Unit 8-Conversation 1
Mark: Look, there's a careers fair on at
the Examination Schools. Do you want to go Janet: What happens in a careers fair Mark:There are lots of different companies and they give you information about careers .advice, that kind of thing. Janet: OK, I'll come. You coming, Kate Kate: Yeah, sure. But I've already decided on my career.
Mark: We know. You're going to be a brilliant lawyer.
Kate: That's the plan — I'm off to a law firm soon as I get my degree.
Janet: You're so lucky. I wish I knew what I wanted to do.
Kate: Didn't you say something about teaching
Janet: Yes, I'm thinking about it. I'm quite attracted to teaching. But I'm not really sure yet.
Kate: Well, you've got lots of time. What about you, Mark What are your plans Mark: I'm going to row for England. Kate: Seriously
Mark: No. Problem is, I think if you want to be successful, you've got to plan ahead— starting at the age of 12.
Janet: So we're not doing very well. Mark: No.
Kate: So Mark: Well ... I'm thinking of going into business management. It's a possibility. Janet: Really Mark: Yes.
Kate: Hey, let's go to the Careers Fair. It might give you some ideas.
Janet: It was very interesting, wasn't it You were having a long conversation with that man from the law firm.
Kate: Yes. They said there's a possibility of a job placement as an intern over the summer. They're going to let me know about it. Janet: Fantastic! Unit 8-Conversation 2
Kate: You know that job placement I told you about — they've asked me to go for an interview.
Janet: That's brilliant. When Kate: Two weeks' time ...
Interviewer: So what made you decide to study law, Kate
Kate: A number of reasons. Law interests me a lot. I've got a good brain, a good memory. And I'd certainly like to do some
part-time work for Legal Aid. And also, I must admit, the money's good.
Interviewer: Well, those are good, honest answers. Certainly, your CV's very good. I seem to remember that you only want the work placement for six weeks. Is that right Kate: Yes, it is.
Interviewer: Why is that
Kate: Well, to be honest, I'm planning to
go back to the States and spend time with
my family.
Interviewer: Ah, that's understandable.
Now, tell me, what questions do you have
Kate: I've got some idea but obviously,
what I'd like to know is, what does the job
involve
Interviewer: Of course. Well, for the
first few weeks, your main responsibility
would be to read files and summarize them.
We'd also want you to do some research for
us. How does that sound Rather boring
Kate: No, not at all. I think I'd learn a
lot.
Interviewer: Good, well ... you'll be
taking your first year exams soon, won't
you
Kate: Yes, in a few weeks' time.
Interviewer: Well, provided they're OK, I
think we can say you're in.
Kate: Thank you — that's wonderful! Kate: Hey, guess what Janet: What
Kate: They've accepted me. I start at the end of June. Janet: Well done!
Unit 8-Outside view
Every year, millions of young people
take time out to help others as volunteers.
Many of them do this during a gap year
between finishing school and starting in
higher education. Volunteers learn to
solve problems, work together as a team and
develop their personalities. Communities
in need get help they couldn't afford to pay
for. In Britain, one of the main agencies
for
voluntary work is Raleigh
International. It arranges for thousands
of people, aged between 17 and 25, to help
out in their own country or abroad.
This group of 100 people has just
arrived at the base camp in Costa Rica. In
the next ten weeks, they are taking part in
three different projects. One of the
projects
is environmental, one
community-based and one an adventure
project. But first, they have training for the conditions they will encounter. For the environmental project at Curu, the volunteers are going to help to build an artificial reef from recycled materials. This forms a protective environment for the fish to breed and feed. It helps the local economy of commercial fishing and protects the natural reefs from over-fishing and destruction. The community project is in one of the poorest rural areas in the world. In the village of El Porvenir, volunteers are going to make bricks.
They're going to help to build a storehouse for the important sesame crop. If they have more storage, the villagers will be able to make more money from selling sesame. Volunteers also take part in a survival activity. Tomorrow, this group is trekking to the summit of Costa Rica's highest mountain, Mount Chirripo. At the end of the ten weeks, the volunteers are proud that their efforts have helped to improve the lives of the people and the environment of Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
Unit 8-Listening in
News report
A survey of more than 14,000 UK residents has revealed that being an author is the most desired job in Britain. Sixty per cent of adults would like to write for a living, followed by 54 per cent who want to be a librarian and 51 per cent who want to be an academic.
The survey shows that people prefer literary jobs to jobs in medicine, film and investment
banking,
which
may
be
surprising to some since literary jobs often do not pay as well as other professions. The average salary for professional authors in Britain is £11,000, which is less than the minimum income. Librarians make between £19,500 and £29,500 annually, depending on the type of library one works in. However, it’s not a secure job because the government is planning to close more than 10 per cent of British libraries, which means many librarian jobs will be cut. Academics can earn more, depending on their experience and level of education.
1. What is the most desired job in Britain 2. What do we learn about literary jobs in
Britain from the news report