THE INTERVIEW SPEAKING A Talking on your own Work in pairs as Student A and B. Do not interrupt while your partner is speaking. Student A: Describe and compare the places in both pictures. What do you think usually happens in these places? Student B: Describe and compare the people in both pictures. What do you think they might be saying to each other? B Discussion 1 Which of the two locations in the pictures is not a good place for an interview? Give reasons for your answer. 2 What are some of the questions that are asked in almost every interview? 3 Imagine you are going to be interviewed for a job with a large international organization next week. How could you prepare for the interview? READING The woman at the reception desk looked surprised when I told her why I had come. 'Take a seat over there,' she said, and pointed to some chairs where three young women were already sitting. They gave me a strange look. One of them giggled and whispered something to the other two. They seemed to find something amusing about me. I sat down and spent a few minutes looking at the advertisement again. I Are you between 21 and 30? Are you fluent in Spanish, Portuguese or Greek? Are you good at communicating with people on the phone? Would you find it interesting to work as the assistant to the sales director of a small but growing software company? If your answer to at least two of these questions is 'Yes', write to us at the address below, giving details of your previous work experience. f 12 SOUTH STREET, BRIGHTON, SUSSEX BN1 3AQ SOFT LOGIC I had come across the advertisement in the local paper and had immediately sent them a short Kter'about myself. A few days later I had got back a short note asking me to come for an interview. They hadn't sent me an application form to fill out or even sked for a photograph. Suddenly I remembered that I had signed my letter 'Chris Neale'. Had they assumed that 'Chris' meant 'Christine' and not 'Christopher'? Did 'assistant' in the advertisement mean 'Personal Assistant' - another word for 'Secretary'? Was this a job that only women could get? I hadn't personally come up against that difficulty before. A man in his early thirties came out of one of the offices and asked the three young women if they had come about the advertisement. He didn't seem to notice me. 'Where's the other girl who applied?' he asked, looking at a list. Discuss these questions. 1 Is the person who wrote the story a man or a woman? How old could he or she be? 2 Without looking at the advertisement again, describe the job that is advertised. 3 Now describe the things a person in such a job might do at work. 4 How do you think the writer felt after he spoke to the woman at the reception desk? 5 Explain what you think made him feel the way he did. 6 Do you think there was some kind of misunderstanding? If so, explain what the misunderstanding was and how it perhaps came about. 7 Give some examples of 'typical jobs for women' and 'typical jobs for men'. 8 What happened before the writer went to the interview? 9 How do you know this happened before the interview? VOCABULARY A In pairs or groups read the sentences below. Say which sentence in each pair contains a phrasal verb, explaining why you think it is a phrasal verb. 1 Where did you come across this information? 2 Come across the street with me. 3 Your name came up again in conversation. 4 The submarine came up slowly in the darkness. 5 This letter came about two days ago. 6 How did this misunderstanding come about? 7 The submarine came up against a dark sky, so nobody saw it. 8 Have you ever come up against this problem? 9 The boy went upstairs and then came down with a book in his hands. 10 The boy came down with a bad cold. 11 I almost passed out when I heard I had won first prize. 12 Oil comes into the engine through the blue tube and then passes out through the red tube. 13 The patient was given an anaesthetic and didn't come to for three hours. 14 The woman came to the door and looked at me. B Match the meanings a-g with the phrasal verbs used in A. a) meet or face a difficulty b) happen c) regain consciousness d) find by accident or hear about e) be talked about, mentioned or discussed f) fall ill with g) lose consciousness LANGUAGE STUDY_ Rewrite the second sentence in each pair. Use no more than five words including the word in bold. Do NOT change this word. An example is given (0). 0 All students face the problem of phrasal verbs, come All students come up against phrasal verbs. 1 Is it the first time you've heard of phrasal verbs? come Have you ever_phrasal verbs before? 2 Are you as interested in them as I am? find Do you_interesting as I do? 3 Do you use them well? good Are you_them? 10 I have the impression you know something about them. seem You_something about them. What is another way of saying 'I fell ill with a cold'? came How can I say 'I_a cold'? What about 'We often discuss this subject in our lessons'? comes What about 'This subject_ our lessons'? Some examples even amuse students. find Students_amusing. I think we've discussed phrasal verbs enough now. stop Let's_now. If you study any more, you may lose consciousness. pass You may_if you go on studying. Why don't you rest a little now? break Why don't_now? 18 • UNIT 3 FOCUS ONE FOCUS ONE UNIT 3 • 19 USE OF ENGLISH VOCABULARY Read the job advertisement quickly to get an idea of what it is about. Ignore the missing words. MORGEN SUN INTERNATIONAL LEISURE PLANNER We own hotels and holiday centres in England, France, Spain and Portugal. The leisure planner is responsible (1)_ planning and organizing leisure activities for guests and other clients. The post requires someone (2)_the ages of 25 and 35 with an interest in encouraging people (3)_ all ages to take part in (4)_wide range of leisure activities at our holiday centres. Fluency (5)_French and either Spanish or Portuguese is also desirable (6)_ not essential. Although (7)_ successful candidate for the post will be based in our London headquarters near Heathrow Airport, he or she will be required to travel frequently. Candidates must be capable of working (8)_ their own but at the same time be able to cooperate (9)_ other members of a busy team. In addition, the successful candidate must have (10)_international driving licence. SENIOR PERSONAL ASSISTANT We are also looking for someone (11)_ has had at least five years' secretarial experience to assist the managing director. Good organizational and communication skills are essential, (12)_ well as the ability to use computers, software and other information management systems. Candidates for both positions must be ready to take (13)_ their posts no later (14)_the end of the year and should apply in their own handwriting on standard forms, (15)_are available from the Personnel Department. TELEPHONE 0171 497 3771 Fill spaces 1-15 with these words. a an as between but for in of on than the up which who with Read this text and the words in capital letters below it. Change the form of each word so that it fits the numbered space. An example is given (0). The question 'What makes a manager (0) successful v often comes up. First of all, a manager needs the right kind of (1)_support. In other words, a good manager requires the (2)_of a good secretary. A good secretary needs to have the right kind of (3)_skills. These include the (4)_to use modern technology, such as computers. There are (5)_skills that are just as important. More and more managers need secretaries who can speak several foreign languages (6)_. Success or failure in international (7)_can depend on this. This (8)_is often stressed in job advertisements today. Many (9)_are rejected because the candidates lack such skills. LISTENING B SPEAKING 0 SUCCESS 1 PROFESSION 2 ASSIST 3 SECRETARY 4 ABLE SPEAKING 5 ADDITION 6 FLUENT 7 NEGOTIATE 8 REQUIRE 9 APPLY In pairs or groups, imagine the telephone conversation between speakers A and B. Discuss with each other exactly what you think they say to each other. Then, in pairs, take a role each. A You have seen the advertisement on the left. Phone for an application form. Ask about the salary. Try to get more information. B You work in the personnel department. Find out which job the caller is interested in and personal details (name, address, phone number, previous job experience). You are not allowed to give more information about either of the jobs. 20 .UNIT 3 FOCUS TWO 1 A You will hear part of two different job interviews. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer, A, B or C. Has the first candidate any previous experience of the job he is applying for? A Yes. B No. C He isn't sure. What does the job he is applying for not involve? A travelling B selling books C meeting people Why did he leave his last job? A He doesn't want to say. B He wanted to travel and meet people. C He didn't like his boss. Why is the second candidate interested in the job she is applying for? A It is similar to her previous job. B She can improve some skills she has already learned. C She wants to learn how to deal with different kinds of people. Why did she argue with her previous boss? A She didn't do the things he asked her to do. B He wrongly thought he had asked her to do things. C He said she had done things that he had never asked her to do. 6 What else does she say about her previous job ? A It taught her something important. B Her boss made her work too hard. C She liked the job itself very much. 7 Which of these things does she say she intends to do in her next job? A avoid arguing with the boss B listen only to what the boss tells her to do C talk to her boss and others about her job responsibilities B You will now hear the two interviews again. Check your answers to 1-7. C Explain to someone else the problem the second speaker had with her boss and what the cause of that problem was. Then suggest a way to solve it. A Talking about yourself 1 In pairs or small groups, describe a job you would not like to do, giving reasons why you would not want to do it. 2 Talk about a job you wanted to do when you were younger. Say why you wanted to do it then. If you no longer want to do it, explain why not. B Discussion 1 Are the jobs below usually done by men or women? Why do you think this is? astronaut coal miner dancer lorry driver nurse pilot police officer shop assistant surgeon There are many jobs in which a knowledge of English is essential or desirable. Name some of these jobs and say why English is important for them. FOCUS TWO UNIT 3 21 READING You are going to read part of a leaflet prepared by a large employment agency. It gives advice on what to do and what not to do at interviews. Choose the most suitable heading from the list A-F for each part (1-4). There is an example at the beginning (0). Notice that there is one heading which you do NOT need to use. 0 V Find out as much as you can about your prospective employers and the business they are in.Think about the questions you are most likely to be asked, and at least three questions you would like to ask them.Then make sure you arrive for the interview at least fifteen minutes early. Here, by the way, are four of the most frequent questions interviewers ask. Think calmly about them while you are waiting. Don't just give the name of the job. Describe the main duties and responsibilities the job involved.Then pause and see if your interviewer has any further questions. Be as positive as possible. Emphasize all the things you learned that you think will be useful in the new job. Be sure to mention any promotion or advancement you had. Never say 'It was boring'. Instead, say that you didn't think you could make use of your full abilities. Don't criticize your previous employer. If you lost your job through no fault of your own, briefly describe the problems the company had. Never give your prospective employers the impression that you are bitter. A 'Why did you leave your last job?' B What else should you do during the interview? C 'What did you do in your last job?' D How should you prepare for the interview? E 'Why do you want to work for us?' F What questions should I ask my interviewers? Don't talk only about what you hope to get from the firm. Emphasize what you think you can do for them and all the things in your previous experience and training that you think will be useful in the new job. Be sure also to mention something you have learned about your prospective employers that interests you. • Relax. Be yourself. © Look at your interviewer when he or she asks you questions. © If you don't understand a question, politely say 'I'm not sure if I understand. Do you mean...' ® Remember the questions you would like to ask. Be sure to ask at least one or two before the interview is over. @ At the end, thank your interviewers for seeing you. VOCABULARY i Work in pairs. Take it in turns to read out a question (1-6). Your partner should then read aloud the answer, choosing from a-f. 1 Where are the new applicant s ? 2 Where are the new applications ? 3 Do you need any assistance? 4 Do you need an assistant? 5 Who's your new employer ? 6 Who's your new employee? a) Yes, I'd like some information, please. b| They're waiting to be interviewed, c) On your desk. d| Do you mean my new secretary? e) An American company. f | Yes, someone with secretarial skills. B Complete the table. The first two examples have been done for you. ACTION PERSON THING 1 apply 1. applicant assistant application 3 translation 4 adviser 5 invention 6 interviewer/ interviewee lover 7 8 criticize 9 use 10 employer 11 speech 12 discover C Explain how the choice of words changes the meaning in 1-4 below. 1 Are you the new trainer/trainee? 2 Look at the interviewee/interviewer when you speak. 3 Don't throw the critic/criticism in the waste basket. 4 Do you want to kill the competitor/competition? LANGUAGE STUDY Requests and intentions > GS 7.1,7.3, 13.3 a) b) c) 1 2 B 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 10 What's the difference? Will you do a favour for me? Would you do a favour for me? Are you going to do this favour for me? Which sentence means Do you intend to ...I Which sentences often have please at the end? Use Are you going to... or Will you... to . rephrase these sentences. Do you intend to help me? Please help me. Do you plan to get married soon? Please marry me. Do you intend to answer these questions? Please answer these questions. Please take this to the post office. Do you intend to take this to the post office? Do you intend to explain the difference between will and going to ... ? Please explain it again. C In each of the following sentences, fill one space with a form of going to and the other space with wilt Example: (Janet) Janet is going to catch the 8.30 train tomorrow, so (you) will you take her to the station? 1 (You) furniture as (I). (We)_ . give me a hand moving the _clean the floor later? 3 If (you) , go out for dinner at 8.00, so (you) make sure you're back in time? . play tennis with Richard, (you) 4 (You) hour, as (I) . let Emily come and watch? _look after the children for an _get a few things from the supermarket? D Find out what your partner intends to do. Ask questions with going to, using 1-7 below and your own ideas. If the answer is No, ask why not. take the Cambridge exam this year study this weekend do anything interesting next weekend spend most of their free time studying have a party if they pass come to your party if you pass do anything else interesting this year 22 • • UNIT 3 FOCUSTHREE FOCUSTHREE UNIT 3 • 23 WRITING _ Letter of application 1 In Part 2 of Paper 2, you may be asked to write a letter applying for a job. If you are replying to an advertisement, you must be careful to cover all the points. You should write in a suitably formal style. A Read this advertisement. We are looking for someone to arrange weekend and evening events for a group of students from Europe, who will be studying at a London language school in July and August. Could it be you? Are you ■ a good organizer? ■ sociable and outgoing? ■ good at languages? ■ familiar with the local area? If you are, please write to us, saying why you would be suitable for this job. B Read this letter of application for the job that is advertised above. Choose the words or phrases in italics that you think are more formal. Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing to apply for the post / job of Social Events Organizer which was advertised in last week's edition of Summer Jobs. I am now ! currently studying French and Italian at London University, so I speak both languages well. I feel I would be suitable / right for this position because I have good organizational skills and I greatly enjoy going out and meeting new people. I have lived in London all my life so I know many of the places that young students would enjoy. I have experience of this kind of work. Last summer I was employee? by I worked for Imperial Hotels as a Tour Organizer, and I arranged excursions to places of interest in and around London. I also worked for London Life last Christmas, which involved taking groups of I some American tourists around the capital. My course finishes in the middle of June, so I would be available for work I can start working at any time during July and August. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need / require any more / further information. I look forward to hearing from you. Yours faithfully, 24 • -UNIT 3 C Read the advice (notes 1-7) on how to write a good letter of application. Then find the part of the letter in B that relates to each piece of advice. Finally, re-arrange the advice so that it is in the same order as the letter. 1 Make it clear which post you are interested in and how you heard or learned about the job. 2 Describe your present position or situation briefly and clearly. 3 Begin the letter with 'Dear Mr ...', 'Dear Ms ...' or 'Dear Mrs ...'. However, if you don't know the name of the person, remember that there is another phrase you can use. 4 Sign off correctly. Use a suitable formal phrase. 5 Make it clear when you can begin the job if it is offered to you. 6 The final paragraph of your letter is just as important as the first paragraph. It must be polite but it must also give them the impression you are really interested in the job. 7 Explain why you think you would be particularly good for the job. You can make up any details you like here. D Writing task You see this advertisement and decide to apply: We are looking for Summer Camp Hosts to help teach and entertain children aged 10-12 at our Summer Camp in August. If you are good with children, keen on sports and other outdoor activities, and have a lively and outgoing personality, then we'd like to hear from you. We offer good rates of pay and free accommodation. Klil'I.Y TO SUMMER CAMP TRAVEL, 15OX 100 E Follow these notes when you write your letter of application. 1 Remember it is not necessary to write any addresses. 2 Write in a formal style. Avoid informal language. 3 Cover the three qualities they ask for (good with children, sports, personality), explaining clearly why you think you have these qualities. Use your imagination here. Don't be afraid to exaggerate a little. 4 Use some of the phrases from the letter in B. 5 Be sure to tell them something about your present situation and when you could begin working. 6 Arrange your letter in clear paragraphs. 7 Don't write more than 180 words. FOCUS FOUR REVISION AND EXTENSION do/does or am/'is/'are doing! > GS 13.1 A The writer of the following letter works in a travel agency. Which form of the verbs in brackets do you need to complete her letter, the present simple (dof does) or the present progressive (am/is/are doing)! For example, is the first answer write or am writing! Notice that sometimes the verb in brackets does not need to be changed at all. Dear Sally, I (write) just to let you know that I've arrived and that everything's fine. At the moment I (stay) at a hotel in Athens and 1 (do) quite a lot of sightseeing. Next week, I (move) to the island of Crete, which is where most of the people in the company (live). I (rent) a villa there for the summer, which should be nice. The weather's not particularly good - as a matter of fact, it (rain) at the moment. Still, it (get) better slowly, and I'm sure it'll be fine when you (come) in the summer. I (look) forward to it already. The job (not seem) to be too demanding. Most of the time I (deal) with bookings and (answer) inquiries, But I (suppose) it'll be different when the tourist season (start) next month. Even now the restaurants (begin) to get busier. See you soon. Love, Jenny B Again, change the verb in brackets if necessary. 1 He (not like) his job, so he (think) about moving. 2 I (want) to see the new film by Neil Jordan, as I (hear) it's very good. 3 I (love) the roses you sent me, and they (smell) wonderful. 4 She (prefer) tea because it (not taste) so bitter. 5 I (doubt) if they (understand) what you (talk) about. 6 It (appear) that the house now (belong) to Mrs Johnson. 7 I (see) from the report that you (meet) the Manager tomorrow. 8 He (work) very hard at the moment and (deserve) to succeed. 9 I (imagine) that she (feel) a bit better now. 10 I (measure) the room to see what size carpet we (need). will do or is/are doing! > GS 13.3 C Complete the following conversation. Use only the will do form or the is/are doing form; for example, is the first answer Will you do or Are you doing! A (You do) anything this weekend? B No, not really. A Well, I (go) to Wales on Friday. Would you like to come? B Yes, I'd love to. Wait a minute . . . did you say Friday? Let me look at my diary. Oh dear, I'm afraid I (not be able) to come. I (meet) James at six, and we (go) to a film. A Tell him to come too. He (want) to come, (not) he? B Yes, I should think so. All right, I (give) him a ring and I (tell) you what he says. A OK, if you decide to come, I (pick) you up here on Friday. I (be) here at three. I must go now, I (see) Jill for lunch and she {not be) pleased if I am late. D Look at statements a-h below. How certain are you that these things will happen in your lifetime? Circle one of the following numbers (1-5) to show how you feel about each statement. 1 It definitely will happen. 2 It probably will happen. 3 It may happen. 4 It probably won't happen. 5 It definitely won't happen. a! b) c) d) e i) h) You will become a grandparent. 1 2 3 4 5 You will earn a lot of money. 1 2 3 4 5 Many people will live for more than 150 years. 1 2 3 4 5 There will be a war in your country. 1 2 3 4 5 The world will become over-populated. 1 2 3 4 5 Computers will be able to understand languages. 1 2 3 4 5 You will live abroad for more than ten years. 1 2 3 4 5 You will appear on television. 1 2 3 4 5 Now write a few sentences about each statement giving reasons for the way you feel. Example: I'm bound to become a grandparent, because... ... (be) bound to..., because... I'm quite convinced that... will..., because... ... probably will..., because... ... may well..., because... There's a chance that... will..., because... ... might..., because... I doubt if... will, because... Ishouldn't think... will..., because... I'm quite sure... won't..., because... I'm convinced... won't..., because... FOCUS FIVE UNIT 3 25