И.В. Граборская Your personality

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1.Hot-tempered/quick-		A.	Unwilling to accept or understand new
tempered		ideas or different customs;
2.	Narrow-minded	B. Willing to respect the opinions and
		behaviour of other people, with a		tolerant
		and liberal mind;
3.	Single-minded/single-	C. Quick to get angry, having a readiness to
hearted		become angry easily;
4.	Broad-minded	D.	Having too high a opinion of one’s own
		importance, the opposite of modest;
5.	Tight-fisted	E. Intent on the purpose, having one clear
		aim, almost fanatical;
6.	Big-hearted	F. Using too many words, liable to talk
		too much, not concisely;
7.	Pig-headed	G. Selfish, only caring about oneself,
		interested only in oneself;
8.	Long-winded	H. Stupid, silly or foolish, either generally
		or in particular;
9.	Dim-witted	I . Quick to take offence, over-sensitive,
		susceptible to offence, easily offended,
		touchy;
10. Thin-skinned		J. So deep or so far away in thought that
		one is unaware of what is going on
		around one;
11. Absent-minded		K.	Stubborn, stupidly obstinate, refusing to
		change one’s opinion or behaviour
		in spite of persuasion;
12. Self-centered		L. Very ungenerous, showing unwillingness
		to give money or share what one has.

6.Surely, you know about positive and negative qualities of different people. Meanness is one of human nature’s less attractive traits. But few people are completely, totally mean. KEITH WATERHOUSE, a journalist, explains why he’s thrifty. Read the text below. What category of people do you refer to yourself?

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IS THERE A MEAN STREAK IN YOU?

I am thrifty, you are careful, he is mean. I am generous, you are extravagant, and he seems to have money to burn. More probably we are each a bit of all these categories. I know I am. I am a very generous presentgiver. I love buying presents – but I hate buying wrapping paper. I hoard scraps from one year to the next. I even recycle the wrappings my own presents came in.

The same applies to stationery. I have never written on both sides of a sheet of paper in my life. I squander writing papers as if it grew on trees, and I cannot go into a stationer’s without buying up most of their envelopes in five different sizes. On the other hand, I will not buy paperclips, rubber bands or ballpoint pens. I presume that sufficient numbers of these will appear of their own accord.

Some of my best friends are mean about string. They carefully unravel and save every scrap that comes into their possession. I don’t know why, since hardly anyone uses string these days and certainly no one has a need for 150 metres of it, which is what one lady I know has accumulated.

There are also people who are obsessively careful with money. They are the sorts who get off the bus a stop early to avoid paying a higher fare, or roam supermarkets looking for special offers and coupon discounts. This is fine, as long as these economies are not inflicted upon others. There is nothing quite so tiresome as someone with an obsession about switching off lights, or saving the scrap of food.

It is when thrift affects one’s social life that it becomes meanness. The famous American multimillionaire J. Paul Getty gave away billions but is remembered for the pay phone he installed for the use of his guests. A psychiatrist friend of mine maintains that mean people are insecure. But then he says that about overgenerous people too. Mean people fear that their money will run out on them; overgenerous one’s that their friends will.

7.Your jeans and your personality.

Believe it or not, your jeans can indicate some of your personality traits! Pick out favourable style of jeans and read the analysis.

•Baggy jeans

•Tight jeans

•Faded and worn-out jeans

•Decorated jeans

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•Designer jeans

•Standard jeans

•All styles of jeans

Baggy jeans

People who wear baggy or oversized jeans are often shy and indecisive. They lack self-confidence and tend to worry about their appearance.

Tight jeans

People who wear tight jeans are self-confident and like to be the center of attention. They know how to attract attention from the opposite sex.

Faded and worn-out jeans

People who like old worn-out jeans are usually independent and sincere. They aren’t interested in money or status symbols.

Decorated jeans

Those who like jeans that are decorated with patches, ornaments, etc want to show that they are unique and creative. They love thinking up new ideas and like change.

Designer jeans

Those who wear designer jeans, particularly from a well-known designer, and love to show off that label to the world aren’t really satisfied with what they currently are, and are looking for that extra recognition from people around them.

Standard jeans

Those who like to wear standard blue jeans (not tight, baggy, decorated, etc) are content with their current status and life style. They normally wear Jeans not only when it’s appropriate to do so. Sounds like a real gentleman or lady, doesn’t it?

All styles of jeans

Some people do collect all types of jeans as listed above. This definitely shows that they also have a collection of personalities as well! One thing is for sure; these people are very adaptable, changing with the times, and probably get bored very quickly.

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8.We suppose, that many of you have pets. And you’ve probably noticed that not only people are different, but animals are too.

* * *

Cats are solitary egoists and appeal to people who are self-contained. Dogs like to please and be loved. They tend to attract outgoing people.

Do you agree with this statement? Can you think of examples from your own experience to support or contradict it?

Look at the pictures of the five most popular breeds of cats and dogs in Britain and read the comments on them made by Mark Evans.

TOP CATS

Persian

The epitome of feline indolence. Vet Mark Evans says: “It needs lots of grooming and attention. It doesn’t suit everyone.

Siamese

Incredibly intelligent. “Very, very nice cat that talks to you the whole time,” says Mark. The perfect one for the lonely, but a pain in the neck if all you want is a quite life.

Burmese

Excellent hunting skills. “It takes no prisoners out of doors,” warns Mark. People who like wildlife shouldn’t keep this breed. People with a mouse problem should.

Domestic Short Hair

The most common type of cat. It’s a good sensible sort, well adjusted. “A good all-rounder, suitable for anyone.”

Birman

Sophisticated and decadent. Bred for its unusual colouring. An art form among cats.

TOP DOGS

York Terrier

If it were scaled up to the size of the Labrador our streets would not be safe. It would suit an older, tolerant owner, but could be a disastrous choice for families.

Labrador

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This breed is as loyal as they come. It would die for its master, or just another titbit. “This is a dog that just can’t say no when it comes to food,” says Mark.

German Shepherd (or Alsatian)

“It can be nicest, or the most vicious of dogs,” Mark warns. “It’s important to know what the mother is like. It also tends to suffer from every disease known to dogs.”

West Highland White Terrier

Utterly fearless, alert and very vocal. It will send the neighbours barking mad; best for those who live a long way from civilization.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Whoever designed the Cavalier forgot about brains. Rather dim, but very amusing. “A bit smelly,” cautions Mark, “although it makes an ideal, quiet companion.

Which of the dogs and cats is best described by the adjectives given below? Write the correct number in the space, as in the example

Very lazy … 1	very aggressive
Very intelligent	a born killer
Very brave	faithful
Subject to illness	reliably normal
Not very intelligent	bred mainly for its appearance

9. Fill the gaps with a word below. Only use each word once.

Selfish	bad-tempered		tough	crafty	sensitive sensible strict
trustworthy	dull	shy	mean	reliable		stubborn silly nice
cheerful	sympathetic		clumsy	loyal		gentle

1 Janet is incredibly…… . She always arrives on time and does her job well. 2 It’s impossible to say anything to his grandmother. One word and she starts crying. She’s so …… .

3 I wonder why he is so …… . He has got lots of money but he hates spending it.

4 When she was a child, her parents were incredibly …… . Whenever she did the smallest thing wrong, they would send her to bed.

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5 Ann is such a …… girl. She is always laughing and smiling.

6 Come on, Maria! You can’t go on a country walk wearing high heels. Do be …… for once.

7 I’ll give you a lift home if you’re …… to me.

8 She was so …… and understanding. When I told her my problems, I immediately felt better afterwards.

9 In westerns, the hero is always …… . He always beats his enemies and can put up with any hardship.

10 That’s the second plate you’ve broken this week. Why do you have to be so …… ?

11 I think he is an extremely …… boy. He laughs at stupid things and never concentrates in class.

12 Children are often really …… . They hide behind their mothers when guests come.

13 Don’t be …… , Cathy. You’ve got to learn to share things with other children.

14 She is 100% …… . I’d leave my money, car, anything for her to look after.

15 When I broke my leg, the nurse was so ……that she hardly hurt me at all. 16 Why do you get angry all the time? You are so …… .

17 Bob is my best friend. He remained …… through all my problems.

18 He is such a …… person with his boring little job and his boring little wife.

19 He is terribly …… . Once he has made up his mind, it is impossible to get him to change it even if it is obvious that he is wrong.

20 The general was really …… . Just when the enemy thought it had won the battle, he played his best card.

PART III. PEOPLE AND JOBS

1. How do you think your personal qualities will influence your future business activity?

Assess your character: What sort of person are you?

Put Y

for “Yes”,

N

for “No”, and S

for “Sometimes”

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a.		Are you generally aware of other people’s feeling?
b.		Do you find it difficult to meet new people?
c.		Do you frequently make people laugh?
d.		Does your mood change often and suddenly?
e.		When decisions have to be made, do you think first of yourself?
f.		Can your friends trust you and depend on you?
g.		Do you generally like other people’s company?
h.		Are there lots of things you want to do in your professional life?
i.		Can you usually understand other people and their point of view?
j.		Do you worry and think too much about detail?
k.		Are you usually quite a happy, smiling person?
l.		Are you interested in other people and their business?
m.		Do you sometimes not tell the truth because you don’t want to hurt
		someone’s feelings?

2. Match these adjectives with the questions above.

	shy		selfish
	tolerant		ambitions
	sensitive		inquisitive
	tactful		cheerful
	fussy		witty
	sociable

3.Which of these do you think are positive, and which negative qualities?

4.Describe your personality using as many adverbs of degree as possible: rather, a bit, fairly, very, terribly, incredibly, so, awfully, not at all, really.

5.How do your qualities influence your business activity? Share your opinions with partners.

6.Fill in the chart using definitions.

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1._ ggr _ ss _ v _ Someone who likes to fight.

2.c _ t _ s Someone who doesn’t take risks.

3.c _ ns _ rv _ t _ v _ Someone who doesn’t like change.

4.cr _ t _ v _ Someone who has new ideas.

5.c _ r _ s Someone who wants to know about everything.

6.d _ t _ rm _ n _ d Someone who won’t be stopped.

7.dyn _ m _ c Someone with a lot of energy.

8._sy _ g _ng Someone who is relaxed and tolerant.

9._nd _ v _ d _ l _ st _ c Someone who likes to do things his/her own way.

10._ pt _ m _ st _ c Someone who thinks everything will be O’K.

11.p _ t _ nt Someone who doesn’t get angry when they have to wait.

12.r _ l _ bl Someone who does what he/she says he/she will do.

13.s _ c _ nf _ d _ nt Someone who believes in him or herself.

14.s _ nc _ t _ v _ Someone who is aware of other people’s feelings.

15.s _ nc _ r _ Someone who means what he/she says.

16.s _ c _ bl Someone who likes talking and meeting people.

17.t _ ctf _ l Someone who finds effective ways of communicating bad news.

18._ n _ m _ t _ n _ I Someone with no feelings.

7. Deal with the following questionnaire.

Are you a natural leader?

USUALLY SOMETIMES RARELY

1. When you know a subordinate is having difficulties with a task, can you resist the temptation to take over immediately?

2.Can you stay calm at times of crisis?

3.Are you comfortable with change?

4.Can you create an atmosphere of enthusiasm in a group of people?

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USUALLY SOMETIMES RARELY

5. In the middle of day-to-day problems can you concentrate on future needs?

6.Can you discard your ideas and accept other people’s in their place?

7.Do you give credit to people for their contributions?

8.Can you put yourself in someone else’s shoes’: understand their motivations when they are different from your own?

9.Do you have a consistent approach to problems?

10.Do you praise other people whenever you can?

11.Can you keep a secret?

12.Do you set high standards and clear objectives?

13.Do you take an interest people’s lives?

14.Can you accept a subordinate may understand the technical aspects of the matter better than you?

15.Сan you decisively act when time is short?

8.Tell the partners your job title. List the qualities given above taking into consideration the following categories.

а) An essential quality for your job (The CEO must be ………… ). adjective.

b) Not essential, but desirable (should).

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c)Irrelevant (may)

d)Undesirable, a bad quality for the job (mustn’t)

9.The perfect manager should know now to make people follow him/her. Complete the questionnaire. Discuss the questions with your partners, recollect some situations related to the questions and retell them to your class.

10.People say nobody’s perfect. Think over your idea about the perfect boss. Range these adjectives from the point of view of their priority. Share your opinion with your partners.

Positive qualities	Negative qualities
Intelligent	Hypocritical
Ambitious	Indifferent
Reliable	Tactless
Considerate	Dishonest
Hard-working	Intolerant
Polite	Conceited
Well-dressed	Arrogant
Attractive	Narrow-minded
Calm	Inconsistent
Witty	Quick-tempered
Honest	Harsh
Broad-minded	Muddle-headed
Easy-going	Unsociable
Efficient	Disagreeable
Sociable	Inconsiderate
Skilled	Moody
Sincere	Fussy
Tactful	Stubborn
	Unreliable

11. To the psychologists’ opinion, the four shapes above represent different personality types. In pairs, match these phrases with what you think is the appropriate shape.