Vocabulary exercises

Ex. 1

Name the professions of people who

1. conduct an orchestra;

2. keep business accounts;

4. write stories;

5. go to sea;

7. write plays;

8. drive planes;

9. compose music;

10. design machines, ships, bridges;

11. sell tickets in buses and trams;

12. treat other people;

13. act in a play or a film;

14. who is the head of a department at a university or an institute;

15. writes verses;

16. make, repair or use machinery;

17. own or rent a farm;

18. are busy with newspaper work;

19. grow crops, raise animals;

20. work with wood.

Ex.2

Answer the following questions:

1. What were your classmates going to be? 2. Are the professions of a teacher and a doctor noble? Why? 3. What do some of your relations do for a living? 4. What must one do to be a good sportsman? 5. Are you afraid of visiting a dentist? 6. Who is your favourite actor (actress)? 7. That are you good at? 8. When are you going to graduate from the university? 9. Is it easy or difficult to raise animals? (to grow crops? To cure people? To play the guitar (violin, piano)? To nurse children? To conduct an orchestra? To compose music?) 10. What poets (writers, composers, actors, actresses) are popular not only in our country but also abroad?

Ex. 3 Tell your groupmates: a) people of what professions the institutes of our town train; b) the Chuvash State University named after I.N. Ulyanov; c) The Chuvash State Teachers’ Training University; d) about the occupation of your parents, relatives, friends, aquaintances and about their attitude to their professions.

Ex. 4

Translate the following sentences from Russian into English.

1. Мой друг по переписке из Испании. – Сколько ему лет? – Он ещё несовершеннолетний. Ему исполнится 18 через пять месяцев. Он - выпускник колледжа, и хочет стать опытным бухгалтером. – Как это скучно! – Это зависит от характера человека. Что касается его, то у него прекрасное чувство юмора.

2. Это Майкл и Артур. Первый – студент. Как насчёт другого? – Он – пианист. Кроме того, он дирижирует оркестром.

3. Элизабет – привлекательная, восхитительная женщина. Она – опытный врач, терапевт. Она всегда вежлива со своими пациентами и всегда пытается им помочь.

4. Разрешите представить вам Люси. Она из Франции. Она – выпускница медицинского колледжа. Она будет работать глазным врачом на Дальнем Востоке.

5. Где живут родители вашего мужа и ваши? – Мои – на Украине, а его – в Гааге. – Чем они занимаются? – Его отец – драматург, его мать – научный работник, его сестра – машинистка, а его брат – известный журналист.

Ex. 5

Choose the right word.

a) job – position - occupation

job – anything that one has to do, task, duty;

position – a person’s relative place, as in society; rank, status;

occupation – that which chiefly engages one’s time; one’s trade.

1. He was unemployed doing only odd …

2. Knitting is useful … for long winter evenings.

3. This aid is for those who have a very low … in society.

4. My sister occupies an important … in the Department of Health.

5. The police called to the company to find out his … at the moment.

6. He had a hard … painting the car.

b) leave – graduate

leave – graduate (school);

graduate (from) – to get a degree or diploma, to complete a course of study at a college/university.

1. He … from Columbia University last summer.

2. She … school 2 months ago and couldn’t find a job.

3. What University did you … from?

Ex. 6

Complete the following sentences using suitable words or phrases from the list below.

left school, to find a job, given up, looking through, receptionist, move to, living on my own, out of work, queuing, local paper, applicants, take any job, unemployment benefit, youth unemployment

In Britain a lot of people are … . Tracey Chapman is 18, and she … a year ago. She lives in the North East, an area of high … . She hasn’t been able … yet. “My dad just doesn’t understand. He started working in a steel mill when he was 15. Things are different now, but he thinks I should start bringing home some money. Oh, I get my … but that isn’t much and I’m fed up with … for it every Thursday. I hate having to ask my mum and dad for money. Oh, my mum gives me a couple of pounds for tights now and then, but she can’t stand seeing me at home all day. I’ve almost … looking for a job. I buy the … every day but I’m really tired of … the “Situations Vacant” column. There are 50 … for every job. I was interested in being a dentist’s … because I like meeting people, but now I’d … at all. People ask me why I don’t … London, but I don’t want to leave my family and friends. Anyway, I’m scared of … in a big city.

Ex. 7

Practice the following dialogue.

A CAREER FOR ROBERT

Harry: Well, Robert, have you made up your mind yet what you want to do when you leave college?

Nora: Oh Harry, surely he’s a bit young to decide on his career. He hasn’t even got to college yet.

H.: Not at all, Nora. It’s wisest to decide in good time. Look at me, for example. I really wanted to be a sailor, but now I spend my days sitting at a desk in an office. Yes, it’s silly to train for the wrong job. And after all, Robert will be going to college soon.

N. (musing): Now if I were a man I’d be a farmer. To see the crops growing - that’s my idea of a good life.

H.: Yes, and to see the money rolling in is more important still.

Robert: Well, that’s not the way I look at it, Dad. It’s the job I care about not the money.

H.: Maybe not; but you’ll learn to care about the money too, when you’ve got a family to keep.

N.: And of course Peter – well, he’s keen to be a racing motorist, or else an explorer.

R. (scornfully): Oh, Peter’s not old enough to make up his mind about such things.

H.: Well, you haven’t answered my question yet, Robert. What would you like to do?

N. (wistfully): Are you sure you don’t want to be a farmer, Robert? Or a market gardener?

R.: No, I’m sorry, Mum, but I don’t want to at all. I’d rather be a civil engineer. I want to build roadside bridges.

H.: Not ships? Isn’t it better to be a shipbuilding engineer?

R. (crossly): Look here, is it my career we’re planning, or yours?

H. (huffed): All right, all right, there’s no need to lose your temper. But you’d better win that scholarship first.

Ex. 8

Topics for discussions and essays

1. There are some individuals that “know” what they want to be from the time they are children. Have you ever known anybody like this?

2. Do you think that choosing an occupation is more difficult today than it used to be for young people 30 or 40 years ago? Give your views.

3. By what age (18? Younger? Older?) should a person “know” what he or she wants to do? Discuss your idea.