national 4xdolÛfdwlrqv 2018 - sqa...shake a guidebook at. you have to pass two imposing court...

*X727760201*

*X7277602*

HFOR OFFICIAL USE

Fill in these boxes and read what is printed below.

Number of seat

Town

©

Mark

Full name of centre

Forename(s) Surname

Scottish candidate numberDate of birth

YearDay Month

NationalQualications2018

Total marks — 50

SECTION 1 — READING — 25 marks

Read BOTH texts and attempt ALL questions.

SECTION 2 — WRITING — 25 marks

Attempt Part 1 and Part 2. In Part 2 attempt EITHER Task 1 OR Task 2.

You may NOT use a dictionary.

Write your answers clearly in the spaces provided in this booklet. Additional space for answers is provided at the end of this booklet. If you use this space you must clearly identify the question number you are attempting.

Use blue or black ink.

Before leaving the examination room you must give this booklet to the Invigilator; if you do not you may lose all the marks for this paper.

X727/76/02

WEDNESDAY, 23 MAY

9:50 AM – 12:00 NOON

A/HTP

ESOLReading and Writing

*X727760202*page 02

SECTION 1 — READING — 25 marks

Read BOTH texts and attempt ALL questions

Recommended time: 40 minutes

Text 1

Read the article below and attempt the questions that follow.

Novelist David Mark was told by a London bookstore his crime tales, set in the Northern English city of Hull, were “too Northern”. Here he explains why he hopes attitudes to 2017’s City of Culture are changing.

Hull is the only city on Earth where I have pulled my car over to take a picture of a skyline so exquisite I was willing to risk death to stare at it.

The lights of the city flickered like a dying fire behind the cables of the great bridge that joins Yorkshire to Lincolnshire. The Humber estuary reflected back a fiery sun and a flock of seagulls whirled above the distant rooftops of the great Victorian buildings. The masts of the yachts that bobbed up and down in the marina disappeared into a purple sky; stirred by a breeze carrying the mixed scents of sea-spray and diesel oil.

Hull is also the only city on Earth where I have witnessed a toddler in a pushchair eating a whole roast chicken as he bounced down the cobbles of Whitefriargate as his mum swore into a mobile phone.

A city of contrasts? Perhaps. But one thing is certain: Hull is no longer a national joke. The days of being bottom of the school league tables and top of the list of terrible towns, are very much behind the city. Hull is moving forward. In 2017, it was the City of Culture. Now there are ambitious if not particularly realistic plans to host the Baftas (British Academy of Film and Television Awards) and it will also double on screen for wartime London in a new movie about World War 2.

My first novel, Dark Winter, is being adapted for TV and will be filmed in the city, if all goes according to plan. Hull Truck Theatre continues to stage exciting new plays and the Ferens Art Gallery houses a breathtaking collection of classic art and new talent. Down in the Old Town there are more museums than you can shake a guidebook at. You have to pass two imposing court buildings and a police station to get there, but that’s Hull.

Since my first novel did rather well I’ve been in the fortunate position of being asked for my opinions on a lot of things. One of the questions I’ve been asked by everybody from Spanish bloggers to TV presenters, is “Why Hull?”. The truth is, I don’t know. It was an untouched canvas, I suppose. Mention Oxford, and people think of the TV series Inspector Morse, glorious architecture and perfect lawns. London has so many detectives it’s amazing they’re not chasing one another across the Millennium Bridge, which directors can’t seem to get enough of.

1

2

3

4

5

6

*X727760203*page 03

MARKS DO NOT WRITE IN

THIS MARGIN

Yorkshire has been used as a setting for various TV series, of course, but these tend to be a little too sentimental for my tastes. And nobody could accuse Hull of being representative of the rest of the region. This is a city on its own. It’s a city at the end of a railway line. It was badly bombed during World War 2 and has seen its main industry given away by the politicians who were meant to serve it. And yet, it flourishes. It may look a little ragged around the edges — and there are certain estates where you could be forgiven for thinking they’d just been bombed — but it has character. It has that certain something. It inspires. This is the city where the poet Philip Larkin served as university librarian and created his enduring lines on life, love and the passing of time.

Last month I was in a bookshop in London, idly wondering why I couldn’t find my new paperback on the shelves. I asked a nice young shop assistant and she said that it was “a bit Northern for our customers’ tastes”. At the time, she was standing next to the biggest display of Scandinavian crime thrillers I have ever seen. Hull was clearly just too alien and inaccessible for the London crowd, who yearn for something familiar like Oslo and Copenhagen.

So the answer I give people is, why not? The books I write are grim and dark. Bad things happen to good people. It reflects a world I know. I was a journalist in Hull for a long time. I’ve sat in the living rooms of the bereaved and the broken and seen them clutch the family photo album as their last hopes fade. I’ve seen policemen having to adjust their voices before facing the media because if they don’t put on a hard face they’ll cry or run home to hug their kids.

Hull is the landscape where I can create such things with enough feeling of authenticity. I know the people. I know these streets. And soon, you will too.

7

8

9

10

Questions 1–4: Choose the correct answer for each question and tick (3) one box (refer to paragraphs 1–6).

1. Where was David Mark when he stopped his car to take a photograph?

A The bridge was between him and the city.

B The city was between him and the bridge.

C He was looking towards the bridge from the city.

D He had just crossed the bridge.

[Turn over

1

*X727760204*page 04


THIS MARGIN

Text 1 questions (continued)

2. What is David Mark’s opinion about Hull?

A It has the worst schools in the country.

B There is optimism about the future.

C It is a good place to host the Baftas.

D It looks very similar to London.

3. Which of the following impresses David Mark the most?

A Hull Truck Theatre

B Ferens Art Gallery

C The museums

D The courts

4. David Mark suspects he chose to set his crime novels in Hull because

A it would make a good film setting.

B nobody had done this before.

C it was more working-class than Oxford.

D the architecture was interesting.

1

1

1

*X727760205*page 05


THIS MARGIN



5. Which of these does David Mark say about Hull?

A It’s typical of other places in Yorkshire.

B It was damaged in World War 2 and is now declining.

C Politicians have helped local industries develop.

D Despite its poor areas it’s still an interesting city.

6. What does David Mark suggest about the bookshop’s readers?

A They like books with a Northern setting.

B They don’t know parts of their own country.

C They like books with a London setting.

D They like to visit Oslo and Copenhagen.

Questions 7–8: Complete each gap with NO MORE THAN FOUR WORDS from the text (refer to paragraph 9).

7. He has seen people holding for comfort after a death.

8. He has seen police officers trying to hide their feelings when

.

[Turn over

1

1

1

1

*X727760206*page 06


THIS MARGIN


Questions 9–11: Give short answers to the questions below.

9. Which phrase in paragraph 6 tells us that he enjoys his new status?

10. Which phrase in paragraph 8 tells us that he didn’t go to the bookshop just to check if his book was on sale?

11. Which phrase in paragraph 9 indicates people who have lost relatives and had their lives destroyed?

Question 12: Choose the correct answer for this question and tick (3) one box.

The most appropriate title for this article would be:

A Hull: a new tourist destination.

B Settings for crime novels.

C The ideal setting for my novels.

D Arts in the North.

1

1

1

1

*X727760207*page 07

Text 2

Read the article below and attempt the questions that follow.

Before Aaron Hirschhorn went travelling, he put Rocky, his beloved golden labradoodle, into kennels. But on his return he was faced with a hefty bill and a traumatised Rocky hiding under his desk for three days. So he decided to start a company, DogVacay, to match travelling dog owners with host families, instead of traditional kennels.

Hirschhorn and his wife were the first hosts, looking after 110 hounds in their home in the first year, though not all at once. The money they earned was used to develop a website. DogVacay hosts — there are now 35,000 — are normally fellow dog owners whose profiles, locations, and charges are detailed on the obligatory app feature. Boarding can be booked and paid online and owners receive daily updates of their pets by way of reassurance.

This is just one of many similar businesses that have sprung up in what has become known as the “sharing economy”. Location-tracking smartphones and online marketplaces have made it straightforward for people to share what they own, whether that is a home, a car, or their services. The concept is that by making better use of surplus capacity, ie things sitting idle for much of the time, expenditure and waste can be reduced, resulting in a more sustainable lifestyle. Uber and Airbnb are the two biggest examples of this global phenomenon.

When Daan Weddepohl’s Amsterdam house burned down he lost all his possessions and was forced to rely on friends. But the disaster spurred him on to found Dutch sharing start-up, Peerby. In our world of abundance and surplus, the Peerby app lets you rent or borrow a neighbour’s tools or appliances for just the short period you need them. According to Weddepohl, the average power drill is only used for between 9 and 17 minutes during its lifetime and we use 80% of our belongings just once a month. The firm now has close to $1 bn worth of belongings currently available for others to use, says Mr Weddepohl, who last year raised $2·2 m for global expansion of his company on a crowdfunding platform. Weddepohl claims that Peerby has been making a strenuous effort to contribute to a world where sharing stuff is a serious alternative to buying new because by consuming less, we can make a positive impact on the huge climate challenge we face.

Dutch start-up, the Lena Fashion Library, lets you check out clothes for five days for a monthly subscription fee, instead of having to buy them. Its co-founder, Suzanne Smulders, claims 240 million kilograms of clothes are disposed of each year in the Netherlands alone. This sharing approach could shift us away from a mass production, mass consumption mentality, Smulders believes, towards “making high-quality products that are easy to repair, maintain and recycle.” She even goes so far as to say, “The manufacturers creating products that don’t last as long will have a problem surviving. And actually, I think that’s a good thing.”

[Turn over

1

2

3

4

5

*X727760208*page 08

DogVacay’s Hirschhorn is cautiously optimistic. “Sharing is these days slowly but steadily becoming the most effective form of organising things,” he says. Although getting people to trust strangers with their dogs is pretty tough, he concedes.

But the sharing economy also has its critics, with some seeing it as a way of avoiding employment laws and as a source of unfair competition for regulated businesses. In Spain, bus operators have taken legal action against a car-sharing service, arguing that some drivers are effectively offering a taxi service without paying for the proper licences. And in the Netherlands, Airbnb has proved so popular the government has had to impose limits on how often people can rent out their homes. Under the rules, residents can rent their properties for up to two months of the year, but now visitors are obliged to pay the same tourist tax as hotel guests. Sebastiaan Meijer, spokesman for the city of Amsterdam, believes we are now witnessing the downside of home sharing, where people purchase a house with the sole intention of renting it out all year as an illegal hotel, causing whole streets to change, and leading neighbours to make a stand. In some, he figures there are more tourists than residents, and wonders if this is a desirable situation.

Despite a few downsides, it looks like the sharing economy is irreversible and unstoppable, with an estimated value of £9 bn today predicted to leap to £230 bn by 2025.

6

7

8

*X727760209*page 09


THIS MARGIN


13. The stimulus for Hirschhorn’s company was

A his bleak financial situation.

B a bad experience with kennels.

C an increase in worldwide travel.

D a lack of shelters for animals.

14. The DogVacay company

A had too many dogs in its first year.

B ensures all clients pay the same.

C gives clients the option of using an app.

D tells owners what their pets are doing.

15. The sharing economy

A is only easily accessible to those who own smartphones.

B makes people appear more capable but encourages laziness.

C could help keep costs and waste to a minimum.

D appeals to young people who have too many possessions.

[Turn over

1

1

1

*X727760210*page 10


THIS MARGIN


16. The Dutch company Peerby

A doesn’t charge for its services.

B specialises in power drills.

C has made nearly $1 billion profit.

D has benefitted from Internet investment.

17. MATCH the name with the opinion by writing the correct letter in each box (refer to paragraphs 4–7).

There is ONE opinion that you do NOT need.

(i) Daan Weddepohl

(ii) Suzanne Smulders

(iii) Aaron Hirschhorn

(iv) Sebastiaan Meijer

A Despite the rise in popularity of sharing, it is sometimes difficult to create trust.

B An increase in tourism is one benefit of the sharing economy.

C Accommodation sharing networks can cause conflicts.

D People’s possessions tend to be underused and borrowing can help reduce consumption.

E The sharing economy may encourage production of goods that are more durable, resulting in less waste.

1

1

1

1

1

*X727760211*page 11


THIS MARGIN


Questions 18–19: Give short answers to the questions below.

18. Which phrase in paragraph 4 means “inspired”?

19. Which phrase in paragraph 7 means “to oppose someone/something”?

20. Identify two disadvantages of the sharing economy.

21. Choose the correct answer for this question and tick (3) one box.

The best title for this article is:

A Why buy when you can share?

B Housing problems in the sharing economy

C Recycling revolution

D How to start your sharing business

[Turn over

1

1

2

1

*X727760212*page 12


THIS MARGIN

SECTION 2 — WRITING — 25 marks

Read the writing tasks below. You should attempt Part 1 and Part 2 and ensure you have time to complete both Parts.

As a guide, you may wish to spend about 35 minutes on Part 1 and about 55 minutes on Part 2.

Part 1 — Everyday Life

Write your answer on the lined answer sheets below and on page 13.

Your local council is proposing to build a new sports complex in a public park. There will be a large building and all-weather sports pitches.

The council say that:

• the park is under-used

• more people will get involved in sport

Local residents say:

• the open green space will be lost

• there will be extra traffic

Write a letter to your local newspaper, giving your opinion on this subject.

You should write approximately 150–200 words.

10

*X727760213*page 13 [Turn over

*X727760214*page 14


THIS MARGIN

Part 2 — Work OR Study

Read the two tasks below. One is work-related and the other is study-related.

Attempt ONE task only on the lined answer sheets on pages 15, 16 and 17.

Write the task number selected in the box provided on page 15.

You should write approximately 250–300 words for the task you choose.

Task 1: Work — Report

A manager’s post is vacant in the supermarket company you work for and two candidates have been invited for interview.

Candidate A

• degree in business administration

• management experience at junior levels in other companies

• no direct experience of the supermarket business

Candidate B

• has worked for your company since leaving school

• is efficient and well-liked

• no academic qualifications

Write a report evaluating the two candidates and stating your preference.

You may add other details.

Recommended length: 250–300 words.

OR

Task 2: Study — Formal essay

Write a formal essay, discussing which statement you prefer and giving reasons why.

A Schools and colleges should do more to promote cross-cultural understanding among students.

B Schools and colleges do not need to actively promote cross-cultural understanding among students.

You may wish to consider:

• Cultural differences• Language barriers• Prejudice• Tolerance• Knowledge exchange• Your own experience

Recommended length: 250–300 words.

15

*X727760215*page 15

Task Number

[Turn over

*X727760216*page 16

*X727760217*page 17

[END OF QUESTION PAPER]

*X727760218*page 18


THIS MARGIN

ADDITIONAL SPACE FOR ANSWERS

*X727760219*page 19


THIS MARGIN


*X727760220*page 20

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Section 1 Text 1 - Article is adapted from ‘Books set in Hull can be as gritty as any Nordic Noir. So why the snobbery?’ by David Mark, taken from The Guardian, Thursday 10th April 2014. Reproduced by permission of The Guardian. © Guardian News & Media Ltd 2018.

Section 1 Text 2 – Article is slightly adapted from ‘How a traumatised dog inspired a sharing economy business’ by Padraig Belton, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-37894951. Reproduced by kind permission of BBC News.

*X727760101*

*X7277601*

HFOR OFFICIAL USE

Fill in these boxes and read what is printed below.

Number of seat

Town

©

Mark

Full name of centre

Forename(s) Surname

Scottish candidate numberDate of birth

YearDay Month

NationalQualications2018

Total marks — 20

Attempt ALL questions.

You will hear two different recordings. Before you hear each recording, you will have one minute to study the questions. You will hear each recording twice, with an interval of ten seconds between playings. You will then have time to answer the questions before hearing the next recording.

You may NOT use a dictionary.

Write your answers clearly in the spaces provided in this booklet. Additional space for answers is provided at the end of this booklet. If you use this space you must clearly identify the question number you are attempting.

Use blue or black ink.

You are not allowed to leave the examination room until the end of the test.

Before leaving the examination room you must give this booklet to the Invigilator; if you do not, you may lose all the marks for this paper.

X727/76/01

WEDNESDAY, 23 MAY

9:00 AM – 9:30 AM (approx)

A/HTP

ESOLListening

*X727760102*page 02


THIS MARGIN

TOTAL MARKS — 20

Attempt ALL questions

Recording 1

Listen to the recording and attempt the questions which follow. You will hear the recording twice. You now have one minute to read the questions in Recording 1 before the recording begins.

Questions 1–4: Complete the sentences below. Use NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.

1. Jane’s son Calum is now in Lochburn’s Under-13s

.

2. Duncan seems surprised that Jane hasn’t seen the

.

3. Jane thinks it’s especially noisy at her local

.

4. A nine-year old boy finished the game last

week.

1

1

1

1

*X727760103*page 03


THIS MARGIN

Recording 1 questions (continued)

5. Which three of the following things does Duncan say? Tick (3) three boxes.

A A minority of parents are to blame for the problem.

B Noise is OK as long as parents aren’t being negative.

C The mums are worse than the dads.

D He doesn’t know about a silence rule for players.

E Jane’s telling the truth about her behaviour.

F The silence rule is a big change.

G Trainers will have to use their hands more to communicate.

Questions 6–8: Choose the correct answer for these questions and tick (3) one box.

6. A nearby council

A forces spectators to be silent.

B promotes respect among mums and dads.

C has made a recent change.

D has never won a footballing competition.

[Turn over

3

1

*X727760104*page 04


THIS MARGIN


7. For Jane, the point of football is to be

A moral.

B passionate.

C intellectual.

D noisy.

8. Duncan and Jane go to football as

A helpers.

B players.

C supporters.

D trainers.

1

1

*X727760105*page 05


THIS MARGIN

Recording 2

Listen to the recording and attempt the questions which follow. You will hear the recording twice. You now have one minute to read the questions in Recording 2 before the recording begins.

Questions 9–13: Complete the sentences below. Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.

9. After university, the speaker was

for job-seeking as a graduate.

10. You should see the start of your university studies as the beginning of your

.

11. If you start your own society,

or run a business it shows you can manage money.

12. It’s good to know how a business runs and what the

might be.

13. At university, talk to students from

.

[Turn over

1

1

1

1

1

*X727760106*page 06


THIS MARGIN


Questions 14–18: Choose the correct answer for each question and tick (3) one box.

14. You should make sure your presence on the Internet

A is minimal.

B is serious.

C is eye-catching.

D includes Facebook.

15. The most important experience gained from office work is

A using technology.

B answering phones.

C dressing formally.

D understanding social codes.

16. One team member didn’t make the tea because

A he felt he was too important.

B it wasn’t in his job description.

C he wasn’t sure how to do it.

D he was a temporary worker.

1

1

1

*X727760107*page 07


THIS MARGIN


17. The speaker expects every worker to be able to cope with

A simple programming.

B software development.

C conference calls.

D spreadsheets.

18. The speaker thinks that the important thing for students at university is to

A organise their lives with a specific job in mind.

B develop general employability skills.

C get a variety of experience of paid work.

D come up with new business ideas.

[END OF QUESTION PAPER]

1

1

*X727760108*page 08



THIS MARGIN

*X727760109*page 09


THIS MARGIN


*X727760110*page 10

[BLANK PAGE]

DO NOT WRITE ON THIS PAGE

*X727760111*page 11

[BLANK PAGE]


*X727760112*page 12

[BLANK PAGE]


*X7277611*©

NationalQualications2018 H

This paper must not be seen by any candidate.

The material overleaf is provided for use in an emergency only (eg the recording or equipment proving faulty) or where permission has been given in advance by SQA for the material to be read to candidates with additional support needs. The material must be read exactly as printed.

X727/76/11 ESOLListening Transcript

WEDNESDAY, 23 MAY

9:00 AM – 9:30 AM (approx)

A/SQA

(t) Recording 1

Listen to the recording and attempt the questions which follow. You will hear the recording twice.

You now have one minute to read the questions in recording 1 before the recording begins.

(one minute pause)

TONE

Jane Hi Duncan. How are you doing?

Duncan Jane, hi. Well, to be honest, work’s pretty hellish at the moment, but that’s nothing new. How’s the family?

Jane We’re all fine. And we’re really proud of Calum this week with his football. He’s made it into the first team for Lochburn Under 13s.

Duncan I always thought he was a class act as a midfielder. So I’ll probably see you on Saturday . . .

Jane Absolutely. I’ll be there, cheering like mad for my boy.

Duncan Cheering?

Jane Yes, cheering, Duncan. Football matches are exciting, so I cheer, same as you do.

Duncan You haven’t seen the Council website, then?

Jane Well, I don’t usually look, as a rule; it’s not exactly compelling, is it?

Duncan So you don’t know about “Silent Weekend” then?

Jane Duncan, don’t go all weird on me. Silence doesn’t really work for football, particularly not down at our playing fields. It’s pretty deafening most of the time.

Duncan Well, it will this weekend, and a good thing too. Last week . . .

Jane . . . I wasn’t there last week . . .

Instructions to reader(s):

Recording 1

The conversation below should be read clearly and naturally. After reading the introduction you should pause for 1 minute to allow candidates to read the questions. On completion of the first reading pause for 10 seconds, then read the conversation a second time. On completion of the second reading pause for 1 minute to allow candidates to write their answers.

Where special arrangements have been agreed in advance to allow the reading of the material, it should be read by one male and one female speaker. Sections marked (t) should be read by the teacher.

Duncan Last week there was a nine-year old boy — just nine years old I’m telling you — and someone else’s dad was shouting at him again and again every time he made a mistake and he ended up in tears. It was horrible to watch.

Jane So there’s just one problem among several hundred footballers and their supporters on a Saturday morning . . .

Duncan Come on, Jane, you know it’s not the first time and it won’t be the last. There are a lot of parents who are well out of order. The noise in itself is bad enough, but when they start criticising players and swearing at them, something’s very wrong. The council have made a decision — silence on the playing fields next time round — and it’s a good one. The dads and the mums — I don’t know who’s worse — need to shut up and let the kids get on with the game.

Jane So it’s only the coaches who are allowed to say anything?

Duncan Not them either. There’s nothing on the website about the referees or the players, but there’s definitely no shouting from the sides of the pitch by anyone.

Jane Duncan, that’s just mad. I go along and shout encouragement only, nothing negative ever —

Duncan Hmm, I don’t think you’re being honest now.

Jane I’ll ignore that, Duncan. But leaving me out of it, Calum’s team may be good on the ball, but they can’t organise themselves very well. They absolutely need a coach to shout instructions so they can get into good positions. Otherwise they’re just running around like a pack of kids.

Duncan Obviously I can see it’s a major innovation, and it’s going to be tricky, but the coaches will have to get used to it. Frankly, they’ve been part of the problem, so they can be part of the solution. They can . . . er . . . use more gestures, do more waving and pointing . . .

Jane But obviously in a very polite and gentlemanly way, in case they upset someone.

Duncan Jane, I just don’t get your attitude. You’re talking like you’ve never heard of anything like this before when I know and you know that just ten miles away from here there’s a Council that’s enforced a politeness code on parents for years. You should also have noticed we’ve never ever won a major footballing competition. You don’t develop great players in an atmosphere of aggression. Wherever we can make things a bit calmer and more civilised, we should.

Jane I’m sorry, Duncan, I just don’t get you. Of course I don’t think adults should bully kids from the touchlines, but I do believe football is about energy and belief, so people are going to shout things. You don’t go to football to become a better and nicer person. You go to football to feel alive!

Duncan I understand what you’re saying, but actually, I do believe you should go to football to be a better person. But anyway, we’d better not argue too much or we’ll get thrown out of here. Do you want another drink? . . .

(10 second pause after first reading)

TONE

(1 minute pause after second reading)

TONE[Turn over

(t) Recording 2

Listen to the recording and attempt the questions which follow. You will hear the recording twice.

You now have one minute to read the questions in recording 2 before the recording begins.

(one minute pause)

TONE

(m/f) Good morning, everyone. I’m impressed to see that so many of you have managed to get out of bed on time for a nine o’clock start. Now, the number of jobs available for graduates is predicted to rise by 10% in the next two years, according to a recent survey. Good news for you lot. But when you apply for your first job after university, are you sure you’ll have the relevant skills for the post?

When I left university I was completely unprepared for what the graduate market would throw at me. I thought having a good degree from a good university and having a bit of work experience would get me a job, no problem — absolutely not the case. From day one, you should see the start of university as the start of your working life. Think of the skills you need to have when you finish university in three or four years’ time and then work backwards, so you’re gathering up skills each year. Here are some things that graduate recruiters are looking for that you can start thinking about now.

First of all, there’s business sense.

I like candidates who start their own societies, organise an event or start their own T-shirt-making business while at uni. They tend to have a good grasp of how a business makes money. An understanding of business is one of the main skills that students underestimate, according to a 2017 Guardian survey. Less than 10% of students thought it was a vital skill, compared to nearly 50% of employers. Having knowledge of how a business operates and the challenges involved are really useful skills to take into a company.

Second, get global.

More and more employers are wanting graduates to have a “global mindset”, which means understanding different cultures and how industries work across borders. Make the most of your time at uni to meet people from around the world, consider study abroad schemes like Erasmus. And obviously, if you speak another language then make sure it’s clearly displayed on your CV. And do be aware: “Business fluent French” looks much better than just “French Higher at grade A” as it offers a company more.

Instructions to reader(s):

Recording 2

The talk below should be read clearly and naturally. After reading the introduction you should pause for 1 minute to allow candidates to read the questions. On completion of the first reading pause for 10 seconds, then read the talk a second time. On completion of the second reading pause for 1 minute to allow candidates to write their answers.

Where special arrangements have been agreed in advance to allow the reading of the material, it should be read by one male or one female speaker. Sections marked (t) should be read by the teacher.

Third, have a clean digital footprint.

Start making sure you have a digital footprint of relevance to what you want to do. Employers, just like everyone else, will look for you on the Internet. That might mean starting your own blog or website, joining Twitter, and generally making sure you’re careful about what goes online connected to you. If the only thing that employers can find is you with traffic cones on your head or completely drunk on Facebook then you’re in trouble.

Fourth, there’s office etiquette.

Knowing how to fit into an office will come in handy for many graduate jobs, so it’s a good idea to look for opportunities to spend time in one while you’re still a student.

What some graduates might not have is the office know-how — maybe they’ve never worked in an office before so everything’s new, whether it’s answering the phone, the way you dress or even more crucially, how you address people, things like that.

Fifth — and this may surprise you — is how to make a good cup of tea.

One of the skills that has been really useful for me is making great tea and coffee. I once had a graduate refuse to make my team drinks because it “suggested he was below the rest of us” — needless to say he didn’t last long. We all make tea in my team and the person who brings me a cup of tea unprompted is likely to be my hero for the day. Checking out the culture of a workplace (whether they all make tea for each other, for example) is really important when you come to look for work.

Sixth — more obvious, this one — is being good with computers.

Hard skills in programming and software development are really valuable. But even if you’re not applying for a job in a tech company, being digitally smart is still really important. All employers expect graduates to be computer literate. Generally just being aware of the digital age is important. That doesn’t necessarily mean having programming skills, but understanding that instant messaging and conference calls are common in the business world and that having basic IT skills like working with spreadsheets and documents is a must.

In conclusion, things you get involved with at university and in your own time might not seem directly linked to what you want to do in the future, but you never know when those skills might come in handy.

Now, next week’s talk will move on to the first steps in shaping that CV of yours into a perfect . . . (fade)

(10 second pause after first reading)

TONE

(1 minute pause after second reading)

(t) You now have one minute to check your answers.

(1 minute)

(t) End of test.

[END OF TRANSCRIPT]

[BLANK PAGE]


ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Recording 2 - Text is adapted from ‘How to get a job when you graduate’ by Libby Page, taken from The Guardian, Saturday 31st May 2014. Reproduced by permission of The Guardian. © Guardian News & Media Ltd 2018.

national 4xdolÛfdwlrqv 2018 - sqa...shake a guidebook at. you have to pass two imposing court...

Documents