PROGRESS TEST 2 (UNITS 4–6) Progress test 2 Period 1 Reading 1
Practice
1 Read the text about leadership. Then complete the summary below with words or phrases from the text. Do not use more than three words in each gap.
What makes a good leader? In modern theory the personal qualities that are needed can change in different situations. There isn’t one single type of person that makes a good leader in every situation.
A common theme of films and stories is the way relationships between people change in a difficult or dangerous situation. Often, a group of people has been involved in some disaster, and the interest is in seeing which one has leadership qualities. Usually it isn’t the person who had a prominent position in normal life. The true leader may be someone with practical skills, or perhaps someone who can keep the group inspired and motivated.
So what is needed is not just one style of leadership, but the ability to change between different styles. Sometimes you may need to be strong and tell people what to do, but at other times you will have to treat people in a more diplomatic way and make compromises.
A good example of this is someone that most people would agree was a great leader: Nelson Mandela. He was originally a lawyer before deciding to join the African National Congress in their struggle for black people’s freedom in South Africa. He had strong beliefs and was put in prison by the government because of these beliefs. While he was there, he became a symbol of the struggle. He was a leader even though he was unable to communicate with his followers.
However, when the time came to build bridges, he showed that he was able to do that too. He had secret discussions with the government, who realised it was impossible for things to stay as they were. This led to his release from prison and the country’s first truly democratic elections. The ANC won these, and Mandela became President. He had moved from being a symbol to a world leader.
According to (1) _____, good leaders need to change their approach,
depending on what the (2) _____ is. For example, in films where
people are in difficult situations, the one who becomes leader isn’t normally the one who used
to have the most (3) _____. Instead, it is someone who knows
about practical things or can make the others (4) _____. Some
situations need strong leadership, others the ability to (5) _____.
A good example is Nelson Mandela. While in prison, he was cut off from his followers, but he was
still a (6) _____ to them. After (7) _____,
he came to an agreement with the government. He was released and later became President.
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