Intermediate English Test for Catering and Tourism

Reading Comprehension
SAMPLE
You can spend altogether 45 minutes on the reading text .
Write all the answers on the ANSWER SHEET.
Wednesday, December 16, 1998 Published at 14:58 GMT
ADVICE FOR EUROLAND TOURISTS
0
Lets be h!nest" The main reas!n #!r $ur!%ean M!netary &ni!n is n!t t! ma'e it easier #!r
y!u t! (! !n h!liday, but t! (i)e the ec!n!my a b!!st"
*ut then t!urism is a ser)ice industry li'e any !ther, and t!urists tra)ellin( the ne+ $ur!land
+ill rea% the bene#its"
,ati!nal currency ban'n!tes +ill be ar!und #!r an!ther three years" -!+e)er, it +ill ta'e
s!me time be#!re y!u n!tice the di##erence" .#ter all, eur! ban' n!tes and c!ins +ill n!t be
intr!duced be#!re /anuary 0110" M!netary uni!n, th!u(h, is already a reality, because the
e2chan(e rates !# nati!nal currencies are irre)!cably #i2ed" 3!ur m!ney +ill be )alid acr!ss
the ele)en4member eur!5!ne: Germany, 6rance, 7%ain, P!rtu(al, 8reland, .ustria, the
,etherlands, *el(ium, Lu2emb!ur(, 6inland and 8taly"
This means that there is a #i2ed am!unt !# e"(" 7%anish %esetas !r 8talian lire t! the eur!,
9ust as there are 111 cents t! the &7 d!llar"
1
The ne+ sin(le currency may chan(e y!ur tra)el %lans e)en be#!re y!u lea)e h!me"
Tra)ellers che:ues are directly e2chan(eable acr!ss the eur!5!ne" 3!ur l!cal tra)el a(ent
+ill n!t e2%ect y!u t! %ay #!r y!ur h!liday in eur!s be#!re 0110" *ut in !rder t! (et a (!!d
deal y!u may +ant t! c!m%are %rices"
7!me !# the best tra)el !##ers can be #!und !n the 8nternet" &ntil recently, m!st +ere %riced
in d!llars and !nly a)ailable in the &nited 7tates"
M!netary uni!n is b!und t! chan(e that" .irlines, h!tel chains and e)en small !%erat!rs can
n!+ %rice in eur!s and there#!re (ain access t! the hu(e mar'et !# $ur!land tra)ellers"
-a)e a l!!' !nline: 3!ur #a)!urite h!tel !n the ;!sta del 7!l may !##er y!u a better deal than
y!ur tra)el a(ent i# y!u b!!' directly, and y!u can 9ud(e +hether it is chea%er t! rent y!ur
car at h!me !r !nline #r!m the !%erat!r at <!me air%!rt by l!!'in( at the eur! %rice"
2
$2chan(e rate stability means an end t! +!rries ab!ut +hen t! chan(e y!ur m!ney" When
y!u s!rt !ut y!ur tra)el m!ney, y!u +ill be (rate#ul #!r the ne+ e2chan(e rate stability acr!ss
the eur!5!ne" 8t means an end t! +!rries ab!ut +hen t! (et y!ur h!liday m!ney"
*ut sh!uld y!u %ay in eur!s !r still (et the l!cal currency be#!rehand=
Many ban's already !##er y!u the #acility t! d! business in eur!s 4 +ith credit cards, eur!
acc!unts and electr!nic m!ney trans#ers"
*ut #ran'ly, e)en i# y!u tra)el a l!t, as a citi5en !# $ur!land y!u d! n!t really need these
acc!unts be#!re 0110" .ny am!unt !# $M& currency (!in( !ut !# y!ur acc!unt, #!r e2am%le
a credit card %ayment, sh!uld be >e2chan(ed> #!r #ree"
-!+e)er, y!u sh!uld be a+are !# the ne+ eur!4den!minated tra)ellers che:ues, +hich +ill
be intr!duced in 1999"
8t d!es n!t matter +hether y!u are a bac'%ac'er !r business class %assen(er" $ur!4
den!minated tra)ellers che:ues are b!und t! sa)e y!u m!ney, because they +ill be
e2chan(eable directly int! any !# the currencies in the eur!5!ne"
6!r e2am%le, i# y!u are !n h!liday in Germany and %ay +ith Deutschmar' che:ues y!u
sh!uld n!t ha)e t! %ay an e2chan(e #ee +hen c!n)ertin( these che:ues in *erlin" *ut i# y!u
tra)el !n t! 6rance, a c!n)ersi!n #ee d!es a%%ly +hen c!n)ertin( th!se Deutschmar'
che:ues t! (et 6rench #rancs in Paris"
8n c!ntrast, eur! tra)ellers che:ue +ill be directly e2chan(eable 4 +ith!ut c!n)ersi!n #ees 4
!n b!th sides !# the b!rder and all ar!und the eur!5!ne"
?# c!urse, ban's and bureau2 de chan(e may c!ntinue t! char(e their !+n c!mmissi!n !n
the transacti!n"
3
7!me sh!%s and restaurants are already dis%layin( %rices in eur!s and their nati!nal
currency" ?nce y!u ha)e arri)ed at y!ur destinati!n, s!4called dual %ricin( +ill ma'e the
bi((est di##erence t! y!ur h!liday"
7!me h!tels and restaurants made an early start and be(an t! dis%lay their %rices in b!th
eur!s and the nati!nal currency as early as s%rin( 1998" M!re +ill #!ll!+ durin( the c!min(
years and this +ill (i)e y!u an !%%!rtunity t! c!m%are directly the %rice le)els at h!me and
at y!ur h!liday destinati!n"
6!r e2am%le that leather 9ac'et: 8s it chea%er in 7%ain !r acr!ss the b!rder in P!rtu(al=
*e#!re headin( h!me !n the m!t!r+ay: 7h!uld y!u #ill u% +ith %etr!l in Germany !r the
,etherlands= .nd is that nice cutlery set really the bar(ain it is made !ut t! be=
6!r $ur!land t!urists the real %rice !# (!!ds and ser)ices +ill be much clearer n!+, and y!u
d!nt ha)e t! (et !ut the calculat!r t! c!n)ert e2chan(e rates"
8# a sales%ers!n d!es n!t sh!+ the eur! %rice, as' #!r !ne 4 the !nus +ill increasin(ly be !n
him !r her t! c!m%ete !n the basis !# eur! %rices" 8n the!ry, y!u sh!uld be %r!tected #r!m
hidden %rice rises, as retailers ha)e %r!mised that their (!!ds +ill be n! m!re e2%ensi)e in
eur!s than in the nati!nal currency"

The eur! +ill chan(e y!ur h!liday e)en i# y!u are !n an all4inclusi)e %ac'a(e h!liday and
s%end a +ee' !r t+! at !ne res!rt +ith!ut cr!ssin( any b!rders"
While air#ares and h!tel r!!m c!sts are e2%ected t! c!me d!+n sli(htly !)erall, m!re direct
c!m%etiti!n is e2%ected t! see the chea%er h!liday destinati!ns li'e 7%ain and P!rtu(al
bec!me m!re e2%ensi)e !)er time as %rices a)era(e !ut acr!ss the eur!5!ne" .n!ther
#act!r is the stren(th !# the eur!" 8# the sin(le currency (ains in )alue, destinati!ns !utside
the eur!5!ne such as Tur'ey and Greece +ill bec!me m!re attracti)e"
!
Tra)ellers t! the $& sh!uld als! be a+are !# the demise !# duty4#ree retailin(, +hich is due t!
c!me in !n 1 /uly 1999 4 unless it +ins a last minutes re%rie)e"
.lth!u(h this is n!t %art !# the sin(le currency chan(e!)er, it +ill mean the sh!%s sellin( ta2
and e2cise4#ree (!!ds +ill be(in t! char(e $& citi5ens duties li'e )alue4added ta2"
(BBC News, Internet)
"uestions 1#!$
For Questions 1-5, choose from the list (a-f) the sentence which best summarises each part
(1-5) of the article. There is one extra sentence which you D !T !""D to use.
A$ PAC%A&E '(LI)A* TRA+ELLERS
,$ )-T* .REE
/$ TRA+EL M(0E*
)$ ,((%I0& A '(LI)A*
E$ I0CREASE I0 T'E E1C'A0&E RATE
.$ )-AL PRICI0&
"uestions 2#11$
#n boxes5-11 on your answer sheet write
T if the statement is T$%" accor&in' to the text
F if the statement is F()*" accor&in' to the text
. National currenc! "an#notes will "e around $or another $ew !ears.
%. &irect "oo#ings on the 'nternet ma! o$$er lower prices than !our tra(el agent.
). A con(ersion $ee applies when !ou con(ert euro*denominated tra(ellers+ che,ues.
-. &ual pricing will ma#e it more di$$icult $or tourists to calculate prices.
./. The introduction o$ the euro will lead to a slight decrease in prices in e(er! countr! o$ the
euro0one.
... The end o$ dut! $ree retailing means the "eginning o$ charging 1AT.
"uestions 12 3 12$
Fin& the wor&s in the text which mean the same as the followin'+
.2. "usiness which does not manu$acture goods "ut which pro(ides customers with ser(ices that the!
are willing to pa! $or 3par /4 5
.6. the (alue o$ one currenc! in terms o$ another 3par.4 5
.4. the retailer in the chain o$ distri"ution in the tourism industr! 3par .4 *
.5. a pa!ment to an agent $or his part in the sale7 o$ten a percentage o$ the (alue o$ the goods or
ser(ices 3par 2 4 5
.. a place to which a person or thing is going 3par 44 5
"uestions 14#20$
%sin' the information in the text, complete the followin' sentences with not more than F#,"
wor&s.
.%. You need not worr! a"out when to get !our holida! mone! "ecause 888888..
.). 't will "e cheaper to cash euro tra(ellers+ che,ues than national currencies "ecause
888888..
.-. &ual pricing is ad(antageous "ecause 888888..
2/. Spain and 9ortugal might "ecome more expensi(e "ecause 888888..
Intermediate English Test for
Tourism and Catering
Reading Comprehension
SAMPLE
A0S5ER S'EET
Code6
Score:
;irst <ar#er:
Second <ar#er:
..
2.
6.
4.
5.
.
%.
).
-.
./.
...
.2.
.6.
.4.
.5.
..
.%.
.).
.-.
2/.
Intermediate English Test for
Tourism and Catering
Reading Comprehension
%E*
SAMPLE
.. d
2. c
6. $
4. a
5. "
. TR=E
%. TR=E
). ;A>SE
-. ;A>SE
./. ;A>SE
... TR=E
.2. ser(ice industr!
.6. exchange rate
.4. tra(el agent
.5. commission
.. destination
.%. exchange rates are sta"le?$ixed.
.). con(ersion $ees do not appl!?there are no con(ersion $ees.
.-. !ou can compare prices.
2/. prices will a(erage out.