Read the text and decide if the following statements are T (TRUE) or F (FALSE)
We’re Living Faster, But Are We Living Better?
Not long ago people believed that in the future we would work less, have more free time, and be more relaxed. But sadly this has not happened. Today we work harder, work longer hours, and are more stressed than ten years ago. We walk faster, talk faster, and sleep less than previous generations. And although we are obsessed with machines which save us time, we have less free time than our parents and grandparents had. But what is this doing to our health? An American journalist James Gleick in a new book, Faster: the acceleration of just about everything, says that people who live in cities are suffering from ‘hurry sickness’ – we are always trying to do more things in less time. As a result, our lives are more stressful. He says that if we don’t slow down, we won’t live as long as our parents. For most people, faster doesn’t mean better.
1. ...... The writer wrote the article to encourage us to work more and relax less.
2. ...... People today are having a less stressful life than they did in the past.
Complete the conversation with words from the box. Use each word only once.
A Did you read the article on Erik Weihenmayer? Isn’t he a fascinating person?
B Yes, he really is! Imagine being blind and ......a mountain!
A Even for people who can see, climbing a mountain is very difficult.
B You know, I was really surprised to learn that he is also a teacher and a ......athlete.
A People like Erik really ......people all around the world. Did you know that he is not the only person with a disability who has done amazing things?
B Yes! I read about Helen Keller in school. She was blind, deaf, and could not speak. Helen Keller became famous because of all the ......she had in her lifetime.
A Right! But people who have disabilities are not the only people who face ......We all have difficulties in our lives. We face challenges at home, at work, at school, and in relationships.
B I agree. Do you think challenges are good for us?
A Yes, I do. I think if a person is not ......and has ......then he or she can overcome most of life’s challenges. I believe that challenges make us stronger.
B You are right! I think that people like Erik Weihenmayer and Helen Keller really ......others to be brave and face life’s challenges and never give up.
A recruitment firm gives this advice to new workers:
It is important to ...... time in your relationships with others at ....... Get to know the people who work near you: ...... yourself to them and tell them something about yourself. If people ask for your help, always ...... positively. Don’t ...... emails or phone calls just because you are busy. If you make a mistake, it is better to ...... it and then apologise. When things go wrong, stay calm and ...... shouting and using bad language. Remember good ...... help to ...... your working ......, and you will find you can enjoy your work more.
Etiquette is the name we give to the rules for being polite in a social group. Business etiquette is important for people who often have to make new contacts and build relationships in their work. Politeness can also help to improve the working environment for people in the same office. Some cultures and situations are formal, which means that we have to follow rules; other cultures and situations are more informal.
Text 2 Office workers “admit being rude”
Most office workers say they are rude or bad-mannered at work. Two out of three workers regularly arrive late for meetings, most ignore emails and three out of four use bad language. In a survey of 1,000 workers, two-thirds say that pressure of work is the reason for bad manners.
Other common examples of bad office etiquette include ignoring colleagues and answering mobile phone calls during meetings. Using mobile phones in meetings is impolite and distracts others, research by the University of Surrey shows. If you respond to call when speaking to somebody, it means that the phone call is more important than the person, the survey said. If you answer a call during a meeting, it could mean that the meeting is not important.
Mr Jacobs, managing director of Office Angels, a recruitment firm say it is easy for people to forget their manners in the working environment, which is often very informal and very busy. Workers can forget proper etiquette such as introducing people at meetings, and this is often bad for working relationships.
Psychologist Dr Colin Gill believes that people are not as polite as they were twenty years ago. He said: ‘Courtesy is no longer something that is so much respected in our society.’ People think it is ‘stuffy to be polite or formal.’
Now some organisations are actually investing money in training their junior managers to be polite. Office Angels is encouraging people to arrive on time for meetings, turn off mobile phones and avoid bad manners at work is such a simple thing to do,’ Mr Jacobs says, ‘ and it can have a dramatic impact on improving your working environment and your relationships with others.’
The aim of the texts is to …………………………………….
A. encourage officer’s bad manners at work
B. reflect the fact of officer’s good manners at work with illustrations
C. reflect the fact of officer’s bad manners at work with illustrations
Listen to six short conversations. How does the second person reply in each situation? Predict the meanings of their replies by choose the correct description in italics.
1. John points out a mistake. Jane ...... for it.(apologizes/doesn't apologise)
2. Jack invites Barbara to dinner. Barbara ...... the invitation. (accepts/refuses)
3. John introduces Caroline Day to Barbara. Barbara ...... her. (knows/ doesn’t know)
4. Jack asks if he is allowed to park in front of the office. Jane says that he ....... (can/can't)
5. Barbara gives Jane a gift. Jane ...... it. (likes/doesn’t like)
6. Jack helped John to arrange his travel. It ...... a problem for Jack. (was/wasn't)
