Reading Practice Unit 1 PDF

Name: READING PRACTICE UNIT 1 Read the text and answer the questions that follow. Wanted: Language Graduates in the UK 1 On 31st January 2020, Brexit became a reality as the UK left the European Union. Apart from all the other major...

Name: READING PRACTICE UNIT 1 Read the text and answer the questions that follow. Wanted: Language Graduates in the UK 1 On 31st January 2020, Brexit became a reality as the UK left the European Union. Apart from all the other major economic and social issues facing a post-Brexit UK – for example, trade deals, exports and imports, border and immigration policies – the UK is facing a major problem in communicating efficiently with the rest of the non-English-speaking world. 5 Around one in three Britons speaks a foreign language, according to EU statistics. Compared to the UK’s most important trading partners, France (60%) and Germany (78%), one could say the situation is serious. 7 A natural reaction would be to say, “Well, everyone speaks English nowadays. It’s the language of global business and technology.” Undoubtedly so, but it is estimated that the country’s lack of translating and interpreting skills contributes to a financial loss. Furthermore, a survey of 600 UK employers revealed serious concerns about Britons’ inability to gain valuable work experience overseas and their lack of international cultural awareness. 12 Now would appear to be the perfect time to study foreign languages, especially for Britons who are university graduates. One major job site in Britain has shown that knowledge of German or French would increase an employee’s annual salary to above £30,000 (€34,710). However, the total number of students taking language exams in England, Wales and Northern Ireland has dropped by 45% since 2002. At the university level, between 2008 and 2018, there was a 54% decrease in the number of graduates with a degree in modern languages. 18 The UK needs to start generating more graduates with foreign language skills and greater awareness of the world around them; more specialists like lawyers and business graduates who are competent to be able to negotiate in a foreign language and more graduates with a knowledge of more than one foreign language. 21 For the moment, however, the future looks quite bleak. With immigration to the UK about to be drastically reduced, there may be a severe shortage of qualified modern language teachers. Meanwhile, new visa applications for people born outside the UK will require the applicant to earn a minimum salary of around £30,000, annually – a figure within the reach of only the most experienced language teachers. 1 Choose the correct answer. 1. Why does the author compare foreign language skills between the UK and France and Germany? a. The UK is behind France and Germany in foreign language learning. b. English is not widely spoken in France and Germany. c. It shows that other European countries have similar problems. 2. What is an effect of the lack of foreign language communication skills in the UK? a. It is creating higher unemployment. b. It’s making the economy weaker. c. There’s a lack of investment in education. 2 Decide if the following sentences are true (T) or false (F). Find evidence in the text to support your answers. 1. The author disagrees that English is an important language in business and tech............................................................................................................................................................................................. 2. Employees with a knowledge of a foreign language can earn a higher salary............................................................................................................................................................................................. 3. The author believes that the UK needs graduates with at least two languages............................................................................................................................................................................................. 3 Answer the questions. 1. Why are good foreign language skills important to post-Brexit Britain?............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 2. Why does the writer feel the situation is getting worse?............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 4 Find words or expressions in the text that mean: 1. worries............................. 2. properly qualified or skilled............................. 3. offering little or no hope.............................