Verbal Reasoning Practice Test

The gas provider Centrica has seen its half-year profits fall by 20% to £992 million. Despite this it has decided to increase its dividend to shareholders to 3.9p per share. The rise in energy prices released before the announcement of Centrica's profits was designed, said the company, to restore "reasonable profitability". The chief executive, Sam Laidlaw, said, "We produced a good set of results in tough market conditions... we will continue to concentrate on improving customer service in British Gas..." This is an interesting statement given the record rise in prices to households. The announcement of profits which are not far off one billion pounds, a day after the announcement of the rise in price and the increase in dividend to shareholders, is likely to provoke angry reaction. Many will question the extent of the market power that Centrica possesses. There will also be those that will question what the phrase 'reasonable profitability' means in the context of profits of nearly one billion pounds.

The gas provider Centrica has seen its half-year profits fall by 20% to £992 million. Despite this it has decided to increase its dividend to shareholders to 3.9p per share. The rise in energy prices released before the announcement of Centrica's profits was designed, said the company, to restore "reasonable profitability". The chief executive, Sam Laidlaw, said, "We produced a good set of results in tough market conditions... we will continue to concentrate on improving customer service in British Gas..." This is an interesting statement given the record rise in prices to households. The announcement of profits which are not far off one billion pounds, a day after the announcement of the rise in price and the increase in dividend to shareholders, is likely to provoke angry reaction. Many will question the extent of the market power that Centrica possesses. There will also be those that will question what the phrase 'reasonable profitability' means in the context of profits of nearly one billion pounds.

The gas provider Centrica has seen its half-year profits fall by 20% to £992 million. Despite this it has decided to increase its dividend to shareholders to 3.9p per share. The rise in energy prices released before the announcement of Centrica's profits was designed, said the company, to restore "reasonable profitability". The chief executive, Sam Laidlaw, said, "We produced a good set of results in tough market conditions... we will continue to concentrate on improving customer service in British Gas..." This is an interesting statement given the record rise in prices to households. The announcement of profits which are not far off one billion pounds, a day after the announcement of the rise in price and the increase in dividend to shareholders, is likely to provoke angry reaction. Many will question the extent of the market power that Centrica possesses. There will also be those that will question what the phrase 'reasonable profitability' means in the context of profits of nearly one billion pounds.

The gas provider Centrica has seen its half-year profits fall by 20% to £992 million. Despite this it has decided to increase its dividend to shareholders to 3.9p per share. The rise in energy prices released before the announcement of Centrica's profits was designed, said the company, to restore "reasonable profitability". The chief executive, Sam Laidlaw, said, "We produced a good set of results in tough market conditions... we will continue to concentrate on improving customer service in British Gas..." This is an interesting statement given the record rise in prices to households. The announcement of profits which are not far off one billion pounds, a day after the announcement of the rise in price and the increase in dividend to shareholders, is likely to provoke angry reaction. Many will question the extent of the market power that Centrica possesses. There will also be those that will question what the phrase 'reasonable profitability' means in the context of profits of nearly one billion pounds.

The brain has around one hundred billion cells (neurons). Brain cells make links that form neural pathways and it is these links that help us to learn. It is estimated that there might be as many as one hundred trillion such neural links although others have put the figure much higher - 1 with millions of zeros after it. The number of neural links has been likened to trying to imagine all the trees in the Amazon rainforest as the number of neurons and the number of leaves on every tree in the rainforest as the number of neural connections. Much of the new research into how the brain works has been boosted by the development of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology. This technology allows us to be able to gain a greater understanding of the complex processes that are involved in normal human activity. Different parts of the brain can be shown to be more active in certain types of human physical and mental activity than others and whilst we still have much to learn about the brain, the leap in our understanding has not only helped the medical profession but also business and economics.

The brain has around one hundred billion cells (neurons). Brain cells make links that form neural pathways and it is these links that help us to learn. It is estimated that there might be as many as one hundred trillion such neural links although others have put the figure much higher - 1 with millions of zeros after it. The number of neural links has been likened to trying to imagine all the trees in the Amazon rainforest as the number of neurons and the number of leaves on every tree in the rainforest as the number of neural connections. Much of the new research into how the brain works has been boosted by the development of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology. This technology allows us to be able to gain a greater understanding of the complex processes that are involved in normal human activity. Different parts of the brain can be shown to be more active in certain types of human physical and mental activity than others and whilst we still have much to learn about the brain, the leap in our understanding has not only helped the medical profession but also business and economics.

The brain has around one hundred billion cells (neurons). Brain cells make links that form neural pathways and it is these links that help us to learn. It is estimated that there might be as many as one hundred trillion such neural links although others have put the figure much higher - 1 with millions of zeros after it. The number of neural links has been likened to trying to imagine all the trees in the Amazon rainforest as the number of neurons and the number of leaves on every tree in the rainforest as the number of neural connections. Much of the new research into how the brain works has been boosted by the development of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology. This technology allows us to be able to gain a greater understanding of the complex processes that are involved in normal human activity. Different parts of the brain can be shown to be more active in certain types of human physical and mental activity than others and whilst we still have much to learn about the brain, the leap in our understanding has not only helped the medical profession but also business and economics.

The brain has around one hundred billion cells (neurons). Brain cells make links that form neural pathways and it is these links that help us to learn. It is estimated that there might be as many as one hundred trillion such neural links although others have put the figure much higher - 1 with millions of zeros after it. The number of neural links has been likened to trying to imagine all the trees in the Amazon rainforest as the number of neurons and the number of leaves on every tree in the rainforest as the number of neural connections. Much of the new research into how the brain works has been boosted by the development of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology. This technology allows us to be able to gain a greater understanding of the complex processes that are involved in normal human activity. Different parts of the brain can be shown to be more active in certain types of human physical and mental activity than others and whilst we still have much to learn about the brain, the leap in our understanding has not only helped the medical profession but also business and economics.

In December 2006, Mars were fined by the Environment Agency for breaches of European carbon trading rules. The agency failed to submit the correct permits for the carbon it emitted in 2005, the first year of the scheme. Mars were fined Euro 78,000 for failing to obtain allowances for almost 2,000 tonnes of carbon. Under the European Union (EU) system, firms are given allowances for the amount of carbon they can emit. If they exceed their allowance, they must buy additional permits from other companies to cover the shortfall. According to the Environment Agency, Mars produced 1,952 tonnes of carbon. It did not submit permits to cover these emissions until nearly eight months after the deadline. Mars said in their defence that they had "not been discharging excess greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and in fact its emissions at the Peterborough facility have reduced."

In December 2006, Mars were fined by the Environment Agency for breaches of European carbon trading rules. The agency failed to submit the correct permits for the carbon it emitted in 2005, the first year of the scheme. Mars were fined Euro 78,000 for failing to obtain allowances for almost 2,000 tonnes of carbon. Under the European Union (EU) system, firms are given allowances for the amount of carbon they can emit. If they exceed their allowance, they must buy additional permits from other companies to cover the shortfall. According to the Environment Agency, Mars produced 1,952 tonnes of carbon. It did not submit permits to cover these emissions until nearly eight months after the deadline. Mars said in their defence that they had "not been discharging excess greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and in fact its emissions at the Peterborough facility have reduced."