Page 36 Comprehension Check. Discussion
XXII. Answer the following questions:
1. Why did the young man have to think about a job?
2. What misgivings did he have?
3. What made the interviewer look like a croupier?
4. What applicants did some firms favour?
5. What was the result of the first interview?
6. Why is the Appointments Board called "the shrine"?
7. What made the interviewee almost burst into tears during the second interview?
8. Who wanted temporary assistants and where?
9. Was the young man offered a job after the interview at the British Council?
10. What were his plans for the summer?
1 l. Did he enjoy working as an actor for no reward? Why?
12. What "prison bars" are meant in the text?
13. What has "to be disentangled when we are young?"
14. What were "practical reasons" for the young man's going to Spain?
15. Why didn't he become an actor?
16. What was "the garotte" pulled by?
17. What was the real reason for his going away?
18. What application form did he have to fill in?
19. What were his duties at the Television studios?
XXIII. Give a summary of text.
XXIV. Answer the questions and discuss the text:
1. What sphere of business does the author hint at comparing the interviewer with a croupier and why?
2. Why is the word "fodder" used in the description of the Appointment Board? How does it reveal the author's attitude?
3. What effect do the words "after consulting the entrails of crows" produce on the reader?
4. Do the words "... so I took the scrap of paper ... and forgot all about it" characterize Patrick Kavanagh as a serious job-seeker?
Page 37
5. Why does the allusion to religion "was summoned again shrine" sound ironical (compare it with the allusion to a casino and gambling business)?
6. What do the words "unconsciously committed crime" imply?
7. What reaction of the official did Patrick’s words "somewhere warm ..." cause and why?
8. How does the fact that the interviewer made the interviewee leave his office characterize the official? Why did he give Patrick good advice "groaning into his blotter"?
9. Speak about the role of the contrast between the world of creative work of the theatrical company and the real world they lived in (the slums of Edinburgh).
10. What is paradoxical in the statement: “It is astonishing when people are convinced that what they are doing is worth while"?
11. What do you think about the use of epithets in the text? Why are the cellars called "rat-infested" and the brochures – "glossy"?
12. Comment upon the images created by the metaphors: "the prison bars swung open, melted away"; “she burst inside me, casting a glow ..."; "I felt that garrote tightening round my throat … "
13. Which meaning of the word "flippancy” (as it is given in Muller’s English-Russian dictionary 1. легкомыслие, ветреность; 2. дерзость) is realized in the context of the extract?
14. One of the meanings of the word "summons” in the same dictionary is "судебная повестка". Why does the author resort to this allusion?
XXV. Give character sketches of the young man and the interviewer.
XXVI. Retell the text in detail.
Translating. Written Tasks
XXVII. Read and translate these instructions on writing a resume. Write your own resumes a) as if you were looking for your first job or b) if you were an experienced worker.
Page 38 THE RESUME
A resume is a short description of your history in work and at school. Many white-collar jobs require a resume from any prospective employee. At times, your resume will be mailed to a prospective employer. What the resume reveals about you may determine whether or not you are actually interviewed for a job.
Resumes have a fairly standard format. At the very top, give your name, address, and telephone number. Many people include their age and marital status, although it is not necessary to include them. You must judge whether your age and marital status will assist you in your job search or work against you. The next item in the resume is a brief paragraph that may be labeled "Objectives". In the paragraph, you indicate what job you are looking for and your major qualifications for such a job. Following this is the record of your work experience. This record is the main part of the resume (except if you are looking for your first full-time job). Your work experience is listed with your most recent job first. The job before that is listed next, and so on with your first job listed last: 2002 to present; 2000 to 2001; 1999 to 2000.
Usually, you give your title for each job and the name of the company (and division when relevant). Resumes are generally kept to one page. If you have worked for a very long time at a variety of different jobs, it may be necessary to prepare a two-page resume. After the record of your work experience, list your schooling, any degrees, relevant noncredit courses, hobbies, honors, and affiliations that you consider worth including. A resume that will be to a prospective employer should be accompanied by a cover letter. The cover letter should be straightforward and brief; it should not be a repetition of all the information contained in the resume. You should state the specific position you are interested in, briefly discuss you experience, and refer the reader to the enclosed resume. At the end of the letter you may wish to indicate that you will telephone the prospective employer for an interview.
This sample resume will help you:
Courtney Black
123 Lincoln Street
Deerfield, Illinois 60015
789-3456 38
Page 39 Objectives
To find a job that would utilize a broad range of my managerial and business skills and offer the potential for advancement in a large company.