Work: duties, conditions and pay.

What do you do?

People may ask you about your job. They can ask and you can answer in different ways.

What do you do? What’s your job?   What do you do for a living?

I’m (+job) e.g. a banker/an engineer/etc. I work in (+place or general area) e.g. a bank/marketing I work for (+name of the company) e.g. Union Bank, ICI, Fiat

 

Note: “Work” is usually an uncountable noun, so you cannot say “a work”. If you want to use the indefinite article you must say “a job”, e.g. She hasn’t got a job at the moment.

 

What does that involve? (=What do you do in your job?)

When people ask you to explain your work/job, they may want to know your main responsibilities (=your duties/what you have to do), or something about your daily routine (=what you do every day/week)/ They can ask like this: What does that (i.e. your job) involve?

 

Main responsibilities

I’m in charge of (= responsible for) all deliveries out of the factory.

I have to deal with any complaints (=take all necessary action if there are complaints).

I run the coffee bar and restaurant in the museum (=I am in control of it/I manage it).

 

Note: We often use responsible for/in charge of for part of something, e.g. a department or some of the workers; and run for control of all of something, e.g. a company or a shop.

 

Daily duties/routines

I have to go to/attend (fml) a lot of meetings.

I visit/see/meet clients (=people I do business with or for).

I advise clients (=give them help and my opinion).

It involves doing quite a lot of paperwork (a general word we use for routine work that involves paper e.g. writing letters, filling in forms, etc.). Note the –ing form after involve.

 

Pay

Most workers are paid (=receive money) every month and this pay goes directly into their bank account. It is called a salary. We can express the same idea using the verb to earn:

My salary is $60,000 a year. (= I earn $60,000 a year).

With many jobs you get (=receive) holiday pay and sick pay (when you are ill). If you want to ask about holidays, you can say:

How much holiday do you get? or How many weeks’ holiday do you get?

The total amount of money you receive in a year is called your income. This could be your salary from one job, or the salary from two different jobs you have. And on this income you have to pay part to the government – called income tax.

 

Working hours

For many people in Britain, these are 8.30-9.00 a.m. to 5.00-5.30 p.m. Consequently people often talk about a nine-to-five job (=regular working hours). Some people have flexi-time (they can start an hour or so earlier or finish later); and some have to do shiftwork (working at different times, e.g. days one week and nights the next week). Some people also work overtime (=work extra hours). Some people are paid to do/work overtime, others are not paid.

The career ladder

 

Getting a job

When Paul left school he applied for (=wrote an official request for) a job in the accounts department of a local engineering company. They gave him a job as a trainee (=a very junior person in a company). He didn’t earn very much but they gave him a lot of training (=organized help and advice with learning the job), and sent him on training courses.

Note: Training is an uncountable noun, so you cannot say ‘a training’. You can only talk about training (in general), or a training course (if you want to refer to just one). Here you can use the verbs do or go on: I did/went on several training courses last year.

 

Moving up

 

Paul worked hard at the company and his prospects (=future possibilities in the job) looked good. After his first year he got a good pay rise (=more money), and after two years he was promoted (=given a higher position with more money and responsibility). After six years he was in charge of (= responsible for /the boss of) the accounts department with five other employees (=workers in the company) under him (=under his responsibility/authority).

 

Leaving the company

 

By the time Paul was 30, however, he decided he wanted a fresh challenge (=a new exciting situation). He was keen to work abroad, so he resigned from his company (=officially told the company he was leaving his job; you can also say ‘he quit the company’) and started looking for a new job with a bigger company. After a couple of months he managed to find a job with an international company, which involved (=included) a lot of foreign travel. He was very excited about the new job and at first he really enjoyed the traveling, but…

 

Hard times

 

After about six months Paul started to dislike the constant moving around, and after a year he hated it; he hated living in hotels, and he never really made any friends in the new company. Unfortunately his work was not satisfactory either and finally he was sacked (=told to leave the company/ dismissed/given the sack) a year later.

After that, Paul found things much more difficult. He was unemployed (= out of work /without a job) for over a year. He had to sell his car and move out of his new house. Things were looking bad and in the end Paul had to accept a part-time job (=working only some of the day or some of the week) on a fruit and vegetable stall in a market.

 

Happier times

 

To his surprise, Paul loved the market. He made lots of friends and enjoyed working out in the open air. After two years he took over (=took control of) the stall. Two years later he opened a second stall, and after ten years he had fifteen stalls. Last year Paul retired (=stopped working completely) at the age of 55, a very rich man.

 

UNIT III. ART AND ARTISTS

 

TEXT: ART FOR HEART’S SAKE. [1](after Rube Goldberg, adapted)

 

“Here, take your juice,“ said Koppel, Mr. Ellsworth’s servant and nurse.

“No,” said Collis P. Ellsworth.

“But it’s good for you, sir!”

“No!”

“The doctor insists on it!”

“No!”

Koppel heard the front door bell and hurried to leave the room. He found Doctor Caswell in the hall downstairs.

“I can’t do a thing with him,” he told the doctor. ”He doesn’t want to take his juice. I can’t persuade him to take his medicine. He doesn’t want me to read to him. He hates television. He doesn’t like anything.”

Doctor Caswell took the information with his usual professional calm. This was not an ordinary case. The old gentleman was in pretty good health for a man of seventy. But it was necessary to keep him from buying things. His financial deals always ended in failure, which was bad for his health.

But the old man hated it when anybody interfered in his affairs and ordered him to do things.

“How are you this morning? Feeling better?” asked the doctor. I hear you haven’t been obeying my orders.”

“Who is giving me orders at my time of life? Am I to ask for permission every time I want to do something? Am I to be punished for disobedience?” The doctor drew up a chair and sat down close to the old man. He had to do his duty and he was prepared to take a chance.

“I’d like to make a suggestion, ” he said quietly. He didn’t want to argue with the old man.

Old Ellsworth looked at him over his glasses. The way Doctor Caswell said it made him suspicious.

“What is it? More medicine, more automobile rides to keep me away from the office?” The old man asked with suspicion.

“Not at all,” said the doctor. “I’ve been thinking of something different. As a matter of fact I’d like to suggest that you should take up painting.”

“Nonsense!” the old man’s voice rose.

“I don’t mean seriously of course,” said the doctor, glad that his suggestion had been taken calmly enough. “Just try. You’ll like it.”

Much to his surprise the old man agreed. He only asked who was going to teach him drawing.

“I’ve thought of that too,” said the doctor. “I know a student from an art school who can come round once a week. If you don’t like it, after a little while you can throw him out.”

The person he had in mind and promised to bring about was a certain Frank Swain, eighteen years old and a capable student. Like most students he needed money. Doctor Caswell kept his promise. He got in touch with Frank Swain and the lessons began. The old man liked it so much that when at the end of the first lesson Koppel came in and apologized to him for interrupting the lesson, as the old man needed a rest, Ellsworth looked disappointed.

When the art student came the following week, he saw a drawing on the table. It was a vase. But something was definitely wrong with it.

“Well, what do you think of it?” asked the old man stepping aside.

“I don’t mean to hurt you, sir, there is one thing I want to draw your attention to…” began Swain.

“I see,” the old man interrupted, “the halves don’t match. I can’t say I am good at drawing.” He added a few lines with a shaky hand and painted the vase blue like a child playing with a picture-book.

“Listen, young man,“ he whispered. “I want to ask you something before Old Juice comes again. I don’t want to speak in his presence.”

“Yes, sir,” said Swain with respect.

“Could you afford the time to come twice a week or perhaps three times?”

They arranged to meet on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Ellsworth never missed a lesson.

As the weeks went by, Swain’s visits grew more frequent. The old man drank his juice obediently. Doctor Caswell hoped that business was forgotten forever.

When spring came, Ellsworth painted a picture which he called “Trees Dressed in White”. The picture was awful. The trees in the picture looked like salad thrown up against the wall. Then he announced that he was going to display it at the Summer Show at the Lathrop Gallery. Doctor Caswell and Swain thought the old man was joking but said they admired it.

The Summer Show at the Lathrop Gallery was the biggest exhibition of the year. All the outstanding artists in the United States dreamt of winning a Lathrop prize.

“We’ve got to stop him. It’s our duty,” said Koppel. He insisted that they should do something about it.

“No,” said the doctor. “We can’t interfere with his plans now and spoil all the good work we’ve done. Besides I can’t order that he should take the picture back”.

To the astonishment of all three Trees Dressed in White was accepted for the Show.

Young Swain went to the exhibition one afternoon and blushed when he saw Trees Dressed in Whitehanging on the wall. As two visitors stopped in front of the strange picture, Swain rushed out. He was ashamed that a picture like that had been accepted for the Show. He didn’t want to hear what they might say.

However Swain didn’t give up teaching the old man who spent a lot of time drawing. Every time Koppel entered the room he found the old man painting something. Koppel even thought of hiding the brush from him. The old man seldom mentioned his picture and was unusually cheerful.

Two days before the close of the exhibition Ellsworth received a letter. Koppel brought it when Swain and the doctor were in the room. “Read it to me,” asked the old man putting aside the brush he was holding in his hand. “My eyes are tired from painting.”

The letter said: ‘It gives the Lathrop Gallery pleasure to announce that Collis P. Ellsworth has been awarded the First Landscape Prize of ten thousand dollars for his painting Trees Dressed in White’.

Swain became dumb with astonishment. Koppel dropped the glass with juice he was about to give Ellsworth and did not bend to pick up the fragments. Doctor Caswell managed to keep calm. “Congratulations, Mr Ellsworth,” said the doctor. “Fine, fine…Frankly, I didn’t expect that your picture would win the prize…Well…Anyway I’ve proved to you that art is more satisfying than business.”

“Art is nothing. I bought the Lathrop Gallery,” said the old man very pleased with the effect of his deception.

 

 

VOCABULARY

 

art n – искусство modern (national, realistic, abstract, etc.) art. Phr a work of art - произведение искусства; an art student - студент художественной школы; an art exhibition - художественная выставка; artist – художник, an art school – художественная школа, направление в искусстве.

 

hurry vt /vi cпешить, торопить(ся),hurry home (to school, to the station, etc.,); Don’t hurry him, he’ll make a mistake. Hurry up! Скорее, поторопитесь! hurry n спешка What’s the hurry? In a hurry в спешке, второпях He is always in a hurry. Он всегда спешит. (Ему всегда некогда).

 

deal n сделка, соглашение to do/make a deal with sb – заключить с кем-то сделку; dealer n to deal (dealt, dealt) – 1. иметь дело, вести дело, рассматривать, касаться The book deals with modern art. It is difficult to deal with the man. Who deals with such matters? 2. торговать What goods does this shop deal in?

 

suggestion n предложение At whose suggestion did your arrange this exhibition? make a suggestion – внести, сделать предложение; suggest vt – предлагать suggest a plan (idea, trip, etc) suggest that sb (should) do sth; I suggest that they (should) visit the art museum.

 

to be prepared to do sth – быть готовым сделать что-то; to be ready for sth – быть готовым к чему-то

 

chance n случай, возможность, шанс a lucky chance (good, excellent, etc) chance; I had no chance to speak to him. The chances are a hundred to one against him. Phr by chance случайно; lose (miss) a/one’s chance – упустить случай, возможность; take a/one’s chance (of doing sth) – решиться (на что-то), рискнуть; leave sth to chance – оставлять что-то на авось

 

rise vi (rose, risen) 1. вставать, подниматься When I entered, he rose (from his seat) to greet me. The sun rises early in summer; 2. повышаться (о цене, температуре и т.д.) His voice rose in excitement (anger, etc); rise n повышение, увеличение a rise in temperature (prices, one’s pay, etc)

 

interrupt vt прерывать, мешать interrupt a lesson (a game, a person, etc); I am sorry to interrupt you. The rain interrupted the game. interruption n

 

miss vt 1. пропускать, упускать прослушать, не заметить miss a lesson the beginning of a story; a chance; sb’s words; a mistake, etc); miss a train – опоздать на поезд 2. скучать по ком-л./чему-л. miss sb (a friend, one’s family, one’s home, etc) 3. обнаружить отсутствие (кого-л. / чего-л.) When did you miss your book? 4. промахнуться, не достичь цели He fired at the bird but missed. He tried to catch the ball but missed; missing a недостающий, отсутствующий There two pages missing from (in) the book.

 

admire vt восторгаться, восхищаться admire a picture (house), sb's talent, etc.); admiration n восторг, восхищение

 

afford vt позволить себе, (быть в состоянии) (обычно употр. с глаголом can) Can you afford (to buy) an expensive coat? I can't afford the time. Мне некогда.

 

spend vt (spent) 1. тратить spend money (time, energy, etc.) on sth; 2. проводить (о времени) He spent two weeks in a sports camp.

 

mention vt упоминать (о чем-л.) mention a fact (name, incident,etc) to sb Don’t mention it! Не стоит благодарности! mention n There was no mention of it in the letter.

 

to be good (bad) for sb. – быть полезным (вредным) для кого-то: Smoking is bad for your health. To be good (bad) at sth, e.g. He is very good at drawing. Он очень хорошо рисует.

 

insist (on sth.) – настаивать (на чем-либо); insist that sb. should do sth. – настаивать, чтобы кто-л. сделал что-л.

 

persuade sb. to do sth. – убедить кого-л сделать что-л.

 

take sth. easy/ hard / calmly, etc. - воспринимать что-л/относиться к

чему-л. легко/тяжело/спокойно

 

keep sb. from doing sth.. – удерживать кого-л от совершения какого-л действия.

 

order – 1. приказ; vt to order sb. to do sth. – приказать кому-л. сделать что-л.; (to order that sb. should do sth.) Phr by order по приказу 2. порядок He likes order in everything. She keeps the house in good order. Phr be in (out of) order быть в порядке, исправности (в неисправности, испорченным); disorder n беспорядок. 3. заказывать order a taxi (a dress, dinner, books, etc)

 

obey sb. – повиноваться, подчиняться кому-л. / чему-л. obedient – послушный, покорный; disobebient – непослушный.

 

suspicion – подозрение; suspicious подозрительный, вызывающий подозрение, недоверчивый

 

promise vt – обещать что-л., Phr to keep one’s promise – cдержать обещание; to break one’s promise – нарушить обещание.

 

attention – внимание; to draw (call) sb.’s attention to sth. – обращать чье-л. внимание на что-л., to pay (much, little, no) attention to sb/sth – обращать (много, мало, никакого) внимания на кого-л, что-л.; to give attention to sb/sth – уделять внимание кому-л. / чему-л.; to catch sb’s attention – привлечь чье-л. внимание; (in)attentive – (не)внимательный, to be (in)attentive to sb.

 

CINEMA and THEATRE

Theatre

At the theatre you can see plays, e.g. Hamlet by Shakespeare, or musicals, e.g. Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber. In a play the cast (= the total number of actors) is usually quite small, but musicals often have a very large cast.

You usually book (= reserve) tickets in a box-office in advance (some time before the actual performance) if you are going to the theatre. Your seat can be in the stalls, one of the boxes, the dress-circle or balcony / gallery. The curtain rises (falls in the end) and you see the scenery. The audience (= the people watching the play / musical) clap at the end of the performance.

 

Cinema

Plays are performed on a stage, films are shown on a screen. In your country, films in English are either shown with subtitles (= there is a translation across the bottom of the screen), or they are dubbed (= the English is removed and replaced by actors speaking in your own language).

Films are set (= take place) in many different periods and places, e.g. Room with a View is set in the early part of the 20^th century; Blade Runner is set in the future. And when people talk about films, they often talk about the director, e.g. Spielberg, Bertolucci; and the stars, the most important actors and actresses, e.g. Tom Hanks and Jodie Foster.

 

Types of films

Western: a film about America in the 19^th century; often with cowboys and Indians

War film, e.g. Born on the 4^th of July

Horror film, e.g. Dracula; Frankenstein

Science fiction film: about the future

Action film, e.g. Indiana Jones

Comedy: a funny film that makes you laugh

Thriller: an exciting story about a crime

 

MUSIC, ART and LITERATURE

 

A Forms and people

 

Forms Person

Music classical composer

pop/ rock songwriter

 

Art painting painter / artist artist (general)

sculpture sculptor

 

Literature novels novelist

short stories short story writer writer (general) poetry poet plays dramatist/playwright

 

B Music

Classical music: e.g. Beethoven’s piano concertos, Schubert’s symphonies, Beethoven and Schubert are both composers (= people who write music) and most of their music is played by an orchestra (= alarge group of musicians including violins, cellos, etc.) which is led by a conductor.

Opera (= a play in which the words are sung): e.g. Carmen by Bizet.

Rock and pop music: e.g. U2, Bon Jovi, Maria Carey. This music is played by groups / bands, or solo artists, e.g. Madonna. Many solo artists, e.g. Phil Collins, are singer-songwriters (= they write and perform / play their own songs).

Jazz: e.g. Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Stan Getz.

 

C Art

 

If you want to see the painting of a famous artist, you need to go to an art gallery or museum. There you can see individual paintings and sometimes an exhibition (= a collection of paintings by one painter or school of painters, e.g. the Impressionists), e.g.

There’s a Monet exhibition at the National Gallery next week.

 

There are many different types and styles of paintings: