, as there was a section of the park dedicated to
them.
Teamwork's vital for all projects, and working on the project taught me an invaluable amount
about this. I really developed my abilities in that respect.
I guess it was the biggest takeaway thing for me.
Basically, when you volunteer you're there to get involved, and you'll have a lot of fun doing
that. You might also pick up odd things like how to make a fire without matches, or how to
build a hut with the most basic equipment. I'd built one before back home with my dad using
screws and nails, so it was a real eye-opener for me when I was instructed in how to make one
stay up using just string to keep it together. Volunteer work's as tiring as any job, but it can turn
out to be a thoroughly enlightening experience.
With so many organisations offering volunteering placements abroad, its not easy to determine
which project might be the most ethical, sustainable, or beneficial.
Generally speaking, the longer you stay the better. Short term volunteering can be damaging to
communities and it's generally advised that it's not appropriate to stay less than a month. It's
often said that a commitment of around 12 weeks allows enough time for you to integrate with
the local community and deliver useful work, so bear that in mind.
Your commitment also depends on what the organisation needs - it might need help delivering a
specific project, such as reviewing the organisation's accounts or budgets, for example. Make
sure you're working to their time frame, and not forcing them to adapt to your travel schedule.
Volunteer work abroad is sometimes offered by for-profit agencies based outside the country
where the volunteer work takes place. They can allocate you to specific projects, or place you
with a local organisation. If you use an agency, choose one that's transparent about its in
country partners and specifies which particular project you'll be working on.
Always ask questions about the impact of the volunteering programmes - the best ones will
have strong case studies showing how well their projects are doing, which you can ask to look
MS. Linh | Email:
mylinhvuhoang0902.ftu@gmail.com - 0965445838
 Ms.Linh – English 4 Kids
Luyện thi HSG và tuyển sinh vào lớp 6, lớp 10
at prior to making any commitment. Look for projects that promote the positive integration of
volunteers with the local community.
You'll usually have to pay a fee to volunteer, but food and accommodation are provided. I've
volunteered all over the place, and in all my time, despite a few stomach aches and suffering
from really bad flu once, the one thing that I'd fully expected to bother me didn't. That was
loneliness. I always had people around who made it a truly amazing experience.

Part 2
Hello everybody and welcome to Parkson. I truly hope that you will enjoy working here and
indeed some of you may take the opportunity to join the permanent staff. Now, my purpose this
morning is to give you a short overview of Parkson and a few pointers about working here and
I’ll hand over to Julia, Head of Human Resources.
To begin the training. Right, now we've seen quite a mixed history in sales recently at Parkson.
In 2005, sales climbed at an exciting rate, but then every company in the retailing industry
suffered in 2007 as the global economy weakened and consumer confidence eroded. Parkson
was no exception. Even with the significant amount of energy and newness we infused into our
business, our financial results were softer than we had originally anticipated going into the year.
There were, however, some important positive outcomes - not the least of which is that Parkson
outperformed most of its primary competitors in the crucial fourth quarter of 2009. We're
delighted to see that sales have recovered to rise again in 2010 so the future looks bright. This
indicates to us that our strategic priorities are on track and gives us confidence that we will
continue to compete successfully when the economy bounds back. As a company, we have to
watch and be proactive about where these sales are coming from. All of you here will be
allocated to different departments, but you may be interested to know where your area stands in
relationship to others. Parkson was traditionally basically an apparel retailer and apparel
remains an important part of our business, but over recent years we've seen that reduces as
furniture and home appliances have both grown, leaving us equally balanced on all fronts at the
present time. This is a situation we'd be pleased to maintain, although the general increase in
home appliances spending is predicted to affect all major players in our sector. Well, that's us.
What about you, as temporary staff? Where do you fit in? Maintaining a happy and consistent
workforce is going to need to be the primary aim. Failure to do so will result in an organisation
being short quality people, which will spell its ultimate demise, and Parkson is no exception.
Last year, we recruited temporary staff into every department, and this year we've done that
again, actually increasing the numbers. And we expect to take on an even higher proportion in
2011. So, employees are the most valuable asset that a company has and you'll be playing an
important part in our success.

MS. Linh | Email:

mylinhvuhoang0902.ftu@gmail.com - 0965445838
 Ms.Linh – English 4 Kids
Luyện thi HSG và tuyển sinh vào lớp 6, lớp 10
We regard the Parkson approach to the retail business as something special. Our mission
statement - the guiding idea behind everything we do - is "The Drive to Differentiate" and is
phrased 'pursuing ways to be more creative and distinctive in meeting customer needs", and this
belief applies to every customer and every purchase, however large or small. Importantly, the
core strategy for Parkson has not changed. Our decisions are guided by the company's 4
Priorities - compelling and distinctive assortments, simplified pricing, improving the shopping
experience, and creative marketing that builds our brands and drives traffic. These priorities
have resulted in Parkson successful emergence as a national retailer, and they are more relevant
than ever moving toward. Clearly, Parkson is distinctly different from other major retailers.
Parkson embraces customers and provides an experience that transcends ordinary shopping. So,
as an employee, you should keep customers informed - let them know about magical special
events - the Parkson Thanksgiving Day Parade, Halloween Fireworks, celebrity appearances,
cooking demonstrations and holiday traditions ranging from the arrival of Santa Claus to tree
lightings and animated window displays. To keep yourself up to date about these and all the
other aspects of the company, please look carefully through the newsletter that we publish each
month. OK?
Right, just a few last things, and then I'll hand over. I think you were all asked for details of
your certificates when you filled in your initial application form. Can you make sure that you
submit them to the Human Resources Office the day after tomorrow? There's a pile of
information brochures on the front desk, and I'd like you to take one each, and please make sure
you read them carefully when you get home tonight. It contains lots of useful facts and advice
which will help you to fit in the company quickly. Will you also pick up your security pass this
afternoon from the office on the sixth floor, as you'll need it to get in tomorrow? Without it, I'm
afraid you can't go anywhere, so, please don't lose it. Oh, and don't forget you'll need it to obtain
your staff discount when you make any purchases. OK, that really is it from me, so now, Julia,
if you'd like to…..

MS. Linh | Email:

mylinhvuhoang0902.ftu@gmail.com - 0965445838