Practice 9
Millions of elderly Germans received a notice from the Health & Social Security Ministry earlier this month that struck a damaging blow to the welfare state. The statement informed them that their pensions were being cut. The reductions come as a stop-gap measure to control Germany's ballooning pension crisis. Not surprisingly, it was an unwelcome change for senior citizens such as Sabine Wetzel, a 67-year-old retired bank teller, who was told that her state pension would be cut by $12.30 a month. “It was a real shock,” she says.” My pension had always gone up in the past.”
There's more bad news on the way. On March 11, Germany's lower house of Parliament passed a bill gradually cutting state pensions- which have been rising steadily since World War Ⅱ— from 53% of average wages now to 46% by 2020. And Germany is not alone. Governments across Western Europe are racing to curb pension benefits. In Italy, the government plans to rise the minimum retirement age from 57 to 60, while France will require that civil servants put in 40 years rather than 37.5 to qualify for a full pension. The reforms are coming despite tough opposition from unions, leftist politicians, and pensioners' groups.
Practice 2 ● Read this note you have received from your boss.
Mary Brown at Head Office called to invite staff from our branch to have a tour round their new building. Could you reply? 20 people definitely want to go.
She wants to know which departments we’d be most interested in seeing. She didn’t say anything about what time the tour would start. Could you please check?
Thanks.
● Write an email to Ms Brown:
● thanking her for the invitation to Head Office
● telling her how many people are planning to go
● saying which departments people would like to see
● asking about the time of the visit.
● Write 60-80 words on your Answer Sheet.
● Do not include postal addresses.
Which of these best describes the actions taken when a VTP message is received on a switch configuredwith the VTP mode "transparent"?()
As per the standing orders,you should carry out all the following operations except()upon having received words that a person has fallen overboard.
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The temperature of the fuel oil received during bunkering operations is critical in determining the()
I received his mother’s telephone call at eleven. _____ that he was badly hurt in an accident yesterday.
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It was as a physician that he represented himself, and ______ he was warmly received.