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MyCoolCareer.com, a website dedicated to young people and their professional goals, offers a wealth of information about jobs and careers.

You can take some of their quizzes, read about high schools and universities, listen to career interviews with respected professionals, etc. There'll be no end to your explorations!

SONG: Peter Gabriel/Kate Bush, Don't Give Up

Listen to this beautiful song.

A. Identify the theme of the poem. Find evidence in the lyrics to support your answer.

B. How would you describe this song?
1. warm
2. lively
3. simple
4. suitable for someone in despair

C. The man singing is:
1. sincere
2. lonely
3. disappointed
4. pleased
5. ashamed
6. hopeful

D. The woman singing is…
1. sympathetic
2. friendly
3. optimistic
4. hopeless
5. tender
6. apprehensive

E. Scan the lyrics and give examples of:
1. verbs in the present simple
2. verbs in the past simple
3. verbs in the present perfect
4. verbs in the imperative form
5. verbs in the passive form
6. modal verbs
7. relative pronouns
8. conjunctions
9. an irregular plural
10. regular plurals

READING: Robb (Rabbitt) MacKay, Unemployment Line

Now there’s a new craze going around
It’s getting bigger in most every town
From New York city out to Hollywood
Got every body in the neighbourhood

Down in the unemployment line
You got yourself a place and I got mine
We’ve been here waiting since the clock struck nine
Down in the unemployment line

Now every day you’ve got to fight the horde
Just to read what’s on the bulletin board
When you go back and try and claim your space
Some other sucker came and stole your place

I hope the people in the government
Tell us how we’re going to pay the rent
How we’re going to get enough to eat
Now that the workingman is obsolete

If things keep going like they seem they do
Won’t be long before
They’re down here too
And they can be a part of this here mob
Working nine to five to find a job

Answer the questions about the poem.

1.What is the problem referred to in the first verse?
2.How many people does it affect?
3.At what time do people arrive at the unemployment centre?
4.Is it easy to know about the daily job offers? Give evidence.
5.What’s the possible consequence of leaving the place in line?
6.Who does the writer accuse of being responsible for what he’s going through?
7.What might happen if the responsible people do nothing for the unemployed people?

Matching Exercise

There are lots of words/expressions related to the world of work. You can find some below.
Match each word/expression on the left (number) with their meaning on the right (letter).

1. be given the sack a) be given a better job
2. get a raise b) answer an advertisement
3. get a promotion c) decide to leave
4. retired d) a person or company that pays someone to work.
5. apply for a job e) the person in charge of you at work
6. resign f) work to be done and the time for it
7. employee g) be fired
8. schedule h) someone who is paid regularly to work
9. employer i) stop working because of age/years worked
10. boss j) be given more money

What will you do if…? What would you do if...?

Complete the spaces with the correct tense of the verbs in brackets.

a) If my parents were rich, they _______________ (buy) me a Porsche.
b) I ______________ (not/have) money to go to the cinema if I eat in a fancy restaurant.
c) If he _____________ (receive) twice as much pocket money, he wouldn’t need to beg my parents for more.
d) If our teacher offered me a summer job, my parents _______________ (not/allow) me to go.
e) _______________ (you/lend) me your car to go to school if there’s a bus strike?
f) My mother _________________ (not/give) me another cent if I spend all my money on clothes.

Unusual Female Professions

After viewing this video, try and answer these questions.



1. What does this woman do for a living?
2. How old is she?
3. When did she become aware of her dream career? What did she see?
4. According to her mother, what did her bedroom look like when she was a child?

VOCABULARY ACTIVITIES

Now let´s do a few vocabulary exercises on this topic, shall we? Have fun!!