Part II. Reading

Task 1

1. You are going to read an article about five young people who have each made a lot of money by setting up a business. For Questions 1-15 choose from the people (A-E). The people may be chosen more than once. When more than one answer is required, these may be given in any order. There is an example at the beginning (0).

Which young person:

is carrying on a family tradition? 0 C

found one part of the work hard at the beginning? 1__

says that he/she prefers to be his/her own boss? 2__

is careful with money? 3__ 4___

got financial help from an organisation? 5__

says he/she does the work mostly for the money? 6__ 7___

feels that further education would be a waste of time? 8__

ignored advice that he/she was given? 9__

says he/she finds the work itself the main motivation? 10__

has turned an initial disappointment to his/her advantage? 11__ 12___

says he/she enjoys the creative side of the business most? 13__

is willing to give up aspects of his/her social life for

the business? 14__

has received a prize in recognition of what he/she has achieved?15__

How to get rich young

We asked five young people who have already made their fortunes in business to tell us the secret of their success.

A. Justin Etzin (24)

It all began when Justin, then aged 16, tried to get into a nightclub and was turned away for being too young. “After that, I kept on at them until they let me organise an under-20s party,” he recalls. “They were expecting about 50 teenagers to turn up, but I’d found them 2000!” Justin continued organising parties during his school holidays and had made enough money by the age of his 18 to buy himself a speedboat. Today, at 24, he has other business interests and a fortune of £2 million. But Justin’s not just in it for the financial rewards. “What gets me excited is coming up with new ideas,” he insists, “and at the end of the day, I’d rather be healthy than wealthy.”

B. Lee Allen (20)

Lee set up a sports-coaching business when he was just 18. “Everyone warned me that it was a tough world and I wasn’t experienced enough to take the disappointments that lay ahead. But I felt confident in what I was doing, so I took no notice of them. My idea was to coach children with special needs and because nobody else was doing that, I got a grant and an office from Mencap, a charity which helps the mentally disabled. At first, the administrative side was a real struggle, but I managed it somehow. Last year, the company I set up won an award for being the most innovative new business in the country. That means more to me than any money I’ve made out of it.”

C. Charlotte Crossley (18)

Charlotte first started up in business when so she was 12 years old, making and selling things called ‘friendship bracelets.’ She paid friends to make them, using her materials and designs. Since then, she’s expanded into make-up and hair accessories and was able to buy herself a brand new car last year. “My father and grandfather were both successful businessmen, so making money seemed natural to me. I am studying for A levels, but I have decided not to go to university because I don't feel it has anything more to offer me. Work excites me more. I can work all day every day without a break and never get bored. I lead a hectic life – socialising, schoolwork and working. But why not? I feel like I can have it all.”

D. Thomas Jones (20)

Tom started playing with computers when he was five. By the time he was 12, he’d set up his own web page on the Internet and was selling advertising space. He now runs a profitable business from his bedroom at home, offering a complete Internet and technical support service. “I have always been fascinated by computers. I’m proud of what I’ve achieved. But what really keeps me going is the thought of all the cash I’m making. I think it’s worth giving up a few nights out in case there aren’t the same opportunities later. Our projected turnover for next year is £160,000, so the business is a huge investment.” Apart from buying himself a few treats, Tom mainly reinvests his money. “But I still intend to go to university, no matter how much I make, because in any business you need to keep up with new developments.”

E. Louise Bagshawe (25)

Things haven’t always gone well for Louise. After she’d written her first book at the age of 23, a publisher took one look at it and advised her to tear it up and start again. “I was so upset by their reaction,” said Louise, “that I bought a pile of very successful novels and read them from cover to cover to remind myself of my business aim. This was to write ‘popular’ books that would earn me a fortune by working for myself, rather than earning peanuts working for someone else.” The rewritten novel became the first of four ‘blockbusters’ which have made Louise a millionaire. However, she does not splash her money around. “I’m saving up for a rainy day. Who knows what will happen in the future.”

2. To your mind, what character features helped people to achieve success?

Task 2

1. You are going to read an article about crimes against property. Eight sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences A-I the one which fits each gap (1-7). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use. There is an example at the beginning (0).