Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 36 to 42

Whether you’re put off by student loans, you need a break from education, or you’re keen on starting work straight after school – going to university isn’t the right choice for everyone. And you might be surprised at the career prospects available to those without a degree. If you’re considering not going to university, here are a few options of what you could do next.

If you’ve just finished school and you don’t have any work experience, traineeships and internships are a great way to prepare yourself for your future career. Traineeships usually last from six weeks to six months, and are offered exclusively to 16-23 year olds. Not only do they provide essential work preparation training, they’re also the perfect opportunity to gain the practical skills and experience needed to move onto an apprenticeship or job. While internships are similar to traineeships, they are available to people of all ages – and usually focus more on providing practical work experience, rather than guided training and work preparation.

School leaver programmes are becoming a popular choice for A-level students who aren’t interested in university, but still want the learning and training that’s involved with further education. These programmes are designed to give school leavers the chance to earn a qualification whilst working part-time or full-time (and earning a wage). The exact structure of a school leaver programmes will largely depend on the company you work for. School leaver programmes could last anything from three to seven years, and are most common in industries like accountancy, finance, retail, engineering, and IT. .

If you’re keen to start work straight away, an entry-level job could be well within your reach. And you may be surprised at what kinds of jobs are available. Whether you want to start a career in education, you’re interested in breaking into the marketing industry, or you’re passionate about IT – you don’t always need extensive experience or qualifications to start a career in your preferred sector. And with many employers providing on-the-job training for new recruits, you’ll be able to learn a range of key skills to help you progress within the industry.

(Adapted from https://www.reed.co.uk/)

The word “prospects” in the first paragraph is closest in meaning to __________.