Unit 3  Job Interview

Before Reading

An English Song — Get a Job

Background Information

Michael Jordan

Sir Roger Bannister

Marathon

   3. Warm-up Exercise

Global Reading

Part Division of the Text

Further Understanding

 For the Whole Passage  True or False

For Part I    Questions and Answers

For Part 2   Table Filling

  Text Analysis

Detailed Reading

After Reading

Useful Expressions

Sentence Translation

Listening Comprehension

Discussion

Talk about Pictures

Writing Practice

Proverbs and Quotations

Supplementary Reading

    Culture Notes

    Reading

    Comprehension Task

1 An English Song—Get a Job

Fill in the Blanks:

Directions: Listen to the introduction of the song and fill in the following blanks.

The song you are about to hear was written by one of a group of four singers known as the Silhouettes. He wrote the song back in the ______(=1950s), shortly after leaving the army. It is easy to _______(=imagine) that it may well ______(=reflect) his own experience of suddenly finding himself having to look for a job. If the song is anything to go by, his wife was largely ________(=unsympathetic), suspecting him of ________(=laziness) and not trying hard enough. Every morning she would get him out of bed, telling him to get a job; every breakfast she would throw the paper down in front of him, ___________(=pointing out) the jobs he could apply for. And when he got home at the end of the day without having had any _________(=success) she would _______(=accuse) him of lying about his job hunting,________(= suspecting), no doubt, that he had not ________(=bothered) to try.

Listen to the Song.

Every morning about this time (图S1)
she get me out of my bed
a-crying get a job. (图S2)
After breakfast, every day,
she throws the want ads right my way (图S3)
And never fails to say,
Get a job,
Get a job
And when I get the paper (图S4)
I read it through and through
And my girl never fails to say
If there is any work for me,
And when I go back to the house (图S5)
I hear the woman's mouth
Preaching and a crying,
Tell me that I'm lying 'bout a job (图S6)
That I never could find.
 Get a job (图S7)

2 Background Information

Michael Jordan

A Brief Introduction of Michael Jordan

American professional basketball player, considered by many to be the greatest player in basketball history. The 6 ft 6 in (198 cm) shooting guard first became known as an explosive individual scorer, but as he matured as a player he adopted a more team-oriented approach to the game.Jordanled the Chicago Bulls to six National Basketball Association (NBA) championships (1991−1993, 1996−1998). His widespread appeal to fans has helped keep basketball one of the world’s most popular spectator sports.

Michael Jordan Enters the Hall of Fame

Where did Michael Jordan begin his career as a basketball player?

 (=He began his career as a basketball player in Laney high school before he entered the University of North Carolina.)

How many times Michael win the NBA championships?

(= He all together won 6 NBA championships.)

In which year did Michael enter the Hall of Fame?

(=He entered the Hall of Fame in 2009.)

According to Michael, why did he play basketball at first?

(=He wanted to get a chance to college.)

Sir Roger Bannister

A Brief Introduction of Sir Roger Bannister

1. Roger Bannister was the first athlete who ran a mile in less than 5 min. (F)

2. Sir Roger Bannister received higher education. (T)

3. On May 6, 1954, Bannister established a world record, and this record was not bettered for a long time. (F)

4. After retiring from athletic competition, Bannister became a lawyer. (F)

5. Sir Roger Bannister was knighted 21years after he retired. (T)

British physician and the first athlete in history to run a mile in less than 4 min. Born in Harrow,England, he was educated at the University of Oxford and at Saint Mary's Hospital  Medical School. At a meet in Oxford on May 6, 1954, Bannister ran the mile in 3 min 59.4 sec, establishing a world record. This was bettered less than two months later by the Australian athlete John Landy, who set a record of 3 min 58 sec. Bannister defeated Landy in a mile race held at Vancouver,Canada in August 1954. Although neither set a record, both men again ran the mile in less than 4 min. Bannister retired from athletic competition in December 1954 to practice medicine. He wrote an autobiography, Four Minute Mile, published in 1955, and was knighted in 1975.

A Video Clip about Sir Roger’s Success

What did Bannister dream of?

  (=For years, Bannister dreamed of being the first man to run a mile in less than 4 minutes.)

After how many laps, Gracchi gave way to Chastely?

(=After two and a half laps.)

What did Bannister suffer in the past?

(=Bannister suffered some criticisms because he adopted his own training method.)

Marathon

   The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometers, and is usually run as a road race. The event was instituted in commemoration of the fabled run of the Greek soldier Pheidippides, a messenger from the Battle of Marathon to Athens. The marathon was one of the original modern Olympic events in 1896, though the distance did not become standardized until 1921. More than 500 marathons are contested throughout the world each year, with the vast majority of competitors being recreational athletes. Larger marathons can have tens of thousands of participants。

3 Warm-up Exercises

Preparations for a Job Interview

Discuss with your partner to see what preparations we should make before taking part in a job interview.

Tips:

1. Know the exact place and time of      the interview, the interviewer's full name, the correct pronunciation and      his or her title.

2. Learn pertinent facts about the      company such as annual sales revenue, principal lines of business and      locations.

3. Find out why the hiring manager      and/or client representative is interested in your qualifications.

4. Determine how the opportunity      will impact your immediate and long-term career development.

5. An interview is a "two-way      street." Know what questions to ask during the interview. Your      questions allow the hiring manager to evaluate your professional and      personal needs. Insightful questions help both of you determine if your      relationship will be mutually rewarding. Lastly, the better you understand      the opportunity, the more you will be able to communicate your interest in      the position.

6. Put      your best foot forward. Always wear proper attire and greet your      interviewer with a firm handshake and an enthusiastic smile.

Some “Dos” and “Don’ts”

Directions: Read the following items with your partner and fill them into the chart.

Item 1: Do plan to arrive on time or a few minutes early.

Item 2: Do wait until you are offered a chair before sitting. Sit upright, look alert and interested at all times.

Item 3: Talk as much as you can, so that the interviewer can understand you better.

Item 4: You can inquire about salary, vacations, so that the interviewer will think you are really serious to get this job.

Item 5: You can call the interviewer by his first name if you are sure of it.

Item 6: When asked about your present or former employers, you can make some derogatory remarks.

Item 7: You should try to get the interviewer to describe the position and the duties to you early in the interview so that you can apply your background, skills and accomplishments.

Item 8: When the interviewer steers the conversation into politics or controversial issues, you should try to do more listening than speaking.

A Job Interview

(Directions): You will hear a dialogue between an employer and a job applicant. Listen carefully and answer the following questions.

1.    Apart from academic qualifications, what kind of character is very important to an employee?

 (= The employee should be industrious, cooperative and honest.)

2.    Is the employee required to take a medical examination?

(= Yes)

3.    Before the employee really works, what should he take?

(= He should take some special training.)

A: Let me tell you about some of our policies and practices here at Globe Insurance.

B: All right.

A: We require all our employees to arrive promptly for work, and we insist that they keep their lunch hours to a reasonable length.

B: I understand.

A: Employee character is very important to us. We expect everyone here at Globe Insurance to be industrious, cooperative and honest.

B: I’m very glad to hear that.

A: We also try to do the best we can for our employees. We feel obligated to provide a safe working environment, and we make every effort to listen to our employees’ concerns.

B: That’s very admirable.

A: Now, perhaps you have some questions about working here. Is there any additional information I can provide?

B: Yes, as a matter of fact, I have a few questions.

A: Certainly.

B: Could you tell me whether I would be required to have a medical examination before I start work?

A: Yes, definitely.

B: And would I have to go through special training?

A: Yes, you would.

B: And one more question: do employees here have to go through a probation period?

A: No, they don’t.

B: I see. Well, I’ve probably taken up enough of your time. I’ll look forward to hearing from you.

A: We’ll be in touch with you shortly.

B: I’ve enjoyed talking with you. Thank you very much.

Oral Practice 1

(Directions): Work with your partner, and practice the scene of Job Interview.

2 Global Reading

1. Part Division of the Text

2. Further Understanding

For the Whole Passage  True or False

 (Directions:) Scan Text A and decide whether the following statements are true or false.

1.    The writer is the owner of Mackay Envelop Corporation, a manufacturing company. (=T)

2.    The answers the writer got from the college graduate who wanted a job were all positive. (=F)

(= The answer to every question was the same: no.)

3.    Today’s graduates will most probably have the same job for the rest of their lives. (=F)

(= Employment experts believe that today’s graduates could face many job changes.)

4.    The 90-year-old tennis player insisted on playing the backhand court during the match because he wanted to work on his weaknesses. (=T)

5.    Once it was decided that to cover a mile in four minutes was physically impossible for humans. (=T)

6.    Curt Carlson was so happy because they landed at the airport safely at last. (F)

(= He was happy because he found that there was no tracks in the snow when they were taxiing down the runway, which showed that they were first to be there that day.)

For Part I: Questions and Answers

1.    How does the author introduce the topic in Text A? Why?

(= It starts with a personal story, which could be very appealing to readers because personal experiences sound real. They can also narrow the distance between the author and the reader.)

There are several ways to introduce a theme.

(= 1. Stating the topic directly.

2. Posing a question.

3. Quoting a famous saying.

4. Relating an anecdote or an incident.         )

2.    What is the writer according to what he says at the beginning of the text?

(= He is the owner of Mackay Envelop Corporation, a manufacturing company with 350 employees.)

3.    What conclusion did the writer draw from the young applicant’s answers?

(= The young applicant was not well prepared and incompetent for the job since his answers to all the questions were simply no.)

For Part 2  Table Filling

(Directions:) The writer supports his suggestions about job application with a number of examples. Fill in the following table with the suggestions the writer puts forward and the instances he uses to illustrate them.