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BEST IELTS General Reading Test 134
GENERAL READING TEST 134 – PASSAGE – 2
GENERAL READING TEST – 134
READING PASSAGE – 2
Discipline and Punctuality at Workplace
Discipline and punctuality are the two most essential traits required in a professional to be successful. Discipline ensures individuals behave in an acceptable way at the workplace and also adhere to the rules and regulations of the organization. Individuals who are disciplined are not only successful professionally but also in their personal lives. Disciplined employees are liked and appreciated by not only their superiors but also other fellow workers.
Misbehaving at the workplace spoils the entire work culture eventually leading to zero or very less productivity. You need to understand that there is a difference between office and home and you just can’t behave in the same way at work as you behave at home.
Would you be able to concentrate on your work if the colleague sitting next to you is constantly over the phone and chatting with his girlfriend? Obviously, NO. In fact no one can. Discipline ensures individuals maintain silence at workplace and work as a single unit with their team members to achieve organization goals and objectives. Discipline is in fact the lifeline of an organization.
Punctuality ensures employees attend office daily and also complete their working hours. Managers need to ensure that their team members reach office on time and do not unnecessarily sit till late. It is always better to leave on time and come back fresh and completely recharged the next day. Believe me, individuals who are not punctual are often not reliable.
How would you feel if you want to meet someone on an urgent basis and if the other person never comes on time and always comes up with a new excuse? Would you ever believe or want to meet this person again? Being late to meetings is indeed a crime in today’s business scenario where your client has access to unlimited alternatives just at the click of a button. Discipline and punctuality make you a confident professional. Employees who concentrate on their work rather than interfering in their colleague’s, finish their work on time and do not have to sit beyond the working hours. Trust me, being disciplined and punctual allow you to enjoy your work and the office never becomes a boring place. Disciplined employees seldom find their names dragged into controversies or nasty politics. Trust me, no one would respect you if you are not disciplined and punctual.
Questions 15 – 21
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the text above for each answer.
(15). There are ……….. very important requirements for a working person to be successful.
(16). An employee must not conduct himself the way he does at ……………. when he comes to the work.
(17). If somebody in your workplace is engaging in casual conversation, you cannot ……………. on your work.
(18). The ………… of an organization is discipline.
(19). You would not …………. someone who always has a reason to be late.
(20). If you have the qualities of being a disciplined worker and are punctual, it will make you a …………. professional.
(21). Employees who are focused on their work, and do not meddle in other people’s assignments, do not have to stay at the office post ……….. hours.
Read the text below and answer the Questions 22 – 27.
Make a Day Trip to the Taj Mahal from Delhi
The first option I’m going to talk about is to just add Agra into your itinerary and go there by public transportation from Delhi then move on to the next place from Agra. The problem with this is that going onward from Agra sometimes means going back to Delhi as it’s a big hub to catch long trains and buses. Because of this, passing through Agra isn’t always a great option but you should see if it works for you.
Public transportation is easy and there are many buses that go from Delhi to Agra throughout the day. If you want to get there for sunrise you need to leave by 3.30 in the morning. Women traveling solo might not be okay with that, so in that case, I recommend not taking a local bus but instead a “tourist bus”. Here’s some information about booking buses in India. Keep in mind during some times of the year, there is too much fog to drive on the highway that early in the morning and tours will not run.
If you’re more interested in taking a “tourist bus” this would mean booking it either online at makemytrip.com or redbus.in if you can get your international card to work. You can also just pop into any tourist agency (you’ll see them everywhere) or ask your hotel to book this for you. Prices for a local bus could be as cheap as 50 rupees while a tourist bus might cost you 400 rupees. Moving on to more options, you might prefer a private A/C car ride there. These can be arranged through your hotel or an agency once you reach there. They will charge you commissions on this which could be quite high. If you would rather book this ahead of time with a reputable company then I recommend either of these two options:
1. Get Your Guide $80. This tour started at $17 and has gone up in price as it’s become so popular, which is a little sad but at least you know it’s good. 321 people have given this “tour” a 4.8/5star rating. They will pick you up from your hotel in Delhi and get you to the Taj Mahal by sunrise, then take you back to Delhi. The tour pass allows you to skip the line at the Taj Mahal and you also get taken to Agra Fort and Mumtaz Mahal. The price does not include entrance tickets but there is a guide who will go with you through the attractions. This translates to about 1000 rupees which is literally a better deal than you can find anywhere. This price will fluctuate as the peak tourist season rises and falls.
2. Viator $80. This is actually a better deal. 96 people have given it a 5-star review. With this option, the entrances to the Agra Fort and Taj Mahal are both included as well as breakfast. I think the entrance to both would cost around $20 so it saves you that money. Lunch isn’t included and they take you to a 5-star hotel buffet – so that’s a little bit up to you if you want to pay for a lunch like that or if it’s just you and your friends on the tour you can say no thank you to stopping at the hotel. Prices also go up if you are just one person
3. Viator Shopping Tour $25. This is a kind of weird one but might work for some people. You go to Agra from Delhi and see the Taj Mahal from the outside for sunrise, don’t go in, and then do a unique shopping tour. Like the others, it’s a return trip back to Delhi but you could just stay in Agra and then the next day go to the Taj Mahal and go inside. The price is so cheap that it’s kind of like paying for a ride there and getting a free shopping tour before you explore Agra on your own. Someone will go to the Taj with you so they can take your picture in front of it and help keep people from swarming you for selfies. It’s so affordable and booking it ahead would just take off all your stress.
Questions 22-27
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
(22). Based upon the time of the year, the buses may not be plying to Agra because of too much of……………………
(23). If you want to book a bus on-line, your………………….. has to work.
(24). One of the options to book a tour to Agra is to ask a ……………., which are available in plenty.
(25). The price of the Get Your Guide tour has increased manifold because it is extremely…………..
(26). If you want to have your breakfast as part of the tour, you should book the ……………. tour.
(27). The tour that costs $25 is the only one where you also get to go on a …………….. in Agra.
ANSWERS ARE BELOW
ANSWERS
15. TWO
16. HOME
17. CONCENTRATE
18. LIFELINE
19. BELIEVE
20. CONFIDENT
21. WORKING
22. FOG
23. INTERNATIONAL CARD
24. TOURIST AGENCY
25. POPULAR
26. VIATOR
27. SHOPPING TOUR