Loading question...
You are in free guest mode. Timed Practice Revision List Attempt History Progress Tracking Create a free account to unlock these tools
Back to Questions
Next
IELTS Practice Reading: Note/Summary Completion ID: #59360 Medium Yellow 30
Instructions ›
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
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.
3 blanks 2 words max

Ernst and Young has over two thousand people working on a  basis.

The cost of training someone to a high level from a  can cost millions of dollars.

Despite their concern for a work-life balance, younger employees are willing to  for a short time.

AI explanationShows the answer. Tap to open.

Question Focus: Synonym match - the note says 'working on a ... basis' and the passage talks about flexi-time employees

Correct Answer: flexi-time

Why this is correct: The note says Ernst and Young has over two thousand people working on a certain basis. The passage clearly says Ernst & Young has over 2,300 flexi-time employees, so the correct word to copy is flexi-time.

Passage Reference: 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.

Common Mistake: Students may write flexible working because it appears often in the passage, but Ernst & Young is described more specifically as having flexi-time employees. Writing a general phrase instead of the exact wording is a paraphrase trap.

Paraphrasing: Passage: 'over 2,300 flexi-time employees' = Note: 'over two thousand people working on a ... basis'

Tips: When a number in the note matches a number in the passage, slow down and copy the exact wording nearby.

Key Vocabulary:

  • flexi-time = flexible working hours
  • initiatives = programmes

Question Focus: Direct match - the note paraphrases the cost of training someone from the beginning

Correct Answer: raw recruit

Passage Reference: 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.

Why this is correct: The note talks about training someone to a high level from the very beginning. The passage says BAH invests millions in turning a raw recruit into a partner, so raw recruit is the exact phrase that fits the gap.

Common Mistake: Some students write new employee or beginner, but IELTS does not accept synonyms here. You must copy raw recruit exactly. This is a synonym trap.

Paraphrasing: Passage: 'turning a raw recruit into a partner' = Note: 'training someone to a high level from a ...'

Tips: If you see an article like 'a' before the gap, check that your answer is a singular noun phrase.

Key Vocabulary:

  • raw recruit = completely new worker
  • attrition = staff leaving

Question Focus: Synonym match - the note says 'willing to ... for a short time'

Correct Answer: binge-work

Passage Reference: They are happy to binge-work for a while, but in return, want extended sabbaticals in which to chill out.

Why this is correct: The note says younger employees are willing to do something for a short time. The passage says they are happy to binge-work for a while, which matches exactly, so the answer is binge-work.

Common Mistake: Students sometimes write work hard or overwork, but these are not the exact words from the passage. This is a synonym trap.

Paraphrasing: Passage: 'binge-work for a while' = Note: 'willing to ... for a short time'

Tips: Words after 'to' usually need a verb. Check that your answer fits grammatically, not just in meaning.

Key Vocabulary:

  • binge-work = work very intensely
  • sabbaticals = long breaks from work

General Tips:

  • Summary completion questions follow passage order, so use the location of gap 1 to help you find gap 2 and gap 3.
  • Always copy the exact word or phrase from the passage. Synonyms are not accepted.
  • Check the word limit carefully. One extra word means zero marks.
  • Use grammar clues like articles, prepositions, and 'to + verb' to predict the type of word you need.
  • Numbers in the notes often match numbers in the passage. They are strong location clues.

The rest of this explanation is for members. Sign in free to read why the other options are wrong, key words and tips.

Sign in to read the full explanation

With a free account: Retry and compare every attempt.
Saving...