Part 7: Reading Comprehension

Are you setting up a small business? Worried about the costs of renting office space and employing the right people? Rebus Virtual Office World can help you. With our Basic Office Deal, we can set up a virtual office for you practically overnight. We will give your business a professional image and our polite, friendly staff will handle your calls and present your business in the best possible way. We can provide you with: a professional business address, a local phone number and we will also handle mail. For a more personal approach, with the option of forwarding mail and messages to your home address, don’t hesitate to ask us about our Premier Office Deals.

Dear Helen, I would like to congratulate you on organising such an excellent and informative workshop. I know a lot of people learnt a great deal from it. Can you pass on my thanks to Doctor Friedman for his fascinating talk on Staff Motivation? I realise how lucky we were that he was able to find the time for us. The feedback from the staff was very positive. Let’s hope we actually see an improvement in staff motivation as a result! By the way, I’m missing my list of addresses of the delegates who attended. Did I happen to leave it in your office? It’s just that I haven’t seen it since our meeting on Friday. Thanks again for a great day, Anne

Here’s a mouth-watering cookie recipe for you to try at home. You will need two cups each of margarine, white sugar and brown sugar; four eggs, four cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, a pinch of salt and a cup of milk chocolate chips. First of all, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Take a large bowl and cream together the margarine and sugar until they are smooth. Then add the eggs, one by one. Sift the flour and baking powder into the mixture and add the salt. Finally add the chocolate chips. Drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto ungreased cookie sheets and bake for eight to ten minutes until the edges are golden brown. Cool for one hour before eating.

A new ruling which came into effect last week requires some homeowners to purchase new smoke alarms. The ordinance states that there should be a fire alarm installed in every bedroom of the house, and these alarms must comply with certain safety standards. Some local residents are displeased at these new regulations. Gwen Ellis of McKinley says that to meet with the new regulations, she has to buy five new alarms to replace the ones she installed just six months ago. With fire alarms costing up to $20 apiece, this is an unwelcome ruling for many people. Fortunately, the McKinley Fire Department is offering grants for homeowners and will provide and install new fire alarms free of charge. If you have small children or are older than 65 years of age, you may be eligible for these. The McKinley Fire Department has 5,000 smoke alarms to give away. To inquire about obtaining a free alarm, or to find out whether you qualify, call 692-569-0372.

Dear Residents, Due to the Fitness First cycling event on Sunday 14th March, this street will be closed to traffic from 6am until 7pm on this date. Please ensure that your car is not parked on the street at this time, otherwise it will be clamped and/or towed away. Thank you for your co-operation in this matter. Keith Watchet Berrington Council

Do you feel stressed? Chances are, you do. Levels of stress in our society are increasing more and more these days, and this is true for both workers and students. There are a number of ways you can relieve stress, but there are also several ways in which you can avoid stress in the first place, and this article will focus on these. Here are four things you should avoid like the plague if you want to develop a more peaceful lifestyle. What’s the first thing you do when you get home after a stressful day at work or college? Many of us collapse on the couch and reach for the TV remote. Don’t do it! Not only does the TV fill your living room with the stressful lives of on-screen characters, think about commercials. The aim of advertising is to make people feel that their lives are inadequate and unfulfilled. They often bring out negative emotions in viewers. And while we are on the subject of television, have you noticed how much of the news we watch is bad news? Research states that over 90% of the news we watch, read or hear on the radio is bad news. In order to sell stories, the media bombard us with negative story after negative story. What is more, the stories which are reported are often ones which you have no control over, and this leads to a sense of powerlessness. Why not buy a local paper instead? The news is often far more optimistic, and you may be inspired to take action in a way that can have a positive effect on your own neighbourhood. Avoiding television may also help you avoid another sort of stress – arguments. How often do you and your family row about what to watch on the television? Arguments will never help you feel better, and no-one ever wins an argument. When you feel that an argument is brewing, go for a walk or find a quiet place where you calm down, or you will only prolong the tension. The last thing to avoid is caffeine. Anything which contains caffeine, and that includes coffee, tea, chocolate and even a nice soothing cup of cocoa, is a stimulant, and is more likely to keep you tense than relax you. Sugary drinks are also going to keep you buzzing. Have a cup of herbal tea and eat foods which are natural rather than processed.

The country’s GDP increased by 0.9 per cent in the third quarter of 2009; significantly higher than the rate of 0.4 percent seen in the previous quarter. No one sector can be held responsible for the increase, as there was growth across the board in each of services, construction and production. Services output rose to 1.0 percent, and the largest contribution to this was the Business and Finance sector, which rose by 1.3 percent. Communications, Government services and Hospitality also rose, but there was a decline in Transport and Distribution. Construction output rose 3.4 per cent in this quarter, a considerable improvement from the second quarter, in which output decreased by 1.6 per cent. Total production output grew in the third quarter at a rate of 1.0 per cent, the same rate as in the previous quarter. Electricity, gas and water supply output contributed most to growth in the production sector, as output rose from 0.8 to 1.5 percent. Manufacturing, mining and agriculture all decreased during this period.

Offer: Gym Equipment (Upper Park Road) Posted by: "Lenny" [email protected] Wed Apr 23, 1:55 pm I have an exercise bike, used but in good working condition; an aerobics step still in its box, and three pairs of weights and a stand, again hardly ever used. Free to a good home. Buyer must collect.

Shopping is the best kind of therapy, and at Westgate Mall we want to make your shopping experience as exciting and enjoyable as possible. We’ve got over 150 shops offering a huge range of innovative and fashionable products. There are also over 25 cafes and restaurants for you to choose from so that you can unwind and feel refreshed before heading back to the shops! And it’s right here in the city centre, only 500 metres from the Central Subway station, and just around the corner from the fashionable Theatre District. In order to ensure that the time you spend at Westgate Mall is as enjoyable as possible, we’ve made sure that everything you need is on hand. There are shopper lockers where you can store your bags available in the South Mall; ample restrooms with baby changing facilities, and for your safety, security cameras are located throughout the mall. If you need any help finding your way around, information on travel, accommodation and entertainment, or advice on where to buy the things you need, come to our Customer Service desk on level three.

TRD Educational Conference Treedown Centre West 49th Street 8th-10th June To register and reserve a place for the conference, please complete the following details: Name: Company Number of people in party Please check the dates you wish to attend. 8th June | 9th June | 10th June The cost of the conference is $130 per day or $300 for three days for delegates who pay in full before April 30th. Registration after this date will be $150 per day with no discount for attending all three days. Parties of ten people or more will receive a 10% discount. Please make checks payable to TRD Education, or complete the Credit or Debit form overleaf. We regret we do not accept payment in cash. If you require accommodation, or if you have any special dietary needs, please complete form D and enclose it with your registration details.