GT IELTS Collection 1 Reading Test 14

The Horizon Newspaper Travel Writing Competition

We are thrilled to announce the return of our annual travel writing competition, offering you the chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime travel assignment in Finnish Lapland.

Are you passionate about exploring new places and sharing your stories? If so, our annual travel writing competition, run by the Travel section of The Horizon Newspaper, is for you. This competition is your platform to chronicle your journeys—whether they take you across the globe or just around the corner.

Each month will feature a new travel theme. Our travel writing team, joined by a special guest author, will select one winner whose article will be published on The Horizon Newspaper website.

Every monthly winner will receive:

A £200 travel voucher to fund your next adventure.

An exclusive, leather-bound Horizon journal.

Inclusion in our special end-of-year digital anthology showcasing all 12 winning pieces.

To ensure a fair playing field for our readers, this competition is exclusively open to amateur writers who have not previously worked as professional journalists or published authors. Entrants must be legal residents of the UK at the time of submission.

The Grand Prize: Finnish Lapland

At the end of the year, our judging panel will select one Grand Prize winner from the 12 monthly finalists.

The overall winner will embark on a spectacular four-night trip to Finnish Lapland. Every part of the trip is designed to give you rich, first-hand material for your very own travel feature. Guided by local experts, you will immerse yourself in the region’s breathtaking winter landscapes, rich culture, and exhilarating outdoor pursuits.

Your trip includes:

Return flights from the UK.

Four nights of premium accommodation with full board.

Specialist cold-weather clothing and wilderness equipment for the duration of the trip.

Excursions led by fully qualified wilderness guides.

One-on-one editorial support and mentoring from The Horizon travel team.

As the Grand Prize winner, you will be commissioned to write a feature article about your Lapland experience to be published in the print and digital Travel sections of The Horizon Newspaper. To ensure the visual storytelling matches your writing, you will either be provided with a high-quality digital camera for the duration of the trip or be accompanied by a professional Horizon staff photographer.

(Please note: The Horizon Newspaper reserves the right to edit the final article as necessary for publication. The winner will receive a full byline alongside their published work.)

Headphones for runners

A good soundtrack can make a run feel easier and a gym session more enjoyable. Below are several headphones that active users may want to consider.

A. AquaBeat Stream

These are the kind of headphones that can quickly spoil you for other models. As well as being wireless, they are waterproof to a depth of two metres and come with a built-in MP3 player that can store up to 1,000 songs. Battery life is limited, however, at around one hour per charge.

B. Tempo Lite

While the audio quality is nothing special, it is good enough for everyday exercise. The cable includes a simple remote, so changing or pausing tracks mid-workout is straightforward.

C. Ranger ProFit

Durability is the main selling point here. You can drop these into your gym bag after training without worrying too much about damage. They also offer decent sound and a remarkable eight-hour battery life.

D. Apex Air

Runners who are happy to pay more may find these a very appealing option. The audio is clear and sharp, and the lightweight design makes them comfortable enough to wear for long periods.

E. Pulse Vibe

With their sleek look and punchy bass, these headphones can help bring more energy to your run. Their tangle-resistant cable is another useful feature, especially when you are in a hurry to get going.

F. Budget Buds

For buyers on a tight budget, these are a sensible choice. They offer acceptable sound quality for the price and include a storage pouch, which makes them easier to carry around.

G. Velocity Sport

These are designed with movement in mind. Even during hard runs or intense workouts, they stay comfortably in place. A remote and microphone are included for calls, and light splashes of water should not be a problem.

Types of Training in Business

The type of training a business provides is influenced by several factors, including the resources it can devote to employee development, the nature of its operations and the priority placed on training by senior management. Although training may require an initial investment of time and money, it can improve productivity, reduce costly errors and help employees adapt more effectively to their roles.

One common category is technical training, which equips employees with the technological knowledge required to perform their work. In a logistics company, for example, warehouse operatives may need instruction in using scanning systems to register incoming and outgoing stock accurately. Hotel receptionists, meanwhile, are often trained to manage reservations through property-management software. As many businesses increasingly rely on digital systems, technical training must also be updated whenever new equipment or software is introduced.

Quality training is particularly important in organisations centred on manufacturing or production. Its purpose is to familiarise employees with methods of preventing, identifying and eliminating goods that fail to meet the required standards. Staff may be taught how to inspect raw materials, recognise defects and report recurring problems before large quantities of faulty products are produced. Since quality can distinguish one company from its competitors, employees must understand both the standards they are expected to maintain and the action to take when those standards are not met. Effective quality training can reduce waste, returns, and repair costs while also protecting the company’s reputation. Consistently high standards may therefore provide an edge in the marketing of the product.

Skills training focuses on the practical abilities needed to carry out the job itself. A hairdresser, for instance, may receive instruction in different colouring techniques, whereas a bank employee might learn how to explain loan options clearly and guide customers through the application process. Similarly, a barista must know not only how to operate coffee-making equipment but also what procedures to follow when an order has been prepared incorrectly. This kind of training often includes demonstrations, supervised practice and feedback, allowing employees to improve their performance before working independently.

Another important category is soft-skills training. Soft skills are the personal qualities and habits that influence how effectively individuals interact with others. Employers increasingly seek staff who combine technical competence with strong communication and interpersonal skills, such as attentive listening and collaboration. In healthcare and travel settings, employees may also need to demonstrate empathy, remain composed under pressure and reassure anxious clients. These abilities are especially valuable when dealing with complaints or other emotionally demanding situations. Because soft skills shape almost every interaction with colleagues and customers, they play a central role in teamwork, customer satisfaction and the overall reputation of a business.

The journey of a small enterprise

The instant you commit to launching a venture, you enter what is known as the 'business lifecycle'. Along this journey, you will advance from a mere concept to a newly founded company, and — provided things go well — continue onward into the expansion and maturity stages.

The first phase is Initial Development. This marks the earliest point in a company's existence. Having come up with a concept for your enterprise, you are now prepared to take the leap. Before committing, however, it is wise to gather as much feedback as you can from relatives, friends, coworkers, or any experts in the field you can reach. In the end, whether your venture thrives will depend on your personal capabilities, the condition of the marketplace, and naturally, the choices you make regarding how to fund your new company.

When you feel confident that your concept is fully prepared for launch, you proceed to the second phase: Startup. This is widely regarded as the most hazardous point in the whole cycle, because errors committed at this stage may still be felt years down the line. Drawing on the responses of your earliest clients, you must remain willing to modify what you offer. You may even reach a stage where the sheer number of alterations leaves you somewhat uncertain about the direction you are taking. There is no need for concern — this sense of confusion will fade as your enterprise matures.

The third phase is Establishment. At this point, your earnings should be climbing gradually but consistently, though you may find it difficult to allocate your limited time across the increasing pressures of running the company. Hiring suitable staff is crucial, which means you must play a leading role in the selection process. Your responsibility now is to begin creating structure and unity, organizing your workforce around objectives that are clearly set out and effectively communicated.

Once you reach the fourth phase, Expansion, profits may be climbing sharply, and you might be eager to push ahead. Nevertheless, you must remain alert to the dangers of growing too recklessly, and should monitor the extent to which scaling up could compromise the standard of what you deliver to your customers.

The fifth and final phase is Maturity. At this juncture, you might want to grow the enterprise even further. Numerous firms in this position appoint a fresh leader at this point to tackle the challenges that lie ahead. Alternatively, some business owners conclude that this is the right moment to dispose of the company and turn their attention to a fresh undertaking.

The Importance of Business Cards

The exchange of business cards is as close to a universal ritual as you can find in the business world.

The ritual may be universal, but the details of business cards and how they are swapped vary across countries. Americans throw their cards casually across a table; the Japanese make the exchange of cards a formal ceremony. While there are cards that are discreet and understated, others are crammed full of details and titles. Some businesspeople hand out 24-carat gold cards, and there are kindergarten children who have cards with not only their own contact details, but also with the job descriptions of their parents and even grandparents. This practice has become so common in parts of New York, for example, that the use of such cards is now prohibited by some kindergartens.

Cards have been around a long time in one form or another. The Chinese invented calling cards in the 15th century to give people notice that they intended to pay them a visit, but these were for social purposes only. Then, in the 17th century, European businesspeople invented a new type of card to act as miniature advertisements, signalling the advent of the business card. In today’s world, business cards can cause people to have strong emotional reactions. According to one experienced company director, very few things can provoke more heated discussion at a board meeting than the composition of the company’s business cards.

Lots of companies try to promote themselves by altering the form of the card. Employees at one famous toy company give out little plastic figures with their contact details stamped on them. One fast-food company has business cards which are shaped like a portion of French fries. A Canadian divorce lawyer once gave out cards that could be torn in two – one half for each of the spouses. For many business commentators, such gimmicky business cards prove that the use of a physical business card is nearly at an end. After all, why bother exchanging bits of thick paper at all when you can simply swap electronic versions by smartphone?

However, one can just as well argue the opposite: that business cards are here to stay, and, in a business world full of meetings and correspondence, it is more important than ever that your card is unique. Attempts to reinvent business cards for the digital age have not been successful. Digital options may include QR codes that open an online profile or smartphone apps that transfer contact details instantly between devices, without requiring a printed card. Yet even at the latest technology conferences, people still greet each other by handing out little rectangles made from paper rather than using a digital alternative.

To understand business cards, it is necessary to understand how business works. That business cards are thriving in a digital age is a forceful reminder that there is much about business that is timeless. According to Kate Jones, a business lecturer, there is one eternal and inescapable issue. Her 2006 study of more than 200 business executives in North America found that trust was the key element for running a successful business. It is vital to look someone in the eye and decide what sort of person they are. Such personal contact can transform acquaintanceships into relationships over the longer term.

A good proportion of business life will always involve building social connections, such as having dinner or playing sports with clients and colleagues. While computers can deal with administrative tasks, human beings must manage the emotional side. The advance of globalization makes this harder: managers put more effort into dealings with international counterparts, especially when they do not share a language. A UK survey found that global chief executives routinely spend three out of every four weeks on international travel. In these situations, cards quickly establish connections and strengthen memory of face-to-face meetings in a way that uniform electronic lists cannot.

Janet McIntyre, a leading expert on business cards today, maintains that as companies become more complex, cards are essential in showing the exact status of contacts in multinational corporations. Exchanging them is also an effective way of initiating a conversation, since it provides a ritual when people first meet. The business world is obsessed with creating and inventing new things that will change how we work, and such innovation does lead to progress. Nevertheless, Janet argues that some practices do not need to be changed, and that tradition has an equally valuable role. The exchange of business cards is therefore likely to continue.

The Importance of Business Cards

The exchange of business cards is as close to a universal ritual as you can find in the business world.

The ritual may be universal, but the details of business cards and how they are swapped vary across countries. Americans throw their cards casually across a table; the Japanese make the exchange of cards a formal ceremony. While there are cards that are discreet and understated, others are crammed full of details and titles. Some businesspeople hand out 24-carat gold cards, and there are kindergarten children who have cards with not only their own contact details, but also with the job descriptions of their parents and even grandparents. This practice has become so common in parts of New York, for example, that the use of such cards is now prohibited by some kindergartens.

Cards have been around a long time in one form or another. The Chinese invented calling cards in the 15th century to give people notice that they intended to pay them a visit, but these were for social purposes only. Then, in the 17th century, European businesspeople invented a new type of card to act as miniature advertisements, signalling the advent of the business card. In today’s world, business cards can cause people to have strong emotional reactions. According to one experienced company director, very few things can provoke more heated discussion at a board meeting than the composition of the company’s business cards.

Lots of companies try to promote themselves by altering the form of the card. Employees at one famous toy company give out little plastic figures with their contact details stamped on them. One fast-food company has business cards which are shaped like a portion of French fries. A Canadian divorce lawyer once gave out cards that could be torn in two – one half for each of the spouses. For many business commentators, such gimmicky business cards prove that the use of a physical business card is nearly at an end. After all, why bother exchanging bits of thick paper at all when you can simply swap electronic versions by smartphone?

However, one can just as well argue the opposite: that business cards are here to stay, and, in a business world full of meetings and correspondence, it is more important than ever that your card is unique. Attempts to reinvent business cards for the digital age have not been successful. Digital options may include QR codes that open an online profile or smartphone apps that transfer contact details instantly between devices, without requiring a printed card. Yet even at the latest technology conferences, people still greet each other by handing out little rectangles made from paper rather than using a digital alternative.

To understand business cards, it is necessary to understand how business works. That business cards are thriving in a digital age is a forceful reminder that there is much about business that is timeless. According to Kate Jones, a business lecturer, there is one eternal and inescapable issue. Her 2006 study of more than 200 business executives in North America found that trust was the key element for running a successful business. It is vital to look someone in the eye and decide what sort of person they are. Such personal contact can transform acquaintanceships into relationships over the longer term.

A good proportion of business life will always involve building social connections, such as having dinner or playing sports with clients and colleagues. While computers can deal with administrative tasks, human beings must manage the emotional side. The advance of globalization makes this harder: managers put more effort into dealings with international counterparts, especially when they do not share a language. A UK survey found that global chief executives routinely spend three out of every four weeks on international travel. In these situations, cards quickly establish connections and strengthen memory of face-to-face meetings in a way that uniform electronic lists cannot.

Janet McIntyre, a leading expert on business cards today, maintains that as companies become more complex, cards are essential in showing the exact status of contacts in multinational corporations. Exchanging them is also an effective way of initiating a conversation, since it provides a ritual when people first meet. The business world is obsessed with creating and inventing new things that will change how we work, and such innovation does lead to progress. Nevertheless, Janet argues that some practices do not need to be changed, and that tradition has an equally valuable role. The exchange of business cards is therefore likely to continue.