Read five short texts about different jobs and the ways people work. Match each person (1–5) with the correct statement (a–f). There is one statement you do not need.
Person 1 __
Person 2 __
Person 3 __
Person 4 __
Person 5 __
a I work alone most of the time.
b My personality helps me to deal with the pressures of the job.
c I am responsible for supervising others.
d I do most of my work online.
e I have a well-paid job.
f I get on well with the people I work with.
People and their work
1 I work in the coffee bar of a rock concert venue. It’s not a really badly-paid job, but my salary still isn’t high. I work long hours, too. Sometimes the music is terrible although I enjoy listening to some of the bands. I work in a team, and my job involves dealing with the public. Sometimes it’s stressful, but I’m a positive person, so that’s OK.
2 I’m a phone sales representative and I work in a call centre to try and sell people banking products. I do shift work – sometimes mornings, sometimes afternoons or evenings. We actually do a lot of business in the evenings when people are at home. The job’s stressful and people can be rude when they answer the phone, but it’s important to remain polite. I don’t like what I do, but the salary’s good, so that’s something.
3 I’m a refuse collector. I work in a team and the three of us are good friends. Mornings are very busy when we collect the rubbish from bins around the city. Then in the afternoons we work at the refuse collection centre. It’s menial work, but it’s never really stressful. I work five days a week, seven hours a day, and then I go home, take a bath and relax.
4 I’m a lorry driver, so I spend a lot of time on the road. I don’t work nine-to-five and I often spend the nights away from home. A lorry driver must be reliable and trustworthy because we often transport valuable things. You also have to enjoy your own company because, well, there’s no one else around to entertain you!
5 My wife and I own a small gym. We’re both fitness instructors, so we need to keep very fit. I’m in charge of managing the other trainers and my wife does the paperwork. We have a lot of customers so we’re always very busy, but we find the work rewarding. I wouldn’t think about doing anything else now.
2. Whatever you do, you mustn't touch that switch. It`s very dangerous.
3. You mustn't forget what I told you. It`s very important.
4. We don't have to leave yet. We`ve got plenty of time.
5. Ann was feeling ill last night. She had to leave the party early.
6. I had to go to the bank yesterday to get some money.
7. The windows are very dirty. I must clean them.
8. The windows aren`t dirty. You don't have to clean them.
9. We arrived home very late last night. We had to wait half an hour for a taxi.
10. These cakes are very nice. You must have one.
11. We don't have to take an umbrella. It`s not going to rain.