Unit 09

Unit 9 Page 84 READING Exercise 4 Making difficult decisions 1 We face decisions, big and small, throughout life. It seems unfair that there are so many major ones early on in life: exams, relationships, work, where to live ... And young people are often facing these kinds of decisions for the first time, which makes it all the harder. 2 There are two good questions to ask yourself to help you focus: 'What is the worst that can happen?' and 'What is my Plan B if Plan A doesn't work out?' So, let's look at some difficult decisions that you might have to make. SCENARIO A 3 You don't want to go on that amazing new course or to a sports club on the other side of town because you'll get home late and that will get in the way of your social life. But later, will you think, 'If only I had gone on that course? Imagine you're advising a friend. It will help you to make a rational decision rather than an emotional decision. Learning something new or exercising will do you good and you may make new friends there, too. SCENARIO B 4 You have a more complex and less emotional decision to make. Imagine you're saving to buy a car when you are 18. Then, you see the most amazing new video game. You really want to buy it and you have enough money saved for it. However, if you buy the expensive video game, you will use your savings for the car. You wish you could afford both but you can't. You have to make a choice. Your heart says one thing and your head says another, which is tricky. How about making a list of pros and cons for both? Writing things down can be a great help. You could even colour code your notes to make sure that you're considering everything. SCENARIO C 5 Now imagine feeling like you've let everyone down, including yourself, because you failed your exams. If only you had studied harder! But what now? Should you look for a job or repeat your exams? More studying feels like a waste of time and you're afraid you'll fail again. But now, you might end up with a low-paid, boring job and be stuck in it forever. Think through some of the possible scenarios and then try to change the way you're thinking. For instance, you might end up in a job you weren't expecting to do, but there might be advantages, too. They might even offer training or days off so you can study. If you did go back to studying and really tried your hardest, you're more likely to succeed, having learned from your mistakes. SCENARIO D 6 You've been feeling low this year and things just don't seem to be working out the way you'd like them to. The worst thing is, you don't know how to move past it, because you can't stop thinking about it and you blame yourself for it. You keep saying, I wish I was like everyone else – they all seem to be having a great time. Try stepping back and looking at things in a simpler way. Focus on yourself and not on others. Take small decisions, one at a time. Eat breakfast, go for a walk, go to class, separate each action, don't overthink, just do. 7 In all scenarios, it's sensible to sleep on decisions. Think, and think again and then act. And remember, if you've made the wrong decision, there's always Plan B!

Page 86 PRONUNCIATION Exercise 1 & 2 My parents tell me off all the time. They're always so angry with me! Why don't you ask them to explain why they're upset? You might be able to change things ... Why do you always have to have a solution to everything, Ethan? It's so annoying! Don't be angry, Ella. I'm only trying to help! You can be annoying, too, you know! Page 86 PRONUNCIATION Exercise 3 My parents tell me off all the time. They're always so angry with me! Why don't you ask them to explain why they're upset? You might be able to change things ... Why do you always have to have a solution to everything, Ethan? It's so annoying! Don't be angry, Ella. I'm only trying to help! You can be annoying, too, you know! Page 87 LISTENING Exercise 7 & 8 Hi, I'm Chris Williams and welcome to a special edition of Radio Helpline. Research shows that 28% of graduates have jobs which do not require a degree. And when you consider that, in the UK, university fees for the average student are nearly ￡30,000 for a three-year course, university is not as attractive an option as it used to be. I'm joined in the studio today by careers advisor Jo Harvey who is here to take some of your calls and help you with decisions about your future. Jo, welcome and thank you. Let's go straight to our first caller. Hello, Alex. What would you like to ask Jo? Hi. I'm finishing school next July and my family and teachers are all expecting me to go to university, but I'm not so sure it's such a good idea. It's so expensive and I'd like to get some life experience too. Hi, Alex. You'll be pleased to know, there are other options you could consider. Have you thought about an apprenticeship? No, I haven't. I just know I'm interested in engineering. There are some engineering apprenticeships available. You'll be paid during your time as an apprentice and if you successfully complete all six levels of the apprenticeship you will be awarded a BEng, a degree in engineering. I think it's an option you could look into. It is a great alternative to doing a traditional university degree and you won't have to worry about paying back any fees. Oh, wow! Thanks, Jo. I'll certainly look into apprenticeships. Let's move onto another caller. We have Gemma on the line. Hello Gemma. What's your question for Jo? Hello, Jo. I want to launch my own business and I just wondered if you had any advice. Well, Gemma, 50 percent of school leavers born between 1995 and 2010 want to launch their own business, so you're not alone. And it's always good work experience for the future. However, there is a lot of competition, so your business needs to be very special and unique. I have three pieces of advice for you. (1) Do a lot of research and know who your customers are. What do they like? What don't they like? Who do they admire and who do they follow? (2) Use social media for marketing. Post interesting blogs and attractive photos on Instagram. Have conversations with your followers and reply to their comments and messages. Build good relationships with them. And (3) make sure you are organised. Download an online planner or organiser to keep all your plans on track and organised. Thanks Jo, that's brilliant advice. You'll also find some good advice on my website. Have a look at that. Thank you, I will.

Page 88 READING Exercise 1 What kind of a FRIEND are you? We all need friends, or do we? Maybe it depends on whether they're a good friend or a bad friend. What kind of friend are you? Take our quiz and find out ... 1 What would you do if someone was gossiping about your best friend? a I'd say nothing. b I'd speak out and say, 'I'd prefer it if you didn't talk about Jane like that.' C I'd join in and agree with them. 2 How often do your friends come to you for advice? a occasionally, for practical advice b all the time c never 3 If you saw a boy from your class sitting alone in the canteen what would you do? a I'd think, 'Poor guy, but he's so boring.' b I'd choose to go and sit with him. C I'd sooner ignore him and go and sit with my friends. 4 The most important thing about friendship is ... a Who needs friends when there's Netflix to watch? b always being there for each other and being able to share your feelings. C having people who like all your posts on social media! 5 Your friend Lucy says she's got the Saturday job you had also applied for. How do you react? a You say you don't understand why she got it. b You're very happy for her and say, 'It's about time something nice happened to you.' Then you congratulate her. c Nothing. You feel jealous and walk off angrily. 6 You are on holiday with a group of friends. One friend wants to go swimming, another wants to go for a walk and the third wants to play tennis. What would you say or do? a I'd rather say nothing and put my headphones on and wait for my friends to decide. b I'd try to make sure that everyone got to do what they wanted to do. C I'd say, 'I'd prefer to go swimming, so let's go swimming.'

Page 90 Literature Exercise 3 The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro Stevens has spent his life as a butler, working for Lord Darlington. He is now an elderly man. At the end of the book, he finds himself sitting alone on a bench, on a pier at the seaside. A stranger begins to talk to him, and Stevens starts to tell the man about his life and his feelings about Lord Darlington. 'You must have been very attached to this Lord whatever. And it's three years since he passed away, you say? I can see you were very attached to him, mate.' Lord Darlington wasn't a bad man. He wasn't a bad man at all. And at least he had the privilege of being able to say at the end of his life that he made his own mistakes. His lordship was a courageous man. He chose a certain path in life, it proved to be a misguided one, but there, he chose it, he can say that at least. As for myself, I can't even claim that. You see, I trusted. I trusted in his lordship's wisdom. All those years I served him, I trusted I was doing something worthwhile. I can't even say I made my own mistakes. Really – one has to ask oneself – what dignity is there in that?' 'Now, look, mate, I'm not sure I follow everything you're saying. But if you ask me, your attitude's all wrong, see? Don't keep looking back all the time, you're bound to get depressed. And all right, you can't do your job as well as you used to. But it's the same for all of us, see? We've all got to put our feet up at some point. Look at me. Been happy as a lark since the day I retired. All right, so neither of us are exactly in our first flush of youth, but you've got to keep looking forward.' And I believe it was then that he said: 'You've got to enjoy yourself. The evening's the best part of the day. You've done your day's work. Now you can put your feet up and enjoy it. That's how I look at it. Ask anybody, they'll all tell you. The evening's the best part of the day.' [...] It is now some twenty minutes since the man left, but I have remained here on this bench to await the event that has just taken place – namely, the switching on of the pier lights. As I say, the happiness with which the pleasure-seekers gathering on this pier greeted this small event would tend to vouch for the correctness of my companion's words; for a great many people, the evening is the most enjoyable part of the day, Perhaps, then, there is something to his advice that I should cease looking back so much, that I should adopt a more positive outlook and try to make the best of whatever remains of my day. After all, what can we ever gain in forever looking back and blaming ourselves if our lives have not turned out quite as we might have wished? [...] What is the point in worrying oneself too much about what one could or could not have done to control the course one's life took? Surely it is enough that the likes of you and me at least try to make our small contribution count for something true and worthy. And if some of us are prepared to sacrifice much in life in order to pursue such aspirations, surely that is in itself, whatever the outcome, cause for pride and contentment.