Lesson 15   Work

If you’ve just graduated from college and you’ve never had a job, you can start your career by doing        an internship (a temporary, low-level job) to gain experience. Depending on the company, the internship could lead to an opportunity to get an entry-level job (a job that doesn’t require much skill or experience) at the same company.

Although you might be earning minimum wage (the minimum salary required by law), if you do excellent work and are a good team player (you cooperate well with your co-workers) you could get  a promotion (get an increase in responsibility) or get a raise (get an increase in salary) – hopefully both! Just don’t slack off, otherwise you’ll be fired/dismissed (lose your job).

It’s normal for there to be periods of time when you have a heavy workload (a lot of work) and need to work overtime (work extra hours). But if you have a very demanding job (an intense job with lots of responsibilities) and you’re stressed out all the time, then it might be time to quit your job (leave your job voluntarily) and look for another one.

Now that you have experience, you’ll be able to get a job with a more competitive salary (salary that is higher than average) and generous benefits (extra benefits like health insurance, discounts, a company car, etc). If you can’t find a well-paid and rewarding job in your field, it might be time for a career change.

The typical way of applying for a job is to read the job ads in the newspaper or online, then send your resume to the company with a cover letter. The company will then interview the candidates it feels are most qualified, based on the job description.

Sometimes job seekers (people looking for a job) need to take a menial job (job requiring a very low level of skill) in order to earn a living (get enough money to survive) while they’re between jobs. But if you’re persistent, a great job offer should come your way sooner or later – maybe even for your dream job (a job that would be perfect for you)!

Lesson 14 Academic English
quiz

1. I wasn’t convinced by the article; I didn’t think the author adequately ………………….his claims.
a) helped                 b) provided                c) supported
2. In her book, Clara Jones aims to ………………….the dominant theory using five main counter-arguments.
a) refute                  b) refuse                    c) revise
3. Steve Jobs’ leadership was a …………………….factor in Apple’s success.
a) brief                    b) key                         c) perfect
4. The first …………………….of his report was full of factual errors.
a) case                    b) draft                       c) try
5. The reasons for the war fall into two main…………………….: political reasons and economic reasons.
a) categories          b) summaries            c) theories
6. The trajectory of the country after 1930 is a ………………………illustration of Smith’s theory in action.
a) clear                   b) obvious                  c) main
7. These thought-provoking poems ……………………questions about what it means to love unconditionally.
a) draw                  b) make                      c) raise
8. This essay ……………………parallels between the main character in the novel and the author’s life.
a) draws                b) goes                        c) proves
9. This paragraph has nothing to do with any of your main…………………., you should get rid of it.
a) cases                 b) outlines                  c) points
10. We’d like to …………………several issues in today’s meeting.

a) carry out           b) fall into                  c) touch on