Read the text below and answer questions 7-14

Best UK bike brands[1]

A          Ribble Cycles

Ribble Cycles is a British bicycle company that was established all the way back in 1897. Throughout their earlier years, they were best known for their road bikes. These days, they sell a range of different types of bicycles to suit every need – be that racing or someone looking for an electric bike to commute to work on.

They are arguably the most well-known (as well as one of the best brands) for the great value for money that their bikes offer. Across their ranges, they offer solid componentry options for a reasonable price. This is one of the reasons they are so popular, and that business is booming for the Bamber Bridge-based company.

You also have the option to customise your build which proves very popular with customers. Although the bikes are all hand assembled in their unit in Lancashire, the bikes themselves are made in the Far East, the same as most big brands.

B          Brompton

Brompton is a truly iconic London-based folding bike company that was founded in 1976. Their simplicity and design are hard to match, and they offer arguably the most aesthetically pleasing folding bike on the market.

Currently, their folding bikes also come in an electric model which offers the luxury of assisted riding, convenient and helpful, what’s not to love? The rest of their range varies a lot in price, but overall, they are more midrange to luxury, always offering the highest of quality.

The brand itself mainly targets its bikes at commuters due to their folding capabilities, however, they have understandably become popular among those lacking storage space too. 

C          Orro Bikes

Founded all the way back in 1891, the Ditchling-based Orro Bikes produce quality and performance-based bikes which include road bikes, gravel bikes, and urban bikes.

Due to their focus being predominantly on quality and performance, the price range of these bikes is higher than the average bike. However, high-end road bikes are still popular among those who race or have the budget for such a bike.

As with many bicycle companies, Orro bikes seem to be mainly manufactured overseas, but they are designed and assembled within the United Kingdom.

D          Boardman

Named after and founded by the decorated ex-professional road and track cyclist Chris Boardman, the British bicycle company Boardman is a popular choice. Their availability is only with retail giant Halfords (as well as Tredz whom the Halfords group owns).

As a company their target is predominantly the mass market, however, it’s interesting to note that they do sell high-end road bikes, as well as cheaper hybrids and city bikes. Overall, as a brand they cater to pretty much everyone.

With regards to where the bikes are manufactured, this London-based company has their framesets made in Taiwan, and their bikes themselves are assembled within the UK.

London-based Mycycle is very new to the cycling market, having only started up around the pandemic, with the intent to put the “feel-good back into travel”. 

Although this brand sells electric bikes, they do offer many different styles of e-bikes such as folding and hybrid. Their main aim is to make electric bikes that are affordable, to encourage people to be healthier, and opt for sustainable travel by making it more accessible.

Their workshop in London, where they assemble their bikes, runs off 100% renewable energy to reduce their carbon footprint. At this time, it’s unclear exactly where their bike components are manufactured.

F          Enigma Bikes

Based near the beautiful South Downs in Sussex, Enigma Bikes was founded back in 2006. The company specialises in road, gravel, and mountain bikes, made from either steel or titanium.

Due to the materials they’re made from and the fact that Enigma bicycles are handcrafted, they do come with a bigger price tag than a standard mass-made bike. However, if ride quality and a beautiful bike are what you want, they’re a great company to consider for your next two-wheel machine.

As mentioned, the framesets are handmade in Sussex and assembled there as well. Therefore, you can be sure when buying from Enigma that you’re getting a proper, through-and-through British rig.

G         Whyte Bikes

Whyte Bikes is an award-winning company that was founded back in 1999 and is based in Hastings. Their main focus as a company is developing bikes that deliver both exceptional handling and performance.

Whyte Bikes offers a wide range of bikes across many different disciplines, including mountain bikes, gravel bikes, electric bikes, hybrids, and even kids’ bikes. Therefore, it’s safe to say they have a large part of the market covered. Their bikes are also well-priced for the quality you get, therefore they’re a great mid-range option.

With regards to where Whyte bikes are made, the bikes are assembled in the UK and again, as with bigger bike brands, their framesets are manufactured in Taiwan.

Read the text below and answer questions 15-22.

Resignation[1]

When an employee wants to resign

An employee can resign at any time by notifying the employer that they will be leaving and giving them the correct notice period.Most employment agreements state that notice has to be in writing, and even if it isn’t required, the employee should put it in writing to avoid misunderstandings. If you want to resign and are unsure of your notice period, ask your employer.

When the employer receives notice of resignation

Employer confirms notice period

When an employee gives notice of resignation, the employer should first check their employment agreement to make sure that they have given the right amount of notice.

The employer can agree with the employee that they don’t have to work out their notice period.

Employer accepts resignation request

Accepting a resignation request is not a formal requirement. Once the employee has given the correct notice in their employment agreement, the employer can’t stop them from leaving at the end of their notice period. Accepting notice is acknowledging that the employee is resigning. Employers who think that an employee has resigned should make sure that the resignation is what the employee intended.

If an employee has resigned verbally, it’s a good idea to get them to put it in writing with the date they propose to finish. You can then follow up by accepting their resignation in writing. You may wish to meet with them first to discuss.

Unintended resignation and cooling-off period

An employee might resign or say something that could be interpreted as a resignation, in the heat of the moment, for example, following an argument or when they are emotionally distressed.

What an employee should do

If an employee thinks that there is any chance that their employer might think they have resigned when they haven’t or don’t really want to, they should talk to their employer and correct this misunderstanding as soon as possible. If they don’t do this within a reasonable time, it may be reasonable for the employer to act on the basis that they have resigned.

What an employer should do

An employer should always check with the employee whether they intend to resign. If it is a potential heat-of-the-moment situation, the employer should allow at least 24 hours for the employee to cool off before they ask the employee to confirm whether they do want to resign. This will give the employee time to calm down and reflect and then

• withdraw their resignation

• confirm that they didn’t intend to resign

 • confirm that they did intend to resign.

The employer should ask the employee to confirm what they want to do in writing. Accepting a heat-of-the-moment resignation could have a negative effect on your business. For example, if you accept the resignation while investigating either an alleged misconduct or performance situation, your organisation could face a claim of constructive dismissal if handled incorrectly. The employer must not just assume that the employee intended to resign in this situation.

Resignation withdrawal

If an employee has resigned but later changes their mind and wants to withdraw their resignation, the employer could choose to allow this.

If the employee asks to withdraw their resignation, the employer should agree or disagree in writing so that there are no misunderstandings.

Read the text below and answer questions 23-27.

Occupational health: Stress at the workplace[1]

What is work-related stress?

Work-related stress is the response people may have when presented with work demands and pressures that are not matched to their knowledge and abilities and which challenge their ability to cope. Stress occurs in a wide range of work circumstances but is often made worse when employees feel they have little support from supervisors and colleagues, as well as little control over work processes. There is often confusion between pressure or challenge and stress, and sometimes this is used to excuse bad management practice.

Pressure at the workplace is unavoidable due to the demands of the contemporary work environment. Pressure perceived as acceptable by an individual may even keep workers alert, motivated, and able to work and learn, depending on the available resources and personal characteristics. However, when that pressure becomes excessive or otherwise unmanageable it leads to stress. Stress can damage an employee's health and the business performance.

Work-related stress can be caused by poor work organization (the way we design jobs and work systems, and the way we manage them), poor work design (for example, lack of control over work processes), poor management, unsatisfactory working conditions, and lack of support from colleagues and supervisors.

Research findings show that the most stressful type of work is that which values excessive demands and pressures that are not matched to workers’ knowledge and abilities, where there is little opportunity to exercise any choice or control, and where there is little support from others.

Workers are less likely to experience work-related stress when the demands and pressures of work are matched to their knowledge and abilities, control can be exercised over their work and the way they do it, support is received from supervisors and colleagues, and participation in decisions that concern their jobs is provided.

What are stress-related hazards at work?

Stress-related hazards at work can be divided into work content and work context.

Work contents includes job content (monotony, under-stimulation, meaningless tasks, lack of variety, etc); workload and work pace (too much or too little to do, work under time pressure, etc.); working hours (strict or inflexible, long and unsocial, unpredictable, badly designed shift systems); and participation and control (lack of participation in decision-making, lack of control over work processes, pace, hours, methods, and the work environment).

Work context includes career development, status, and pay (job insecurity, lack of promotion opportunities, under- or over-promotion, work of low social value, piece rate payment schemes, unclear or unfair performance evaluation systems, being over- or under-skilled for a job); the worker’s role in the organization (unclear role, conflicting roles); interpersonal relationships (inadequate, inconsiderate or unsupportive supervision, poor relationships with colleagues, bullying/harassment and violence, isolated or solitary work, etc.); organizational culture (poor communication, poor leadership, lack of behavioural rule, lack of clarity about organizational objectives, structures, and strategies); and work-life balance (conflicting demands of work and home, lack of support for domestic problems at work, lack of support for work problems at home, lack of organizational rules and policies to support work-life balance).

Read the text below and answer questions 28-40.

Dates: An Ancient Fruit Rediscovered [1]

The history of the date is as rich as its flavour.

A          Although their exact origin is uncertain, dates were first known to be cultivated in the Fertile Crescent between Egypt and Mesopotamia as early as 4000 B.C. Date palms fare best in tropical and subtropical regions. They continue to be an important crop for Iraq, Iran, Arabia, and North Africa west to Morocco. Since the early 20th century, dates also have been cultivated in southern California, Arizona, and Florida.

B          Harvesting fruit from a date palm tree is a labour-intensive process that can take seven to 10 years. Wind pollinates date palms naturally, but to ensure an adequate yield, growers must pollinate each palm by hand. A worker may climb the same full-grown tree multiple times a day to trim sharp thorns, monitor air circulation, and ensure proper sunlight exposure for dates to reach optimal size. The ripened fruit is then covered with burlap bags or nylon netting for protection from hungry predators such as birds and insects. Since dates don’t ripen simultaneously, this process is done repeatedly, picking fruits one by one until the harvest is exhausted.

C          The date’s location of origin is key to its multi-cultural, culinary relevance today. The fruit is prominent in the Abrahamic religions of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, with date palms thought to be the original “apple tree” in the Biblical story of Adam and Eve. In Judaism, dates are considered one of the seven holy fruits, or seven species, and remain an important ingredient in Israeli cuisine. Silan, a syrup extract taken from dates, is thought to be the sweet component of the promised “land of milk and honey.” In Islam, the end of Ramadan may be celebrated by indulging in ma’amoul (buttery cookies with date stuffing).

D          In the U.S., the Medjool and Deglet Noor cultivars are the most common types of dates. Both were brought to the United States by “agriculture explorer” Walter Swingle. Thanks to Swingle, American Medjools can trace their roots to a single Moroccan oasis, where he convinced a local leader to spare several offshoots for the journey home.

E          In the kitchen: Whether eaten fresh or dried, stuffed or plain, mashed or chopped, dates are a versatile fruit. Thanks to modern chefs finding new uses to suit changing tastes, they are not going away anytime soon.

F          As concern grows over the high consumption of added sugars, consumers are seeking less processed sweeteners. With a 60 to 80 percent carbohydrate content (mostly glucose and fructose) and pectin capable of binding ingredients, mashed dried dates have become a popular ingredient in energy bars, smoothies, and salad dressings. Date sugar, dried dates ground into a powder, is an alternative to granulated cane sugar in recipes.

G         Although there are similarities, each cultivar has distinct characteristics. Medjool dates have a soft exterior, chewy texture, and caramel flavour. Their plumper shape makes them ideal in recipes calling for goat cheese or almond stuffing. In contrast, Deglet Noor dates are smaller with firmer flesh and a delicate, honeylike taste. They are an all-purpose date, good for baking or eating on their own. Most types of dates are oval and 1 to 2 inches long. All dates contain a long, narrow seed or pit, but many retailers offer pitted versions for convenience. For recipes, expect 1 pound of unpitted dates to yield approximately 2½ cups of pitted and chopped dates. If pitted, 8 ounces of chopped dates is about 1¼ cups.

H         In the clinic: A ½-cup serving of pitted dates provides 4 grams, or 15 percent of the daily value of dietary fibre; 10 percent of the daily value of iron; and 4 percent of the daily value of calcium. As a source of insoluble fibre, date consumption has been shown to increase the frequency of bowel movements.

I           For pregnant women, dates are a possible way to reduce the need for labour augmentation, the process of stimulating the uterus to increase the frequency, duration, and intensity of contractions after labour’s onset. One study shows that although date consumption in late pregnancy did not expedite the onset of labour, it did aid in reducing the need for labour augmentation with oxytocin. However, a systematic review assessing multiple studies concluded that date consumption during pregnancy shortened the duration of gestation, increased cervical dilation upon hospital admission and shortened the duration of the first stage of labour. Eating dates prior to labour may be a simple, yet beneficial treat.