Unit 7 The working environment
7.1 Asking people to do things
(1) Vocabulary
Put the words in the box under the correct headings.
make do
coffee filing
________ ________
________ ________
________ ________
(2) Language in use
Look at the pictures and write the people’s requests.
1 2
3 4
1 Could you spell your name, please?
2
3
4
(3) Listening and speaking
Practise responding to requests. Use expressions like Yes, of course, I’d rather not or I’m rather busy like this:
VOICE: Could you spell your name, please? (beep)
YOU: Yes, of course. It’s …
7.2 Talking about stress
(1) Listening
Listen to Lena Desai talking about her job. For each statement below, put a tick (√) for what she has to do and a cross ( X ) for things she doesn’t have to do.
( ) 1 work long hours
( ) 2 travel around the world
( ) 3 wear formal clothes at the office
( ) 4 visit customers
( ) 5 go to conferences
( ) 6 write weekly reports
(2) Writing
Write sentences about what Lena Desai has to and doesn’t have to do like this:
1 She has to work long hours.
2
3
4
5
6
(3) Language in use
Write about what you have to do or don’t have to do like this:
1 travel far to get to work / school
I don’t have to travel far to get to school.
2 write reports / essays
______________________________________
3 work long hours / study a lot
______________________________________
4 work hard
______________________________________
5 go to meetings / lectures
______________________________________
6 use English at school / work
______________________________________
7.3 Giving advice
(1) Reading
Read this article and then give each paragraph a suitable title from the box.
(2) Language in use
What advice can you give for these problems? Use should, shouldn’t or why don’t you …?
1 I’m always late for work.
Why don’t you get up earlier?
2 I’m always tired.
________________________________
3 It takes me two hours to get to work.
________________________________
4 My boss wants me to learn English.
________________________________
5 I can’t sleep.
________________________________
6 My colleague talks very loudly on the phone.
________________________________
(3) Listening and speaking
Practise giving advice. Use expressions you have learned in this unit and your own ideas. Respond to the problems you hear like this:
VOICE: I have too much work to do. (beep)
YOU: Why don’t you ask for help?
References
7.1
1 make: phone calls, appointments, photocopies
do: paperwork, overtime, typing
2 Suggested answers
2 Could you tell me the time, please?
3 Could/Would you make some coffee, please?
4 Could/Would you do the photocopying, please?
3 1 VOICE 1: Could you spell your name, please? (beep) (pause)
VOICE 2: Yes, of course. It’s …
2 VOICE 1: Could you work on Saturday?
3 VOICE 1: Would you do the photocopying, please?
4 VOICE 1: Could you tell me the time, please?
5 VOICE 1: Would you do the filing, please?
7.2
1 Tick: 1, 2, 4 Cross: 3, 5, 6
I enjoy my job, but it is quite stressful. I work very long hours ---- there’s no choice as I have so much work to do! I travel a lot, and I miss seeing my friends and family when I’m away. One reason why I travel so much is that part of my job is to visit our five branch offices around the world for regular meetings. There are good things, too. For example, when I am at headquarters I can wear jeans if I want to, but like most people I try to look nice even if I’m not wearing my very best clothes! Also, because I travel so much and spend so much time visiting customers, I usually don’t go to conferences. I often go to the company’s annual conference, but sometimes I have other things to do. My boss likes to know what I’m doing, so I write a report every month for her ---- some people write reports every work!
2 2 She has to travel around the world.
3 She doesn’t have to wear formal clothes at the office.
4 She has to visit customers.
5 She doesn’t have to go to conferences.
6 She doesn’t have to write weekly reports.
7.3
1 1b 2f 3e 4a 5d 6c
2 Suggested answers
2 You shouldn’t work so hard. / You should go to bed early.
3 You should work near home.
4 Why don’t you have English lessons?
5 Why don’t you ask him to stop?
3 1 VOICE 1: I have too much work to do. (beep) (pause)
VOICE 2: Why don’t you ask for help?
2 VOICE 1: I never have time to read a book.
3 VOICE 1: I’m always thinking about work.
4 VOICE 1: I’m getting fat!
5 VOICE 1: I never leave the office before 6.30.
6 VOICE 1: I don’t like driving to work.