Good training plays an essential role in the development of an efficient workplace. Ensuring that employees receive the appropriate skills training for their job is the type of preparation that future success in business is predicated on. Seeking out experienced guidance better enables businesses to compete and succeed. Gainful employment is made even more worthwhile with help from Train to Gain. Funded by the Government, Train to Gain is a service that's managed by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). Its purpose is to help businesses throughout England to choose the best and most suitable training to meet the needs of their particular environment and a competitive global marketplace. Train to Gain is responsible for introducing employers to independent and experienced Skills Brokers who identify and form a range of services vital to a productive working atmosphere. These Skills Brokers offer advice, match any training needs identified with training providers and will ensure that training is delivered to meet business needs. Train to Gain Skills Brokers review and analyze the employer's business needs to assess what skills are needed both now and in the future. The next step is the selection of the right training providers and the choice of how and when the training is delivered. A Train to Gain Skills Broker will recommend the best funding options available to the business and Train to Gain may even provide some funding itself to organizations. Over 43,000 companies have already engaged with the Train to Gain service. As a result, more than 175,000 employees have begun their training with over 77,000 first full Level 2 achievements over the past 12 months. By the end of 2013 it is expected that over 500,000 learners will have achieved a first full Level 2 qualification through Train to Gain. The service will increase the opportunity for employees from a low skills base to reach Level 2 and beyond. For more information about Train to Gain, visit traintogain.gov.uk, call 0800 015 55 45 or visit a Skills... The passage most probably is a   _  . A) business report B) news story C) business advertisement D) research report
C

Last year, my boyfriend suggested that I should run the London marathon, and I laughed. He laughed too, but he laughed too long and too loud. That made me think. I realized that he didn't believe that I could do it. That made me angry, and determined. Now he knows that I can! Training wasn't easy, but I kept going. I didn't need special training but I did need to buy very good shoes. Each day, I went a little further. By the end of three months, I was running five days a week. Sometimes in the evenings I ran 10 km; on Sunday mornings, I sometimes ran about 30 km. I used to come home, have a shower and eat my breakfast. I felt wonderful! On the day of the race in London, I lined up with about 30,000 other runners. The faster runners were at the front, while slower runners like me were placed further back. In that way, the professional runners and club runners were not slowed down by the amateurs. At first, there were so many runners close together that we were almost falling over each other. We could only run very slowly but that was a good thing because it meant that we didn't rush off too quickly. Gradually the runners spread out and there was more space. There were thousands of people watching us along the route and they cheered and clapped everyone, even the slowest runner. It was wonderful! For the first 10 km I felt very happy and my legs felt very comfortable. However, at 15 km I got a pain in my side and running became difficult, but I kept going and the pain disappeared. At the 30 km mark, I felt extremely tired, and wanted to stop, but I kept on going. I covered another 3 km and then I began to feel better again. By the time I reached the 35 km mark, I knew I was going to get to the end of the course. Somehow that confidence made me feel lighter and faster and it seemed as if my legs flew over the last few kilometers. I passed hundreds of slower runners, some of whom had passed me earlier, and I felt wonderful! As I came round the last bend and saw the finishing line, I could see three runners ahead... The hardest time for the writer was when she    _    . A) had run for 15 kilometers B) got a pain in her side C) reached the 30 kilometer mark D) was about to reach the finish line
C

"Can't hold a candle to" is a popular expression. It is from the time before electricity, when people used candles for light. Someone who lived in a big house would have a servant light his way by holding a candle. The expression meant that the person who cannot hold a candle to you is not fit even to be your servant. "Hold out" is an expression one hears often in sports reports and labor news. It means refusing to play or work. Professional football and baseball players hold out if their team refuses to pay them what they think they are worth. Members of labor unions hold out and refuse to work until they get the work agreement they want. The expression "hold up" has several different meanings. One is a robbery. A man with a gun may say, "This is a hold up. Give me your money." Another meaning is to delay. A driver late for work may tell his boss, "I was held up by heavy traffic." Someone who was robbed on the way to work might say, "Sorry, boss, I was held up by a hold up." Still another meaning of the expression is for a story to be considered true after an investigation. The same driver late for work could say, "My boss did not believe a hold up held me up. But the police confirmed what I said so my story held up." "Hold on" is another expression. Often it means wait or stop. As you leave for school, your brother may say, "Hold on, you forgot your book." Hold on is also used to ask a telephone caller to wait and not hang up his telephone. Suppose a stranger comes to ask you something when you are talking to your friends on the Phone in the street. What will you say to your friend? A) Hold a candle. B) Hold out. C) Hold up D) Hold on.

D