Worksheet: Need I Change My Job?
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Main points
The statements which follow are not true. Rewrite them so they are true according to
the text you have read.
a
Waleed Nagy is married to an Egyptian woman.
b
Norwegians have offered him over a hundred jobs.
c
Waleed is lazy.
d
He speaks Norwegian badly.
e
He will soon give up on finding a job.
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f
He would be perfectly happy living on his wife’s salary or on unemployment
benefits.
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Placing sub-headings
News reports typically have sub-headings for different sections. We have taken them
out for you to put them back in again. Choose the five most appropriate headings
from the list below. Write them down in the correct order.

The endless search for a job

Giving in

Language proficiency is the key

Muslim background

Slow working bureaucracy

No quitter

Building network of Norwegian friends

- I’ll take any job
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1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
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Vocabulary
a
Synonyms are words that mean the same or nearly the same. Find words in
the text that mean the same as these:
to alter –
flawless –
occupation –
worthless –
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b
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Match the words to the left with their correct dictionary definitions.
potential
work or duty done for someone
evidently
something that may become true in the future
commerce
as indicated by clear signs, or by the information you have
services
almost; very nearly
virtually
the buying and selling of goods
available
able to be got, used, obtained, etc.
Looking at language
Read about formal and informal styles on page 98.
Parts of this article is written in a rather formal style, with long sentences and
advanced vocabulary. Study the following sentences. Imagine that you were going to
present the information in the sentences to a student in the 8th grade. Rewrite the
sentences to suit the new reader.
a
For the past six months Nagy has applied for a good one hundred jobs, many
of which he was evidently over-qualified for.
b
He has also personally visited a number of companies offering his services
and signed up with the employment agency NAV, all to no avail.
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c
Never one to concede defeat easily, Waleed Nagy admits the seemingly
endless search for work is nonetheless beginning to take its toll.
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Role play – Telephone interview
Pretend you are a journalist. Having heard news of Nagy’s situation, you decide to
give him a call and he agrees to give an interview.
a
Write down 8-10 questions you would like to ask Nagy.
b
Pair up with a classmate, sit back to back and do the interview. One of you
will play the role of Nagy.
c
After a while, pair up with a different student, but make sure both of you get to
do the opposite role of what you just did.
A fun twist would be if you recorded your interview and played it back. What do you
like about your English? What do you notice that you would like to change?
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