Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?
Write
TRUE | if the statement agrees with the information |
FALSE | if the statement contradicts the information |
NOT GIVEN | If there is no information on this |
1 The Brash business originally sold pianos.
2 Geoff Brash’s first job was with his grandfather’s company.
3 Alfred Brash thought that his son wasted money.
4 By the time Geoff Brash took control, the Brash business was selling some electrical products.
5 Geoff Brash had ambitions to open Brash stores in other countries.
Key Words in Question | Similar Words in the Passage |
Q1: The Brash business originally sold pianos. | His father, Alfred, ran the Brash retail music business that had been founded in 1862 by his grandfather, the German immigrant Marcus Brash, specializing in pianos. |
Note: It is stated that business by Brash’s grandfather was specialized in pianos. We should notice that ‘specializing in pianos’ in this case is equivalent to ‘sold pianos’. The given statement is correct information, therefore, the answer is TRUE |
Key Words in Question | Similar Words in the Passage |
Q2: Geoff Brash’s first job was with his grandfather’s company. | He worked for a time at Myer department stores before joining the family business in 1949 |
Note: The first sentence of paragraph 3 mentions the Brash’s young days, so that the pronoun ‘he’ in the second sentence refers to Geoff Brash. It is stated that ‘He worked for a time at Myer department stores before joining the family business’, which means Brash’s first job was not with his family, hence, the answer is obviously FALSE. |
Key Words in Question | Similar Words in the Passage |
Q3: Alfred Brash thought that his son wasted money. | After initially complaining of his extravagance, his father grew to accept the change and gave his son increasing responsibility in the business. |
Note: We should know the meaning of the word ‘extravagance’. It is similar to ‘waste money’. In the text, ‘his father’ refers to Geoff Brash’s father, Alfred Brash. It is stated that Alfred Brash complained of Geoff Brash’s extravagance, which means Alfred Brash thought his son wasted money. Therefore, the answer for this question is TRUE. |
Key Words in Question | Similar Words in the Passage |
Q4: By the time Geoff Brash took control, the Brash business was selling some electrical products. | After World War II (1939-1945), Brash’s had begun to focus on white goods, such as washing machines and refrigerators, as the consumer boom took hold. However, while his father was content with the business he had built, the younger Brash viewed expansion as vital. When Geoff Brash took over as managing director in 1957, the company had two stores, |
Note: We should notice these phrases: ‘white goods’ are equivalent to ‘electrical products’; ‘took over as managing director’ is similar to ‘took control’. The third sentence of paragraph 4 refers that Geoff Brash took over as managing director in 1957. Therefore, what is mentioned in the beginning of paragraph 4 refers to what the Brash business sold before Geoff Brash took control. It is stated that Brash’s had begun to focus on white goods. ‘Focus on’ in this case means ‘sell’. The given statement is consistent with the information found in the passage; hence, the answer is TRUE. |
Key Words in Question | |
Q5: Geoff Brash had ambitions to open Brash stores in other countries. | |
Note: There is no information in the text that refers to Brash’s ambitions to open stores in other countries. Therefore, the answer is NOT GIVEN. |
Answer the questions below.
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.
Which arrangement did Alfred Brash set up for his employees? 6
Which Japanese company did Geoff Brash collaborate with? 7
What type of event in China marked the beginning of Geoff Brash’s relationship with that country? 8
What style of music did Geoff Brash help to promote in China? 9
When did the Brash company finally stop doing business? 10
Key Words in Question | Similar Words in the Passage |
Q6: Which arrangement did Alfred Brash set up for his employees? | Alfred Brash had also been a pioneer in introducing a share scheme for his staff, and his son retained and expanded the plan following the float. |
Note: The answer should be a noun. We should focus on the similar words: ‘staff’ is equivalent to ‘employees’; ‘introduce’ in this case means ‘set up’. It is mentioned that Alfred Brash introduced a share scheme for his staff, which means the arrangement Alfred Brash set up for his employees was share scheme. Hence, SHARE SCHEME is the answer. |
Key Words in Question | Similar Words in the Passage |
Q7: Which Japanese company did Geoff Brash collaborate with? | He developed a relationship with Taro Kakehashi, the founder of Japan’s Roland group |
Note: After scanning, we can locate the information in the last sentence of paragraph 6. We should notice some keywords here. ‘Develop a relationship with’ is equivalent to ‘collaborate with’. It is mentioned in the text that Brash developed a relationship with the founder of Japan’s Ronald group. Therefore, ROLAND GROUP is the answer. |
Key Words in Question | Similar Words in the Passage |
Q8: What type of event in China marked the beginning of Geoff Brash’s relationship with that country? | In 1965, Brash and his wife attended a trade fair in Guangzhou, the first of its kind in China; they were one of the first Western business people allowed into the country following Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution. |
Note: The answer can be found in paragraph 7. We can conclude from the first sentence of this paragraph that the event which Brash and his wife attended in Guangzhou marked the beginning of Brash’s relationship with China. Therefore, the answer is TRADE FAIR. |
Key Words in Question | Similar Words in the Passage |
Q9: What style of music did Geoff Brash help to promote in China? | Brash also took leading jazz musicians Don Burrows and James Morrison to China, on a trip that reintroduced jazz to many Chinese musicians. |
Note: The answer must be a style of music. It is stated that Brash reintroduced jazz to Chinese musicians; hence, JAZZ is the answer. |
Key Words in Question | Similar Words in the Passage |
Q10: When did the Brash company finally stop doing business? | The company was sold to Singaporean interests and continued to trade until 1998, when it again went into administration. |
Note: We should notice that ‘went into administration’ can be understood as ‘stop doing business’. In the first part of the sentence, it is stated that ‘the company continued to trade until 1998. The conjunction ‘until’ helps us to decide 1998 was the point of time that the company stop trading. Therefore, the answer for this question is 1998. |
Complete the notes below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Key Words in Question | Similar Words in the Passage |
Q11: A non-commercial organization providing support for music and music | This was a not-for-profit organization overseeing and promoting multimedia music making and education for teachers and students. |
Note: The blank should be filled by a noun. We should notice some synonyms here. ‘Not-for-profit organization’ has the same meaning as ‘non-commercial organization’. ‘Promoting’ is similar to ‘providing support’. It is stated in the text that the organization promoted multimedia music making and education for teachers and students; therefore, EDUCATION is the answer. |
Key Words in Question | Similar Words in the Passage |
Q12: Allows opportunities for using up-to-date | The Soundhouse offers teachers and young people the opportunity to get exposure to the latest music technology |
Note: ‘Up-to-date’ is an adjective, so we need a noun here. We should notice the way words are paraphrased: ‘offers the opportunity to get exposure to’ is similar to ‘allows opportunities for using’, ‘up-to-date’ has the same meaning as ‘latest’. Since we can use only one word for the answer, we choose TECHNOLOGY to fill in the blank. |
Key Words in Question | Similar Words in the Passage |
Q13: Has … in several countries. | The organisation has now also established branches in New Zealand, South Africa and Ireland, as well as numerous sites around Australia. |
Note: The organization in this last sentence refers to the Soundhouse. It is stated that the organization has established branches in New Zealand, South Africa and Ireland, as well as numerous sites around Australia. These are ‘several countries’ mentioned in the question. Therefore, the answer is BRANCHES. |
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13, which are based on Reading Passage 1 below.
Geoff Brash, who died in 2010, was a gregarious Australian businessman and philanthropist who encouraged the young to reach their potential.
Born in Melbourne to Elsa and Alfred Brash, he was educated at Scotch College. His sister, Barbara, became a renowned artist and printmaker. His father, Alfred, ran the Brash retail music business that had been founded in 1862 by his grandfather, the German immigrant Marcus Brasch, specialising in pianos. It carried the slogan ‘A home is not a home without a piano.’
In his young days, Brash enjoyed the good life, playing golf and sailing, and spending some months travelling through Europe, having a leisurely holiday. He worked for a time at Myer department stores before joining the family business in 1949, where he quickly began to put his stamp on things. In one of his first management decisions, he diverged from his father’s sense of frugal aesthetics by re-carpeting the old man’s office while he was away. After initially complaining of his extravagance, his father grew to accept the change and gave his son increasing responsibility in the business.
After World War II (1939-1945), Brash’s had begun to focus on white goods, such as washing machines and refrigerators, as the consumer boom took hold. However, while his father was content with the business he had built, the younger Brash viewed expansion as vital. When Geoff Brash took over as managing director in 1957, the company had two stores, but after floating it on the stock exchange the following year, he expanded rapidly and opened suburban stores, as well as buying into familiar music industry names such as Allans, Palings and Suttons. Eventually, 170 stores traded across the continent under the Brash’s banner.
Geoff Brash learned from his father’s focus on customer service. Alfred Brash had also been a pioneer in introducing a share scheme for his staff, and his son retained and expanded the plan following the float.
Geoff Brash was optimistic and outward looking. As a result, he was a pioneer in both accessing and selling new technology, and developing overseas relationships. He sourced and sold electric guitars, organs, and a range of other modern instruments, as well as state-of-the-art audio and video equipment. He developed a relationship with Taro Kakehashi, the founder of Japan’s Roland group, which led to a joint venture that brought electronic musical devices to Australia.
In 1965, Brash and his wife attended a trade fair in Guangzhou, the first of its kind in China; they were one of the first Western business people allowed into the country following Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution. He returned there many times, helping advise the Chinese in establishing a high quality piano factory in Beijing; he became the factory’s agent in Australia. Brash also took leading jazz musicians Don Burrows and James Morrison to China, on a trip that reintroduced jazz to many Chinese musicians.
He stood down as Executive Chairman of Brash’s in 1988, but under the new management debt became a problem, and in 1994 the banks called in administrators. The company was sold to Singaporean interests and continued to trade until 1998, when it again went into administration. The Brash name then disappeared from the retail world. Brash was greatly disappointed by the collapse and the eventual disappearance of the company he had run for so long. But it was not long before he invested in a restructured Allan’s music business.
Brash was a committed philanthropist who, in the mid-1980s, established the Brash Foundation, which eventually morphed, with other partners, into the Soundhouse Music Alliance. This was a not-for-profit organisation overseeing and promoting multimedia music making and education for teachers and students. The Soundhouse offers teachers and young people the opportunity to get exposure to the latest music technology, and to use this to compose and record their own music, either alone or in collaboration. The organisation has now also established branches in New Zealand, South Africa and Ireland, as well as numerous sites around Australia.
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