Assignments:

1. Think of the word or word combination from the text using the definition:

1. Things that you have to do every day that are boring

2. The opposite

3. Very impressive and expensive, luxurious

4. Able to be believed or imagined

5. To hate

6. Looking after children

7. Job without any payment

8. Pleasant in a way that makes you comfortable

9. To draw, to extract, to get

10. Enjoying being hurt

11. To force somebody to have something

12. To state very strongly your beliefs

13. Limits, burden

14. Satisfied

15. Somebody, who likes something so much that they seem to be dependent on it

16. Not neat or tidy

17. Feeling as if you have no energy and no interest in anything

18. With a single sudden action

19. Laziness

20. Expenses, losses

21. The negative side of something

22. To have a lot of something

23. To travel a long distance to get to work

24. Something that cannot be made better

2. Give the proper Russian translation for the following:

To indulge in all the pleasures, the hard proof, work-centred culture, our stake in society, unenjoyable tasks, a sense of purpose and structure, job junkie, the foundation of the life, to process information, power outlet, teleworker, the break with tradition, to fit the profile, to feel cut off, to go undetected, to be conditioned to.

3. Answer the questions on the text. Give your reasons:

1. What is the main idea of the story given in the introduction?

2. Do you share the viewpoint that the world without work can be compared to hell?

3. Can you prove that people have an urge to work?

4. What is it that we really enjoy in the process?

5. Isn’t it possible to be valued at home? Don’t we write off the opinion of close people?

6. Why are child-rearing, housework regarded as non-jobs? What do you think of them? Shouldn’t housework be as appreciated as any other job?

7. Do you agree that our enthusiasm at work depends entirely on the amount of salary or wages? What about jobs that become our vocation/calling?

8. Do you see eye to eye with the author that our attitude to work is masochistic? Is it true that the more challenging task is, the more we like it?

9. Do you take sides with the author that the idea of being in the particular place at the particular time puts a lot of pressure on us? How can it give us the sense of purpose and structure?

10. What do people feel if they work in an office? What is the downside of working in an office? Why is it considered to be unprofitable? What can be done to eliminate the problem?

11. How does the role of sexes become blurred at work and at home?

12. What’s the difference in attitude to work between men and women?

13. How can you comment on the opinion of one of the female executives: ‘I love my husband… but …the office is where I feel most fulfilled’.

14. Who can call himself a job junkie? What do you think about yourself?

15. How do we feel when we are deprived of work? Why do we become unkempt?

16. Why can’t people enjoy the expanse of leisure if they are made redundant?

17. Do you agree that the jobless are outsiders? Is it true that the society give them this attitude?

18. What do you think of working from home?

19. What’s the idea of teleworking? What are the pros and cons?

20. Who is an ideal teleworker? How do you fancy the idea of becoming one?

21. Why does teleworking improve productivity?

22. So why do people go to work?

23. What’s the idea of the last paragraph?