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Intermediate 3 Workbook Unit 3
Intermediate 3 Workbook Unit 3
Unit 3
Problems At Work
News
a. Do you remember the news report about the steel plant strike? Mark the following
statements true ( ) or false ( ).
/
1. The steeI workers and technicians intend to waIk out of their jobs next week.
2. The workers are striking because their wages haven’ t been increased.
b. Read the following statements. Mark whether the workers or the management of Solid
Steel made them.
Workers Management
c. A reporter decided to interview David Warren, chief warehouse clerk at the plant. Complete
the radio interview with the phrases below.
Reporter: ls it true that your men pIan to (1) _____________________ their jobs if
their demands aren’t met?
David Warren: DefiniteIy. Our workers have had no (2) ________________ for the Iast five
years. lf negotiations faiI then the company wiII have to (3) ____________.
Reporter: Why didn’t you (4) ________________________________ as in the past?
David Warren: The Iast one didn’t heIp. We beIieve that the management needs to act
now. After aII, they have the money. SoIid SteeI is the Iargest steeI pIant in
the area and its products are weII known (5) ________________________.
Reporter: ln other words, Mr. Warren, are you saying there’s IittIe hope in reaching
a settIement?
David Warren: Quite honestIy, my men won’t (6) _________________ to go back to
work. They aIso do not want to (7) _______________________________.
Reporter: WeII, thank you for the interview, Mr. Warren. lt seems that it may indeed
be too Iate to save SoIid SteeI Corporation.
d. The workers decide to prepare signs to explain the reasons for the walk out. Write the
text for the signs. Share your slogans with the class.
b. The writer of the newspaper article tries not to repeat the same words and uses synonyms.
Find the synonyms in the text for:
1. a waIkout ___________________________
2. a cut in wages ________________________
3. shut down ___________________________
4. workers _____________________________
5. cIosing its doors ______________________
d. Read a dialogue between some of the wives of the strikers. Complete the dialogue with
the words and phrases below.
Nina: We can’t aIIow the pIant to cIose. How eIse wiII our husbands be abIe to
(1) ________________________________________?
Debra: l disagree. Our husbands can’t work on such Iow wages. They aIready took a
(2) __________________. How can we manage on so IittIe money? For the Iast
few years, we aII knew the pIant has suffered (3) ___________________.
No wonder my husband is ready to (4) ___________________; he feeIs the pIant has
no future.
Fiona: l bIame the management. They shouId have (5) ___________________ that foreign
competition wouId be harmfuI.
Nina: l agree. The management doesn’t appreciate our husbands’ (6) _________________.
The (7) __________________ wouIdn’t have Iasted this Iong without their good wiII.
Fiona: But what about a (8) ___________________ to the probIem? AII the negotiations
have been (9) ___________________.
Debra: l suggest we join the strike. l think we couId make a difference if we stand aIongside
our men.
Nina: BriIIiant idea! The radio and teIevision wiII Iove it! l can see the headIines, “Women
support striking husbands!” (10) ____________________ there’s no other choice!
e. Write a news report about the women’s decision to join the strike at Flemming Steel.
Remember to include:
• What happened
• When it happened
• Who was involved
• Why the event took place
• Quotes from the women (see activity d)
• A headline
Quitting
a. Match the responses in column B to the statements in column A to form a dialogue.
A B
1. Are you thinking of quitting? ____ a. You were wrong.
1. You feeI that you are not getting enough attention from your teacher.
______________________________________________________________________
2. Your boss asks you to work an hour Ionger every day without extra pay .
______________________________________________________________________
3. You win a miIIion doIIars in the Iottery.
______________________________________________________________________
4. The company you work at cIoses.
______________________________________________________________________
c. Look at the pictures of the people in unhappy situations at work. What do you think the
people intend to do? Write a sentence for each picture using an expression of intention
(thinking of, planning to)
1. 2.
_________________________________ _________________________________
_________________________________ _________________________________
3.
_________________________________
_________________________________
d. Write three things that you are thinking of doing about a situation at work or at school.
Use expressions such as: I’m thinking of…, I’m planning to…, I intend to...,. Share your
sentences with a partner in class.
1. FIemming SteeI which is Iocated in HamiIton is the Iargest steeI company in the country.
2. David Warren who is chief warehouse cIerk at the pIant supported the workers’ demands.
3. The workers who are stiII striking had aIready had a decrease in saIary.
4. Foreign competition which was the cause of the company’s financiaI difficuIties was the
reason behind the pay cut.
5. Hank Wiskowski who represents the empIoyees beIieves that the management shouId
have seen the probIem.
b. Combine the two sentences into one sentence by using the relative pronouns, who or
which. Read the sentence to a partner.
1. Mrs. Smith went on strike with her husband. She is one of the worker’s wives.
______________________________________________________________________
2. SoIid SteeI is the Iargest pIant in our region. lt is going to cIose down tomorrow.
______________________________________________________________________
3. Hank Wiskowski disagrees with the management. He represents the empIoyees.
______________________________________________________________________
4. The workers are stiII striking. They went on strike fifty days ago.
______________________________________________________________________
5. lncentives were rejected by the workers. They were offered by the management.
______________________________________________________________________
c. Complete the sentences using an appropriate relative clause. Share your sentences with
the class.
2. The dress shop, _______________________, is now importing cIothes from the Far East.