Sample English test
Read carefully the text below and answer the questions.
From Farm Boy To Billionaire: Harry Stine's 7 Insights For Entrepreneurs
By: Alex Morrell - Forbes Staff *
From his inauspicious headquarters in Adel, Iowa (pop. 4,000), Harry Stine has accumulated a $3 billion fortune
by revolutionizing the agriculture industry. He owns Stine Seed, the largest private seed company in the world and the
developer of some of the most valuable agricultural products on Earth. Long the king of soybean genetics, the 72-yearold hasn’t grown tired of tinkering and rethinking his industry, and his latest innovations to corn genetics could help
double the output of the world’s most popular crop. To Stine, who grew up in poverty on the same farmland his empire
resides today, entrepreneurship and innovation is second-nature. Stine is a frequent guest at entrepreneurial summits
and gatherings in his home state. Here are some of the tips and business insights that have contributed to Stine’s prolific
career and could benefit entrepreneurs anywhere:
1. Get a Liberal Arts Degree
Stine graduated from McPherson College - a small liberal arts school in Kansas. Many courses he took didn’t immediately
apply to the work he did on his father’s farm after graduating. But over the course of his career, he’s often benefited
from knowledge he gleaned from different classes. “I strongly think that a wide, diverse background is advantageous for
an entrepreneur,” Stine says. None was more significant than the one business law course he took. Stine was the first in
his industry to protect the intellectual property of the plants he was breeding via legal contract - long before full patent
protection existed. It has frequently resulted in legal confrontation - including lawsuits with multinational conglomerates.
Stine almost always wound up on top, due in large part to Stine’s legal strategy. “Almost every day, part of the day is
dedicated to contracts or litigation. Every single day,” he says.
2. Be Born An Entrepreneur
Understanding the genetics behind plants and soybeans has made Stine Seed a quietly dominant company. But it’s not
that kind of genetics that Stine credits for his success. Instead, he says it was genetic gift of entrepreneurial spirit,
something that people inherit in the same way they might their height or athletic ability. “You can’t make an
entrepreneur out of a person who doesn’t have some inclination in that direction. People tend not to understand that,”
Stine says. Environment and conditioning certainly contribute - even the most athletically gifted can’t make
a professional basketball career without proper guidance and training - but your DNA ultimately controls whether you’ve
got the capacity for it.
*http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexmorrell/2014/03/28/from-farm-boy-to-billionaire-harry-stines-7-insights-for-entrepreneurs/
Questions
I . Decide whether statements about the text above are True or False.
Stine never liked school and that the knowledge he learned have no practical use for him.
Chose one
The headquarters are situated in a very promising and successful city of Adel, Iowa.
Chose one
Stine credits his success to his DNA and genetics.
Chose one
Entrepreneurs are born not made.
Chose one
II. Match what people are saying about the economy with what the experts say.
People
Experts
Things seem to be getting a bit better at last
– better than last year at any rate.
Chose one
At least prices aren’t going up as quickly as they used to.
Chose one
But things are still far too expensive.
Chose one
The problem nowadays is that no one can get a job.
Chose one
The government just won’t put any money into business.
Chose one
III. Business Idioms – Match the idiom on the left with it’s meaning on the right.
The performance was amazing; it took behind the scenes work to make it happen.
Chose one
We go the extra mile to make sure our guests are comfortable.
Chose one
Well, John, it's 7:00 and I'm getting hungry. How about we call it a day?
Chose one
My uncle started his own company from the ground up.
Chose one
In a nutshell, this book is about how to motivate employees.
Chose one
IV. Socializing: Match the sentences. Use each phrase once only
Are there any questions regarding this?
Chose one
Could I ask you for a favor?
Chose one
I need those reports asap.
Chose one
Please join me in welcoming Jack Peterson.
Chose one
Let’s pick up where we left off.
Chose one
Test
key
Test Key
I . Decide whether statements about the text above are True or False.
Stine never liked school and that the knowledge he learned have no practical use for him.
False
The headquarters are situated in a very promising and successful city of Adel, Iowa.
False
Stine credits his success to his DNA and genetics.
True
Entrepreneurs are born not made.
True
II. Match what people are saying about the economy with what the experts say.
People
Experts
Things seem to be getting a bit better at last
– better than last year at any rate.
There are signs that the recession is coming to an end
and that economic recovery is on the way
At least prices aren’t going up as quickly as they used to.
The rate of inflation is going down.
But things are still far too expensive.
The cost of living is high.
The problem nowadays is that no one can get a job.
Unemployment is high.
The government just won’t put any money into business.
Public investment is weak.
III. Business Idioms – Match the idiom on the left with it’s meaning on the right.
The performance was amazing; it took behind the scenes work to make it happen.
We go the extra mile to make sure our guests are comfortable.
Happening out of view
Do more than needed
Well, John, it's 7:00 and I'm getting hungry. How about we call it a day?
Stop working
My uncle started his own company from the ground up.
From nothing
In a nutshell, this book is about how to motivate employees.
Summary
IV. Socializing: Match the sentences. Use each phrase once only
Are there any questions regarding this?
Could I ask you for a favor?
I need those reports asap.
Please join me in welcoming Jack Peterson.
Let’s pick up where we left off.
I don’t follow, can you repeat that?
Sure, but depends what it is.
They will be on your desk by today.
Thank you for having me.
I don’t remember what that was.