Task 1.

VERBS Read the text in the box below and match the words in bold with
their definitions underneath. Use your dictionary to check your answers.
Brian James left University and decided to apply for a job which he saw
advertised in the paper. He filled in the application forms and, a few weeks later,
was asked to attend an interview. He was offered the job that same day. As he
lived in a small town outside the city, he had to commute every day. He was
good at his job and very soon was promoted. However, the company he worked
for was having problems. Two people were dismissed for stealing and two of
their friends resigned in sympathy, the directors decided to lay off five more
because the company couldn't afford to keep them, and the managing director
decided to retire early. The atmosphere was so bad that Brian eventually decided
to hand in his notice.

1. to give up a job. - hand in his notice

2. to ask for a job, usually by writing a letter. - apply for a job
3. to be removed from a job, usually because you have done something bad. -
dismissed
4. same as 1. - resigned
5. to stop work and take a pension, usually when you are in late middle age. -
retire
6. to write in the empty spaces on a form. - filled in
7. to be given a better job in the organization you work for. - promoted
8. to be questioned by one or more people when you are applying for a job so that
they can decide if you are suitable for that job. - attend an interview
9. to travel to work from home each day, usually from one town to another. -
commute
10. to be dismissed from your job for a time until more work is available. - lay off
Task 2. NOUNS Read the text which follows and fill in the gaps with an
appropriate word from the box below. Use your dictionary to help you. In some
cases, more than one answer is possible.
commission • prospects • candidates • references • manager • salary• promotion •
applicants • increment • vacancy • employee •perks • qualifications • shortlist •
pension • salesman
A computer company had a (1) vacancy for position of (2) salesman, and decided
to advertise for a new (3)employee. A lot of (4) candidates with good (5)
qualifications and (6)references applied for the job, and after all the interviews had
finished, the directors made a (7) shortlist of the best (8)applicants, then invited
them to come back for another interview. The person who eventually got the job
was very happy. After all, he would receive an annual (9) salary of £25,000, with a
5% (10) increment twice a year, a 15% (11) commission for each computer he
managed to sell, excellent (12) perks such as private health insurance and a
company car, a company (13) pension to make sure he would be well-off when he
retired, and the chance of (14) promotion from salesman to sales (15) manager if
he was successful. All in all, his future (16) prospects looked very good.
Task 3. IDIOMS, COLLOQUIALISMS AND OTHER EXPRESSIONS Match the
sentences on the left with an appropriate sentence on the right. The sentences on
the right include an idiom or colloquialism connected with work in bold. Use your
dictionary to help you.
1. My brother is a manual worker in a factory. - C
2. My cousin is a secretary in an office. - M
3. I need to do some more hours at work so that I can make more money. - I
4. The train drivers are refusing to work. - J
5. I work from 10.00pm to 6.00am. - F
6. I work for a very small amount of money. - H
7. Jo is unemployed and receiving unemployment benefit. - P
8. Jim applied to his boss for more money. - B
9. Our boss makes his staff work too hard. - D
10. Bob works too hard. Yesterday, he started at 7.30 in the morning and didn't
finish until almost midnight! - G
11. Our company director was given a large sum of money when he retired before
the end of his contract. - L
12. Sarah has great potential and ambition. - A
13. My boss made a mistake and made me take responsibility for it. - K
14. Our company is still working in the usual way in spite of difficulties. - E
15. Steve has an unusual job; he looks for top managers and offers them jobs in
other companies. - O
16. Have you heard? John has been dismissed for coming late all the time. - N
(A) She's always been a high-flyer.
(B) He put in for a rise.
(C) Like me, he's a blue-collar worker.
(D) He's such a slave driver!
(E) I'm glad to say it's business as usual.
(F) Of course, I get paid more for working the night shift.
(G) If he continues like that, he'll burn himself out.
(H) I really hate working for peanuts.
(I) I think I'll ask if I can work overtime.
(J) They've decided to come out on strike.
(K) I hate it when I have to carry the can for someone else.
(L) I wish I could get a golden handshake like that!
(M) Like me, he's a white collar worker.
(N) I always knew he'd get fired one day.
(O) He's a headhunter.
(P) There's nothing worse than being on the dole.
Task 4. Match the two parts of these business collocations from A and B.
1 healthcare c a faithfully
2 team h b prospects
3 Yours a c plan
4 competitive j d a team
5 challenging f e application
6 communication i f role
7 online e g letter
8 lead d h player
9 career b i skills
10 cover g j salary
Task 5. Choose the correct word from to complete the sentences.
1 I’m afraid you’ll have to speak up / eye up / head up. I can hardly hear what
you’re saying.
2 We are taking / recruiting / searching people for our new branch in the city
centre.
3 If we can’t fill / fulfil / supply the post internally, we’ll have to advertise
externally.
4 If I get the new job, I will have to take up / over / on more responsibility, but I
will get a salary increase.
5 I don’t like working under pressure / under stress / by force. I end up making
mistakes.
6 As part of the programme of reporting structure / professional development /
notice period, we would like to invite you to a session on project management.
Task 6. Match the left and right-hand columns to make pairs of sentences.
1 We often work together. – (d) a There are several levels of management.
2 The firm’s rather hierarchical. – (f) b Deadlines have to be met.
3 Peter’s my counterpart. – (e) c It’s a job-share.
4 We work to a tight schedule. –(b) d Collaboration is a good thing.
5 I don’t think I’ll be promoted before her. – (a) e We do the same job but he’s
based in Rome.
6 Jess and I work half-and-half.- (c) f There’s a strict pecking order in the
company
Task 7. Choose adjectives from the box to describe the jobs below. You can use
more than one for each job. Add other adjectives of your own.
glamorous stimulating repetitive stressful monotonous varied mechanical
mundane challenging mind-numbing rewarding
1 assembly-line worker in a car factory – repetitive, mechanical
2 supermarket shelf stacker – repetitive, monotonous, varied
3 public relations officer in a multinational company – stressful, rewarding
4 bodyguard to a celebrity -rewarding, stressful, repetitive
5 surgeon – stressful, varied, challenging, rewarding
10 night-security guard – stressful, repetitive,
6 lifeguard on a beach – stressful, varied
7 receptionist at a dentist’s – monotonous, repetitive
8 private detective – stressful, mind-numbing, rewarding
9 refuse collector in a city – repetitive, monotonous, mechanical, mundane
Task 8. Choose the best word or phrase to complete each sentence.
1 Rafael has done the same job for the last fifteen years and his job will be secure
until he retires. For Rafael, job stability / job satisfaction is very important.
2 Kate has a good workplace / work–life balance. She never works late and she
often finds time to relax with her family or go to the cinema in the evening.
3 After graduating from Manchester University, Dan started work in the run-of-
the-mill / fast-moving film industry.
4 Amy joined the law firm for the bonus / long-term career prospects they offered.
It would be hard work for the first few years, but she could later become a senior
partner.
Task 9. Match the two parts of these business collocations from the opposite page.
1 loss c a agency
2 capital g b channel
3 purchasing e c leader
4 shopping i d tape
5 hard f e power
6 letting a f loyalty
7 brand h g assets
8 niche b h sell
9 red d i market
Task 10. Choose the best word to complete each sentence.
1 I hope we’ll be able to keep / reach a compromise when we meet tomorrow.
2 I think those new games consoles are priced / purchased too high at the
moment.
3 The shops are hoping to sell a lot of capital assets / merchandise connected with
the royal wedding.
4 My sports car was so expensive to run that I decided to trade it down / up for
something much cheaper.
5 Helga has never looked back / out since she started her own business ten years
ago.
6 There’s a lot of loss leader / red tape involved in setting up a new business.