4-5. job applications; insurance applications (any order)
6. newspaper articles
7-8.train timetables; bank accounts (either order)
9. E
10. F
11. C
12. 2/two
13. 1/one
14. A
15. C
专项练习六LONGER EXERCISES
练习一
1. communication
2. telephone
3. civilized
4. weather // climate
5. November
6. D
7. B
8. A
9. C
10. C
11. E
12. A
13. D
14. humor
15. Avomine
16. interview
练习二
1. scientists
2. science
3. fields
4. co-operation / collaboration
5. observations
6. dinosaurs
7. conservation programme
8. acknowledge
9. B
10. A
11. D
12. B
13. C
练习三
1. D
2. B
3. D
4. B
5. C
6. A
7. C
8. D
9. A
10. F
11. H
12. I
13. G
练习四
1. B
2. A
3. D
4. C
5. PR
6. CO
7. SL
8. NL
9. Y
10. N
11. NG
12. NG
13. N
14. Y
第五部分：阅读理解全真模拟试题
阅读理解全真模拟试题一
1. C
2. F
3. E
4. D
5. A
6. G
7. military
8. shorter
9. water
10. bounce/reflect
11. conduction
12. NOT GIVEN
13. NO
14. NOT GIVEN (although they didn't have many customers)
15. NOT GIVEN
16. activity board
17. stuffed animal toys
18. social development
19. develop social skill
20. H
21. F
22. C
23. E
24. A
25. NO
26. NO(one for every 4-year-old child)
27. NOT GIVEN (the study only mentions 3 and 5-year-olds)
28. YES
29. SA
30. ME or MF
31. CM
32. RC
33. AZ
34. C
35. D
36. NO
37. YES
38. NO (but they facilitate them)
39. NOT GIVEN
40. NO (it does not prevent infection)
阅读理解全真模拟试题二
1. D
2. A
3. B
4. C
5. D
6. B
7. A
8. 8-14 years / yrs/ (year-olds)
9. Orion
10. J. K. Rowling
11. D
12. H
13. C
14. A
15. x
16. iv
17. i
18. viii
19. ix
20. vi
21. ii
22. F
23. G
24. C
25. E
26. A
27. D
28. C
29. A
30. B
31. Yes
32. No
33. Yes
34. Yes
35. Yes
36. NG
37. NG
38. 200 B.C/2nd century B.C
39. prescriptions/single substances(either order)
40. Sun Simiao
附录IELTS正确解题数与分数段换算表
听力
正确题数 分数段
1 1
2-3 2
4-9 3
10-16 4
17-24 5
25-32 6
33-37 7
38-39 8
40 9
学术类阅读
正确题数 分数段
1 1
2-3 2
4-9 3
10-15 4
16-22 5
23-28 6
29-35 7
36-39 8
40 9
普通培训类阅读
正确题数 分数段
1-2 1
3-5 2
6-11 3
12-17 4
18-25 5
26-34 6
35-37 7
38-39 8
40 9
雅思学术类阅读理解
Tips and Hints to Help You Raise Your Score
At first glance, the reading comprehension section of the IELTS examination may seem difficult, nearly impossible. The test is filled with a startling amount of concrete data and lots of very specific terminology. At first this may all seem very scary. Yet, the IELTS test is in fact very simple. You see, although specific passages and questions may change, there is a formula to how the IELTS test is made. Once you begin to understand a few basic principles—the so-called "golden rules"—taking the IELTS no longer seems difficult at all.
After you understand these basic rules and begin to apply them, you can quickly and easily raise your test score. Our goal then is to reveal these principles and help you master the IELTS.
Ⅰ. Article Choice
Primarily, we should briefly discuss the sorts of articles used in the IELTS exam. The articles of the IELTS examination all have a business, social science, or hard science focus. IELTS test makers love to choose very, very specific topics. Perhaps the students will have no background knowledge in these topics. Yet, as we shall see later, there is no need for such knowledge. In fact, if you try to rely on your background knowledge while answering IELTS questions, you will often find yourself in trouble. So if you encounter a topic you know little about, do not worry. Soon you will know how to deal with such a topic and make the correct answer.
Additionally, the IELTS test makers love to fill their test passages with a lot of numbers, dates, and special terminology. IELTS tests are extremely specific. This may seem overwhelming to the test taker. But as we shall soon find out, these dates, numbers, and data results are actually our tools. These are our friends. You do not need to memorize or master the entire content of an IELTS article. In fact, since the IELTS test makers like to focus their attention on specific details, there is little need to understand the "main idea" of the reading passages. Most questions are related to specific information written explicitly in the text. The answers are all right there before you! There is little need to reason on your own. Once you know how to read properly, finding these answers becomes extremely easy. Once the answers are located, the test should pose no trouble at all，and your score will rise.
Ⅱ. Main Problems Test Takers May Have and How to Deal With Them
Since, as we have said and will explain at detail in a moment, all the test answers are right there in front of you, the trick is simply finding them. This would not be a problem if we had all day to take the test. Unfortunately, our time is limited; we only have a total of one hour to take the test. The problem of time is very important. The way not to deal with this is to get nervous and flustered. Instead, you should simply apply some of our golden rules as you read the test passage. Knowing what to look for as you read—a method we will explain below—will solve this problem. Again, relax and don't try to read too quickly. Read well.
Another potential problem students may have is vocabulary. As we have said, the vocabulary used in the IELTS examination is very specific and sometimes appears very tricky. Although this is so, the problem is very easily solved. All the words essential to understanding the text will actually be defined within the text itself. If it is not defined for you, the word is probably not important. Even if a question is asked about a word you are unfamiliar with, there are ways to deal with it, as we shall see below.
Ⅲ. Structure of the Test
The reading comprehension section of the IELTS test consists of three short reading sections one or two pages in length. Each reading passage is followed by thirteen to fourteen questions. These questions are normally one of eight types, although there is some variation. These eight types are as follows: Sentence Completion, Multiple Choice, True/False/Not Given (Yes/No/Not Given), List of Headings, Table Completion, Summary and Matching. There are specific methods of dealing with each of these sections. There are additionally some basic principles that can be applied to all of the sections. We will at first discuss these basic principles, the "golden rules," and then discuss each individual section at greater length.
Ⅳ. Universal Principles
A. The Answers Are All in Front of You
Unlike other standardized tests, the GRE for example, the IELTS tests language alone. What does this mean to you the test taker? This means that IELTS test questions do not test your ability to reason. The IELTS test makers will not give you information and then ask you to draw a conclusion based upon this information. Instead, they will give you information and ask you about that information. Basically, they will ask you to repeat that information they just gave you. The answers are all in front of you!
How does this work?
Well, although you may be occasionally asked a question about the main idea of a passage or asked to choose a "suitable title" for the passage, most questions will concern very specific information given in the text. Yet, you will not be asked to do much more than repeat this information back to the test makers. You will not be asked to draw a conclusion based upon this information. Take the following excerpt for example:
"Research in Britain has shown that ‘green consumers' continue to flourish as a significant group amongst shoppers. This suggests that politicians who claim environmentalism is yesterday's issue may be seriously misjudging the public mood." Based upon this passage, you will never be asked a question like:
"There has been a continued presence of ‘green consumers' in the British market because of..."
A rise of the Green party.
B concern with global warming.
C fear of Mad Cow Disease.
D concern with general state of environment.
None of these answers are given in the text. Thus, the IELTS test makers would not ask such a question.
Instead, they ask questions like:
"Politicians may have ‘misjudged the public mood’ because..."
A they are pre-occupied with the recession and financial problems.
B there is more widespread interest in the environmental agenda than they anticipated.
C consumer spending has increased significantly as a result of ‘green' pressure.
D shoppers are displeased with government policies on a range of issues.
As the text clearly states, politicians who believe that consumers are no longer concerned with environmental issues have misjudged the public mood. The answer is right there before us. This is how the IELTS test works. The right answer is "B".
There are a few exceptions to this rule, as we shall see in a bit. But at least we now know our task. Our task is not to master or memorize the information before us; it is to know what sort of information the IELTS test makers are looking for. Since we know all the answers will be there before us, we just need to know how to look for them as we read. If we know what to look for as we read, we can find answers before we even know what the questions are.
B. Vocabulary—Context Is Key
Due to the very specific nature of the IELTS articles there is bound to be much vocabulary unfamiliar to the reader. This should not be a cause for concern. In fact, the IELTS test makers seem to have designed the test so that vocabulary does not become a problem at all. Once we know a few certain principles about dealing with vocabulary, these test passages will not seem difficult at all.
Of course, the best way to prepare for this examination is to increase your vocabulary level. An excellent way for doing this is to read extensively.
Since the IELTS sources are all business or science oriented, study of business journals, newspapers, and articles on specific societal trends is ideal. Yet, our time is too limited to read all the time. We cannot master the entire English vocabulary.
A much simpler method is to use another one of our golden rules to deal with the IELTS vocabulary. This rule is: context is key. One of the features of the IELTS test is that, in reality, the vocabulary used in a certain text does not need to be mastered. All of the information necessary to deal with unfamiliar words will be given within the reading passage itself.
For example, the IELTS test makers love to introduce a difficult word as part of the topic of one of the reading passages. Take the word "biometrics" for example. Very few English speakers know this word, as it is relatively new and not very frequently used. Yet, the test makers do not simply give us this word with no explanation. "Biometrics" is defined within the text for us. We are told that it is a "little-know but fast-growing technology that involves the use of physical or biological characteristics to identify individuals." Thus, the meaning is given to us. If we pay close attention and don't forget our golden rule—context is key—we will always be able to find the definitions of these potentially unfamiliar words. It is as if the IELTS test makers are being nice to us.
Take an article about port cities for example. Again, most English speakers can probably not distinguish between a port and a harbour. These words might be potentially problematic. But what will the IELTS test makers do to make it easier? They will clearly define the two terms within the article. "Harbour is a physical concept, a shelter for ships; port is an economic concept, a center of land-sea exchange which requires good access to a hinterland even more than a sea-linked foreland." The two confusing terms are cleared up before any questions about either are asked. The IELTS test makers would not give us words so important to the text without defining them for us. The test taker should not worry. Just read carefully, find these definitions from context, and there will be no problems.
There are times, it must be admitted, when very specific questions concerning tricky vocabulary are asked. Here, too, the IELTS test makers are merciful. This sort of question is best illustrated through example. In the following excerpt we read:
"The genetic inheritance a baby receives from its parents at the moment of conception fixes much of its later development, determining characteristics as varied as whether it will have blue eyes or suffer from a life-threatening illness such as cystic fibrosis...In 1986, American researchers identified the genetic defect underlying one type of muscular dystrophy. In 1989, a team of American and Canadian biologists announced that they had found the site of the gene which, when defective, gives rise to cystic fibrosis."
If we are asked to complete the following sentence:
"The second success of research into genetic defect was to find the cause of..."
As the passage states, the missing word in this sentence is "cystic fibrosis".
Although we may have no idea what "cystic fibrosis" is, we don't need to. (In fact the term is defined earlier in the article.) All we need to do is understand the context surrounding the word. We can treat "cystic fibrosis" as if it were the variable x in a mathematic equation. We don't need to know what it is or how to define it. Knowing how it relates to other words is important enough.
The IELTS test makers would never ask us something like, "Why is cystic fibrosis a genetic defect?" This would require us to master the word. Instead, the IELTS examination tests our ability to understand things in context. Once we understand this golden rule we won't get nervous when we see a new word. We know that it will either be defined for us, or we will only need to understand it within context. Knowing this, we can read and answer questions confidently.
This principle—context is key—can also be applied in one other way. The IELTS test makers sometimes use difficult expressions or even colloquial terms that will not be tested directly. Still, these terms are essential to understanding the passage as a whole. For example, in the following passage, we are told:
"The consumer research manager for Mintel, Angela Hughes, said it (environmental consumerism) has become firmly established as a mainstream market. She explained that as far as the average person is concerned environmentalism has not ‘gone off the boil'. In fact, it has spread across a much wider range of consumer groups, ages and occupations."
The term "gone off the boil" is only used in Britain. It is unfamiliar to many English and probably will be so to the test taker. But, as in our previous examples, context lets us understand this term.
By paying close attention to the conjunctions and words around the phrase we can guess its meaning. The phrase "in fact" is a good clue. In this sentence for example, the phrase "in fact" lets us know that what we expected did not happen. Instead, what happened was the growth of environmental consumerism. So what was expected to happen, therefore, must have been the decline of interest in environmental consumerism. Without fully understanding the term "off the boil", we now know that it means the lessening of interest (in environmental causes).
This method of looking at context is not limited to use with colloquial expressions. Whenever we see expressions like "but", "however", "on the other hand", and "instead", we know that what was just stated is now being contradicted or denied. When we see terms like "as well", "in addition", and "moreover", we know that support is being given to the previous phrase. Pay close attention to the word choice of a sentence. Context is key. With this principle, everything will become clear.
C. What Are the Answers—Hotspots
Lists, survey data, experiment results, numbers, dates and other such information are the "hotspots" of an IELTS test. In other words, when we encounter these things within a text, we should immediately take note. These will be our tools for tracking down the answers to particular questions. Typically IELTS test questions will ask you to do no more than repeat information provided in the text. It is not essential to remember this information. There is too much to remember anyway. All we must do is to find this information. Yet, in the process of finding it, there are certain methods that are faster than others.
Primarily, we should use things like dates, numbers, and symbols (things like $,&,etc.). These things really stand out as you look at a page and are thus easily located. If you see a reference in one of the questions to the figure "$444,000", you now know the answer to this question will be located next to that same figure in the text. If you find that number, you have found the answer to this question. This fact is what makes these hotspots so important. If you see a reference in the question to "1937", for example, this date will be very easy to find in the article. Next to this date, you will find the answer. This method works so well because the test questions of the IELTS are so specific.
Take the following except for example:
"The changing awareness has been most marked in English-speaking countries, where the revelation has gradually dawned that by no means everyone in the world knows English well enough to negotiate in it. This is especially a problem when English is not an official language of public administration, as in most parts of the Far East, Russia, Eastern Europe, the Arab world, Latin America and French-speaking Africa."
Once we see this list of country names, a typical hotspot, we should immediately take note. Why should we take note? Although there are no numbers or data, there are many proper nouns. These proper nouns, in this case, country names, are very easy to find in the text. The surrounding words may be hard to scan—you might have to stop and read them to make sense of them—but hotspots are very easy to find. Here there are far too many countries to remember. We don't have to, however. In fact, we might not even read this section. We will scan our text and our questions for hotspots, and then use them to find the answers.
Sure enough, here is a question asking, "An example of a part of the world where people may have difficulty in negotiating in English is..." Reading this question, we are immediately aware they are looking for a country name. Since we have already noted our potential hotspot, it is no trouble to turn the page and find it. Any country will do. We fill in the blank with "Latin America," for example, and are done. Using our hotspot method, we guessed the answer before we even knew the question.
This method of finding hotspots will be even clearer after we discuss our next golden rule—Scan, Scan, Read, Read.
D. Reading Methods—Scan, Scan, Read, Read
The articles used in the IELTS examination are very difficult and very time consuming. The test taker may not be able to completely finish the entire passage in the given amount of time. Do not worry. There are certain tips that can be used to guide you through the text to the right answers. Let us explain this to you as we walk you through the IELTS test.
What should you do immediately after beginning the reading comprehension section of the IELTS examination? First, briefly scan the passage. Look for things that do not change, things that stand out, like dates, numbers, and place names. These specific things—our hotspots—are very easy to see on the page. A number, "$444,000" for example, is very easy to see. First glance at all of these areas and try to retain an idea of where they are located within the text. Do not read the text at this point. Simply scan it. By this we mean, just glance over it, spending a few brief moments to pick out the most visible details and making a note indicating where they lay.
Next, scan over the questions. Are any numbers or dates included in these questions? If there are, the answer should be easy to find. Let us review very briefly. Using the unchanging elements of the questions—things like dates, amounts of money, and proper names—we can locate the answer. Some people like to call this the "nutcracker" method. If we can find unchanging elements of the reading passages, we can use them to crack open the figurative "nut". This nut is our answer. These unchanging elements are our hotspots, easily recognized in the text and effortlessly found.
After you scan the questions, return to the reading passage. Here we actually read the passage. However, we still do not take the time to read the entire passage. This time simply read the first and last sentence of each paragraph. This will give us a very good idea where information is to be located in an article. We will now know which paragraph deals with this particular topic, and all information concerning that topic will be found there. This means that we can now locate answers easily within the text. We will discuss this more in just a bit.
Now, having read the first and last sentence of each paragraph, we return to the questions. This time we do more than scan the questions; we read them. After reading the questions，we know exactly what they relate to. Knowing this, we can begin to find the answers. After all, the answers are all there in front of us. Our hotspots and familiarity with the main topic of each paragraph should help us find these answers with ease.
Even if we still cannot find the answer through our hotspots method, we now have a pretty good idea where it may be. Although we may still have to look for that particular answer, we by now should know which paragraph it is located in. Having read the first and last sentence of each paragraph should allow us to do this easily. If the information is not given in the first or last sentence of a paragraph, then next examine the example given in that paragraph. This is an extremely important step， in most cases, the information will be given here. So if you see a reference to a particular company, country, or even individual, begin by inspecting that section；the answer is likeliest to be found there.
If, after having read the first sentence, the last sentence, and the example of a paragraph, you still have not found the answer, only then should you read the entire paragraph. Importantly, this is the first time we actually read an entire section of the passage. Actually reading the entire text is a last resort step. Since we know our time is limited, and we have no need to actually read the entire test passage, we should only resort to this step if we still haven't found the answer. Even here, we do not read the entire reading passage. We simple read the relevant paragraph, which we will have found through our examinations of the examples.
It should be emphasized that most questions will be of a specific nature and most likely found through the use of our hotspots. If the question is of a broader nature, the question will typically indicate to you the paragraphs it is referring to. Thus first read the opening and concluding sentences of the paragraph, then the example, and, only if still needed, the entire paragraph. On a larger scale, however, the best method is scan the text, scan the questions, read the first and last sentences of each paragraph, and then read the questions. Scan, scan, read, read.
E. Mental Map
Another method of dealing with the extremely large amount of information given in each IELTS reading passage is to make a mental map. By "mental map", we mean that as you scan the text try to remember where certain topics are located. You construct for yourself a mental image of where these topics were raised. Then when you later have to answer a specific question about this topic, you can easily find the area in the text that the topic is mentioned in. Since there is simply no method to memorize all the information given, even for a native English speaker, this principle in use with the other principles already introduced will aid us in finding information. Although we have identified many hotspots that will help us find answers, we should still remind ourselves to get an overall picture of the text.
In order to answer the test questions, one will need to make constant reference to the text. As we know, time is a very real problem. To try and re-read the text and find a specific passage would be silly. If one knows approximately where a topic was mentioned, however, finding specific information becomes very easy. So, as you scan the text and read the two important sentences in every paragraph, try to maintain an idea of where certain topics were mentioned. If you know this, finding specific examples will be much easier.
Remember：as you move on to a new reading passage forget this old mental map. Relax, move on, and do not carry this information on to the next reading passage.As you scan this new passage, remind yourself to locate certain topics as they are mentioned in the text, and retain a vague sense of where they are located.
F. Chronological Order
Another distinguishing feature of the IELTS examination is that the test questions normally follow a certain order. We know that scanning for details and taking note of hotspots are essential. If we also realize that all IELTS test questions follow the order of the text itself, finding certain details becomes very easy.
IELTS test questions are arranged in chronological order. In other words, questions concerning earlier sections of the reading passage will come before questions concerning later sections. If the answer to question #3, for example, is found in the fourth paragraph, then we know that the answer to question #4 will be found in a later paragraph.
Why is this useful to know? Well, as we have just explained, you will need to make constant reference to the text. Knowing the general location of a test answer will help you find it much quicker. This knowledge, combined with our familiarity with the text as a result of our scanning, and our notes of certain hotspots, will greatly increase our speed. As the answers are all right in front of us, finding them quickly is essential.
G. Ignore Your Background Knowledge
As we have repeatedly stated, the answers you need are all in front of you. Not only do you not need to rely on your background knowledge in a particular subject, to do so may actually harm you. How can that be so? Isn't knowledge always a good thing to have?
Not necessarily. There is one section of the IELTS—True/False/Not Given (Yes/No/Not Given)—that seeks to test your ability to gather information from the article. In this section (which we will discuss at more detail in just a bit) you are given a series of statements. If the facts in the article confirm these statements, you choose "True". If the facts in the article contradict the given statement, you will answer "False."
There are some statements that are clearly true. These are things you might know from elementary school. They seem obvious and the answer must certainly be "True". Yet, since these facts are not discussed in the article, the answer must be "Not Given". It does not matter if you know this statement to be absolutely true. You might have read an article about it yesterday, but since this information is not given in the IELTS reading passage, you must answer "Not Given". If you choose "True", you will get the question wrong.
Please note: this principle does not apply only to the choice between "True" and "Not Given". Take the following sentence as an example, "The difference in initiation rates between male and female smokers at the turn of the 19th century was due to selective marketing." Many test takers may know that at the turn of the 19th century, for a woman to smoke was considered impolite. It was considered unladylike. Thus, they may mistakenly believe that the cause for the difference in initiation rates was due to societal pressures and not marketing trends. Using this logic, they might answer "False".
This answer, however, is based only upon background knowledge. The text clearly states two facts. Primarily, at the turn of the 19th century, "Marketing strategies included painted billboards and an extensive distribution of coupons, which a recipient could redeem for free cigarettes...Some brands included soft-porn pictures of women in the packages to sell their products to young males." Secondly, the text says, "it was not until the mid-1920s that social mores permitted cigarette advertising to focus on women." Clearly, selective marketing influenced the difference in initiation rates of male and female smokers at the turn of the 19th century. The answer is "True".
The problem of background knowledge is not limited to the True/False/Not Given (Yes/No/Not Given) section alone. In the multiple choice and sentence completion sections as well, be careful to make your answer based upon the text and not on your own knowledge. Don't forget—ignore your background knowledge.
Ⅴ. Individual Sections of the Test
Now that we have discussed the basic principles that can be used in any section of the IELTS examination. Let us now look at the individual sections of the test. There are eight different types of test questions with some specific examples. Although there are unique methods for dealing with each of the sections individually, don't forget our seven golden rules. These are our tools; these are our methods for raising our test scores.
A. Sentence Completion
Sentence completion test questions are one of the easier types of test questions on the IELTS examination. Questions of this type will provide a sentence based upon the reading passage to the test taker. This sentence will be missing one to three words. The test taker's task is to fill in the blank space with the appropriate word. As we know, all the answers are in front of us. This section of the IELTS examination, like many others, tests our ability to find answers. We already know several principles to help us do so. Therefore, questions of this variety should not be difficult.
A typical example of the completion test question is found in the following passage:
PRACTICE READING PASSAGE ONE
IMPLEMENTING THE CYCLE OF SUCCESS: A CASE STUDY
Within Australia, Australian Hotels Inc operates nine hotels and employees over 2000 permanent full-time staff, 300 permanent part-time employees and 100 casual staff. One of its latest ventures, the Sydney Airport Hotel opened in March 1995. The hotel is the closest to Sydney Airport and is designed to provide the best available accommodation, food and beverage and meeting facilities in Sydney's southern suburbs. Similar to many international hotel chains, however, AHI has experienced difficulties in Australia in providing long-term profits for hotel owners, as a result of the country's high labour-cost structure. In order to develop an economically viable hotel organisation model, AHI decided to implement some new policies and practices at SAH.
The first of the initiatives was an organisational structure with only three levels of management—compared to the traditional seven. Partly as a result of this change, there are 25 per cent fewer management positions, enabling a significant saving. This change also has other implications. Communication, both up and down the organisation, has greatly improved. Decision-making has been forced down in many cases to front-line employees. As a result, guest requests are usually met without reference to a supervisor, improving both customer and employee satisfaction.
The hotel also recognisd that it would need a different approach to selecting employees who would fit in with its new policies. In its advertisements, the hotel stated a preference for people with some "service" experience in order to minimise traditional work practices being introduced into the hotel. Over 7000 applicants filled in application forms for the 120 jobs initially offered at SAH. The balance of the positions at the hotel (30 management and 49 shift leader positions) were predominantly filled by transfers from other AHI properties.
A series of tests and interviews were conducted with potential employees, which eventually left 280 applicants competing for the 120 advertised positions. After the final interview, potential recruits were divided into three categories. Category A was for applicants exhibiting strong leadership qualities, Category C was for applicants perceived to be followers, and Category B was for applicants with both leader and follower qualities. Department heads and shift leaders then composed prospective teams using a combination of people from all three categories. Once suitable teams were formed, offers of employment were made to team members.
Another major initiative by SAH was to adopt a totally multi-skilled workforce. Although there may be some limitations with highly technical jobs such as cooking or maintenance, wherever possible, employees at SAH are able to work in a wide variety of positions. A multi-skilled workforce provides far greater management flexibility during peak and quiet times to transfer employees to needed positions. For example, when office staff are away on holidays during quiet periods of the year, employees in either food or beverage or housekeeping departments can temporarily fill in.
The most crucial way, however, of improving the labour cost structure at SAH was to find better, more productive ways of providing customer service. SAH management concluded this would first require a process of "benchmarking". The prime objective of the benchmarking process was to compare a range of service delivery processes across a range of criteria using teams made up of employees from different departments within the hotel which interacted with each other. This process resulted in performance measures that greatly enhanced SAH's ability to improve productivity and quality.
The front office team discovered through this project that a high proportion of AHI Club member reservations were incomplete. As a result, the service provided to these guests was below the standard promised to them as part of their membership agreement. Reducing the number of incomplete reservations greatly improved guest perceptions of service.
In addition, a program modelled on an earlier project called "Take Charge" was implemented. Essentially, Take Charge provides an effective feedback loop from both customers and employees. Customers' comments, both positive and negative, are recorded by staff. These are collated regularly to identify opportunities for improvement. Just as importantly, employees are requested to note down their own suggestions for improvement. (AHI has set an expectation that employees will submit at least three suggestions for every one they receive from a customer.) Employee feedback is reviewed daily and suggestions are implemented within 48 hours, if possible, or a valid reason is given for non-implementation. If suggestions require analysis or data collection, the Take Charge team has 30 days in which to address the issue and come up with recommendations.
Although quantitative evidence of AHI's initiatives at SAH are limited at present, anecdotal evidence clearly suggests that these practices are working. Indeed AHI is progressively rolling out these initiatives in other hotels in Australia, whilst numerous overseas visitors have come to see how the program works.
EXERCISE 1
Choose the appropriate letters A-D according to the above reading passage.
1. The high costs of running AHI's hotels are related to their
A. management.
B. size.
C. staff.
