a) In your country, which of the following people are well paid?
b) Which ones earn average wages?
c) Which ones are badly paid?
Bus driver, company director, dustman, factory worker, farm worker, army general. government minister, nurse, primary-school teacher, housewife university professor, banker, policeman.
| Useful language: speaking about money He’s a multi-millionaire. She inherited millions (an oil- heiress). They won a fortune. She's got more money than sense. They're made of money. He's a very wealthy businessman. She's extremely well-off. You're looking very prosperous. They say we're living in an affluent society. He's comfortably off. I'm a bit hard up at the moment, actually. I’m down to my last ten p. He's broke. They're on the breadline. I haven't got a penny to my name. I'm afraid we're bankrupt, gentlemen. Now I know what it's like to be poverty-stricken. I'm running into debt. I owe money everywhere. I'm heavily in debt. I'm a few thousand in the red. I'm up to my ears in debt. I wonder if it's true that crime doesn't pay! |
Ex. 3. Rearrange the following sentences in the logical order. Then add one or two sentences to each one explaining reasons or giving consequences. Use connectors. Then tell the story from memory.
A. But he was happy because he had a good salary and a company car.
В. He applied for a job with a food company, and sent in his CV.
С. Не was sacked. Jake was unemployed again...
D. After six months he got promoted.
E. Jake was unemployed and was looking for a job.
F. He had to work very hard and do overtime.
G. But then he had an argument with his boss.
H. He had an interview, and he got the job.
| Useful language: Connectors |
| a) At first … b) Then … c) After that … d) Finally … e) However … f) In addition … g) As a result … |
Ex. 4. Make sentences using Conditional III (Unreal Past) about Jake (exercise 3).
Example:
If he had not had an argument with his boss he would not have been sacked.
Ex. 5. Discuss the following problems with your partner
a) What are the top 5 and bottom 5 jobs in your country?
b) What are the most important things about a job? Is it money? People? The hours you work?
c) What is the perfect or dream job for you?
d) If you were a boss, what might your reasons for sacking an employee be?
Focus on reading I
Ex. 1. Skim the text and think of a proper title to it.
Ex. 2. The first two paragraphs of the text below start with recommendations for those who do not like their job. Scan the text and give your recommendations for paragraphs C-H. Then compare your options with the ones offered in the article (The answers are given after the text).
Your job makes you feel bad about yourself and about your life? I think you should quit it. Doing something that makes you unhappy will not make your life any better. Choose something you like to do and I can guarantee you that you will become so much happier.
Kerry Hannon, Contributor
A story caught my attention on the NBC Nightly News last night. It was about Clockwork Active Media, a Minneapolis, digital strategy agency and its 75 employees say they love, love, love to work.
Clockwork staffers can come in and leave any time and their vacation time is unlimited as long as they get their work done. Ice-cold beer is always on tap and the employees can bring in their kids whenever they want, "WE LOVE MONDAYS," is emblazoned across the company's home page and "it's true," says CEO Nancy Lyons.
Great for them. Most employees, however, aren't so lucky. Just four in 10 are highly engaged, according to the Towers Watson 2014 Global Workforce Study. Little wonder that Americans are quitting their jobs at the fastest pace since early 2008, according to a U.S. Labor Department survey released yesterday.
But I believe there are a few ways you can fall in love with your job even if you don't like it right now.
When I hear people whining about their jobs or their boss I want to shout: suck it up! Do something about it. Stop being a victim. If you can make it work where you are right now, you'll save yourself a lot of trouble.
Here are 10 ways to do it:
A. Focus on what you like about your work and ramp it up. This will give you the strength to tackle the tough parts. Consider things like your соworkers, your (perhaps only occasionally) stimulating assignments, opportunities for learning, the respect you engender and the perks – whether that's cold beer or something else).
B. Make a change – even a small one. Boredom is often at the root of unhappiness at work. So take a single step toward modifying what's getting you down. Challenge yourself to look for one area that would give you more joy at work and then make it happen. If you persistently add worth to what you bring to the job, chances are your boss will notice and reward you for it. One way to do this: sign up for continuing education or professional development programs offered by your employer. When you acquire knowledge, you notice the world around you. Your mind turns on.
C. When people feel low on energy, often it's because they're not clearing out as they go. Their inbox is overflowing. Their desk is a disaster. Their file drawers are jammed. Decluttering is liberating and empowering. Says career coach Beverly Jones: "You are saying, 'This is valuable, this is not.' It's a physical, practical way to engage in making decisions about your life and what you want to do with it." Getting rid of stuff brings a new perspective, she adds.
D. I call mine "going to my happy place." I close my eyes and visualize a green field in the Virginia countryside with a sweeping view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. I go there in my head and sit. It calms me down, I feel peaceful and my attitude shifts.
E. Helping out at a nonprofit gets you out of your own head and that swamps of negativity and lets you gain perspective on others' needs. When the volunteer effort is initiated by your employer, it builds relationships with co-workers (and perhaps your boss).
F. If you become complacent about trends, you'll get left behind. Then, when new and interesting opportunities do arise at work, you might not be nimble enough to grab them.
Make a practice of reading trade publications. And set up a Google Alert to notify you about the latest news in your industry. Being in the know can inspire you to think of projects you might be able to nominate yourself for at work or start on your own.
G. Dissect your current position to pinpoint a new responsibility you can add that will refresh your focus and maybe even scare you a bit. Then throw your name into the hat. Say “yes” to new assignments. The adrenaline will charge you up and when you succeed, the rewards will be internal and external.
H. For example, if you have a musical bent form a band with a group of coworkers to play music or start an a cappella group.
| Answers Focus on reading I/ ex. 2 | |
| C | Declutter your office. |
| D | Find a positive image to inspire you and help you cope with a job. |
| E | Volunteer — either through work or on the side. |
| F | Get up to speed on your field. |
| G | Raise your hand and ask for new duties. |
| H | Explore finding joy around the edges |
Ex. 3. The passage below is taken from the text above. Read the text carefully and decide where it fits – 1, 2 or 3?
If you want a more concrete focal point, tape a picture of a special image on your office wall, away from your computer and phone. That way, you'll have to turn to look directly at it, which can be transporting. The very action of directing your attention away from your work opens up the door in your day for a respite, a restart, and a new view. It's reviving and centering at the same time.
Ex. 4. What do the following pronouns refer to in the text?
A … ramp it up.
B … reward you for it.
C... to do with it.
D … it calms me down.
E … and that swamps.
F... it builds relationships.
G... to grab them.
Focus on vocabulary I
Word building
