PRE TEST UTBK 2

In a famous experiment, a group of four year-olds were left alone with candy and they were told that they could not eat any until the adult returned. Years later, when the children were grown-ups, the researchers did a follow-up to the experiment. It turned out that children who resisted the temptation became more successful later in life. Traditionally, psychologists described intelligence in terms of problem-solving and memory. This test shows the importance of another kind of intelligence, so-called emotional intelligence. IQ tests are only one way to see how successful someone may become in life. Social and emotional abilities seem even more important.

Question : Choose the best tittle of this paragraph

• Turning emotional intelligence into a skill

• Emotional intelligence in the workplace

• Train the trainers

• Cognitive and emotional intelligence

• Choosing the right people

Emotional intelligence is a buzz word that is often heard. So, what does it really mean? The term ‘emotional intelligence’ was coined in 1990. Emotional intelligence has to do with knowing when to express emotions and knowing when to control them. Empathy is a particularly important part of emotional intelligence. This is basically the ability to recognise other people’s emotions.

Question : Choose the best ttitle of this paragraph

• Turning emotional intelligence into a skill

  
  

• Emotional intelligence in the workplace

• Cognitive and emotional intelligence

• Choosing the right people

• Its true meaning

It is necessary though to make a distinction between emotional intelligence and emotional competence. Let me illustrate this with an example. We already mentioned empathy as the ability to understand what someone else is feeling. Emotional competence would then mean transforming this into a skill. Empathy can actually be used to influence other people’s behavior. Obviously we are talking about influence in a positive manner as opposed to manipulation.

Question : Choose the best ttitle of this paragraph

• Turning emotional intelligence into a skill

• Emotional intelligence in the workplace

• Train the trainers

• Cognitive and emotional intelligence

• Choosing the right people

TEXT 4

Emotional intelligence is important for a successful performance at work but how can it be promoted? First and foremost, the competencies that are important are different from job to job, so it is essential to know what these are for your field. Self-awareness is here the core competence to develop. So employees should learn how their feelings and behavior affect themselves and others. After that, look at the individual and try to find out if they have the necessary social skills for a particular job. Then, share this information with the individual and when doing so, try to be as clear as possible. Always conduct feedback in a constructive manner because then it is more likely to be taken on board. Another advantage of constructive criticism is that it minimizes defensiveness

Question : Choose the best ttitle of this paragraph

• Turning emotional intelligence into a skill

• Emotional intelligence in the workplace

• Train the trainers

• Cognitive and emotional intelligence

• Choosing the right people

Hiring competent trainers is key. Good trainers have empathy and are genuinely caring. They should adopt a step-by-step approach because a change in behaviour is more likely to happen if it is manageable and achievable. Trainers should provide ongoing feedback and help develop the skill of self-reflection. If there is no follow-up training, then the whole process is likely not to be taken seriously.

Question : Choose the best ttitle of this paragraph

• Turning emotional intelligence into a skill

• Emotional intelligence in the workplace

• Train the trainers

• Cognitive and emotional intelligence

• Choosing the right people

When Swedish engineer Sten Gustaf Thulin invented the lightweight plastic shopping bag in the 1960s, he probably had no idea how controversial they would become, nor for how long the controversy would last. The fact that the bags proved so useful due to their low weight and resistance to degrading biologically made them widespread by the 1980s, but also led to environmental challenges. Millions of shopping bags end up as litter every year. This has resulted in land pollution, blocking of waterways and also to areas of sea being clogged up with plastic, harming wildlife.

Question : Choose the best ttitle of this paragraph

• A The high energy use of producing alternative types of bags

• B How the positive features of plastic bags led to problems

• C Other forms of plastic bags may not be the solution

• D Benefits of forbidding the use of non-biodegradable plastic bags

• E Consumers must be encouraged to change their way of thinking

Different measures have been carried out. A total ban was placed on non biodegradable plastic bags in China, to save oil, and in some African countries like Rwanda, to reduce litter. In China this is said to have saved 4.8 million tonnes of oil and in Rwanda the ban has had a visible effect. As one visitor commented: ‘The country is so much cleaner than it used to be.’ The United Arab Emirates also banned all single-use bags in 2013, based on pollution caused — and danger to camels, who were eating them.

Question : Choose the best ttitle of this paragraph

• A The high energy use of producing alternative types of bags

• B How the positive features of plastic bags led to problems

• C Other forms of plastic bags may not be the solution

• D Benefits of forbidding the use of non-biodegradable plastic bags

• E Consumers must be encouraged to change their way of thinking

Other countries have introduced a ‘bag tax’, with supermarkets charging customers a small amount for each plastic bag they use. For example, Ireland introduced such a charge in 2002. Jill Burns of Plastic Bag Aware said ‘Ireland’s bag tax has been incredibly successful, mainly because the charge is quite high, and is increased the more plastic bags are used.’ Despite fears to the contrary, customers accepted the charge, but in other countries this measure has been blocked, not by customers, but by manufacturers of plastic bags.

Question : Choose the best ttitle of this paragraph

• A The high energy use of producing alternative types of bags

• B How the positive features of plastic bags led to problems

• C Other forms of plastic bags may not be the solution

• D Benefits of forbidding the use of non-biodegradable plastic bags

• F An effective measure is accepted by consumers

What’s the alternative to the traditional plastic bag? I thought the answer was the bio degradable plastic bag, but it seems not to be the case. Manufacturers and the major supermarkets claim that such bags degrade completely in under three years. However, research has shown that they do not degrade as efficiently as has been claimed. I was really taken aback by this! They need light and oxygen for the material to degrade, but in landfills both are in short supply. Another criticism has been that it is environmental madness to produce something requiring a lot of oil to make, only so that it can ‘self-destruct’.

Question : Choose the best ttitle of this paragraph

• A The high energy use of producing alternative types of bags

• B How the positive features of plastic bags led to problems

• C Other forms of plastic bags may not be the solution

• D Benefits of forbidding the use of non-biodegradable plastic bags

• E Consumers must be encouraged to change their way of thinking

I’d always considered paper and cloth bags as an ethical alternative to plastic bags. Again, my ideas have been challenged. Both paper and cloth bags require much more energy to make, and are said to pollute air and water more in manufacture. I’ve used a cloth bag several times for shopping, and prided myself on protecting the environment. It seems I’m wrong. A cloth bag would have to be used 130 times before its ecological impact was as low as a plastic bag in terms of energy. I guess I have no choice but to do another 90 shopping trips or more with my cloth bag! One packaging manufacturer said ‘Plastic bags are more environmentally friendly than cotton bags,’ but I’m not convinced. How can something that causes so much damage be acceptable?

Question : Choose the best ttitle of this paragraph

• A The high energy use of producing alternative types of bags

• B How the positive features of plastic bags led to problems

• C Other forms of plastic bags may not be the solution

• D Benefits of forbidding the use of non-biodegradable plastic bags

• E Consumers must be encouraged to change their way of thinking