Part 3 · Word formation

More and more young people are choosing to spend their holidays doing (1) ______ (VOLUNTEER) work abroad, from teaching English to building schools. For many, the main (2) ______ (ATTRACT) of such trips is the chance to make a real difference while seeing the world.

However, some experts have become (3) ______ (INCREASE) critical of these projects. They point out that volunteers often lack the necessary (4) ______ (QUALIFY), and that building work carried out by (5) ______ (SKILL) visitors sometimes has to be done again by local workers. Others argue that very short stays can even be (6) ______ (HARM) to children, who become attached to adults who then disappear.

Supporters of the idea insist that, with careful (7) ______ (PLAN), such trips can benefit everyone. Their advice is to choose an organisation that works closely with local communities and is completely open about how (8) ______ (DONATE) are spent.

For many office workers, the chance to work from home has been one of the most (1) ______ (SIGNIFICANCE) changes to their daily routine in recent years. Without a long journey at each end of the day, they have more time for exercise, family and hobbies, and many report feeling more (2) ______ (PRODUCE) than they did in the office.

However, the arrangement is not without its problems. Some employees complain of (3) ______ (LONELY), especially if they live alone, while others find it hard to switch off when their desk is in the corner of the bedroom. Managers, (4) ______ (MEAN), sometimes worry that they have no way of knowing whether their staff are actually working.

Experts say that the most (5) ______ (SUCCESS) arrangements tend to be flexible ones, in which staff spend part of the week at home and part in the office. This allows people to enjoy the (6) ______ (FREE) of working from home without losing contact with their colleagues. It is also important for employers to be (7) ______ (REASON) about what they expect: answering emails at midnight should never be a (8) ______ (REQUIRE).

Most people who get into (1) ______ (DIFFICULT) in the mountains assume that the rescuers who come to help them are paid professionals. In fact, in many parts of Britain, mountain rescue teams work on an entirely (2) ______ (VOLUNTEER) basis, and members may be called away from work or family at any hour.

Being a member of a team requires a high level of (3) ______ (FIT), as well as a good knowledge of first aid and map reading. Teams train (4) ______ (REGULAR), often at night and in bad weather, so that they are prepared for real emergencies.

One volunteer, a teacher called Sam, describes the work as (5) ______ (EXHAUST) but deeply rewarding. 'The worst calls are the ones where people have set off (6) ______ (COMPLETE) unprepared, wearing trainers and carrying no waterproofs,' he says. 'It's (7) ______ (RESPONSIBLE), because it puts other people at risk too.'

Despite this, Sam insists that rescuers never judge the people they help. 'Our job is to get everyone home safely. The (8) ______ (GRATEFUL) we see on people's faces makes it all worthwhile.'