Exercise: Grammar Review

There is one mistake in each sentence: 1. 2. 3. 4. My brother in law works for an insurance company. At work he follows the same routine every day. Last night he forgot where he park his car. Jaime been applying for fulltime jobs for several months. 5. The last week he received a call from the Human Resources director at a computer software company. 6. Jaime is nervous about the interview, but his looking forward to working at a new place. 7. He work with statistics every day. 8. He is successful and was extremely organized. 9. He takes the same couple of item to work every morning. 10. His lunch bag always contains the same things: an apple raspberry yogurt and a tuna salad sandwich. 11. Apple is good for your health. 12. After work I will go the movie theater.

Answer: Grammar Review

1. 2. 3. 4. My brother-in-law works for an insurance company. At work, he follows the same routine every day. Last night he forgot where he parked his car. Jaime has been applying for fulltime jobs for several months. 5. Last week he received a call from the Human Resources director at a computer software company. 6. Jaime is nervous about the interview, but he is looking forward to working at a new place. 7. He works with statistics every day. 8. He is successful and is extremely organized. 9. He takes the same couple of items to work every morning. 10. His lunch bag always contains the same things: an apple, raspberry yogurt, and a tuna salad sandwich. 11. An apple is good for your health. 12. After work I will go to the movie theater.

TOPIC PREVIEW: Outsourcing

Are you worried about losing your job to someone in Indonesia or [he Philippines? Is product quality worse if items are not made in Korea? To many countries, China has become the world's factory. Workers there manufacture products at an inexpensive cost. Also, India is a popular place for Western companies to outsource service jobs. This is because the employees there are well-educated and fluent in English, but receive a lower salary.

DIALOGUE:
Craig: I have lots of knowledge, but I am worried about losing my job at General Motors. Sean: Really? Arent you are a good employee with lots of experience? Craig: Yes, but the salary in the U.S. is much higher than in developing countries. Sean: So do you think your job could be given to people in other countries for a lower amount of money? Craig: Absolutely. Workers in India, China, or Vietnam could do the same job I do and the company will pay a lower amount. Sean: Well I hope that you can keep your job. Craig: Thank you, I hope so too.

North American blue-collar workers were really worried about losing manufacturing jobs to places like Mexico as a side-effect of NAFTA. Now North American white-collar workers have butterf1ies in their stomach about having their technology jobs move overseas to places like India. Such current outsourcing is a controversial issue for governments, corporations, and employees. Companies are attempting to get the most bang for their buck in order to stay in the black. As a result, many have moved lots of their operations to places where labor costs are much less. Since this saves the company significant amounts of money, many jobs in Canada and the U.S. are being slashed. A worker in another country can do the same job previously done by Canadians or Americans. Beginning in the 1990s, NAFTA allowed North American manufacturers to tap into Mexico. They built factories there and have Mexicans produce items - such as auto parts, clothes, and accessories - for lower wages than in Canada or the States. For the past several years, North American technology companies have begun entering India by moving facilities there and having Indians provide customer service for lower salaries. The tech-bubble burst triggered an economic slowdown in the U.S. and the effect of terrorism has extended the weak economy. A significant loss of jobs has been a result and this is an important issue for many Americans. A relatively high unemployment rate is not just because of a major drop in demand, but it is also due to jobs being outsourced to many other countries. The lower labor costs abroad let many companies make their businesses as profitable as possible by pinching pennies and improving their bottom line over the long-term. Outsourcing is not only an international issue. In a domestic aspect, large companies might decide to just focus on retaining their research and development (R&D) facilities. For its other functions like manufacturing, advertising, and accounting - various companies could be hired to fill this needed role.!

VOCABULARY:
blue-collar workers*Industrial workers, such as workers in a factory! -He was a blue-collar worker for an automobile company. NAFTA *The North American Free Trade Agreement! -This Canadian company has imported their products from Mexico since NAFT A.

white-collar workers*Office workers -!My cousin is a white-collar worker at a company downtown. outsourcing *Jobs now done by an other company, and maybe in an other country -She was angry when she lost her job because of outsourcing. *Cut, decreased! -We slashed the price and hoped to increase sales.

slashed

tech-bubble burst *High stock prices of technology companies started to fall, resulting in loss of value, laid off workers, and closed businesses -When the tech-bubble burst many people lost a lot of money. economic slowdown*Declining and weakening economy -!Spend less money if you are worrying about an economic slowdown. bottom line *Net income (profit or loss) on the bottom line of income statements -The bottom line showed the company earned $8 million last year.

EXPRESSIONS:
have butterflies in their stomach bang for their buck *Nervous, worried! -She has butterflies in her stomach because of a job interview. *Value for their money -I buy products which give the most bang for my buck. *Profitable, have a surplus! -After years of being in debt, the company is in the black. *Enter!, use -Companies should tap into new markets to keep expanding. *Being careful not to spend much money -During a weak economy, companies start pinching pennies.

in the black

tap into!

!pinching pennies

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Peer Edit
Check for details: Spelling mistakes Grammar mistakes Verb tense Follows the guidelines Check for overall: Clarity Structure Design Format Impact