LISTENING Unit 2: OCCUPATIONS AND EDUCATION (Weeks 5 and 6, October 26 – November 8, 2009)

1) You are going to hear some students being asked about jobs. For each student, decide which question they are answering and circle a or b on the left side .

a What are you going to do when you leave school?b Would you like to do the same job as your parents?

Decide whether the statements are true or false. Circle T for True or F for False.

1 a b Student 1 gives a reason for her opinion. T / F2 a b Student 2 uses the word ‘possibly’. T / F3 a b Student 3 gives two reasons. T / F4 a b Student 4 tells us what she wants to study at university. T / F5 a b Student 5 tells us that both her parents work. T / F6 a b Student 6 uses the second conditional to talk about a hypothetical situation. T / F7 a b Student 7’s voice goes up on her final word. T / F8 a b Student 8 says ’I really believe…’ T / F

2) Read these sentences and then use the words in bold to complete the sentences below.

* I don’t get a salary each month; I get 10% commission on every computer I sell.* I sent off the application form for that job at the bank, and I’ve just heard they want * me to come for an interview.* Jobs which involve physical work are often described as manual jobs.* People who do manual jobs are called ‘manual workers’ or ‘blue collar workers’.* People who work in offices are sometimes called ‘white collar workers’.* Adrian was given the sack when it was discovered he’d lied about his qualifications.* Everyone in the office got a £200 bonus last Christmas. I hope we get one this year, too!* People who work in government departments are called civil servants.* When I was at university, I worked part-time in a newsagent’s.* If you say that a certain job or career is your vocation, you feel strongly that it’s the right job or career for you.

1 You’ll get _________ if you carry on being so late for work every day!2 There’s no __________; just send a C.V. and a covering letter to the Managing Director.3 Anne’s decided to go _________ now she’s pregnant; she’s only going to work two days a week.4 I’ve always felt that it was my _________ to be a teacher. I’ve never wanted to do anything else.5 The great thing about ___________ is that the more you sell, the more money you make.6 Is it true that Bruce Willis was a ________ worker in a factory before he became an actor?7 Some _____________ manage to work their way up the career ladder and become things like ambassadors and senior diplomats.8 Many ___________ have to make a real effort to stay fit; sitting at a desk all day is very unhealthy.9 The __________ we give you will depend on how well you’ve done the job.10 The closing of the factory led to 5,000 __________ being made redundant.

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3) You’re going to listen to seven people talking in different places. In each situation, choose from the list the place where the person is speaking and decide who the speaker is and whom they’re talking to.

Place Speaker Interlocutor a at home1 ________ _________ __________ b in a classroom2 ________ _________ __________ c in a school staff room3 ________ _________ __________ d in a headteacher’s office4 ________ _________ __________ e in a lecture hall5 ________ _________ __________ f in a car6 ________ _________ __________ g in a shop7 ________ _________ __________

4) Listen to more of what the same seven people say. For each statement below, circle the correct word and decide the correct type of situation. 1 Speaker 2 is worried / nervous. It is a meeting / an interview.2 The speaker does / doesn’t ask the audience a question. It is a lesson / a lecture.3 The two speakers agree / disagree with each other. It is a chat between friends / colleagues.4 Speaker 2 gives Speaker 1 advice / permission. It is a conversation / disagreement.5 Speaker 2 is helpful / thoughtless. It is a conversation about clothes / shoes.6 The speaker is strict / rude. It is a meeting / a lesson.7 The speaker is encouraging / critical. It is a driving test / lesson.

5) Read these sentences and then use the words in bold to complete the sentences below.

* I’m going to take a gap year / year off / year out before university, to travel round Europe.* Our French lesson on Thursdays is two hours long.* Physics is my least favourite subject. I find it so boring!* If you are a professor, you have a very senior position in a department at a university.* A lecturer is a teacher at a university or college. He / She is less senior than a professor.* When I was at university, I had ten hours of lectures and six hours of seminars each week.* Melissa is an undergraduate at Warwick University. If she passes her exams, she’ll get her degree next summer.* I got my degree in English literature, then I did an MA and now I’m working for my PhD. When I get that, I’ll officially be called Doctor Stephens.* Pauline teaches kids with special needs at a Comprehensive in London. She says it’s hard work, but very rewarding.* When I was at school, the school uniform was a pair of grey trousers and a blue sweater. We wore grey shorts in the summer!

1 Teachers have begun to realize that learners with _________, such as children with dyslexia, need particular help and support.2 Dr Dawkins’ _________ are always entertaining. He makes astrophysics come alive.3 Wearing a _________ means you don’t have to worry about what to put on!4 I went to Australia for my __________. It taught me about surviving in the real world.5 There was a fire practice during our German __________ this morning, so we didn’t have a test!6 Simon was a / an __________ for twenty years before they made him a professor.7 When I was a / an ____________, you used to get a grant from the government to cover your living expenses at university.

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8 I’m thinking of doing a ________ on the similarities between Eminem’s rap lyrics and the poetry of Robert Browning.9 Like most university lecturers, Angela hopes to become a __________ one day.10 I’m thinking of doing another A level, but I can’t decide which ________ to choose.

6) EXAM PRACTICE – LISTENING PARTS 3 AND 4

Part 3 You will hear five people talking about teachers they had when they were at school. For questions 1-5, choose from the list A-F how each one of them describes his or her teacher. Use the letters only once. There is one extra letter you do not need to use.

A He / She was encouraging. 1 Speaker 1 ___B He / She was sympathetic. 2 Speaker 2 ___C He / She was funny. 3 Speaker 3 ___D He / She was strict. 4 Speaker 4 ___E He / She was generous. 5 Speaker 5 ___F He / She was respectful.

Part 4 You will hear a conversation which takes place in a seminar at university, between a lecturer and two students, Erika and Paul. Answer questions 6-12 by writing L for Lecturer E for Erika or P for Paul, in the spaces provided.

6 Who apologizes for being late?7 Who explains that they were too busy to do something?8 Who wants to consider more than one book?9 Who rejects someone’s suggestion?10 Who mentions being a student?11 Who thought the deadline was later?12 Who is going away on a trip?

7) Listen to Mr and Mrs Barrington talking about their eighteen-year-old daughter, Saffron. Complete the extracts a-e with the exact words. Then, decide which of the following f-h sentences best summarises their feelings about Saffron’s plans for the future.

a Now she reckons she’s going to ________ in the pop world.b That’s true, but once she gets a ________, she’ll find it more difficult to go back to college.c At least if it doesn’t work out she’ll have a qualification _________.d We’re just hoping that she’ll get it _________ and then come to her senses and go back to her studies.e … we can’t afford to pay for her to live in London, so it’s __________ to make it work.

f They want Saffron to go to university but they’re worried about supporting her financially.g They think Saffron should get a university degree before she tries to become a pop singer.h They think that it would be a waste of time for Saffron to go to university because she really wants to be a pop singer.

8) Read the character reference that Ben’s friend Pete has written for him. Then listen to a conversation between Pete and Kate, another of Ben’s friends. Give the correct extracts from the recording corresponding to the underlined (and embellished) parts in the reference.

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Ben Arnoldson: holiday camp assistant

I have known Ben Arnoldson for ten years, since we started at secondary school together. He is (1) self-assured, outgoing and extremely sociable. As regards working with children, I have no hesitation in recommending Ben for the job. Children find him entertaining, and (2) he is very good at relating to them on their own level.Provided he is interested in what he is doing, he gives total commitment to a job. However, (3) he may not be best suited to early morning tasks.Ben is a (4) natural leader and shows great initiative under pressure. While his critics may see him (5) as a bit of a trouble-maker, he is in fact the sort of person who (6) responds well to a challenge.Although (7) Ben’s appearance is unconventional, it is always interesting.

1 ______________________________2 ______________________________3 ______________________________4 ______________________________5 ______________________________6 ______________________________7 ______________________________

9) You are going to hear someone giving a talk in a school debate. The subject is: This house believes that school uniform should be abolished. Before you listen to the talk, read the background info.Note down the points that the speaker makes for and against school uniform. Who is Derek Bainbridge?

Against For1 ___________ 4 __________________2 ___________ 5 __________________3 ___________ 6 __________________

Background info

Bayeux Tapestry – a famous piece of embroidery which shows the Battle of Hastings where the English King Harold was defeated by the French in 1066. The ‘uniform’ shown is the battle dress worn by French and English soldiers of that period.Eton, Winchester, Harrow – the most famous of English Public schools, they are in fact private and very expensive. Children’s names are put on the waiting list as soon as they are born.Punishment book, punishment monitor; monitor’s cardigan – symbols of a bureaucratic system where certain pupils (monitors) are to police a school. They wear special clothes to show who they are (a tie or cardigan) and other pupil’s sins are written down in a book.Range Rover – a large car, with four wheel drive, used on farms, in the country and on rough terrain. Brought as a status symbol by town dwellers.Flatlet in Fuengirola – a sign of a family who can afford a second home in another country. The speaker is boasting about hr family’s ability to own a flatlet abroad.Education cuts – the British government of the early 1980’s was famous for taking money away from schools. The ‘cuts’ were the economies which schools had to make.

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10) Jonathan Elford is a university lecturer in his mid-thirties. He is not altogether happy with his present job but cannot decide what alternative career he might pursue. Recently he decided to ask a career-counselling service for advice.

a) Make a list of the things the career-counselling service did and the purpose of each activity.

Activity Purpose1 _______________ ________________________2 ________________ __________________________3 _______________ ________________________4 _________________ ________________________

b) What were some of the questions that Jonathan was asked?

c) Did Jonathan find the career counseling helpful? Why / Why not?

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