Handouts and Key to book4 unit1-4Unit 1Active reading (1)Looking for a job after university? First, get off the sofaBackground informationAbout the passage: This is an article by an Education Correspondent, Alexandra Blair, published in September 2008 in The Times, a long-established British quality newspaper. In Europe generally, and in Britain in particular, for a number of years there has been a rising number of students who go to university and therefore more new graduates seeking employment. However, for many graduates finding a job became harder in 2008–2009 because the economic downturn –then a recession – meant that many employers were reducing their workforce. After their final exams, some students rested in the summer before looking for jobs and then they found that it was difficult to find employment in their field or at the level they wanted. The article addresses the problems of such new graduates who might be stuck at home and advises their parents to be there for their children (ie to be available if their children want to talk about the problem or if they need help). The article recommends finding work in a bar or supermarket rather than sitting unemployed at home since this is more likely to lead to better employment later. The style is partly of a report, but also of a humorous comment for light entertainment (seen in the jokey language and problem-solving advice to parents).Why finding a job in 2008 is so difficult for university graduates?Universities in Europe, particularly in Britain, have expanded greatly in the last fifteen years (over 45% of young adults now go on to higher education), so there are more graduates looking for jobs. This competitive situation became a lot worse in 2008 onwards with the credit crunch and economic depression, which meantthat there were fewer jobs available and a rise in unemployment. Thus new graduates have to be active to seek a job, they need to fill in many application forms and try to get job interviews: they won‘t find employment by lying on the sofa at home.Culture pointshonours degree: Traditionally, in the British university system, BA and BSc honours degrees are awarded in different categories: a first class degree (written using Roman numbers as I), a second (divided into two subcategorie s, written as IIii and IIii, which are called ―a two one‖ and ―a two two‖), a third (written III) and a pass degree. Most people get a second. There are also ordinary degrees with more general courses of study without these categories.Generation Y and Grunt: The main idea here is that there is a succession of different generations or cohorts of adults who come into the workforce in North America which are given different informal names to characterize them. First, ―Baby boomers‖ were born in the great incr ease (the boom) of births after World War II (1946–1960), followed by ―Generation X‖ people (born1960–1980) who were said to bring new attitudes of being independent, informal, entrepreneurial, and expected to get skills and have a career before them. ―GenerationY‖ or the ―Millenial Generation‖ (born 1980s and 1990s and becoming adult in the new millenium) are now making up an increasing percentage of the workforce; they are said to be spoilt by doting parents, to have structured lives, to be used to teamwork and diverse people in a multicultural society. In the passage, this generation is now becoming (morphing into) Generation Grunt, which is an ironic name referring to repetitive, low status, routine or mindless work – this may be the only workavailable to some graduates, who may have to take very ordinary jobs to get experience before they find something more suitable. ―Grunt‖ also refers to coarse behaviour or bad manners and to the deep sound that is made by a pig; when people ―grunt‖ they express dis gust but do not communicate with words – this may be how the parents of new graduates think their children communicate with them!A comprehensive refers to a British type of secondary school which became popular in the1960s. Before that there were academic ―grammar schools‖ and more general ―secondary modern‖ schools for those who did not pass the grammar school entrance tests, but the comprehensive schools were designed for all students in a social philosophy of bringing diverse students together whether they were academic or not. Those students who went to a comprehensive school probably felt that had to study particularly hard (I worked my backside off) to get to university, compared to those who went to grammar schools where all students were academic –comprehensive students felt they had to struggle to get to university.Chicken suit This refers to a large yellow costume that someone wears which makes the person look like a giant chicken. Before he became a famous actor, Brad Pitt once dressed in such a costume when he had a job advertising for a restaurant called El Pollo Loco (The Crazy Chicken‘ in Spanish) – the job meant that he had to walk around the streets like a chicken to attract customers to come to the restaurant.Language points1 Those memories of forking out thousands of pounds a year so that he could eat well and go to the odd party, began to fade. Until now. (Para 1)The parents paid a lot of money for their son‘s university fees and living expenses (so that he could eat well) and for occasional social events – at graduation these memories of money were mostly forgotten because the parents were proud. But now the parents are thinking of money again because the son doesn‘t have a job and doesn‘t seem to be actively seeking one.2 This former scion of Generation Y has morphed overnight into a member of Generation Grunt. (Para 2)The distinguished son of Generation X (of the parents‘ generation who worked hard, got jobs, and had good careers and expected their son to do the same) has changed into a member of Generation Grunt – he doesn‘t seem to communicate much, lies around and doesn‘t get a job (or can only do a low status routing job).3 I passed the exams, but at the interviews they accused me of being …too detached‟ and talking in language t hat was …too technocratic‟, which I didn‟t think possible, but obviously it is. (Para 5)He passed the entrance exams for a government post, but he was criticized in the selection interviews: They said he was detached (not personally involved) and too technocratic (he used the language of a technical expert or high authority). As a new graduate he probably wanted to show his expertise in his language so he can‘t understand this criticism.4 For the rest it is 9-to-5 “chilling” before heading to the pub. (Pa ra 6)The others who do not have a routine low status job (like stacking goods on a supermarket shelf) chill out all day (they spend their time casually relaxing –they don‘t look for work) and go to pub for a drink in the evening.5 I went to a comprehens ive and I worked my backside off to go to a good university …(Para6)He went to a school for students of all abilities (not to a special school for academic students) and so he had to work very hard to enter a good university: Your backside means your bottom – the part of your body that you sit on – to work your backside off is informal and it means you work very hard indeed.6 … but having worked full-time since leaving school herself, she and her husband find it tricky to advise him on how to proceed. (Para 7)The mother has always had a full-time job (presumably the father is also working full-time), so she does not have relevant personal experience. For her, it is tricky to give advice (difficult to do).7 Carry on life as normal and don‟t allow them to abuse your bank account or sap your reserve of emotional energy. (Para 11)The advice from Gael Lindenfield here is that parents should live as usual. They should neither let theirchildren spend the parents‘ money unnecessarily, nor let the problem take a way all their energy and emotions. Sap their reserve means use up their store of emotional energy.8 After that the son or daughter needs to be nudged firmly back into the saddle. (Para 12) Then the parents should gently push their children firmly so that they get back into control of their lives.Reading and understanding2 Choose the best answer to the questions.Teaching tipsGo over the correct answers with Ss and ask them to explain why the other answers are wrong (See below).1 Why hasn‘t Jack Goodwin got a job yet?(a) He doesn‘t have a very good degree.(No, he has a 2:1 which is considered a good degree. )(b) He refuses to apply for jobs with low salaries.(He feels he should get a better job after studying at university.)(c) It isn‘t easy to get a job in the current financial climate.(This may be true but the passage does not mention this.)(d) He prefers to stay at home and help his family.(No, he doesn‘t seem to be helping his family: he watches TV and talks to friends.)2 How does he spend a typical day?(a) Doing a temporary job.(No, some of his friends are working in temporary jobs but he doesn‘t want to do this.)(b) Watching television.(He watches TV a lot.)(c) Queuing up in the university careers service.(No, he went there once but he didn‘t want to queue so he walked away.)(d) Preparing for the next job interview.(No, he doesn‘t seem to be preparing for interviews.)3 How do most of his friends spend the day?(a) They do nothing all day and go to the pub in the evening.(All except one of them do nothing except chill, then they go to the pub.)(b) They do outdoor activities such as sailing.(No, none of them seem to do outdoor activities; there is no mention of sailing.)(c) They are forced to work by their parents.(No, only one of them has been forced out to stack shelves by his parents; the others seem to be like Jack.)(d) They do part-time jobs such as working in a bar.(No, the text mentions bar work but none of Jack‘s friends seem to do this work.)4 How are Jack‘s parents help ing him?(a) By looking for jobs for him.(No, Jack has tried to get a job himself; there‘s nothing here about his parents helping him look fora job.)(b) By paying for a trip to South America.(No, although he is going on a three-week trip to South America, the passage does not say that Jack‘s parents have paid for this.)(c) By gradually making him more financially aware.(The passage does not say so explicitly, but this is the implication about the cut-off point after the trip when he may be expected to pay rent and contribute to the household bills.)(d) By threatening to throw him out of the house.(No, they haven‘t threatened to do this, but they definitely want him to work after he gets back fromhis trip.)5 What does Gael Lindenfield say about Jack‘s parents?(a) They have not really understood Jack‘s problems.(No, she doesn‘t say this; she says they must balance being positive with not making life too comfortable. This doesn‘t mean they haven‘t understood Jack‘s problems.)(b) They have made life too comfortable for Jack.(No, she says they must balance comfort with being positive. This doesn‘t necessarily mean that they have already made life too comfortable for Jack.)(c) The approach they have chosen is the right one.(She says they have struck exactly the right note.)(d) They need help from a psychologist.(No, she doesn‘t say this.)6 What do Whoopi Goldberg, Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt have in common?(a) They all did bar work before going to university.(No, we don‘t know from the passage if any of them did this.)(b) They took part in protests against nuclear power plants.(No, we don‘t know is any of them did this)(c) They learnt to act by dressing up as giant chickens.(No, only Brad Pitt did this.)(d) They all did temporary jobs at one stage in their lives.(This is right, although they all had completely different temporary jobs.)Dealing with unfamiliar words3 Match the words in the box with their definitions.1 to make progress by moving to the next stage in a series of actions or events (proceed)2 the process of changing from one situation, form or state to another (transition)3 not feeling involved with someone or something in a close or emotional way (detached)4 referring to something which will happen soon (upcoming)5 to be sitting still in a position that is not upright (slump)6 to return to a previous state or way of behaving (revert)7 to say what happened (recount)4 Complete the paragraph with the correct form of the words in Activity 3.It isn‘t easy to make the (1) transition from a busy university student to an unemployed young adult (2) slumped on a bar stool or half watching a mindless television show, wondering if and how their career is going to (3) proceed. Many people who have experienced a long period of inactivity like this, when (4) recounting how they felt at the time, refer to the same strange psychological effect. As the days pass, they begin to feel (5) detached from any sense of pressure to go and look for a job, and tend to regard (6) upcoming interviews as if they were not very important. Typically, back at home after three or four years away, they (7) revert to old habits, start seeing old friends, and, in many cases, become dependent again on their parents.5 Replace the underlined words with the correct form of the words in the box. You may need to make other changes.1 I went to a mixed-ability secondary school just outside London. (comprehensive)2 I got stopped by a policeman who asked to see my driving licence. (cop)3 Have you seen this beautiful from the air view of Oxford? (aerial)4 Isabel tightly her bag as she walked down the corridor towards the office. (clutched)5 You should speak to Toby; he‘s an supporter of flexible working hours. (advocate)6 I hurt my leg badly a couple of months ago, an d it still hasn‘t got better completely. (healed)6 Answer the questions about the words.1 Is a dead-end job one with (a) exciting prospects, or (b) no future?2 Is a tricky problem (a) difficult, or (b) easy to solve?3 If an activity saps all your energy, do you feel (a) tired, or (b) more active than usual?4 Does a pushy person try to (a) persuade you to do something you don‘t want to, or (b) help you by listening to what you have to say?5 If you feel apathy, do you want to (a) change the world, or (b) stay at home and do nothing?7 Answer the questions about the phrases.1 Is fork out (a) a formal, or (b) an informal way of saying to pay for something?2 If you are in the same boat as another person, are you (a) making the same journey together, or(b) in the same difficult or unpleasant situation?3 If you feel you have come full circle, do you (a) feel you are back where you started, or (b) feel a sense of satisfaction because you have completed something?4 If someone takes a soft line, do they deal with a person (a) in a kind and sympathetic way, or (b) in a lazy way without making a decision?5 If you strike the right note about something, are you expressing yourself (a) well, or (b) badly?6 If you do something by all means, do you (a) try your best to do it, or (b) not care about it?7 If you nudge someone back into the saddle, are you encouraging them to (a) take responsibility again, or (b) take it easy?8 If you talk through a problem with someone, do you (a) examine it carefully and sensitively, or(b) refer to it quickly and then change the subject?Reading and interpreting8 Answer the questions.1 ―Will he ever get a job?‖ Who is asking this question? What mood does it express?The parents are asking this because the paragraph is addressed to parents (earlier it says ―your graduate son‖). The mood seems to express patience or resignation because the word ―ever‖ suggests that getting a job will take a long time.2 Who describes Generation Y as ―rebels without a cause‖? Is it a fair descriptio n?This is the writer‘s description to indicate that this generation is rebelling against parents or society, but they have nothing particular to rebel against. This doesn‘t seem very fair because the students are trying to find work – it is just that they don‘t like their parents nagging them. So they are a bit rebellious against their parents, but no more than that.3 Jack ―walked into the university careers service and straight back out again‖. What does this suggest about Jack‘s character?It suggests that Jack is not very determined. As soon as he saw the queue he left without waiting and without trying to ask about jobs or careers.4 Jack spent the summer ―hiding‖. Hiding from what? Why are quotation marks used?Probably this means he was hiding from the world of work, staying at home and not looking for a job. The quotation marks tell us that he wasn‘t literally hiding, he just spent a lot of time at home.5 How is Mrs Goodwin‘s point of view affected by her own personal experience?In one way her expe rience hasn‘t affected her attitude: She left school and went immediately to a job (without going to university) and has been working full-time since then and yet she is sympathetic and takes a soft line.6 How is Lindenfield‘s point of view affected by he r own personal experience?Her personal experience was that she worked in a bar before finding her first proper job as an aerial photographic assistant. So she says such work is a great networking opportunity. If new graduates are good at such work and bright, cheerful and polite, they will soon be promoted. Her personal experience thus reflects – or perhaps has created – her point of view.7 What would the first two paragraphs have focused on if they had been presented from the point of view of the students rather than the parents?The first two paragraphs would have focused on the need for the new graduates to rest for a bit after their hard studies. It is OK for students to relax with the TV or to socialize with friends for a while, thenthey can start a serious search for employment after that.Active reading (2)If you ask meBackground informationThis is an informal and personalized account of an economics graduate who gets a job in a pub for a year and then has an opportunity to be successful (a lucky break). She works in a London pub called ―The Salisbury‖or ―The Marquis Salisbury‖, named after someone who was the British Prime Minister three times between1885 and 1902 and whose family once owned the pub‘s land. The 100 year old pub is in Leadenhall Street, just off the Charing Cross Road and Leicester Square. Daytime customers can get a pub lunch and eveningcustomers include many office workers and theatre goers (the pub is near many West End theatres). The interior of this pub is dazzling, with large mirrors, cut glass and a mahogany décor.British pubs are often named after famous people (Robin Hood, The Duke of Wellington) or royalty (The Queen’s Arms, the Prince of Wales) or historical symbols (The Rose and Crown to represent King Edward III, The Royal Oak to represent King Charles II who once hid in a large oak tree). Other names often include colours and animals (The Red Bull, The Black Horse, The Golden Lion, The Swan) or symbols of traditional trades (The Compasses for carpenters, The Three Hammers for blacksmiths, The Three Tuns for winemakers).As the pub is a social place to meet as well as a place to get a drink, people often play games like dominoes or darts or join a quiz or competition. A common expression is to ―go down the pub‖ or ―go round to the local‖ (both meaning to go to the local pub).Culture pointspub in London: A pub is a place where people go for a drink and to meet friends and socialize. People can play games – such as darts, cards, dominoes – in a pub and pubs often have quiz nights, with prizes for the winners, and live music (See also Background information)The Salisbury is a well-known pub in central London (See also Background information)London School of Economics is a distinguished university in central London, famous for social sciences.Language points1 If you ask me, real life is not all it‟s cracked up to be. (Para 1)In my opinion (If you ask me introduces an opinion), real life is not everything that people say it is. If a thing is cracked up to be, people normally praise it but in the opinion of the speaker they are wrong.2 … spending money when you don‟t have any is dead easy. (Para 7)Dead here means very. For example, we can say dead tired (exhausted), a dead loss (a complete loss or useless), a dead weight (very heavy, difficult to lift).3 What were the odds on anyone being so nice? (Para 11)What are the chances that someone would be so nice? The writer is emphasizing here that such kindness is very unusual.4 … looking back after all these years, you o nly need one or two breaks in your life to succeed. (Para 13)A break here means a chance to be successful. A lucky break is an unexpected opportunity. Reading and understanding2 Choose the best answer to the questions.1 What did the writer want to do after finishing her degree?(a) To do an MA at the London School of Economics.(b) To earn some money to pay off her loan.(c) To start working as soon as possible.(d) To return home and help her mother.2 Why did she ask for a job in The Salisbury?(a) She was hungry and thirsty.(b) She thought it would lead to better things.(c) She was a friend of the landlord.(d) She had the idea when she saw the landlord working.3 What did she buy with her first salary?(a) A bunch of flowers.(b) A CD and a plant for the flat she lived in.(c) A ham sandwich and a glass of beer.(d) She didn‘t have any money left after paying the bills.4 Why did Tony give her £20,000?(a) He found out it was her birthday and wanted to help.(b) He trusted her and thought it would help her.(c) He wanted her to leave the pub and work for him.(d) He was secretly in love with her.5 What did she do with the money?(a) She used it to pay for her course at the LSE.(b) She lost a lot of it in the 2008 stock market crash.(c) She invested it and paid back Tony and other investors.(d) She used it to start her own business.6 Why was Tony pleased when she repaid the loan?(a) He had had an accident and needed the money for a wheelchair.(b) It meant that he would be able to see her again.(c) It proved that he had been right to invest in her.(d) She paid back the loan with a lot of interest.3 Work in pairs and answer the questions.What do we know about the writer‘s:1 family background?Her mother had worked hard for 15 years to support h er education but couldn‘t afford any further support. Her father wasn‘t around most of the time. He didn‘t have any money because he spent it on gambling on dog racing or drinking in pubs.2 career as a student?She had a good degree in economics and wanted to study for a masters course at the London School of Economics.3 ambition?She wanted to get a job in finance or investments in London because then she would be able to use her degree.4 appreciation of other people?She appreciated Mike‘s friendliness with customers and his skill, and she appreciated Tony as a nice person; later she appreciated the trust of Tony and his friends5 love life?We don‘t know much about this, except that she doesn‘t like boys to hassle her. She thinks they are immature.6 financial expertise?It must be quite good: She invested the £20,000 and made enough profit to pay the money back with interest and set up her own company.7 sense of responsibility?She has a strong sense of responsibility because she paid back the money to the investors and paid them an annual interest for the loan.8 philosophy of life?She believes that you should work hard; you may need one or two breaks to succeed but youshould know how to use the breaks. You should be honest and responsible with people who trust you.Dealing with unfamiliar words4 Match the words in the box with their definitions.1 funny or entertaining (amusing)2 used for emphasizing that something good has happened, especially because of good luck (fortunately)3 an amount of money that a person, business or country borrows, usually from a bank (loan)4 to take an amount or number from a total (deduct)5 the most exciting, impressive, or interesting part of an event (highlight)6 to show that you understand someone‘s problems (sympathize)7 needing a lot of time, ability, and energy (demanding)5 Complete the conversation with the correct form of the words in Activity 4.Teaching tipsWhen Ss have completed the blanks with the correct form of the appropriate words, ask them to practice reading the dialogue, trying to make their reading sound as conversational as possible. Choose a pair to perform their reading to the class. The class listens and gives the performing pair a rating on a scale of 1-10 for fluency and naturalness.A Af ter three years at university, I‘m now quite heavily in debt.B I (1) sympathize with you, I know what it‘s like to have financial problems. But (2) fortunately I didn‘t need to take out a student (3) loan when I was at university, because I had a part-time job.A What did you do?B I worked in a restaurant at weekends.A That must have been very (4) demanding.B Yes, it was. I had to get the right balance between work and study. But the other people who worked there were good fun to be with, so it was quite (5) amusing too. The (6) highlight of the weekend was always Saturday night when we worked overtime.A But I don‘t expect you made a lot of money?B No, there wasn‘t much after they‘d (7) deducted tax and pension contributions. But it was enough to keep me going.6 Replace the underlined words with the correct form of the words in the box. You may need to make other changes.1 When I was at college I kept all my personal things in an old cupboard.2 A lot of people who leave university before getting a degree end up in good jobs.3 I think she‘ll get a good degree, but I wouldn‘t risk my money on the exact result.4 The money I spent at college was more than what I earned in my part-time job.5 The chances of my being offered a job after that interview must be quite remote.6 Our business has done very well since we changed our advertising.7 I think telling the truth and not cheating is always the best policy.Key: (1) belongings (2) dropouts (3) gamble (4) exceeded (5) odds(6) has thrived (7) honesty7 Answer the questions about the words and expressions.1 If something is not all it’s cracked up to be, is it (a) valid and interesting, or (b) just a little bitdisappointing?2 If someone keeps banging on about something, are you likely to be (a) interested in, or (b) bored by what they say?3 If there is a lot of hassle in your life, are you likely to feel (a) stressed, or (b) relaxed?4 If something happens out of the blue, is it (a) unexpected, or (b) part of your plan?5 If you say you ended up in a particular job, do you suggest that (a) you have fulfilled your ambition, or (b) it happened almost by chance?6 Are the regulars in a pub (a) the customers who come very often, or (b) the food the pub offers most often?7 If something is dead easy, is it (a) very easy, or (b) not easy at all?8 If you treat someone to something, do you (a) buy something nice for them, or (b) behave badly to them?9 If you cheer a place up, do you (a) make the place look brighter, or (b) make the people in the place happier?Reading and interpreting8 Look at the sentences from the passage and identify the style features.1 Twelve years at school and three years at university, teachers banging on about opportunities in the bigwide world beyond our sheltered life as students, and what do I find?This shows the informality of an incomplete sentence in the first part, the use of an informal expression (banging on) and a rhetorical question to the reader (What do I find?)2 Try as I might to stay cheerful, all I ever get is hassle, sometimes with people (especially boys, god, when will they grow up?) …This has the use of an informal word (hassle), an informal exclamation (god) and a question to the reader (When will they grow up?)3 Actually, I had my eye on the course at the London School of Economics (LSE).Here there is a discourse marker typical of speech (Actually) and an informal phrase (had my eye on).4 I kind of understand it, and not just because my degree is in economics.Here ―kind of‖ is a sort of discourse marker of i nformal speech (showing something is general, vague or not definite).5 I wanted something in finance and investments, because you know, maybe with a job like that, I could use my degree.This has a discourse marker of informal speech (you know).6 ... it‘s true, he really did seem to have three hands.Again here is a discourse marker of informal speech (it‘s true).7 I talked to him about ... well, about pretty well everything …This has another discourse marker of informal speech (well) and an informal phrase (pretty well).9 Answer the questions.1 What is the focus of each section of the story?• The first part is the background before the story really begins. It focuses on the writer‘s financial problems after graduation and on her need to work since her family cannot support her.• The second part focuses on nice people who help the writer, mainly on Mike who gives her a job in a pub.。
