General Reading Practice Test 2.2

READING PASSAGE 2

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 15-27, which are based on Reading Passage 2 below.

Section 1 (Questions 15 – 20)

Distance Learning

Students interested in enrolling on a distance learning course give many reasons for not being able to study in a conventional Way. Some may not have had the opportunity to follow a college course in the past. [Crack IELTS with Rob] Others may be seeking qualifications which will improve their job prospects. Some already hold a qualification but now want to qualify’ in a new field for career reasons, and others want to study for personal interest.

People who cannot attend college as internal students, 100k to the flexibility that studying by distance education or distance learning, as it is sometimes called) provides to satis$’ their desire for a qualification.

The main attribute of distance learning is that students do not need to attend the course in person, although they may be involved in short courses or seminars from time to time throughout the period of study. Students can come for themselves where, when and for how long they want to study, using learning materials which have been specially constructed and presented to help them in their understanding.

The materials sent to students may take the form of workbooks, radio and TV or video programs and computer disks. Many programs of study are now delivered to the student home through the Internet.

Work is usually assessed by written assignments sent back to be marked and evaluated at the home institution. There may be a dialogue between the student and the tutor by phone, letter. fax or email. [Crack IELTS with Rob] Often, there are summer schools or occasional revision classes run by the home institution. Some institutions also provide tutorials with the aid Of computer and/or video conferencing. Entrance requirements for distance learning Courses will vary according to the institution and the qualification sought.

Whatever study arrangements external students made. They need to come to terms with the difficulties and pressures involved in studying at a distance. Preparing for a degree as an external student is a real test of ability and character — strong and a determination to succeed are needed. Obviously the support of family, colleagues and friends are of enormous importance when studying for a degree by distance learning. Many employers are also aware of the difficulties that people have in working full-time yet regarding acquiring qualifications and keep them up to date. Now, distance programs are being devised and offered by institutions around the world.

Although studying at a distance will be cheaper than going to college, students must be aware of the difficulties of studying alone. They should watch out for bogus institutions offering learning opportunities at a high price with little service. [Crack IELTS with Rob] Students have differing needs and the most suitable mode of study will vary from person to person.

Section 2 (Questions 21 – 27)

Business School Online

Our courses can be started anytime from anywhere in the world and completed at your own pace. A certificate is issued on successful completion of the course.

Ädvertising And Promotion Course

Duration: 100 Hours

Course Materials: Upon enrolment, you will receive all of the materials that are essential to complete the course. Course materials include subject guides, printed notes, textbooks, videos and practical equipment. [Crack IELTS with Rob] In certain circumstances, you may be required to do extra research — in which case your tutor is able to advise you where necessary.

Course Outline: There are ten lessons in this course, each requiring about 10-12 hours of work by the student. This course is designed as a program to help you understand the marketing world, then, to assist you in making decisions and developing skills in marketing. Emphasis is placed on profitability and efficiency!

Examples Of The Type Of Assignments You Might Be Asked To Undertake:

A) Go shopping (your routine weekly shopping if you like). Take notice of how different sales staff communicate with you. Note the techniques they use (verbal and non-verbal), and how effective they are. [Crack IELTS with Rob] Note the type of impression they seem to be creating. When you come home, write down notes on your observations.

B) Look through newspapers or magazines at advertisements or articles which discuss products offered for sale and find what you consider to be good examples of each of the following type of communication:

- Verbal Communication

- Non-verbal communication

- Combination of verbal and non-verbal communication

Explain why you think these are good examples?

C) Select a product or service for which you would like to improve the marketing. This might be something you are dealing with in your own business or a business you work for, or it might be something you think has potential. [Crack IELTS with Rob] Something you think has potential — an idea you would like to develop into a business OR something another business is dealing with, but not handling as well as you think they could.

Develop an advertising campaign for this product or service:

- You will need to select a method for determining an advertising budget and then set that budget.

- You will then need to find out the costs of advertising in different places.

- You will then need to write advertisements for these various places. The campaign should be well-targeted.

Note: We do not expect you to present a highly detailed and involved campaign. [Crack IELTS with Rob] This could take longer than the whole course! Put about 10 hours of work into this project, at the most, and then you will present what you have been able to achieve in that time. (You need not only to develop the ability to put a campaign together but also be able to put it together within a reasonable time frame)