Maybe a short holiday is a good time to refl ect on how much your working life is taking out of your real life. Most of us would accept that work is an essential pursuit for the obvious reasons of making a living, but also to provide us with a more rounded lifestyle. But employment has extended itself into our lives so much that we may question the level of satisfaction it brings. Why should this be?
Take advances in technology, for example. On the plus side,
computerisation can provide freedom and diff erent options in the workplace.
Working by computer from home, for example, has enabled many workers to combine family responsibilities with a full-time job.
But just as technology can bring these kinds of advantages to our work, it can also increase the amount of time spent at work. Gone are the days when fi nishing work meant fi nishing work, if you see what I mean, as we can now take our work home with us thanks to mobile phones, PCs and email facilities.
Technology can be a wonderful help to us, but only if directed in ways to improve and simplify, not complicate and add stress.
Interestingly, some of the more
progressive organisations have actually brought the home to work, providing facilities for children in order to ease the pressure on working mums and dads.
Unfortunately, the opposite may occur, with the same mums and dads feeling they have no excuse to go home and so staying that bit longer.
While enjoying the advantages that technology and alternate work arrangements can provide, we should also take a look at the way our approach to work has an eff ect on everything we do at home. It now seems very
important to be busy at almost anything all the time. Being busy seems to have become a good thing, no matter what you are doing. Busy-ness (as opposed to business) is good; thinking and refl ecting on your life is bad. Speed is praised;
deliberation is not.
Too much emphasis on always staying late, always working, always “doing”
at the expense of “being” can lead to serious health problems, as well as feelings of alienation. It has never been more important to clarify our needs, and to spend time in a way that refl ects the important aspects of our lives.
19
Unit 1
Example: Apart from earning a living, what should work provide?
A holidays B 7 satisfaction C lifestyle
27. What has technology brought to the workplace?
A 7 fl exibility in the way we work B increased job satisfaction
C more relaxed working conditions
28. What is the result of increased access to technology at work?
A People become lazy.
B People work ineffectively.
C 7 People work more hours.
29. What happens when companies offer family facilities at work?
A Kids don’t want to go home.
B The parents relax more.
C 7 The parents work till later.
30. What is beginning to infl uence home life?
A 7 the way we are encouraged to work B access to much more leisure time C the constant use of technology 31. Which of the following is the author’s message?
A Don’t take your work home.
B 7 Establish your priorities.
C Use technology to your advantage.
Test Tip
For this section, make sure you look at the questions and see if there are any you can answer easily. If you can get two or three of them to begin with, it will make you more confi dent for the others.
M01_PTEG_TB_04GLB_5974_U01.indd 19 19.12.10 18:33
Section 6
Read the article below and answer the questions, as in the example.
I HAVE TWO DAUGHTERS TO WHOM MUSIC MEANS TWO VERY DIFFERENT THINGS. To the elder, music is simply there, a poorly reproduced background accompaniment to her life that stays in the background while she gets breakfast or dresses for an evening out. Music wakes her up in the morning and sends her to sleep at night. To her, music is secondary to the important things in life, a catchy tune accompanied by forgettable commentary.
My younger daughter has a completely different approach. For her, music should be treated with respect. The artist’s efforts, from inception to production, deserve our full attention. Just as we sit down to watch a fi lm, then we should sit down to listen to music, maybe a whole album, CD, download, in whatever form you like. Admire the lyrics, the instrumental expertise, the vocals, the production values.
In a world of surround sound, of MTV, of iPods, of supermarkets and shopping malls, music is everywhere, but it’s nowhere, and it’s killing the art of listening.
Example: How does the writer describe the role of music in his elder daughter’s life?
a background accompaniment
32. What does the writer imply his elder daughter doesn’t do when she has music on?
listen/pay attention (to it)
33. What phrase is used to describe the contribution of music radio presenters?
forgettable commentary
34. What other art form seems to be more respected than music?
fi lm
35. What is affected by music being “everywhere”?
the art of listening
21
Unit 1
Section 6 Continued
Read the article below and answer the questions, as in the example.
Learning music is a bit like learning a language: there is a natural progression in development. Exposing children from an early age to a broad range of music, with its varying tones and pitches, will enable them to distinguish differences in music, much as infants acquire the ability to distinguish their parents’ native language from a foreign language. As children develop muscle coordination and a sense of rhythm between the ages of three and fi ve, they should be encouraged to sing along to music and engage in rhythmic activities, such as clapping, swinging, dancing, tapping, marching, and using non-melodic instruments such as drums and cymbals.
As the ability to recognize and imitate rhythm develops, starting at around the age of four, children can begin to accompany singing with melodic instruments. Although certain stages in child development are considered sensitive for developing specifi c musical and spatial abilities, no one blueprint will help your child become a master musician.
Example: What do learning music and learning a language have in common?
natural progression
36. What differentiates styles of music?
varying/different tones and pitches
37. What physical quality enables young children to accompany music?
muscle coordination
38. What do children learn to appreciate as their musical awareness develops?
rhythm
39. What is the best plan to ensure your child becomes a good musician?
There isn’t one. / none / no plan / There is no blueprint.
M01_PTEG_TB_04GLB_5974_U01.indd 21 19.12.10 18:33
Section 7
Read the article below and complete the sentences that follow. Write no more than three words in each gap.
I was bitten by the running bug while still at school. The thrill of competition against others, but mostly against myself, became my main focus in life. But when my relationships started to be adversely aff ected and my weight began to plummet, I was forced to take a fresh look at my running.