WORK (CHECK YOUR ENGLISH VOCABULARY FOR IELTS)

CHECK YOUR ENGLISH VOCABULARY FOR IELTS

WORK

1.     Task 1: Now would you generally feel, happy or unhappy, if you were in the following situations. Use the words in italic to help you decide

No	Condition	Happy	Unhappy
1	The company you work for is well-known for its job security.
2	You were suddenly more redundant.
3	You received a promotion.
4	You were given an increment.
5	You worked unsociable hours.
6	You had a steady job.
7	You had adverse working conditions.
8	You suddenly found yourself unemployed.
9	You took time off work because of repetitive strain injury.
10	The office where you work has sick building syndrome.
11	You receive regular perks as part of your job.
12	Somebody called you a workaholic.
13	Your company doesn’t give you many incentives.
14	Your boss announces that there is going to be some downsizing of the workforce.
15	Your work didn’t offer much of job satisfaction.
16	Your company has a generous incentive scheme.
17	You receive a commission for the work you have done.
18	You receive support from a union.
19	You were under stress.
20	You were forced to resign.
21	You received a cut in your salary.
22	Your company gave you sickness benefit.
23	You found your job very demanding.

2.   Task 2: Match sentences 1-6 in box A with one of the sentences A-F in box B. use the words in italic to help you.

Box A

1	Samantha is the assistant manager of a bank and she works from 8.30 to 5.30 every day.
2	Tracy works on the production line of a factory which makes cars. She uses a machine to spray paint onto the finished car parts.
3	Jane works for herself. She is a photographer. She works every day for about eight or nine hours.
4	Jeanette is a cleaner for a company in Birmingham, but she only works there for about three or four hours a day.
5	Claire has a powerful job in the personal office of a large multinational company. She is responsible for employing new people and getting rid of those that the company doesn’t want to employ anymore.
6	Marie works in the finance department of an international college in Oxford.

A	She is a semi-skilled blue-collar worker in a manufacturing industry.
B	She is a self-employed and works full-time. She likes to describe herself as freelance.
C	She is responsible for hiring and firing.
D	She calculates the wages, salaries, pension contributions and medical insurance contributions of all the staff.
E	She is a full-time white-collar worker in a service industry.
F	She is an unskilled part-time employees.

3.    Task 3: Now read this essay and complete the gaps with one of the words or expressions from tasks 1 and 2. You may need to change the form of some of the words.

‘Some people live to work, and other work to liv. In most cases, this depends on the job they have and the conditions under which they are employed. In your opinion, what are the elements ad make a job worthwhile?’ In answering this question, I would like to look first at the elements that combine to make a job undesirable. By avoiding such factors, potential 1 __________ are more likely to find a job that is more worthwhile, and by doing so, hope to achieve happiness in their work. First of all, it doesn’t matter if you are an 2 __________ worker cleaning the floor, a 3 __________ 4 __________ worker on a production line in one of the 5 __________, or a 6 __________ worker in a bank, shop or one of the other 7 __________; if you lack 8 __________, with the knowledge that you might lose your job at any time, you will never feel happy. Everybody would like a 9 __________ in which he/she is guaranteed work. Nowadays, however, companies have a high turnover of staff and 11 __________ others on a weekly basis. Such companies are not popular with the workers. The same can be said of a job in which you are put under a lot of 12 __________ and worry, a job which is so 13 __________ that it takes over your life, a job where you work 14 __________ and so never get to see your family and friends, or a physical job in which you do the same thing every day and end up with industrial disease that is always in the papers nowadays – 15 __________. With all these negative factors, it would be difficult to believe that there are any elements that make a job worthwhile. Money is, of course, the prime motivator, and everybody wants a good 16 __________. But of course that is not all. The chance of 17 __________ of being given a better position in a company, is a motivating factor. Likewise, 18 __________ such as a free lunch or a company car. An 19 __________ scheme to make you work hard such as a regular 20 __________ above the rate of inflation, 21 __________ in case you fall ill and a company 22 __________ scheme so that you have some money when you retire all combine to make a job worthwhile. Unfortunately, it is not always easy to find all of these. There is, however, an alternative. Forget the office and the factory floor and become 23 __________ and work for yourself. Your future may not be secure, but at least you will be happy.

ANSWER KEY