Complete the dialogues using the following idiomatic expressions.

 It’s been dead all day.  I can fit you in on Thursday.

 I’m tied up till after lunch.  It’s been one thing after another.

 I’ve been on the go all day.  We’ve been rushed off our feet!

1. Everything’s gone wrong today, hasn’t it? – Yes………….. .

2. Shall we go for a drink after work? – No, thanks. I’m tired. …………….. .

3. So, is Wednesday a good day for you? - No, but ………………. .

4. Have you had many customers today? – No, …………….. .

5. You’ve had a lot of customers in this morning, haven’t you? – Yes, ……………… .

6. Can I talk to you about a problem that’s just come up? – Sorry, ………………….. .

 

Use the following expressions in the sentences below.

 a steady job  a short-list

 in the pipeline  the top of the tree

 a dead-end job  a new branch

1. Imagine just putting letters in envelopes all day. What a ………………!

2. It’s going to be a busy years for us. We’ve got two major projects to finish and an even bigger one ………………. .

3. Marks and Spencer’s are opening ……………… in town next summer.

4. I just had a really good job interview. I’m on ………………. of five.

5. Where is there to go once you’ve reached …………………..?

6. A lot of people are happy with ……………….. even if it is not very interesting. The main thing is the security it offers.

 

Use expressions from the box in the correct form in the following situations, connected with climbing the career ladder.

Breathe down my neck, land a great job, find your feet, hold a job down, standing in for him, take on staff, climb the career ladder, go over his head

 

1. Do you think it’s worth me doing a part-time MBA? It’s a lot of work. – It depends how much you want to …………..

2. My new job’s OK but there are lot’s of things I’m still not used to. – That’s normal. It always takes a few months before you really ………………

3. I suppose your busiest time is around Christmas, isn’t it? – Yes, we always ………….. extra ……………. just for that period.

4. Are you working late again tonight? – I’m afraid so. Peter’s …………… for last month’s sales figures.

5. I’m going to have a word with Jack and try to change my holidays. – Jack’s on a coarse this week and Marie is ……………. , so you’d better wait till he gets back. You know what she is like!

6. You know Frank’s not going to put your idea on the agenda for tomorrow’s meeting, don’t you? – Isn’t he? In that case I’ll have to …………… and talk to his head of department.

7. I bumped into Paul last week. He’s just started a new job selling insurance. – I wonder how long that’ll last. He can’t ………….. for longer than six months.

8. Where’s Andrew working nowadays? – Haven’t you heard? He’s

just …………..a great ………….. with that new American bank

in the City.

Read the text below. It is part of the introduction to a report. The report has been prepared by a company which is considering employing a team of specialists to reduce accident and sickness rates in the company. For each gap (1-10), write one appropriate word.

Concern has been expressed at various levels in our company at the rate of absenteeism (1)………….. to injury and ill health in our company, which is well above the industry average. Accidents can be caused by the lack of appropriate protective clothing such as helmets and safety glasses, as well as by other factors. The Employers’ Federation has suggested that we have an ergonomic audit to ascertain the causes and apply solutions.

Ergonomics is a science (2)…………… is concerned with physical and environmental conditions of work and (3) ………….. these conditions can be improved. Ergonomists study how people do their work. In other words, they analyze the physical relationship (4) …………. a person and the machine or tool he or she is working with, the movements and body position used, the design and layout of an office or work station, the lightning and environmental conditions, and so on. (5) ……………. Designing solutions, the underlying ideas is to fit the job to the person (6) …………… than the person to the job. Good design, achieved (7) ……………. the application of ergonomics, enhances the safety of tools, machines, job tasks and the working environment. (8) …………….. only does this lead to a reduction in the number of work-related accidents, it also (9) ……………. in better worker health, improved worker morale, increased efficiency and (10) …………….. productivity on the job.

The report that follows examines why we need to employ a team of ergonomists, describes in detail the options available and assesses the long-term implications for the company. The report concludes that substantial improvements can be made in terms of productivity, staff morale and estimated long-term savings.

 

Over to you.

 

● How important are health and safety at work? Which jobs have the highest risks? What do you know about the health and safety risks in the jobs of your choice?

 

E. Creative Consolidation

 

Case Study

 

A. You have a highly infectious virus, but there is an important meeting programmed, and for a number of reasons, you are worried about your job. Would you go to work?
B. Specialists often talk of “tailoring individuals’ needs and abilities to the operational needs of the store”. For management positions, do you think the job or task should be adapted to the person who does it, or should the individual employee adapt to the needs of the job?
C. You have discovered that your favourite restaurant is employing illegal immigrant workers and paying them under the minimum rates for extremely long hours. Would you stop going there to eat? Give your reasons. Would you undertake any steps to change the situation?

 

D. You have an inside information that shoes in the shop where you are a loyal patron are made by young children. Would you still buy shoes there?

 

Project-Making

 

An international convention is being held to look at occupational health and safety. You have been sent to the convention to present a case study, in which the advice of ergonomists contributed to significant improvements in occupational health and substantial savings for your company. In the presentation you will be expected to name /describe:

 

 the industry or sector;

 the problem and how it was diagnosed;

 the measures taken;

 the results and any future plans.

 

You may start like this:

Ladies and gentlemen, I am here today to describe the impact that a study by a group of ergonomists has had on our company, its productivity, staff morale and our future. We knew that there was an unusually high incidence of absenteeism related to illness. What we didn’t know was the effect preventive measures could and would have.

Raise the Issue

Do you think people from certain culture would favour one kind of organizational structure over another? Can you think of some examples and give reasons?

A. Words in Context

1. Tick the word closest in meaning to that of the each boldfaced word. Use the context of the sentences to help you figure out each word’s meaning.

accord (v)Their achievement has not always been accordedthe recognition it deserves.

Accord means a. give b. stop c. praise

ascertain (v)Experts were unable toascertainthe cause of the accident.

Ascertain means a. to find out b. to finish c. to say

command (v)He commandsgreat respect of everyone who works for him.

Command means a. comment b. get c. come

despondent (adj)Devon becomesdespondenttoo easily. If he

gets even one bad grade, he loses all hope of succeeding in school.

Despondent means a. ill b. depressed c. angry

hierarchy (n)Pam soon learned that all requests and suggestions had to be passed up through the levels of the company hierarchy. She could communicate directly with her own boss, but not with the boss’s boss – let alone the company president.

Hierarchy means a. a ranked system b. a training system

c. a large system

 

intuition (n) “I paint by intuition,” the artist said. “In a flash, I see how a work should look. I don’t really think it out”.

Intuition means a. careful study b. memory c. instinct

resist (v)He was unable toresist the temptation of sneaking into classified documents.

Resist means a. oppose b. experience c. reserve

resort (v)I think we can solve the problem withoutresorting to legal action.

Resort means a. to implement b. to settle c. to respect

subordinate (adj)The company director issubordinate only to the board of directors. She takes orders from the board, and only the board can fire her.

Subordinate means a. lower than b. a substitute for c. superior to