DISCUSS
• Have you ever had a job? Did you like it? Why? / Why not?
• Look at the jobs below. Which one would you prefer to do? Why? Use the words/phrases in the box.
I have worked as a dog walker during the summer holidays, and I enjoyed it because I love animals and being outdoors. Out of the jobs shown in the photos, I would prefer to be a hairdresser because it is a creative profession, whereas being an accountant or a lawyer requires a lot of training and comes with a heavy workload.
GO THROUGH THE MODULE AND FIND:
• a job advertisement for a bookshop
• three descriptions of job applicants
• a story about a bad day
• a text about job interviews
• a meeting with an employee trainer
• a job advertisement for a bookshop — page 86
• three descriptions of job applicants — page 82
• a story about a bad day — page 80
• a text about job interviews — page 84
• a meeting with an employee trainer — page 79
READ
A. Discuss.
• Do you have a hobby? What is it and why do you enjoy it?
• How long have you had this hobby?
• Would you like to make money from your hobby? Is it possible? How?
My main hobby is drawing digital art because it allows me to express my imagination and relax after school. I have been drawing for about three years. I would love to make money from it in the future by creating custom illustrations and selling design prints online.
B. Read the text quickly and match the phrases 1-3 with the paragraphs A-C.
- C (Nick: No shortcuts)
- B (Michelle: Favours have their rewards)
- A (James: Like father, like son)
C. Read the text and answer the questions. Write A, B or C.
- A (James: his dad has been a wedding photographer for twenty years)
- C (Nick: the skin on his fingertips became like sandpaper and it can be painful)
- B (Michelle: more and more people have been coming to her and now she has very little free time)
- A (James: used to help his dad and helps take portraits at a local studio)
- A (James: constantly has to spend money updating his camera and lenses)
- B (Michelle: would love to run a real company one day)
READING
D. Discuss.
• Which of these people’s jobs/hobbies would you like to do? Why?
I would like to do Michelle’s job because I love working on computers and creating modern websites. It is an exciting skill that allows you to be creative and build your own company in the future.
• What do you think is necessary in order for someone to be happy in their career?
To be happy in a career, someone needs to have a true passion for what they do and work in a friendly environment. Having good colleagues, opportunities for promotion, and a fair salary also make a big difference.
GRAMMAR
Complete the sentences with the Past Simple, the Past Perfect Simple or the Past Perfect Progressive of the verbs in brackets.
-
Roger arrived late at the train station. By the time he reached the platform, the train had left.
-
Alison had been talking on the phone with her sister for three hours by the time she hung up. She had not spoken to her for a long time and she had lots of news to tell her.
-
By the time the sun went down, we had been playing tennis for four hours. We were exhausted.
VOCABULARY
A. Complete the sentences with words or phrases in bold from the texts above.
A: Are you still going to (1) apply for that job you found online?
B: Actually, I sent them a copy of my (2) CV last week, and I just got an email from them this morning.
A: Really? What did it say? Do you have to (3) go for an interview?
B: Yes, tomorrow at 11.30. The problem is the job is only four hours a day; it’s not (4) full-time.
A: It’s better than being (5) unemployed.
B: That’s true. And if I don’t like the job, I can always (6) resign. I don’t have to stay there forever.
A: Well, I hope you get it.
B: So do I!
B. Read the sentences and match the words in bold with the word or phrase that has a similar meaning.
- b (unemployed – out of work)
- e (hired – took on)
- d (salary – wages)
- c (highly – well)
- a (earned – made)
C. Complete the table with nouns that refer to people and their occupations. Use the words in the box and a suitable suffix. Make any necessary changes.
| -ant | -or | -er | -ee |
|---|---|---|---|
| assistant | director | manager | employee |
| attendant | editor | trainer | referee |
| consultant | instructor | employer | trainee |
Now complete the sentences with the correct form of some of the words.
- A computer consultant is someone who helps companies to use technology effectively.
- My brother is the manager of the restaurant.
- Janet’s the editor of a popular sports magazine.
- My friend Bob is a ski instructor.
- I asked the flight attendant for a glass of water.
- I have so much work to do. I need a(n) assistant!
GRAMMAR
Rewrite the sentences starting with the words given.
- If Ms Brown had sent us her CV, we could have interviewed her.
- If people don’t drink enough water, they get thirsty.
- Unless you impress your boss, you won’t get a promotion.
- If this bed were comfortable, I would be able to sleep.
- If Paul had known the position was highly paid, he would have applied for it.
LISTEN
A. Discuss. What part-time jobs can people your age do?
Teenagers of our age can do various part-time jobs such as delivering newspapers, babysitting, dog walking, or helping out as shop assistants and waiters in local cafés. In addition, many young people work online as content creators, tutors for younger children, or web design assistants during their free time.
B. You will hear Susie Clark, an employee trainer at Yum Cha Chicken restaurants, in a meeting. For questions 1-4, choose the correct answer a, b or c.
- b (to talk about training new waiters and waitresses)
- c (They have never worked before.)
- b (that the staff can get promotions at YCC)
- a (name tags)
SPEAK
Discuss the questions. Use some of the phrases given.
• Do you have any ideas about what you want to do in the future? What are they? Think about school, university, jobs, friends, family and interests.
As soon as I finish school, I’m planning to go to university to study computer science. My dream has always been to work as a software developer and create useful mobile applications. In the future, I would also like to travel the world with my friends and build a happy family.
• Do you know anyone who has managed to achieve an important personal goal or ambition? Who? How did they do it?
Yes, my older cousin always wanted to start his own photography studio. He worked part-time for two years to save money for professional equipment and practiced every single day. Thanks to his hard work and persistence, he achieved his goal and now runs a successful business.
• In your opinion, is it important for people to go after their dreams? Why? / Why not?
I intend to always follow my passions because doing what you love brings true satisfaction and happiness in life. If people do not pursue their dreams, they often regret missed opportunities later and feel unmotivated in their daily routines.
• What are your goals for this year?
My main ambition is to improve my English level to B2 and get top marks in all my school exams. I’m also hoping to take up a new sport, like basketball, to stay active and healthy.
• What do you think your life will be like in ten years’ time?
It’s hard to say, but I’ll probably be working in an IT company after graduating from university. Now that I think about it, I’d love to live in my own flat and have an interesting job with friendly colleagues.
WRITING
A. Discuss. Have you ever had a day when everything went wrong? What happened?
Yes, I have had a day like that. Last month, I overslept because my phone battery died during the night, so I missed my morning bus to school. When I finally arrived, I realised that I had left my homework on the kitchen table and that we had a surprise math test for which I was not prepared.
B. Read the task and the story that follows.
The model story has been read and analysed. It correctly begins with the required sentence (“I had a feeling that the day was not going to go well.”) and successfully includes both required elements: waiting at the bus stop and making a mistake by entering the wrong shop for the job interview.
C. Read the story again and answer the questions.
-
Has the writer made any changes to the opening sentence?
No, the writer has not made any changes to the opening sentence. It starts exactly with the words specified in the competition rules. -
What tenses does the writer mainly use in the story?
The writer mainly uses past tenses, specifically the Past Simple, the Past Progressive, and the Past Perfect Simple. -
Why didn’t the writer hear the alarm clock? Why does the writer use the Past Perfect tense?
The writer did not hear the alarm clock because they had gone to bed very late the night before and were exhausted. The writer uses the Past Perfect tense (had gone) because this action occurred before another past action or event (waking up late in the morning). -
Circle the time expressions that the writer uses.
The time expressions used in the story are:
- First of all
- the night before
- When
- As
- by the time
- finally
- Then
- now
- once
D. Look at the following time expressions that are used when telling a story. Then form full sentences from the prompts, using the time expressions given.
- As Joe was cutting the grass, he found £50.
- By the time Sue got to school, the lesson had begun.
- Dan was reading a book while Linda was writing an email.
- Gary got into his car and then drove to work.
- We were watching TV when we heard a loud noise.
- As soon as I got home, I went to bed.
E. Read the writing task and write a story. Before you begin, read the tip and follow the plan in the Writing section.
It was a day I will never forget. It was my very first day working at a new job in an old local bookstore. My boss asked me to clean the dusty storage room in the basement and organise the oldest shelves.
While I was moving a heavy stack of historical encyclopaedias, I noticed a loose wooden board in the wall. Behind it was a hidden compartment containing an antique metal box. When I opened it, I made an incredible discovery: a collection of vintage photographs and a handwritten diary from the 1920s.
I showed them to the shop owner immediately. He was amazed because the diary had belonged to the founder of the shop. Everyone praised me, and I felt proud of turning a routine task into a real adventure.