Examen de fin d'apprentissage Employé de commerce, formation élargie / ANGLAIS Reading Série 2, 2010 Corrigé à l usage exclusif des experts Durée de l'épreuve : Moyens auxiliaires autorisés : Nombre max. de points : 30 minutes Dictionnaire bilingue traditionnel 25 points Please turn over! Délai de libération : Cette série d'examen ne doit pas être utilisée comme exercice avant le 1 er janvier 2011 Elaboré par : Edité par : Groupe d'auteurs romands de la C RT EPC CSFO, Unité procédures de qualification, Berne
PART A Read the text and the questions below. For each question (1 7), circle ONE letter A, B or C. Time Management Most companies organise training for their employees. One of the most popular courses is the one on Time Management. How do you organise your work so that you manage to do everything you have to in a certain limited amount of time? How do you prioritise your tasks? On one of these courses, the speaker had some items in front of him. When the course began, without saying a word, he picked up a very large, empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the employees if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. The consultant then picked up a box of small stones and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar gently. The pebbles 1 rolled into the spaces between the golf balls. He then asked again if the jar was full. Everybody agreed it was. He next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up the remaining spaces. He asked once more if the jar was full. The employees responded with an emphatic yes. The speaker then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar. The audience laughed. Now, he said, as the laughter subsided, I want you to recognize that this jar represents your ordinary nine till five working day. The golf balls are the important things: your basic duties, your main responsibilities, all those things that you can't leave until tomorrow. Things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your working day would be accomplished. The stones are the other things that matter, things you have to do but which are less important such as tasks that do not need to be done immediately: filing documents, tidying the office, etc. The sand is everything else, the small stuff. If you put the sand into the jar first, he continued, there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for work. If you spend all your time and energy gossiping with your colleagues, organising a drinks party, surfing the internet, your work will suffer from it. Pay attention to the things that are essential to your job and professional duties: respecting deadlines, achieving the goals you have been set. That is why you have to take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand. One of the employees raised his hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The consultant smiled. I m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your working day may seem, you can always make room for a cup of coffee with a friend. 1 pebbles: small round stones found on the beach Page 2 / 6
1. When the course began, the speaker a) was writing on the overhead projector b) was silent c) made a speech 2. At first the mayonnaise jar was a) full b) half empty c) empty 3. In what order did he fill the jar? a) sand, pebbles, golf balls, coffee b) golf balls, pebbles, sand, coffee c) golf balls, sand, pebbles, coffee 4. The employees were a) bored b) amused c) interesting 5. The consultant considers gossiping with your colleagues a) a waste of time b) a priority c) a necessity 6. According to the consultant it is important to a) manage your time correctly b) talk to your colleagues c) organise parties 7. The consultant was pleased because a) somebody asked him a pertinent question b) he had a cup of coffee c) he had had a busy working day Page 3 / 6
PART B Read the article and the statements below. For each statement (1 8) circle the appropriate letter T (true) or F (false). UK hit by heavy snow On 2 nd February 2009, heavy overnight snow caused many problems across much of eastern England and the Midlands. Road and rail services were badly affected, there was disruption to flights and many schools closed. It was the heaviest snowfall in 18 years. Bus services in London carrying 6 million people were cancelled. Ten out of eleven underground lines were completely or partly suspended. The capital s main airport, Heathrow, closed both runways for a while which caused significant delays and there were no flights at all from City airport. Other airports suffered long delays and cancellations too. In the west, several ports iced up and thousand of people had no running water in Wales due to frozen pipes. Hundreds of schools were closed across the country and children, at least, were enjoying the weather conditions. The British like to complain that other countries handle the snow better than they do, saying that the smallest sprinkling of snowflakes brings normal life to a standstill and causes chaos to transport. This may be true but such extreme conditions are very rare so it does not make sense to invest a lot of money in equipment that may not be used for many years. At an individual level, the costs of being prepared like some Alpine countries would be very high too. For instance, the British are not required to fit winter tyres to their cars at the start of the season nor do they normally carry snow chains. On the other hand the Brits like to complain, and secretly they also like being told: Sorry you can t get to work today. Adapted from BBC World News Page 4 / 6
1. On 2 nd February 2009, heavy snow fell for 24 hours in England. T F 2. In spite of the snowfall, all schools were kept open. T F 3. There were massive cancellations in the public transport systems of central London. T F 4. London City airport was closed due to the snow. T F 5. In Wales, many homes had no water. T F 6. The British authorities have recently invested in new snow-clearing equipment. T F 7. British cars must, by law, be equipped with winter tyres. T F 8. The Brits are unhappy when they cannot go to work. T F Please turn over! Page 5 / 6
PART C Look at the sentences below. For questions 1 to 5 decide which explanation (A, B or C) best suits each sentence. There is only one correct answer. 1. Unemployment, which reached 3.4% last year, is 3.5% this year. This is a bit better than the 3.6% announced. The percentage of people unemployed this year is a) lower than predicted. b) the same as predicted. c) higher than predicted. 2. Jane, If I get back from London in time, I d like to talk on Tuesday. If, I don t, perhaps we can talk at the meeting on Wednesday. Michel a) Michel needs to postpone the meeting until Wednesday. b) Michel hopes to be able to see Jane on Tuesday. c) Michel expects to be late for the Wednesday meeting. 3. This RailBon voucher can be used at most railways stations in Switzerland. a) Most railways stations sell this RailBon voucher. b) Few railways stations in Switzerland will accept this RailBon voucher. c) Not all the railways stations in Switzerland will accept this RailBon voucher. 4. Delivery charges Orders over $75.00: free (otherwise charged at normal postal rates) Express delivery: $25.00 surcharge on all packages Delivery within country only You will not have to pay delivery charges on a) goods worth more than $75.00. b) goods sent express. c) on packages. 5. Mobile phones must be turned off on entering the security zone. a) Your mobile phone may not work properly in here. b) You are not allowed to bring a mobile phone in here. c) You should switch off your mobile phone before you come in here. Page 6 / 6