IELTS General Reading Test 11 – with Answers

Renovating a house can be a thrilling experience. However, it is cumbersome always also, as your entire house becomes a mess. The following steps help you to make the renovation process go smoothly:

1. Inspect the house to note which areas need renovation and whether the renovation, and whether the renovation required is structural or only cosmetic. A structural renovation will require demolishing and rebuilding parts of or the entire house, while cosmetic changes will be like painting the house or repairing parts of it.

2. Make a list of the work that you want to get done and note it in a book.

3. Figure out your budget for the renovation process. You will not want to overspend but you should not fall short of money either.

4. Decide whether you want to renovate yourself or need the help of a contractor. It depends on the kind of work that needs to be done.

5. Estimate whether the cost of renovation fits your budget. While you calculate the cost for different tasks, remember to add 10% to it, as the final cost differs from the initial estimate.

6. Decide where you will put up while the house is being renovated. If part of the house is being renovated, then you can stay in the other part. Else you might need to rent a place temporarily.

7. For renovation projects likely to last for a long time, try to cover one section at a time, this way you can spread out your expenditure as well.

8. Plan which part to do first and contact the right people to do work accordingly.

Madame Tussauds is a wax museum known for recreating life-size wax models of historical and royal figures, Film stars, sports stars, and infamous murderers. It was founded by wax sculptor Marie Tussaud. It has branches in a number of major cities of the world.

Inside Madame Tussauds

There are 14 zones, over 300 wax statues, a chamber of horrors and screams, the spirit of London ride, and an amazing 4D movie experience with marvel superheroes.

How to reach

There are numerous ways to arrive at Madame Tussauds, from the convenient subway to bus stops to car parks nearby.

Timings

The museum opens at 9:30 am with the last entry at 5:30 pm every day of the year. Weekend timings are 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. If you happen to come in the latter part of the day, you will still be able to explore the place for 90 minutes after the last admission time.  The museum is quite packed till 4:00 pm.

Tickets and offers

Don’t miss out on great online discount offers. Book in advance online.

Under 3’s go free in the company of their parents.

A family ticket comprises 2 adults and 2 children; alternatively 1 adult and 3 children.

A complimentary guidebook is included in the family pack.

Access to disabled

Guests with disabilities are transported from floor to floor through elevators by trained personnel. Do book in advance; for safety reasons, we allow only three wheelchair users at any given time in the building. Hearing loops are also available for a deposit of $20. 

The Murgatroyde Corporation Employee Manual

Chapter 8: Professional Development Requirements

All employees of the Murgatroyde Corporation are required to attend fifteen hours of professional development workshops or classes in each calendar year. While there are many opportunities provided by the company, professional development hours can also be earned externally at local training centers, colleges, and other locations.

Listings of upcoming professional development opportunities offered by the company are posted on the company website and updated frequently. Employees can register for these workshops online. Before signing up for a particular workshop, employees should check with their supervisors to make sure they can be excused from their duties on the date of the workshop.

Employees who wish to receive professional development credit for attending workshops or courses offered elsewhere should provide their supervisor with materials describing the opportunity. The supervisor will determine whether the workshop or course is pertinent to the employee’s work. After obtaining the supervisor’s approval, the employee can apply to the Human Resources Office for tuition reimbursement if tuition is to be paid.

Employees attending any workshop offered by the company will receive a certificate of attendance. The number of professional development hours earned will be reported to the Human Resources Office by the workshop organizer. In order to receive professional development credit for a course or workshop offered outside the company, the employee must have the workshop organizer complete a company Proof of Attendance form, and the employee must then submit the form to the Human Resources Office within one month of the end date of the course. Timely submission of this form is required in order for credit to be granted. There are will be no exceptions.

Work-Study Program

Certain students at Hampford College may be eligible for the College Work-Study Program. To determine eligibility and to apply for the program, read the information below.

* The Hampford College Work-Study Program is open to all full-time Hampford College students, regardless of the particular study program in which they are enrolled. The program is not open to part-time students. Information on financial support programs for part-time students is available in the Counseling Center.

* Before applying for a work-study position, the student must demonstrate financial need. To do this, complete the Statement of Financial Need Form,

* To apply for a work-study position, submit a letter of interest to the Work-Study Program Office, describing your skills and interests. You may also, but are not required to, submit a resume describing any previous jobs you may have held. Students both with and without an employment history are eligible for the program.

* Once you have been approved for the program, look at the help-wanted ads posted on the Counseling Center website. All of the jobs are located at the college. You may apply for any job that you are interested in. Please note that job placement is subject to job availability. While we make every effort to place all Work-Study Program students in a job, there are no guarantees.

* All work-study students must be students in good standing at the college; that is, they must receive passing grades in all their courses in order to continue in the program the following semester.

* Work-study positions are generally for one year. Students wishing to continue in the program after one year must resubmit their applications. 

As energy prices rise and the effects of greenhouse gas emissions become more widespread, people everywhere are becoming increasingly concerned about using fossil fuels. More and more people are turning to so-called “green technologies” as a way to reduce dependence on nonrenewable fossil fuels. The ideal alternative energy source would be sustainable (the supply will not be exhausted), clean (no emissions), and reliable. The three most popular alternative energy sources are geothermal power, solar power, and wind power.

Since geothermal energy taps heat from the earth, its resources range from water found just below the surface of the earth, to hot water and hot rock found a few miles below the surface, to even deeper rock of extremely high temperatures. In a process similar to drilling for oil, wells as deep as a mile or more can be drilled into underground reservoirs to tap steam and hot water that are used to run turbines and create energy. Power companies can then transmit this energy over power lines.

Geothermal power on a smaller scale can be used for heating and cooling houses or commercial buildings. Geothermal heat pumps, also known as ground-source heat pumps, rely on the fact that the earth beneath the surface remains at a relatively constant temperature throughout the year. Like a cave, the ground is warmer than the air above it during the winter and cooler in the summer. The geothermal heat pump transfers the heat stored in the earth into the building during the winter and transfers it out of the building and into the ground during the summer. The ground, in other words, acts as a heat source in winter and a heat sink in summer. While geothermal heat pumps are an emissions-free and reliable source of energy, the biggest disadvantage is that such systems are expensive to install.

Solar energy has come a long way from the clunky boxes of the 1970s. Today, solar energy is commonly collected by sleek and efficient photovoltaic (PV) panels. The photovoltaic cells convert sunlight directly into electricity and are made of semiconductors such as crystalline silicon or other thin-film materials. The benefits of solar power vary according to how much exposure a given building has to the sun. However, one does not need to live in the desert to take advantage of solar power. Cloudy Germany is the worldwide leader in the use of solar power.

Solar power is not as pricey as geothermal power, but having a panel professionally installed can still be costly. Some enterprising homeowners reduce the initial costs by purchasing inexpensive kits and setting up the system on their own. The biggest disadvantage of a solar power system is its dependence on the amount of sunlight collected, but some cutting-edge panels can generate energy even in the rain.

Wind power is created when the wind is used to generate mechanical power or electricity. Most wind turbines convert the wind’s kinetic energy into mechanical power. The wind turns the blades, which spin a shaft connected to a generator. A generator then converts this mechanical power into electricity. A group of wind turbines can produce electricity and feed it into the utility grid, where it is sent through transmission lines to homes and businesses. Like solar and geothermal energy, the wind is a renewable resource that produces no emissions.

Small wind energy systems can be used by homes, farms, or communities. Such systems can be connected to the larger electrical grid or used for stand-alone energy generation—a particularly attractive option for anyone living far from power company lines. A grid-connected wind turbine can reduce one’s reliance on the power company for electricity. If the turbine cannot deliver the needed energy, the power company then makes up the difference. However, in order to take advantage of wind energy, a turbine must be in an area with an average wind speed of at least 10 miles an hour, and such systems can be very expensive.

Whether a given home or business uses wind, solar, or geothermal power depends on a variety of economic and environmental factors. However, experts agree that investing in alternative energy now—whether by individuals or power companies—will pay dividends in the future.