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IELTS Practice Reading: Matching Features ID: #59359 Medium Yellow 6
Instructions ›
Match each statement with the correct option.

NB There are more options than statements so you will not use all of them.

Tap any word for its meaning
Life Beyond Pay
A. A new magazine was published in America this month. Success is the resurrection of a title first published in 1897 by Orison Swett Marden, an entrepreneur and author of a series of self-help books, including "Getting the Most Out of Life". The magazine's publisher, Joseph Guerriero, wants today's success to reflect the contemporary workplace, where, he says, success is measured less by money and titles and more by what is sweepingly referred to as "work-life balance". The first issue contains an article about men leaving work to become full-time fathers.
B. Improving the balance between the working part of the day and the rest of it is a goal of a growing number of workers in rich Western countries. Some are turning away from the ideals of their parents, for whom work always came first; others with scarce skills are demanding more because they know they can get it. Employers, caught between a falling population of workers and tight controls on immigration, are eager to identify extra perks that will lure more "talent" their way. Just now, they are focusing on benefits (especially flexible working) that offer employees more than just pay.
C. Some companies saw the change of mood some time ago. IBM has more than 50 different programmes promoting work-life balance and Bank of America over 30. But plenty of other firms remain unconvinced, and many lack the capacity to cater to such ideas even if they wanted to. Helen Murlis, with Hay Group, a human-resources consultancy, sees a widening gap between firms "at the creative end of employment" and those that are not.
D. The chief component of almost all schemes to promote work-life balance is flexible working. This allows people to escape rigid nine-to-five schedules and work away from a formal office. IBM says that 40% of its employees today work off the company premises. For many businesses, flexible working is a necessity. Globalisation has spread the hours in which workers need to communicate with each other and increased the call for flexible shifts. Nella Barkley, an American who advises companies on work-life balance, says that large firms are beginning to understand the value of such schemes, "but only slowly". For most of them, they still mean little more than childcare, health care and flexible working.
E. Yet, some schemes go well beyond these first steps. American Century Investments, an investment manager in Kansas City, pays adoption expenses and the cost of home-fitness equipment for its employees. Rob Marcolina, a gay consultant with Bain & Company based in Los Angeles, was allowed time off to marry his partner in Canada and another break to look after their daughter when she was born to a surrogate mother. Mr Marcolina, who has an MBA from the high-ranked Kellogg business school, says his employer's understanding makes him want to be "part of Bain for some time".
F. Businesses have other good reasons for improving employees' work-life balance. Wegmans Food Markets, a grocery chain based in Rochester, New York, frequently appears near the top of lists of the best employers in America. It has a broad range of flexible-work programmes, which gives it one of the lowest rates of employee turnover in its industry-8% a year for full-time workers, compared with 19% across the industry.
G. Simple programmes can be surprisingly cost-effective. IBM, for instance, is spending $50m over five years on "dependent-care" facilities for its employees. Although that sounds generous, it is the equivalent of little more than $30 for each IBM employee every year. That is far cheaper than a pay rise and probably a better way to retain talented mothers and fathers. Ernst & Young, a global accounting firm, has a low-cost range of initiatives called "People First". It provides breaks for people to provide care and has over 2,300 flexi-time employees in the United States. James Freer, a senior executive, says he is "absolutely convinced" the initiatives help produce better financial results.
H. DeAnne Aguirre, a mother of four and a senior partner in San Francisco with Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH), says "it is easy to make the business case" for work-life balance programmes at the consultancy by looking at attrition rates. BAH calculated that it was investing more than $2m in turning a raw recruit into a partner, an investment it should be reluctant to write off. Corning, an American glass company, reckons that it costs 1.5 times a worker's salary and benefits to replace him. If it can retain just 20 workers a year who would otherwise have left, Corning reckons it would produce annual savings of $2.6m.
I. Business schools are now climbing on the bandwagon, too. In October, Tuck School at Dartmouth, New Hampshire, will start a course on returning to corporate life after an extended absence. Called "Back in Business", the 16-day, $12,000 re-entry programme is open only to students with "work experience in a high-potential career". The majority will inevitably be mothers wanting to re-join the workforce. But fathers are also asking for sabbaticals. Work-life balance "is not just a women's issue" anymore, says Ted Childs, who is in charge of workforce diversity at IBM. "Men, too, are very concerned about it."
J. The demand is being stoked by the "Generation Y", the under-28s. They look sceptically at the idea of lifetime employment within a single organisation, and they are wary of the commitment they believe too often drove their parents to the divorce courts. Hay's Ms Murlis says that today's business-school graduates are "looking for a workstyle to go with their lifestyle", not the other way round. They are happy to binge-work for a while, but in return, want extended sabbaticals in which to chill out.
A. James Freer
B. Rob Marcolina
C. Helen Murlis
D. Joseph Guerriero
E. Orison Swett Marden
F. Nella Barkley
A B C D E F
1 was given a break from work after the birth of his child
2 believes companies are not changing quickly enough
3 sees two kinds of companies emerging
4 was the original writer of "Success"
5 believes work-life programs help a company to make money
AI explanationShows the answer. Tap to open.

Question Focus: Synonym match - 'given a break from work' = 'allowed time off' after a child's birth

Why this is correct: The answer is Rob Marcolina. The passage clearly says he was allowed time off and another break specifically after his daughter was born, which directly matches the statement.

Passage Reference: Rob Marcolina, a gay consultant with Bain & Company based in Los Angeles, was allowed time off to marry his partner in Canada and another break to look after their daughter when she was born to a surrogate mother.

Common Mistake: Students sometimes choose James Freer because he talks about company initiatives, but he does not receive a personal break after a child's birth. This is a Context shift trap.

Paraphrasing: Passage: 'allowed time off' = Statement: 'given a break from work'

Tips: For Matching Features, look for personal stories when the statement is about an individual's experience.

Key Vocabulary:

  • surrogate = woman who carries a baby for others
  • consultant = professional adviser

Question Focus: Synonym match - 'not changing quickly enough' = 'only slowly'

Passage Reference: Nella Barkley, an American who advises companies on work-life balance, says that large firms are beginning to understand the value of such schemes, "but only slowly".

Why this is correct: The answer is Nella Barkley. She says companies are beginning to understand the value of these schemes but only slowly, which means change is not fast enough.

Common Mistake: Some students choose Helen Murlis because she criticises companies, but she talks about different types of firms, not speed of change. This is a Wrong section trap.

Paraphrasing: Passage: 'only slowly' = Statement: 'not changing quickly enough'

Tips: Pay attention to adverbs like 'slowly' or 'quickly'. They often signal opinions about speed.

Key Vocabulary:

  • schemes = programs
  • value = importance

Question Focus: Synonym match - 'two kinds of companies' = 'a widening gap between firms'

Passage Reference: Helen Murlis, with Hay Group, a human-resources consultancy, sees a widening gap between firms "at the creative end of employment" and those that are not. D.

Why this is correct: The answer is Helen Murlis. She describes a widening gap between firms, which clearly means she sees two different kinds of companies developing.

Common Mistake: Students may pick Joseph Guerriero because he talks about modern workplaces, but he does not compare types of companies. This is a Partial truth trap.

Paraphrasing: Passage: 'widening gap between firms' = Statement: 'two kinds of companies emerging'

Tips: When you see numbers like 'two kinds', scan for comparison language like 'gap' or 'difference'.

Key Vocabulary:

  • widening = growing bigger
  • creative end = more innovative side

Question Focus: Direct match - identifying the original author

Passage Reference: Success is the resurrection of a title first published in 1897 by Orison Swett Marden, an entrepreneur and author of a series of self-help books, including "Getting the Most Out of Life".

Why this is correct: The answer is Orison Swett Marden. The passage states the magazine Success was first published in 1897 by Orison Swett Marden, showing he was the original writer.

Common Mistake: Some students choose Joseph Guerriero because he is the current publisher, but he is not the original writer. This is a Time/tense trap.

Paraphrasing: Passage: 'first published... by Orison Swett Marden' = Statement: 'original writer of Success'

Tips: Watch for dates like 'first published'. They often signal original creators.

Key Vocabulary:

  • resurrection = brought back
  • publisher = company or person who produces a magazine

Question Focus: Synonym match - 'help a company to make money' = 'produce better financial results'

Passage Reference: James Freer, a senior executive, says he is "absolutely convinced" the initiatives help produce better financial results. H.

Why this is correct: The answer is James Freer. He says he is absolutely convinced these initiatives produce better financial results, which clearly means they help companies make money.

Common Mistake: Students sometimes choose Joseph Guerriero because he talks about success, but he focuses on work-life balance values, not profits. This is a Context shift trap.

Paraphrasing: Passage: 'produce better financial results' = Statement: 'help a company to make money'

Tips: Look for opinion verbs like 'convinced'. They often show beliefs or conclusions.

Key Vocabulary:

  • initiatives = programs
  • financial results = profits or money outcomes

General Tips:

  • Matching Features can jump around the passage - do not assume answers follow paragraph order.
  • Scan for names first. Once you find the person, read only that part carefully.
  • Options CAN be used more than once - do not cross them off after one use.
  • Focus on meaning, not the same words. IELTS loves synonym matches.

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