Cambridge English Reading C1

CEFR Illustrative Tasks: Reading
Level: C1
Providing Institution:
31
You are going to read an extract from a magazine article. Six paragraphs have been removed from the
extract. Choose from the paragraphs A – G the one which fits each gap (1 – 6). There is one extra
paragraph which you do not need to use.
Mark your answers on the separate answer sheet.
GOING FREELANCE
Have you got what it takes for self-employment? asks Godfrey Golzen.
Freelancing, by definition, involves offering your skills Working as a freelancer is in many ways different from
to a variety of clients. You are claiming some specialist working as an employee. Consider, for example, this
expertise, be it in management consultancy, journalism, fundamental difference between the two situations. If
graphic design or vehicle repair. But whatever it is, in you are permanently based in the next office or at least
order to make that claim, you must either have done the in the same building as the person or department to
job before, or be trained in it in some convincingly whom you are reporting, it is easy to check back and
applied way. clarify aspects of the job as you go along. As a
freelancer though, you are on your own and in many
1 cases the client is paying you to get on with the job
without bothering him or her.
Your credentials would be less impressive if you tried to

set up as a management consultant, having had no 4
experience other than a business studies qualification, or
if you tried to become a journalist on the basis of an That’s the kind of mistake that comes from
English degree. The first thing you will have to do as a inexperience. If you have done similar work for an
freelancer, therefore, is to see that your level of expertise organisation before, you probably know what is
is appropriate to the area where you want to apply it as a expected. But in the case of a first-time assignment it’s
freelancer. all uncharted territory. Picking up how to go about
doing such work has to be learned and the best way of
In many cases, freelancers are ex-employees and they
doing so is with people who already know you and vice
generally begin by working for their ex-employers. A
versa.
common situation, for instance, is that a company closes
down a functional area like in-house PR or building
maintenance and asks the people who were doing it 5
before to take it on as freelancers.
How ready your existing contacts are to put freelance
2 assignments your way is an invaluable clue as to how
marketable your skills are. To some extent you should
know from your own experience what the demand is for
As a freelancer, each approach to a new client is rather
freelancers in your chosen sphere.
like applying for another job and, as with a job
application, establishing your credibility by showing that
you can do what the job entails is an essential first step. 6
One way to do that is to demonstrate that you are already
busy, and a list of existing clients – particularly if they The question of your own ability is one that has to be
are well-known ones – validates that claim. Some faced in considering your chances. Freelancing is not an
freelancers do this informally. easy option for those who cannot hold down a job on
grounds of competence. You have to be good at what
3 you do to freelance successfully because the client will
turn to someone else if you are not.
In other branches of freelancing, formal evidence of
work done needs to be produced. Some kind of brochure
with the names of your clients and what you did for
them is a good investment as soon as you have worked
for a sufficient number of companies.
———————————————————— CEFR Illustrative Tasks; Reading and Listening—————————————————————

32
A For instance, a cameraman said E For instance, if you are a technical

recently, ‘I never admit I haven’t got illustrator, you ought to be aware of
much on. The way I put it is that I’ve whether there are enough technical
got a spare week or so between publishers who employ outsiders
assignments and I mention a couple of rather than in-house staff and, if so,
things coming up, even if they’re not what the rates of pay are. If the
definite at that time. But if I went in demand is strong or rising, how
and said “I’m a bit short of work at the successful you are likely to be depends
moment – anything doing?” they’d on your own skill and speed.
assume I was going off a bit and
wouldn’t offer me anything.’
B In these circumstances, you will at F So if you have been commissioned as

least be tolerant of each other’s a freelance copywriter, for instance,
mistakes and not ask for the the person who commissioned you
temperamentally or functionally does not want to have to deal with
impossible. For instance, if the person last-minute queries about whether he
you are reporting to is careless about or she wants a reply coupon to go with
checking subordinates’ work, that the ad. These are the sort of questions
places an extra burden on you to be that should have been raised at the
correspondingly careful. briefing session.
C For this reason, clients think of a G It is possible to become a freelance

freelancer as a one-person set-up designer, for instance, on the basis of
which cannot handle more complex having done a degree course because
assignments. You may have to such courses are generally practically
demonstrate that you yourself can call oriented. Or you could become a
on other freelancers to deal with translator having taken a language
problems that you are personally less degree.
experienced in handling.
D This means that the freelancers can

offer the same service to a variety of
clients without incurring the overheads
that become attached to corporate
activities. Quite often, a function that
is uneconomic for a firm to sustain,
either for that reason or because it is
not fully used, becomes very
profitable to freelancers.
Answer key: 1-G, 2-D, 3-A, 4-F, 5-B, 6-E.
Answer key: 1-G, 2-D, 3-A, 4-F, 5-B, 6-E
———————————————————— CEFR Illustrative Tasks; Reading and Listening—————————————————————

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CEFR Illustrative Tasks: Reading

Mark your answers on the separate answer sheet.

Your credentials would be less impressive if you tried to

———————————————————— CEFR Illustrative Tasks; Reading and Listening—————————————————————

A For instance, a cameraman said E For instance, if you are a technical

B In these circumstances, you will at F So if you have been commissioned as

C For this reason, clients think of a G It is possible to become a freelance

D This means that the freelancers can

Answer key: 1-G, 2-D, 3-A, 4-F, 5-B, 6-E.

Answer key: 1-G, 2-D, 3-A, 4-F, 5-B, 6-E

———————————————————— CEFR Illustrative Tasks; Reading and Listening—————————————————————

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