Vocabulary and grammar exercises

Ex. 1 Choose the correct form and fill in the gaps:

1. Advertising managers help ________ the company’s advertising program with its sales program and with the company’s advertising agency

a) to produce b) to use

c) to coordinate d) stimulate

2. How rapidly a person moves up in responsibilities and pay is based on his/her own efforts, more than on age or length of ________.

a) employment b) age

c) opportunities d) enterprises

3. Businesses should ________ working conditions which respect each employee’s health and dignity.

a) do b) make

c) respect d) provide

4. Don’t be surprised if a potential employer ________ your character based on your children’s behavior.

a) closes b) evaluates

c) motivates d) meets

5. Businesses established in foreign countries should contribute to the social ________ of those countries.

a) adventurism b) co-operation

c) advancement d) anticipation

Ex. 2 Ask questions on the underlined words:

1. Most interview processes require multiple meetings with individuals from different functional areas.

2. This company increased sales by 25 percent last year.

3. Another important aspect of questioning is the timing.

4. The employer should know your level of competence.

5. The first candidate arrived at 10:15.

Ex. 3 Fill in the blanks with prepositions and articles:

1. ________ asking a questions about company policies and philosophies, you can get valuable information.

2. This question, asked ________ ________ friendly manner, will give you information ________ the candidate’s interests and strengths.

3. Questions that focus ________ vacation, sick pay, education benefits, and insurance should be saved ________ final discussions.

4. On ________ surface, this may appear to be ________ bold question that put ________ interviewers on ________ spot.

5. There’s clearly a strong link ________ pay and productivity.

6. I hope that all questions were answered _________ satisfaction.

7. Better ________ small fish than ________ empty dish.

8. Between ________ two stools one falls to ________ ground.

Ex. 4 Reword the following sentences without changing their meaning. Pay attention to the italicized words:

1. It’s sensible to know the feelings of the people who were bypassed for this position.

2. Asking basic and practical questions early in an interview can negatively impacts the interviewer’s perception of your management style.

3. Once you meet with senior managers, it’s acceptable to air the negative emotions caused by the previous applicants.

4. Some use their money to manipulate others, exploiting their vanity or greed; others are essentially empire builders, who use their money to make other people dependent on them.

5. The reality in a tough market is that references can be used by potential employers to develop your work and personality profile before, not after, you make the team.

Ex. 5 Fill in the blanks. The first letter of each missing word is given:

And a good job too!

There is a lot of (1) u…… nowadays so it is getting more and more difficult to get the kind of (2) j……you really want. Then you have to decide what is more important to you-how much you (3) e……or job satisfaction? Do you want to work with your hands (called (4) m……work) or do you prefer to work in an office (called clerical work)? Do you prefer to work indoors or (5) o……?

Ex. 6 Replace the underlined words with the phrasal words from the box. Make any other necessary changes.

carry out sth take on sth take up deal with sth take sb on get on take over

1 After looking at his qualifications, they decided to offer him the job.

2 He’s doing far too much and will make himself ill.

3 I started working here five years ago.

4 Who do you think is going to be the new director when Santana retires?

5 Will you handle any complaints while I’m away?

6 She did all the tasks successfully.

Ex. 7 Complete the text with the words below. Use one word in each gap.

sick pay doubt promotion job security

co-workers office politics job satisfaction benefits nine-to-five drawbacks conclusion

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF WORKING FOR YOURSELF

… are obvious. You no longer need to be governed by… working hours and you can plan your working week to accommodate trips to the dentist or afternoons on the beach!

You are no longer victim to…as you, and you alone, are manning the business and nobody is going to be challenging your…to the top job1 There are no gossiping…to contend with or to distract you from your work, and no endless memos asking you to attend meaningless meetings. Your…is high because you are choosing your own direction, and your achievements are entirely the result of your own hard work. In addition, business profits are your own to bank or to spend. You decide,

However, the…are just as obvious. There is no team to support you when thing take turn for the worse, and no colleagues to listen to problems or help with difficult decision-making. There is no contract to guarantee…, so from month to month you will sink or swim in accordance with your own talents and determination. Lastly, if the stress of working on your own makes you ill, there is no…to help you through difficult times.

In…, being your own boss may have many advantages which offer an individual more freedom of choice. However, without…, working for yourself requires a great deal of self-discipline and self-reliance.

Personally, I would prefer the support and security of working for a company.

Ex. 8 Pair work. Discuss the statements below and find out your partner’s views on the issues:

1. Employers pay closer attention to your responses than to your questions.

2. It is best to ask questions about benefits and vacation policies early in the process so that the employer knows you are interested in the position.

3. Too many questions show that you are not comprehending the gist of the conversation.