The well-known statement written by Hungarian humorist George Mikes The one thing the English will never forgive the Germans for is working too hard is, of course, not literally true. However, it does reflect a certain lack of enthusiasm for work in general. At the upper end of the social scale this attitude to work exists because leisure has always been the main outward sign of aristocracy.
And because of Britains class system, it has had its effects throughout society. If you have to work, then the less it looks like work the better. Traditionally therefore, a major sign of being middle class (as opposed to working class) has been that you do non-manual work. The fact that skilled manual (or blue collar) workers have been paid more highly than the lower grades of white-collar (i.e. non-manual) worker for several decades has only slightly changed this social perception.
This anti-work outlook among the working class has led to a relative lack of ambition or enthusiasm and a belief that high earnings are more important than job satisfaction. These attitudes are slowly changing. For example, at least half of the workforce now does non-manual work, and yet a majority describe themselves as working class.
It would therefore seem that the connection between being middle class and doing non-manual work is growing weaker. Nevertheless, the connection between class distinctions and types of work lives on in a number of ways. One illustration of this is the different way in which earnings are conventionally expressed and paid. Perhaps the traditional lack of enthusiasm for work is the reason why the working day, in comparison with most European countries, starts rather late (usually at eight oclock for manual workers and around nine for non-manual workers).
However, measured by the number of hours worked in a week, the British reputation for not working hard enough appears to be false. The normal lunch break is an hour or less and most people (unless they work part-time) continue working until five or later. Many people often work several hours overtime a week. In addition, a comparatively large proportion of British people stay in the workforce for a comparatively large part of their lives. The normal retiring age for most people is sixty five (sixty for some, including a greater proportion of women).
1.1. :
1. What English attitude to work does George Mikes statement reflect?
2. Are attitudes to work in Britain changing?
3. How are the earnings of manual and non-manual workers expressed and paid?
1.2. :
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2. .
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Text 2. UNEMPLOYMEMENT
There will always be a certain amount of unemployment in the economy. When economists talk about full employmentthey mean that everyone who can work and wants to work has got a job. Able workers who are not working are simply not happy with the salaries that are offered - or just can't be bothered!
However, economies rarely reach full employment. There are a number of reasons for this, and a number of different types of unemployment. One of these is cyclical unemployment. This type of unemployment varies with the growth and recession cycle of the economy. As the economy grows, demand for labor grows and unemployment falls. As the economy contracts, unemployment grows.
A second kind of unemployment is structural unemployment. This occurs when changing public tastes or advances in technology cause a fall in demand for some types of work. For example, computer technology has revolutionized the printing industry, and many traditional printers' jobs have become obsolete. Sometimes whole regions of a country suffer from high structural unemployment. The north-east of England, for example, was famous for many years for its shipbuilding industry. Competition from abroad forced many shipyards to close. This caused huge unemployment in the region.
How long structural unemployment lasts will depend on two things. Firstly, how easily the workforce can retrain for new jobs. This may be difficult for older workers who find it hard to learn new skills. There is also the question of who pays for the training. The second issue is mobility. Workers who are able to relocate easily to another part of the country will find new jobs more quickly.
There are two other kinds of unemployment which we should mention here. These are less serious, perhaps, but they are still difficult for governments to get rid of. The first is frictional unemployment. This is a natural kind of unemployment that occurs when someone leaves a job and is looking for another one that suits them. Frictional unemployment often happens because people want to leave their job in order to change careers. Few people walk straight into another job. However, when the economy is in recession, frictional unemployment will be more common because jobs are harder to find.
The second kind is seasonal unemployment. Some industries have busy periods and periods where there is no work at all. Some freelance farm workers, for example, get most of their work in the spring and summer. Like structural unemployment, seasonal unemployment can affect whole regions of a country. Areas that rely on summer tourism, for example, suffer serious unemployment during the autumn and winter months.
2.1. :
1. What kind of unemployment happens regularly every year?
2. Which kind of unemployment happens because of advances in technology?
3. Which kind of unemployment may happen when someone wants it?
4. What kind of unemployment happens because of changes in economic growth?
5. Which kinds of unemployment happen in particular parts of the country?
2.2. :
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3. , .
1. I think we need to set a deadline.
2. Anyone who has had dealings with an insurance company knows how long it takes for payments to be made.
3. Any purchase invoices should be checked and entered into the purchases day book and ledger.
4. The companys cost-cutting program is expected to reduce expenses by $28millon next year.
5. Many consumers appear unwilling to lock themselves into a long-term loan or lease agreement.
6. Thomas sold off his shares in the company to pay off personal bank loans.
4. , .
1. The consequences of being declared bankrupt will be harsh and severe.
2. The board hasnt yet set a timetable for selecting a chief executive.
3. The import and export of goods is more complicated than conducting domestic business within a single country.
4. Setting up this business was really a hard job.
5. There's no point in waiting any longer.
6. What are the advantages of being self-employed?
7. He is in doubt about buying the correct software for his computer system.
5. ( ).
1. We must _______ you that your payment is overdue.
a. inform b. to inform c. informing
2. We have _______ overtime.
a. do b. to do c. doing
3. Do you mind _______ the window?
a. open b. to open . opening
4. Catherine managed _______an important customer.
a. acquire b. to acquire c. acquiring
5. We look forward to _______ from you soon.
a. hear b. hearing
6. Jane is busy _______ invitations for our company's anniversary celebration.
a. write b. to write c. writing
7. Could you let me ______my sentence?
a. finish b. to finish c. finishing
8. It is hard _______ certain customers.
a. please b. to please c. pleasing
9. Let me begin by _______ you something about our company's history.
a. tell b. to tell c. telling
10. We risk _______ a lot of money.
a. lose b. to lose c. losing
6. , I e II.
1. Members of stuff should conduct themselves in an appropriate manner when dealing with customers.
2. Loan capital is more appropriate to firms operating in stable markets.
3. Industries producing steel, paper and chemicals require very large quantities of water and tend to be found near rivers.
4. The selling price must relate to the production cost, which in turn, depends on the quantity sold, this quantity being dependent upon the sales price.
5. Rather than trying to reorganize, the airline will liquidate.
6. Put simply, a business process is a set of activities performed to serve a customer.
7. Taxes placed on goods and services are known as indirect taxes as opposed to direct taxes which are placed on income and wealth.
8. The information obtained is very valuable..
9. Having examined the relationships between outputs and costs, we now show how the behaviour of cost may be reflected in the supply curve.
7. :
1. The management of the firm wants them to report about the results of their negotiations.
a. .
b. , .
c. , .
2. The customers are said to buy the goods at a price fixed by a special agreement.
a. , , .
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b. , , .
c. .
3. Would you like me to translate this text?
a. , ?
b. , ?
c. ?
8. Economy and employment.
1. - to apply for a job
2. - to fill the application form
3. - to get a position
4. to employ
5. - employment
6. - employer
7. - employee
8. - to be responsible for
9. - work experience
10. - to attend the interview
11. - duties
12. - applicants
13. - extra time
14. - to be dismissed from one's job
15. - bonus
16. - a highly-skilled specialist
17. - employment agency
18. - aptitude test
19. , - personnel
20. - background
21. - quality
22. 6- 6-weeks holiday per year
23. - salary negotiable
24. . - I have a basic knowledge of
25. - I have qualifications in
26. - for personal reasons
27. - I wish to improve my changes of promotion
28. - he declined the responsibility
9. Applying for a job. .
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