working in a bar. (No, the text mentions bar work but none of Jack’s friends seem to do this work.) 4 How are Jack’s parents helping him? (a) By looking for jobs for him. (No, Jack has tried to get a job himself; there’s nothing here about his parents helping him look for a job.) (b) By paying for a trip to South America. (No, although he is going on a three-week trip to South America, the passage does not say that Jack’s parents have paid for this.) (c) By gradually making him more financially aware. (The passage does not say so explicitly, but this is the implication about the cut-off point after the trip when he may be expected to pay rent and contribute to the household bills.) (d) By threatening to throw him out of the house. (No, they haven’t threatened to do this, but they definitely want him to work after he gets back from his trip.) 5 What does Gael Lindenfield say about Jack’s parents? (a) They have not really understood Jack’s problems. (No, she doesn’t say this; she says they must balance being positive with not making life too comfortable. This doesn’t mean they haven’t understood Jack’s problems.) (b) They have made life too comfortable for Jack. (No, she says they must balance
comfort with being positive. This doesn’t necessarily mean that they have already made life too comfortable for Jack.) (c) The approach they have chosen is the right one. (She says they have struck exactly the right note.) (d) They need help from a psychologist. (No, she doesn’t say this.) 6 What do Whoopi Goldberg, Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt have in common? (a) They all did bar work before going to
university. (No, we don’t know from the passage if any of them did this.) (b) They took part in protests against nuclear power plants. (No, we don’t know is any of them did this) (c) They learnt to act by dressing up as giant chickens. (No, only Brad Pitt did this.) (d) They all did temporary jobs at one stage in their lives. (This is right, although they all had completely different temporary jobs.) Dealing with unfamiliar words 3 Match the words in the box with their definitions. 1 to make progress by moving to the next stage in a series of actions or events (proceed) 2 the process of changing from one situation, form or state to another (transition) 3 not feeling involved with someone or something in a close or emotional way
(detached) 4 referring to something which will happen soon (upcoming) 5 to be sitting still in a position that is not upright (slump) 6 to return to a previous state or way of behaving (revert) 7 to say what
happened (recount) 4 Complete the paragraph with the correct form of the words in Activity 3. It isn’t easy to make the (1) transition from a busy university student to an unemployed young adult (2) slumped on a bar stool or half watching a mindless television show, wondering if and how their career is going to (3) proceed. Many people who have experienced a long period of inactivity like this, when (4) recounting how they felt at the time, refer to the same
strange psychological effect. As the days pass, they begin to feel (5) detached from any sense of pressure to go and look for a job, and tend to regard (6) upcoming interviews as if they were not very important. Typically, back at home after three or four years away, they (7) revert to old habits, start seeing old friends, and, in many cases, become dependent again on their parents. 5 Replace the
underlined words with the correct form of the words in the box. You may need to make other changes. 1 I went to a mixed-ability secondary school just outside London. (comprehensive) 2 I got stopped by a policeman who asked to see my driving licence. (cop) 3 Have you seen this beautiful from the air view of Oxford? (aerial) 4 Isabel tightly her bag as she walked down the corridor towards the office. (clutched) 5 You should speak to Toby; he’s an supporter of flexible working hours. (advocate) 6 I hurt my leg badly a couple of months ago, and it still hasn’t got better completely. (healed) 6 Answer the
questions about the words. 1 Is a dead-end job one with (a) exciting prospects, or (b) no future? 2 Is a tricky problem (a) difficult, or (b) easy to solve? 3 If an activity saps all your energy, do you feel (a) tired, or (b) more active than usual? 4 Does a pushy person try to (a) persuade you to do something you don’t want to, or (b) help you by listening to what you have to say? 5 If you feel apathy, do you want to (a) change the world, or (b) stay at home and do nothing? 7 Answer the questions about the phrases. 1 Is fork out (a) a formal, or (b) an informal way of saying to pay for something? 2 If you are in the same boat as another person, are you (a) making the same journey together, or (b) in the same difficult or unpleasant
situation? 3 If you feel you have come full circle, do you (a) feel you are back where you started, or (b) feel a sense of satisfaction because you have completed something? 4 If someone takes a soft line, do they deal with a person (a) in a kind and sympathetic way, or (b) in a lazy way without making a decision? 5 If you strike the right
note about something, are you expressing yourself (a) well, or (b) badly? 6 If you do something by all means, do you (a) try your best to do it, or (b) not care about it? 7 If you nudge someone back into the saddle, are you encouraging them to (a) take responsibility again, or (b) take it easy? 8 If you talk through a problem with someone, do you (a) examine it carefully and sensitively, or (b) refer to it quickly and then change the subject? Reading and interpreting 8 Answer the questions. 1 “Will he ever get a job?” Who is asking this question? What mood does it express? The parents are asking this because the paragraph is addressed to parents (earlier it says “your graduate son”). The mood seems to express patience or resignation because the word “ever” suggests that getting a job will take a
long time. 2 Who describes Generation Y as “rebels without a cause”? Is it a fair description? This is the writer’s description to
indicate that this generation is rebelling against parents or society, but they have nothing particular to rebel against. This doesn’t seem very fair because the students are trying to find work – it is just that they don’t like their parents nagging them. So they are a bit rebellious against their parents, but no more than that. 3 Jack “walked into the university careers service and straight back out again”. What does this suggest about Jack’s character? It suggests that Jack is not very determined. As soon as he saw the queue he left without waiting and without trying to ask about jobs or careers. 4 Jack spent the summer “hiding”. Hiding from what? Why are quotation marks used? Probably this means he was hiding from the world of work, staying at home and not looking for a job. The quotation marks tell us that he wasn’t literally hiding, he just spent a lot of time at home. 5 How is Mrs Goodwin’s point of view affected by her own
personal experience? In one way her experience hasn’t affected her attitude: She left school and went immediately to a job (without going to university) and has been working full-time since then and yet she is sympathetic and takes a soft line. 6 How is Lindenfield’s point of view affected by her own personal experience? Her personal experience was that she worked in a bar before finding her first
proper job as an aerial photographic assistant. So she says such work is a great networking opportunity. If new graduates are good at such work and bright, cheerful and polite, they will soon be promoted. Her personal experience thus reflects – or perhaps has created – her
point of view. 7 What would the first two paragraphs have focused on if they had been presented from the point of view of the students rather than the parents? The first two paragraphs would have focused on the need for the new graduates to rest for a bit after their hard studies. It is OK for students to relax with the TV or to socialize with friends for a while, then they can start a serious search for employment after that. Active reading (2) If you ask me Background information This is an informal and personalized account of an
economics graduate who gets a job in a pub for a year and then has an opportunity to be successful (a lucky break). She works in a London pub called “The Salisbury” or “The Marquis Salisbury”, named after someone who was the British Prime Minister three times between 1885 and 1902 and whose family once owned the pub’s land. The 100 year old pub is in Leadenhall Street, just off the Charing Cross Road and Leicester Square. Daytime customers can get a pub lunch and
evening customers include many office workers and theatre goers (the pub is near many West End theatres). The interior of this pub is
dazzling, with large mirrors, cut glass and a mahogany décor. British pubs are often named after famous people (Robin Hood, The Duke of Wellington) or royalty (The Queen’s Arms, the Prince of Wales) or historical symbols (The Rose and Crown to represent King Edward III, The Royal Oak to represent King Charles II who once hid in a large oak tree). Other names often include colours and animals (The Red Bull, The Black Horse, The Golden Lion, The Swan) or symbols of
traditional trades (The Compasses for carpenters, The Three Hammers for blacksmiths, The Three Tuns for winemakers). As the pub is a social place to meet as well as a place to get a drink, people often play games like dominoes or darts or join a quiz or competition. A common expression is to “go down the pub” or “go round to the local” (both meaning to go to the local pub). Culture points pub in London: A pub is a place where people go for a drink and to meet
friends and socialize. People can play games – such as darts, cards, dominoes – in a pub and pubs often have quiz nights, with prizes for the winners, and live music (See also Background information) The Salisbury is a well-known pub in central London (See also Background information) London School of Economics is a distinguished university in central London, famous for social sciences. Language points 1 If you ask me, real life is not all it’s cracked up to be. (Para 1) In
