Reading - Part 2 41 Youwill read an article about today’s public sector working hours. Before you read, discuss in pairs the following. 1) What do you think are the advantages and/or lisadvantages ofthe following aspects of working hours for a) employees? b) employers? ‘long hours * overtime *9 to 5 » early starts * inflesiblergid working times + fex:-time ‘a fourday week + irregular hours + part-time Work * working from home « time off 2 Look at the title ofthe article. Why might employees today need to ‘get a life”? 2. Now read the article. Six paragraphs have been removed. Decide which of the paragraphs given (on the opposite page (A-G) fit into the gaps (1-6). There is one paragraph which you do not need to use. . Underline the parts of the article which helped you to decide on the missing paragraphs, then compare with a partner. ©) Vocabulary Practice 3 Explain the highlighted words in the text. b. Match the items to form collocations used in the text. What do they mean in the text? pos on the suggestions taking its notice raised toll came up with verge of meet their targets I at short concerns | Getting a Life Matthew Brown on how one council solved its staff turnover problem by giving workers control over their hours. ‘Six months ago, Carol Wyatt was on the verge of leaving her job as en inquiry officer in the housing benefit department of Merton council, south London. It wasn't that she didn't like it; she had even taken a salary cut to take the post in November last year, But the journey to work was taking its toll, \ Normal fleki-time did not apply to the job and Wyatt told her line manager she wanted to leave. She was not the only one. As the authority's assistant chief executive, Keith Davis, ‘Pebdily admits, the council was hardly what they call an employer of choice a Prompted by the public services union Unison, Merton applied for - and won - £50,000 from the government's challenge fund to jpilati a ‘work- life balance’ scheme in three departments, including housing and council benefits. A programme wes deVised after a series of focus groups, run by consultancy Briony Group, in which employees were asked to say how they would like to work in an ideal world, Staff raised concerns about rigid working times and inflexible core hours and came up with suggestions for a four-day week and homeworking. B So what changed? Office hours were extended, so that people can now work any time between 7am and 7pm, and ore hours were abolished. Staff can take time off as and when they need it,A According to deputy benefits manager Rebecca Strang, it was clear within two weeks that the new system was going to work well for all concerned, “It made all our lives easier,” she says. “The staff were happier, team (HOERIE went up, and there was more BERMHIVE to finish workloads. If the new system was taken away now, there'd be World War IIL in my office.” B She had to be in for 9am, when the phones started ringing, but that meant caring for her elderly mother (and her dog) every morning before braving the rush hour traffic. “I used to get quite stressed sitting on the bus, hardly moving, knowing there was nothing I could do about it,” she says. “I don’t handle that sort of thing too well.” Although not all ideas were taken up, the pilot has been aan unqualified success: sickness levels in the housing benefit section have dropped by half, productivity is up, BRHBRIOR of cases has been deat with — and Wyatt is still there. Merton was recently held up by the government as a model of good practice for public sector employers, to meet other commitments; as long as they make it up and meet their targets. Now as little es half an hour can be taken, even at short notice. Previously, everyone had to book a half day's leave in advance. SLE ae Sassari sare cw It | Other people arrive later in the morning after taking their children to school, or take time out when they have appointments: some people like _ to work late, when it is quieter; and others work st home some days so that they can be there when the plumber calls, or the new sofa is "delivered. Pierson ets | Devis is adamant that the scheme is not a “backhanded way of improving council services and extending working hours. He says: “Of "course, there are some basic rules - mainly, that "the service comes first. People have to commit ‘to that. But we're finding that. staff are working together to cover each other. They come up with the arrangements themselves. There's a lot of self-rostering” | Far from taking it away, Davis is now extending ‘the scheme across the authority, introducing six- month trials in three more departments this month, He is even looking at ways of introducing @ nine-day fortnight. “Now we're asking: ‘Why ‘can't it work?! rather than just saying: ‘It can't ‘work. The only thing that could stifle’ it is lack of imagination.” and has published a national guide to. work-life balance, funded jointly with Unison. D__ A survey published last month rams this point home. It reveals that half the employees interviewed were ‘unaware of the job options on offer to make their lives easier. Managers also confided that while they sympathised with workers’ needs, it was difficult to ‘agree to requests for flexible working hours or unpaid leave when staff were often already stretched to the limit, E “We had recruitment problems, high levels of sickness and high staff turnover,” he says. “And there was a general feeling that staff morale was low. We felt we needed to do something pro-active.” F The cynic may think itis all a good management Gi to increase working hours and produce a flexible ‘workforce, but that’s not how the union sees it. “The main thing is that it empowers staff,” says Sean ‘Cunnisse, Unison’s branch secretary at the authority. “Although a manager can still say ‘No’, now they have to justify their decision, rather than staff having to justify why they should be allowed time off.” G Wyatt now goes to work early, arriving well before 9am toavoid the morning trafic, and leaves mid-afternoon. “It has made all the difference,” she says. “It really does make you feel you've got more control over your life. I gives me a chance to organise my working time around my other needs.” me Text Analysis 4 _!npairs, explain the following phrases (taken from the text) in your own words. 1. "Now we're asking ‘why cat it work?" rather than just saying ‘it can't work’ .* (after gap 6) 2 “don’t handle that sort of thing too well.” (para 8) 3 "Merton was... held up by the government as a model (of good practice." (para C) 4 *Asunvey published last month rams this point home." (para) 5. “The cynic may think itis all a good management ploy " (para F) © Discussion iy 2. What are the advantages of a work-life balance scheme, according to Mr Brown? Make alist, then discuss with your partner. b. How important is it to maintain a work-life balance? Think about: health, family, friends. Discuss in groups. 129Self-Assessment Module 3 Vocabulary & Grammar 14 Choose the most suitable word to complete each sentence. Discussions on the issue of expansion of the company have been in since the outbreak of disease in the area A hitch B limbo C feud —D core Viewers were - at the incredible sight of the lunar landscape, unable to take their eyes off the screen Until the very end of the broadcast. A. switched transfixed B devised D stifled ‘The culprit had been under their noses all along and so the investigators were criticised heavily for making uTeC2S82N) ‘A blunders Bitches assets tasks The authorities were thatthe public should not find out about the high level research being caried out at the institute A certain B adamant € absolute D sure Should any letters arrive while 'm away during the summer could you please to me, as tm tying to.sort out ajob for September A. send them on B send them away D send them in They certainly ‘the mould when they brought ‘out their latest model; its totally diferent from anything clse they've ever produced! A. destroyed © cracked B broke D changed the light of recent findings, the government has decided to invest further funds in the research, Project. A by Bin © Under D With ts an accepted fact that in the modern world certain companies ty to ‘their nearest competitors A outrun © outdistance B outgrow D outdo We are lucky to be witness to ths era of ever-increasing change A. experimental € technological B digital D new age € send them out Working mothers throughout the company were delighted with the introduction of . a8 it made it easier to manage collecting children from school at different times on different days ‘A overtime B parttime © Flextime D fulltime Any job that involves doing the same thing day in day ‘ut must be pretty A. strenuous stimulating B mundane D arduous Keiths income looks impressive, but once tax and social security contributions are deducted, i's not so much A ful B grand Cnet ——D grass Having lost her mother at an early age, Mary fet she had become @ mere » having to do. absolutely everything for her five brothers and sisters ‘A. taskmaster slavecriver B_ workmate D workhorse | could never quite ‘what her position in the firm was until we met at a reception and got chatting A work around © work out B getout D get across They were on the ‘of folding the company when an investor saved the day with a large financial contribution A edge verge B basis D offchance (15 marks) . Complete each of the sentences with a short phrase using the most appropriate form of future tenses, conditionals or wishes. 1 Oncewe at the hotel, we willbe able to have a shower and relax Had for her abilty to swim, she would certainly have drowned Iteally make that cicking noise all the time. It rvs me mad! Welcome to your new post. At some point, you that the workload wil increase, due to the time of year. Were -vs the cost ofthe produc, then they would obviously lose a lot of busines. (Smarks)Use of English For questions (1-6) read the following text and then choose from the list (As) the best phrase given to fill in each of the gaps. There are three phrases which do not fit in any gap. There is an example (0). Applying to Medical School It could be said that there has never been a better time to apply to medical school. Applications were down by 5% last year, 0) ./..spread around the various medical schools, in an attempt to ultimately expand the pool of UK doctors. However, there is evidence that th poorer candidates no longer applying, 1)... For all that, admissions committees should strive to make entrance to medical school fair to everyone, 2) doctors. ‘The most significant academic difference between schools is that some, such as (famously) Manchester and Southampton, run more ‘integrated’ courses. This means that instead of spending a couple of years in university doing your pre-clinical training 3) nn. you will be Seeing patients from the very first term 4) to real-life problems. his system is ideal for those who know they are in medicine because they want to be doctors, sather than studying science for its own sake. In this system, where one really picks up the knowledge and skills to deal with patients is on the wards, 6) .. %e drop is mostly made up of . to choose good prospective (18 marks) Reading You will read an article about several young women who are trying to become successful actresses in the USA. For questions 1-17, choose from the answers A-. You will need to choose some of the people more than once. Daniel Doty D~Cheridah Best Which of these people * feels the actresses need to prove themselves before returning to their roots? think the odds are against these actresses? mention the legal procedures? ninks people in the bus 3 acting par receives the suppo have already had acting roles in the USA? have had failed n feel that talent is not enough to s has.a family commitment which keeps hinvher in the * is sure he/she will be successful? (17 marks) ‘and applying your new-found sure they mi requirement and competition remains high and full the responsibil have to society and in that sense it is very much like an apprenticeship and universittes ae stressing the need for better funding and attending lectures like a normal undergraduate ‘and who want to feel they're heir trade nd transferring your experience and abilities and this year there will be Hopefuls There are thousands of British actresses who flock to Hollywood every year with the burning ambition to make it as the next big star. Here people in the entertainment business talk about the realities of life in the film capital of the world. A. RACHAEL EVANS ~ actress During her four years in America, Rachael Evans has bared her soul at more auditions than she can remember. ‘It is disheartening,” admits Rachael, 28. ‘T'e been to so many commercial auditions where I walk in and there’s a room full of beautiful girls, and I ask ‘myself, “Why am I here?” Ironically, Rachael finds it difficult accepting how nice people are at auditions, “They tell you they love your work, and for the first month or so, I believed them. But, eventually, I realisedit’s totaly fake. You do an audition, they tell you it was the best thing ever, then you never hear from them again. I’ like ‘game of chance -you get so far and you can't give up. I'm optimistic things will happen for me soon.” She needs to be. She has yet to land any film or TV work, and is currently working as a counsellor at a children’s talent agency to make ends meet. ‘I do get down sometimes. That's when I cry down the phone to Mum, who falks me out of packing my bags and ‘makes me realise I need to strive harder.” B SEAN MACAULAY — Hollywood journalist ‘British actresses think LA is the land of opportunity,’ explains Hollywood commentator Sean Macaulay. “They see ions like Kate Winslet and think it's possible to be successful here, But for every one that makes it, there are thousands who end up attending acting classes and chasing agents. Lots of them get marooned here, They don’t want to go home again because they're too proud = they feel they can’t go back until they are superstars, © DANIEL DOTY — Hollywood agent “It’s much harder to make it here than anyone realises’ agrees Hollywood agent Daniel Doty. “The film industry attracts a million wannabes who really think they are going to be discovered. They come here with dreams of making it overnight, but it’s ‘much more difficult than that, There are too many people doing the same thing for ittobe any other way. One prerequisite is to become a member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG). It's a gruelling process that requires proof of American set experience, which is gained by collecting ‘ouchers to prove you have worked on a certain number of film or TV projects. Britis girls also have the added dlsadvantage of having to get the right visa towork in the US, Self-Assessment Module F CHERIDAH BEST — actress ‘Cheridah Best, 41, is originally from South London. For the past five years, she and her son Chase, 14, have been living in LA, where she works as an aerobics instructor while waiting for her big break. ‘Five years ago, I really thought I'd be the next Whoopi Goldberg living in a fabulous home with a swimming pool. In reality, I live in an apartment on $400 [around £275) a week, and instead of dining at Spago’s, the restaurant where all the big names hang out, I eat at fast-food joints. T moved to LA at 36, following the breakdown of my marriage. I have nothing, except my son. I have often asked myself if 'm being unfair to him, but the move to LAwas a good one. I got an agent really quickly, which isa big break in itself. Chase ‘and I both have our lives here now, and I can do enough jobs to make ends meet. I ‘combine admin work with aerobics instruction. Five years on, I've only had a few acting jobs — although a high point was a part in the 1997 film Hoodium, with Laurence Fishburne. I just don’t get sent to enough auditions. I average maybe three a month, but I know other girls who are sent to as ‘many each week. I think being black has a lot to do with it. The casting directors have a certain look they want, and it doesn't matter how talented you are. I'd say it probably comes down to 95 per cent looks and five per cent talent. Td be happy with any sort of TV or film role, as long as it was steady and consistent, and wasn’t a B-movie. I'd love to go back to Britain, but my son is in school here,” E MCKI FLUX ~ actress from Scotland, Nicki has been in LA for seven years pursuing her ns, ‘T'm tenacious and have no doubt that I'll make it as a movie star one day. Right now I'l do extra work, modelling, whatever it takes. ‘After drama school, I wanted to move to the US. Fortunately, my husband at the ‘time, a computer specialist, got a job here. It took me two years to land any acting ‘work, During that time, my marriage broke up —we just didn’t have the same goals. ‘But I've had some lean times ~ living for months on noodles and watching every ‘drop of petrol, in case T got an audition, However, recently T've had small roles in The X-Files and Ally McBeal —1 feel like I'm learning and I love it, T've got an agent and I can be sent to around 10 auditions in one week. I truly believe I can succeed ~ I wouldn't be here if I didn't” F KELLY POLITO ~ actress ‘Ws a minefield when you start out here,’ she says in clipped British vowels, ‘If you don’t have a union card or an agent, the only acting work you can do is “non- union”. These jobs are advertised in the back of a magazine called Backstage West. ve always wanted to be an actress and thought I'd give it a shot, says Kelly. ‘T imagined Hollywood would be this wonderful, glamorous place, but I was disappointed. The other disheartening thing I've learned is that it isn’t necessarily the ‘people who are talented who get the jobs — it's all about what you look like and who you know.” As well as waitressing, Kelly works as a film extra. Being one of the crowd in a background shot, for which she gets paid $100 a day, is one of the easiest ways for aspiring starlets to get a union card. ‘Its been hard, but I'm not about to give up, I can't really tell you what keeps me going, because sometimes it does look bleak, and I miss my family terribly. But ‘acting makes me happy, and I know that I'm trained and I'm good. It's just a question of having faith.”