Welcome to our blog dedicated to Cambridge English Placement Test practice with a unique twist - daily devotions. In this blog, we combine the essential task of honing your English language skills with the nourishment of your soul through insightful and inspiring daily devotionals. By integrating these two elements, we aim to create a holistic learning experience that enriches your mind and spirit.
- Enhancing Your Language Skills
- Daily Devotions for Spiritual Nourishment
Jack: Hi Martin, Have you heard the new ‘Sunny Days’ song? I love the drums!
Martin: Yeah, it’s great! My brother has already learnt to play it on the piano and he knows all the words too! I’m learning to play it in my guitar class.
Jack: Cool! I’ve got an old guitar at home, but I can’t play it!
Martin: You should learn, Jack! I love it! I go to classes in the Old Music School with Steve from football. We’re in the same class. Our teacher, Peter, is fantastic! He used to play with the group The Tall Trees.
Jack: Really? Wow! They were a great band! Is there a class on Friday?
Martin: I don’t know. I go on Tuesdays now, but I have to change to Thursdays next term because I’ve just passed the Level 5 exams.
Jack: You must be very good. How often do you practise?
Martin: Every day! I spend an hour and sometimes two in my room and on Saturday mornings my band spends three hours practising. We’re called The Red Chillies!
Jack: Cool.
Martin: Actually, we’re playing in the town music festival on Saturday. I’ve got a free ticket. Do you want to come?
Jack: Yes! Thanks very much. Is it at the music school?
Martin: No. Last year it was in the music school, but this year it’s in the park, near the shopping centre. It’s going to be great. Can you bring your camera to take photos?
Jack: Of course! What time will you be on stage?
Martin: Well, I need to arrive at quarter past six and there’s a singing competition at quarter past seven, but I think we’re starting at quarter to eight.
Jack: OK. We can have dinner in the Street Café afterwards.
You will hear part of an interview with two graphic designers called Anita Dickinson and Joe Connolly in which they talk about going freelance. For questions 1–6, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which fits best according to what you hear.
1. Anita admits feeling unsure about leaving her job with a big company because
A she lacked sufficient experience in her field.
B she was concerned about her financial prospects.
C she doubted her ability to work for herself.
D she was anxious about the opinion of her colleagues.
2. What does Joe say about when he first started working freelance?
A It was more complicated than he’d expected.
B He resented having less free time than before.
C It was necessary to have the right attitude to work.
D He found it easy to find clients through his website.
3. Joe confesses that having to work at home on his own is
A a relief after working in a busy office.
B a cause of loneliness for him at times.
C something that he avoids as much as possible.
D something that he thought he would dislike.
4. When asked about self-discipline, Anita claims that
A she checks her daily work output very carefully.
B she is rarely tempted away from work by social media.
C she needs certain apps to keep her focussed on work.
D she is often forced to change her working hours to fulfil contracts.
5. Anita and Joe agree that keeping up to date with trends is
A less important than being a specialist in one area.
B difficult when balanced against other demands on time.
C one of the most enjoyable sides of their work.
D not as challenging as they’d expected it to be.
6. What does Joe think is the reason for his success as a freelancer?
A He has effective negotiating skills.
B He makes sure he has good relations with clients.
C He gets plenty of personal recommendations.
D He offers his services at the right price.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Narrator: You will hear part of an interview with two graphic designers called Anita Dickinson and Joe Connolly in which they talk about going freelance. For questions 1–6, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which fits best according to what you hear.
Interviewer: With me on ‘Work and Money’ are two successful freelancers, Anita Dickinson and Joe Connolly, who both worked as graphic designers at major companies but left to go it alone.
Woman: Hi.
Man: Hello.
Interviewer: Anita, tell us about your decision to go freelance.
Woman: Basically, I’d been working in a wellpaid position for some time and I was undeniably proud of the fact that people at the company viewed the stuff I produced very favourably. No job’s secure in today’s economic climate, and I realised being employed wasn’t necessarily as safe as I’d thought. I began a transition, doing freelance work on the side, and gradually building up a client base. My only doubt was whether this’d be enough to rely on to cover the salary and perks I’d lose by going it alone. Anyway, I’ve always been an independent person and the idea of being my own boss was ultimately irresistible.
Interviewer: What about you, Joe?
Man: One of the biggest excuses for not going freelance is not knowing how to get started. Clearly, you have to feel confident you know the craft, but beyond that, I simply exploited my own skills to the full and ensured I had a website that I thought would draw in clients. OK, so there was a little more to it than that, but getting started really wasn’t all that complex, even if it took a while before business started pouring in. Fundamentally, it was about a willingness to sacrifice time, working evenings and weekends. Unfortunately, there’s no room for any reluctance on that score. Being realistic about such things made it possible for me to become a full-time freelancer.
Interviewer: Do you enjoy working alone rather than with other people?
Man: Well, I thrived in the hustle and bustle of an office setting – working in teams, bouncing ideas off others, the odd joke with a colleague. I did seriously wonder if working alone would be my cup of tea. It can certainly lead to a sense of isolation for some. Whole days with just yourself for company might become unbearable. Fortunately for me, there are frequent opportunities for human contact – meetings, and consultations about certain contracts – almost too many. Thankfully, I’ve barely experienced any problems being on my own.
Interviewer: Is self-discipline very important, Anita?
Woman: As a freelancer, you’re completely responsible for your own productivity. There’s nobody there on a daily basis monitoring the amount you get done. I’ve experimented with some of the apps available for scheduling, or setting up reminders to keep you on track, but frankly, I find them unnecessary. I know I’m accountable solely to myself – and my clients, of course. If I didn’t have that approach, I wouldn’t have opted to work for myself. Frittering away time on social networks or browsing the web hardly occurs to me. I get so absorbed in my work that I’m more likely to end up working until late at night, which isn’t great as you just end up utterly shattered the next day.
Man: Yeah, and on top of all the day-to-day work you have to keep up with business trends.
Woman: Mm … things move so fast, but I guess that keeping up is something nonfreelancers have to do too.
Man: If you’re predominantly working in one specific area of the market, which tends to happen, then inevitably, you see how things are developing and adapt naturally.
Woman: What’s key is to have a niche and know it inside out. That way you’re often ahead of others in the same game, saving you from constant time-consuming research into upcoming trends.
Man: It’s primarily a question of, as you say, being an expert, and having a real interest in what you’re doing … in the end, easier than people think.
Woman: And of course, as a designer, you always want to do the best work you can.
Interviewer: You’ve both been very successful. Joe, what’s the secret?
Man: I’ve earned more being freelance than I ever could have with a company. Being competitive involves charging what I see as a sufficient return for the hours put in and considering what the client will regard as fair – that requires some bargaining. Sometimes, I’ve undersold myself, but it’s worked in my favour. Because my work was high quality, word-of-mouth reports about this meant more work came my way. Arguing about whether what I’m charging is reasonable isn’t a situation I’ve had to deal with.
Interviewer: Well, thank you both very much indeed, and that’s the end of the show today…
1. Before travelling to another country, Anna always tries to
A watch people practising their traditions.
B talk to someone from that country.
C do some background reading.
2. How does Anna feel about her language skills?
A regretful that she didn’t pay more attention at school
B confident that she can communicate fairly easily
C amazed by how many languages she has acquired
3. Anna says that when visiting someone in their home
A it’s fine to let them know you’re anxious.
B it’s a good idea to copy how they behave.
C it’s advisable to find out what to do in advance.
4. How did Anna feel when she made a mistake?
A annoyed that she had forgotten some advice
B grateful that her host was sympathic
C amused by her own behaviour
5. How did Anna overcome culture shock when
she lived abroad?
A by studying the culture carefully
B by getting to know local people
C by establishing a routine
6. How did Anna feel when she was at the Lantern
Festival?
A astonished that she had never heard about it
B anxious to remember every moment of it
C eager to participate in it
7. What does Anna say about the book she is
writing about culture?
A She is disappointed in her progress so far.
B She is keen to get feedback from people
she knows.
C She is unsure about including her own
experiences.
TRANSCRIPT
You will hear an interview with a travel writer called Anna Bryant, who is talking about what to do
when visiting other countries. For questions 1–7, choose the best answer (A, B or C). You now have
one minute to look at the questions.
Man: Good morning Anna, and thank you for joining us on the Travel Programme. You’re here to talk about travelling to other countries and how to deal with cultural differences. How can you find out about a country’s culture before you travel?
Anna: Well, it’s often tempting to turn to guide books, though many focus on things to do rather than how to behave. If you’re lucky enough to know someone from the country you’re visiting – I rarely
have been – you’ve got the perfect consultant! My preference is to eat in a restaurant where the staff are from the place you’re planning to visit – you can observe things like greetings and table manners. That isn’t always possible, either, but it’s worth a try!
Man: How can you get over the language barrier?
Anna: It does no harm to try to use the local language, especially if it’s one you’ve studied at school. Even if you only remember a bit it helps – though maybe, not much! Often, you might not know any of the language and you’ll have to rely on hand gestures or even drawing. I’ve been in situations where nobody understood a word anyone else was saying. Surprisingly the messages got across and now that’s the least of my concerns when travelling, though I try to pick up as much language as I can.
Man: One thing people worry about is how to behave when visiting someone in their home.
Anna: Some people are concerned that telling their host they’re nervous is rude – personally, I see little wrong with explaining why that’s the case. It provides the host with the opportunity to make you feel at home. Otherwise, you could be trying to do what they’re doing and get confused – copying them means you could end up behaving like the host instead of the guest. Talking to other people before you go might help, but every family has its own particular traditions, so it may not.
Man: Have you ever made a cultural mistake yourself?
Anna: Oh, yes, though thankfully I was fortunate enough to have an understanding host who put me at
ease, and because of that I’m able to laugh about it now. I don’t know why I made the mistake – I took an unlucky number of flowers as a gift. Looking back, it wasn’t so serious really – I’d just misunderstood what someone had told me before I went. I’d never make the
same mistake again, though.
Man: Have you ever experienced culture shock?
Anna: When I’ve lived abroad, yes. At first everything’s exciting, but if you stay longer, you notice differences in cultural values and beliefs, and that can be confusing. Making good friends in a new place takes time, and it’s important to try to let things happen rather than desperately trying to do everything at once. Doing familiar things helps – sleeping regular hours and eating food you like. It really worked in helping me get used to my new environment.
Man: What’s the most interesting tradition you’ve experienced?
Anna: I remember being in China at New Year and seeing the Lantern Festival – there was this amazing parade of handmade lanterns. Seeing it taught me that no matter how much you think you know about something in advance, it can still take you by surprise! I was desperate to join in but didn’t have my own lantern – it was still enormous fun to watch. The images of it are stuck in my memory – I needn’t worry about forgetting anything, despite not taking any photos.
Man: Finally, Anna, you’re writing a book about culture.
Anna: That’s right. I’m still at the beginning of the process, even though I’ve been working on it for a while. People who know me keep asking ‘Isn’t it finished yet?’ but you’ve got to do the preparation. I’m still undecided about whether people will want to read about my own travels, or whether I should
just focus on describing customs from around the world. I won’t show anyone what I’ve written till it’s finished – I’m hopeful that people will enjoy it!
