Vocabulary Exercises

Ex. 1. Find sentences from the list on the right, which paraphrase each of the sentences on the left. You will not need to use all the sentences on the right.

1. What do you do for a living? a. Why did you resign?

2. Is it a very rewarding job? b. What do you have to do exactly?

3. Do you get any perks? c. Where do you live?

4. Why did they sack you? d. Do you work for yourself or are you employed by someone?

5. Are you in charge of recruitment? e. Why did they employ you?

6. Is it a very demanding job? f. Is it a very satisfying job?

7. What does the job involve? g. Do you need special training?

8. Why did you hand in your notice? h. Are you responsible for employing people?

9. How much do you earn? i. Is it very hard work?

10. Is it a skilled job? j. What’s your salary?

11. Why did they take you on? k. Why were you dismissed?

12. Are you freelance? l. Do you get paid for overtime?

m.What’s your job?

n. What fringe benefits are there?

Ex. 2. Give a single word synonym for each of these phrases.

1. to give the sack ;

2. to be out of work;

3. to be given a better position in a company;

4. to stop working for ever;

5. to travel to work everyday;

6. unemployment benefit;

7. a jobless person looking for work;

8. a person who is not on permanent staff;

9. earnings in occupations not requiring advanced study;

10. earnings in occupations requiring advanced study;

11. an additional payment for higher productivity;

12. money allowance paid to students by the state.

Ex. 3. Use each of the words listed at least once to complete the sentences below.

Craft, employment, job, work

It is fashionable to talk of the decline in … satisfaction for the majority of workers, who no longer need to learn a skilled … to obtain … (or …). But while most people prefer to do a … that interests them, the evidence gained from those who are out of … suggests that the worst thing about un … is that people do not know how to organize their lives. For that reason, some workers are learning …s like pottery or carpentry as a hobby.

Award, benefit, profit, reward

The firm was given one of the Queen’s …s for industry as a … for their efforts in the export trade. Of course, as far as we are concerned, it does not make much difference, because we had already made our … from our customers, but I think these …s are really made for the … of other firms that have not yet seen the importance of selling abroad.

Economic, economical, economics, economy

1. The new machine is very … . It has already saved us a great deal of money.

2. He is studying … at the university.

3. The Chancellor of the Exchequer made a speech about the state of the national … .

4. Bank managers always advise us to practise … before they will lend us money. The opposite seems to be true when they are dealing with countries. The less … they are in running their affairs, the more they can borrow. That is why … is such a difficult subject for the layman to understand.

Be dismissed/sacked, be made redundant, resign, retire

The conditions of work have changed considerably in Britain over the past fifty years. In those days, it was quite common for workers to … for small infringements of company regulations, which would be very unusual now. Executives expected to spend most of their lives in the same firm, and unless they … for incompetence, to … at the age of 65, usually without a pension. Now, when the company loses business, it is normal for workers to … , and be paid compensation, while executives … from one post and take up another at regular intervals.

Ex. 5. Give the English equivalents of the following words and phrases.

Физическая работа, высокооплачиваемая работа, напряженная работа, льготы (побочные преимущества), гонорар, повышение зарплаты, зарплата без вычета налогов, стенография, экономическая ситуация, экономный автомобиль, кормилец семьи, жить на пособие по безработице, получить повышение на службе, работать сверхурочно, подать заявление об уходе, быть уволенным по сокращению штатов, уйти в отставку, уйти на пенсию.

Ex. 6. Translate into English.

1. Кроме зарплаты менеджеры имеют ряд особых привилегий, таких, как ав­томобиль компании, медицинское страхование и др. 2. Тысячи служащих в стране находятся перед перспективой увольнения из-за бюджетного кризиса. 3. Согласно социологическому опросу работники физического труда работают сверхурочно больше, чем работники умственного труда. 4. В современном обществе высокооплачиваемая работа обычно является признаком высокого социального статуса. 5. Пособие по безработице выплачивается в течение по­лугода после потери работы. 6. Я подыскиваю другую работу, потому что на нынешней работе у меня мало шансов получить повышение по службе. 7. Моя работа не очень интересная, но, по крайней мера, надежная. 8. Альфреда пре­дупредили, что через месяц он будет уволен. 9. После того, как Тома неспра­ведливо обвинили в краже денег, он подал заявление об уходе. 10. По мере ухудшения экономической ситуации многие фирмы сокращают штат служа­щих.