GED Reading: Business Documents
Hi everyone! I got a comment from Carlo with a good question. He asks:
How do you figure out Business Documents on the GED Reading Test?
One of the parts of the GED reading test is on Workplace and Community Documents. There will probably be 2 nonfiction readings on a full-length GED reading test, and they’ll either be nonfiction prose, workplace/community documents, or critical reviews. That means, you’ll likely have 1 workplace/community document on the test.
Workplace and community documents might be the easiest to understand because they’re the type of documents everyone has to deal with in everyday life. You’ll find memos, letters, manuals, forms, voter information pamphlets, and other everyday types of written communication. If you work in an office, just think of how much written material is part of your work. You have an employee manual, documentation about how to do your job or run machines, e-mails and letters, memos and forms, and all kinds of other written materials. The ones you find on the test should be straight-forward, easy-to-read documents.
The first thing to look at is, what kind of document is it? Is it a letter? If so, who’s it from and who’s it to? Is it a memo? Again, who’s it from and who’s it to? Is it part of a manual or book or pamphlet? What’s the purpose of it? Who’s supposed to read it?
If you understand the purpose (why it’s written) and audience (who’s supposed to read it) of the document, you’ll find it a lot easier to understand and get information from.
Here’s an example of a workplace and community document:
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IN AN EMERGENCY AT WORK?
Emergency Policies
A. Emergency Warning Notifications
If an emergency or disaster in the community occurs, you may receive a warning from radio or television, government organizations such as NOAA, Internet web sites, the local or state police, or even friends or family members. In case of an emergency in the building, you may be warned by the smoke detectors, sprinkler system, an emergency siren, building security, or building management. In case of a suspected emergency, monitor several sources of information to gather as much relevant information as possible.
If you receive notification of a possible disaster or emergency situation, immediately notify your superior. If the situation requires urgent action, such as a fire, sound alarms and notify employees as quickly, calmly, and succinctly as possible. As necessary, take action to avoid further damage without risking harm to yourself or others.
B. Sprinkler System, Smoke Detector, and Fire Alarm
In the event of a fire, the activation of the sprinkler system and/or smoke detector due to smoke and/or heat will automatically activate the fire alarm. The building management, company management, and fire department will all be notified by the alarm company. Pull-type manual alarms are located on every floor, as are fire extinguishers and fire evacuation plans. Do not use elevators in the event of a fire.
C. Emergency Sirens
The building is equipped with emergency sirens that sound in the case of severe weather alerts and other situations that may require emergency action. Please use television, radio, or Internet to gather information if the siren sounds.
D. Emergency Aid
First aid kits and emergency water and food are stored on each floor of the building.
The GED reading test gives you a question at the beginning of each reading, to help you think about what you’re going to read. The question gives you a clue what the reading is about. This one asks, “What should you do in an emergency at work?” So, you know it’s a document from a workplace, and you have an idea that it has to do with emergency situations. That gives you context to understand what you’re reading.
Since there are a lot of kinds of workplace and community documents, the first thing to ask is: what is this? It has a title at the top, “Emergency Policies.” Well, that just tells you again what you got from the question, this is a workplace document about emergencies. Who’s supposed to read it (audience)? Probably the people who work in an office. What’s it supposed to do (purpose)? It’s supposed to tell you what to do in an emergency.
The document explains information about emergencies and disasters. You might have similar documents at your work. If you can relate what you’re reading to something you’re familiar with, it will be easier to read and understand. Have you ever had your home smoke detector go off? Were you ever in an earthquake or tornado? And where did you get your information then? Workplace documents can often be related to your real life.
It’s important to see that the document is organized. It’s broken up into sections, and that will help you find information to answer questions quicker. Sometimes reading less is better. Instead of getting bogged down in trying to read through the whole document, skim the document quickly to get an idea what it’s about and then read the first question. It’ll tell you which section of the document to take a closer look at.
One thing about the workplace or office: it has its own vocabulary. Workplace and business vocabulary has words like “policy” “estimate” “invoice” “wage” or “employee,” things that affect businesses but not a lot else. So, brushing up on some business words can help. Here are some links to help you build your workplace and business vocabulary:
Workplace Vocabulary Crossword Puzzle
Workplace Vocabulary Quia Quiz
BBC Skillwise Workplace Vocabulary
Let me know if you need more information!
For more information about the GED test and GED test preparation, visit The GED Academy at http://www.passGED.com.