English Initial Assessment Level 2 Name: Date:
Level 2 Reading Read James description of himself carefully. How would you summarise what you have learned about James from this text? About myself I really enjoy watching all sports on the TV although I am not so keen on golf because it is a long time between shots. I do a lot of sport and play football most weekends for a local amateur team (the Havershead Hot Shots). My Dad says that I play like an old fashioned winger. I d like to be able to afford to join a gym and I had some weights for Christmas. I don t like reading very much except for stuff in the papers about sport and writing is boring. I spend a lot of time on my computer and do all my homework on it. I like doing charts and stuff best and I m helping my Mum to learn email. I also have a play station in my bedroom and have mates round to play on this and to chill out. Most of my mates are from my old school and some are in the Hot Shots with me. I also have loads of mates at the MB club. I ve learned a lot about engines and stuff so, when I ve passed my test, I want to buy a bike, a Harley, like my dad used to ride. 1. Delete the phrases which you think do not describe James. Then check that the statements remaining give an accurate account of him. he has a current driving licence; he likes to keep fit; he reads a lot; he has a good circle of friends; he is good at paper-work; he enjoys socialising with friends; he enjoys sport both watching and participating; he hates sport; he is used to functioning within a team; he owns a motorbike; he wants to be in a boy band ; he wants to be a scientist; he is confident in using technology; ForSkills Ltd 2009 2
Read this excerpt from a reference written by James part-time employer. Excerpt from a reference from employer James has been an excellent part-time worker for me for the past twelve months. He has never been late and he has had very few days off because of illness. He is popular with my customers and he seems to be naturally helpful and friendly. Although James had little paper-work to do, he was very good at practical things like organising the shelves, spotting out of date products and keeping the shop neat and tidy. He was also quick with numbers and could see if mistakes had been made. At all times he has been truthful and I have been able to trust him in the shop alone. 2. How would you summarise what you know about James from his employer s reference? Delete the phrases you think do not describe James. Then check the statements remaining give an accurate account of him. He is not practical He is very practical His ability in maths is good He is honest He is not trustworthy He is good at paperwork He is punctual He has a practical and organised approach to work He is lazy He has a friendly disposition which makes him popular He is not helpful His customer care skills are poor ForSkills Ltd 2009 3
James wants a new part-time job to bring in some extra cash. He would prefer to work evenings or Sundays so that he can carry on playing football on Saturdays. However, he has to put his need for more money first! 3. From what you now know about James and his current skills, to which of the following part-time jobs do you think James would be most suited? Job 1 - We have a vacancy for a part-time assistant sports reporter on our weekly Free Paper The Havershead News. The successful candidate will have excellent writing skills; have a keen interest in sports of all kinds; have current driving licence and access to a vehicle; have good IT skills; have a friendly and approachable manner. The work will be evenings and weekends. Job 2 - A part-time vacancy has arisen for a clerk to work on Saturdays at the Newlife Fitness Centre. The ideal candidate will have an interest in the work we do; have experience in administration eg filing, letter writing, record keeping; enjoy working alone; have the ability to work extra hours on Thurs/Fri evenings as and when required. In addition to an appropriate hourly rate of pay, the successful applicant will receive free use of all facilities at the Fitness Centre. Job 3 - We are extending our opening hours and are looking for a person to work part-time on our spares counter. The successful person will work evenings 6.00 pm 8.00 pm Tues/Wed/Thurs. Very occasionally, the successful candidate will be required to work Saturdays to cover holidays. Applicants should have some IT skills; excellent customer contact skills; some experience of shop or warehouse work; abilities to work with cash and figures; an interest in vehicles and their maintenance is desirable but not essential. Job 4 - Part-time shop assistant required for Sundays in our extensive classic reading section. The successful applicant will: have experience in shop work; have a helpful and caring approach to customers; have experience of working well in a team; take a keen interest in the products and give advice to customers; keep stock tidy to create a professional image. Interested? Contact The Book Store, Unit 5, Colossus Retail Park. Answer: Job.. ForSkills Ltd 2009 4
4. Read job description 3 again. Tick which of the following descriptions you consider is the nearest in meaning to the phrase, "desirable but not essential". Anyone applying should definitely have these interests. It would be really useful if the applicant had these interests. There is no way you would get the job if you did not have these interests. You shouldn't apply if you haven't these interests. ForSkills Ltd 2009 5
Level 2 Punctuation Put in the missing apostrophes 1. Wed like to invite you to our engineering departments open days. 2. Its staff and learners are enthusiastic and hard working resulting in the colleges engineering results being some of the best in the country. 3. There will be a display of all the students work plus a chance to talk to our staff about their innovative teaching methods. Add the missing speech marks and accompanying punctuation: 4. A recent OfSTED report said of the department this is one of the most innovative engineering departments in the country. 5. Barry Hebb, the college s principal, commented this is a very positive, encouraging OfSTED report. We know our engineering department is excellent and innovative but it is good to have it recognised by the inspectorate. ForSkills Ltd 2009 6
Level 2 Grammar and Composition Reorder these clauses to make sensible complex sentences. Number the sentences in the order you think will make the best sense. 1. is that in attempting to achieve parity with current qualifications, One of the problems with the new qualifications, and a future risk in further developments, when the original idea was to assess their practical abilities. students are being assessed in an essentially academic way Reorder these clauses to make sensible complex sentences. Number the sentences in the order you think will make the best sense. 2. they were all exhausted that they had reached the next round of the cup. As the players left the pitch after a full ninety minutes game, but very satisfied and a further thirty minutes extra time, There are 3 grammar mistakes in this sentence. Cross out the incorrect words and enter the correct one. 3. Steve did not discover he has lost his mobile until he arrived home and wanted to phone his mum to tell her that him had got home safe. ForSkills Ltd 2009 7
Level 2 Spelling 1. Join the correct suffix to each root word. Root word Root word televi musi sta cu politi Suffix -tion -cian -sion -ssion -shion omi 2. Identify the incorrect spelling in these sentences and correct them. The inspector identified the neccesary improvements which needed making. Gary only scored ate points out of a possible twenty. How many of your work colleages will be attending the training course? ForSkills Ltd 2009 8