Solution for: CBT GT Reading Test 47: Good Deal Car Rentals

Questions 1–7

Car Rental Advertisements

Questions 8–14

Spanish for Health-care Workers

Instructor: Dr. Lucia Mendez

Questions 15–20

Asking for a Raise

If you are thinking about asking for a raise in salary, there are several things to keep in mind. First, consider whether you deserve a higher salary. You probably do, but you should be able to explain exactly why to your boss. Sit down and make a list of your job accomplishments. Be as specific as possible. For example, think about important projects you have worked on, things you have done to improve the organization of work in your department, or how your efforts have brought more money to the company. Also include any professional development opportunities you have taken advantage of recently and be ready to explain how they have improved your performance on the job. By going through the process of listing your accomplishments, not only will you be better prepared when you meet with your boss, you will also feel more confident that you deserve what you are asking for.

Bear in mind that salary levels are based not only on performance but also on the market for your particular skills. Before you ask for a raise, you will need to do some research. You should investigate the industry standards for salaries for people in similar positions with similar levels of experience. This will help you determine what would be a reasonable amount of money to ask for. Your initial request should actually be slightly higher than the amount you want in order to leave some room for negotiation. Then, if you have to go lower than this amount, you still end up with something close to what you want.

A crucial point is the timing of your request. If you have recently been given new responsibilities, it makes sense to ask for a higher level of compensation. On the other hand, if the company is going through financial difficulties, a request for more money will probably not be met with a favorable response. It would be better to wait until the company is in a better financial position. Finally, there is one thing you should never do: Never give personal reasons for wanting a higher salary. Your need to pay your child’s college tuition or buy a bigger house is of no concern to your boss. Your salary level should be based on professional considerations alone, and that is where you need to keep the conversation.

Questions 21–27

Hanson, Inc. — Employee Manual

Chapter V: Employee Benefits

Green Energy

As energy prices rise and the effects of greenhouse gas emissions become more widespread, people everywhere are becoming increasingly concerned about using fossil fuels. More and more people are turning to so-called “green technologies” as a way to reduce dependence on nonrenewable fossil fuels. The ideal alternative energy source would be sustainable (the supply will not be exhausted), clean (no emissions), and reliable. The three most popular alternative energy sources are geothermal power, solar power, and wind power.

Since geothermal energy taps heat from the earth, its resources range from water found just below the surface of the earth, to hot water and hot rock found a few miles below the surface, to even deeper rock of extremely high temperatures. In a process similar to drilling for oil, wells as deep as a mile or more can be drilled into underground reservoirs to tap steam and hot water that are used to run turbines and create energy. Power companies can then transmit this energy over power lines.

Geothermal power on a smaller scale can be used for heating and cooling houses or commercial buildings. Geothermal heat pumps, also known as ground-source heat pumps, rely on the fact that the earth beneath the surface remains at a relatively constant temperature throughout the year. Like a cave, the ground is warmer than the air above it during the winter and cooler in the summer. The geothermal heat pump transfers the heat stored in the earth into the building during the winter, and transfers it out of the building and into the ground during the summer. The ground, in other words, acts as a heat source in winter and a heat sink in summer. While geothermal heat pumps are an emis-sions-free and reliable source of energy, the biggest disadvantage is that such systems are expensive to install.

Solar energy has come a long way from the clunky boxes of the 1970s. Today, solar energy is commonly collected by sleek and efficient photovoltaic (PV) panels. The photovoltaic cells convert sunlight directly into electricity and are made of semiconductors such as crystalline silicon or other thin-film materials. The benefits of solar power vary according to how much exposure a given building has to the sun. However, one does not need to live in the desert to take advantage of solar power. Cloudy Germany is the worldwide leader in the use of solar power.

Solar power is not as pricey as geothermal power, but having a panel professionally installed can still be costly. Some enterprising home-owners reduce the initial costs by purchasing inexpensive kits and setting up the system on their own. The biggest disadvantage of a solar power system is its dependence on the amount of sunlight collected, but some cutting-edge panels can generate energy even in the rain.

Wind power is created when wind is used to generate mechanical power or electricity. Most wind turbines convert the wind’s kinetic energy into mechanical power. The wind turns the blades, which spin a shaft connected to a generator. A generator then converts this mechanical power into electricity. A group of wind turbines can produce electricity and feed it into the utility grid, where it is sent through transmission lines to homes and businesses. Like solar and geothermal energy, wind is a renewable resource that produces no emissions.

Small wind energy systems can be used by homes, farms, or communities. Such systems can be connected to the larger electrical grid or used for stand-alone energy generation— a particularly attractive option for anyone living far from power company lines. A grid-connected wind turbine can reduce one’s reliance on the power company for electricity . If the turbine cannot deliver the needed energy, the power company then makes up the difference. However, in order to take advantage of wind energy, a turbine must be in an area with average wind speed of at least 10 miles an hour, and such systems can be very expensive.

Whether a given home or business uses wind, solar, or geothermal power depends on a variety of economic and environmental factors. However, experts agree that investing in alternative energy now—whether by individuals or power companies—will pay dividends in the future.