Reading skills practice: Job adverts – exercises

Do you need some cash? Are you looking for work? Well, look at these job adverts and do the exercises to
improve your reading skills.

Preparation
Match the vocabulary with the correct definition and write a–f next to the numbers 1–6.

1…….. cash a. talkative

2…….. a trainee b. having a special ability or training
3…….. chatty c. an informal word for money
4…….. valuable d. very useful or important
5…….. a career e. a person who is being trained to do a job
6…….. skilled f. a person's chosen job and life's work
1. Check your understanding: matching
Complete the recommendations with a job from the box.

A: Support worker B: Trainee hairdresser C: Wowee Magazine writer

D: Model E: Coffee Beans café worker

Recommended job

1. Nina is studying English and has her own blog. She is a very sociable
person, and is interested in music and fashion. ………………………..

2. Dave has just finished school and is looking for a full-time job. He is
sociable, likes working with his hands and cares about his appearance. ………………………..

3. Dewei enjoys helping people. He wants to make a difference to other

people's lives. He is looking for opportunities to learn new things that
will help him in his career. ………………………..

4. Sarah is a student and she is looking for flexible, part-time work. She
doesn't want to work in a restaurant or shop. She is tall, beautiful and
has her own unique look. ………………………..

5. Sam is friendly and sociable. He has experience working in a

restaurant and wants a job with more responsibility. He is studying
part-time so he needs flexible working hours. ………………………..

2. Check your understanding: gap fill

Complete the sentences with A, B, C, D or E. You can use each letter more than once.

1. You never have to wear your own clothes for job ________.

2. Job ________ offers possibilities for children under 16 years old.

3. Your pay for job ________ depends on how successful you are at the job.

4. Job ________ requires physical contact with customers.

5. Job ________ offers management opportunities.

6. You might get some ‘freebies’ if you do job ________.

7. You need to work closely with your team for job ________.

8. Job ________ is for someone who likes working with older people.

Discussion

Do you have a part-time job? Which of these jobs would you most like to do?
 Reading: B1
A conference programme
Read the programme for a management conference to practise and improve your reading
skills.

Before reading
Do the preparation task first. Then read the text and tips and do the exercises.

Preparation task
Match the definitions (a–h) with the vocabulary (1–8).

Vocabulary Definitions
1. …… to adapt a. to think carefully about something
2. …… to explore b. to change your behaviour for new conditions
3. …… to consider c. to look into or discuss something in detail
4. …… to ensure d. a worker
5. …… uncertain e. the good things about something
6. …… the positives f. unsure, unclear, unknown
7. …… development g. to make sure something happens
8. …… an employee h. change, growth or progress

Reading text: A conference programme

Morning programme
9.00– Conference opening
9.30 Dr Jon Martinez

Management styles Managing change

Giving feedback
with Helena Clark with Akira Yoshida
with Amelia Novak
9.30– Consider the different Help your employees deal
10.45 Explore the different ways
management styles and with change and to see the
to give feedback to
how you can adapt yours positives change can
maximise development.
to suit your team. bring.

10.45–
Coffee break
11.15

© 2019 British Council www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish

 Using storytelling in
Leading in uncertain
leadership Leading small businesses
times
communication with Cheng Wei
with Omar Abboud
with Antoine Martin
11.15– How is leading small
Uncertainty can affect the
12.30 Sometimes, the best way businesses different and
success of your team.
to communicate with your how can leaders of small
Learn to bring confidence
team is by telling stories. businesses bring success
to your team in a time of
Find out how to do this in to their team?
uncertainty.
this workshop.

Afternoon programme
12.30–
Lunch
2.00

Developing creative Conflict management

Managing international
thinking in your team with Tracy Edwards
projects
with Alisa Petrov with Mariana Silva Conflict can create
2.00– problems in your team, but
Consider how to ensure How can you get your
3.15 managing conflict well can
successful intercultural team to think more
creatively? Explore the bring about development.
communication in your
different ideas that can Learn how to manage
international teams.
help your team see things conflict in this workshop.
in a new way.

3.15–
Group discussions
4.15

4.15– Conference closing

5.00 Dr Grace Moloney

Tasks

Task 1
Are the sentences true or false?

Answer
1. Helena Clark thinks that we should know our own management style and True False
not change it.
2. Amelia Novak believes that we should give feedback to help our True False
employees get better at what they do.

© 2019 British Council www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish

3. Akira Yoshida will focus on the problems with change. True False
4. Cheng Wei believes that leading small businesses is different from True False
leading big ones.
5. Omar Abboud thinks that when your team doesn’t feel sure about the True False
things happening around them, it can cause problems.
6. Tracy Edwards believes that conflict is bad and you should not let it True False
happen in your team.

Task 2
Complete the sentences with words from the box.

think deal with manage

give tell explore

1. Being positive and patient will help employees ……………………………… change.

2. Team leaders should consider how they ……………………………… feedback to motivate their team.
3. Marketing experts say your brand should ……………………………… a story.
4. Team members should be encouraged to solve problems together and ………………………………
creatively.
5. Talking about plans with a colleague can help to ……………………………… ideas.
6. It is important that people know how to ……………………………… conflict at work.

Discussion
Which of the conference sessions would you attend? Why?

© 2019 British Council www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish