Pathways to Professionalism

ТЕМА: Pathways to Professionalism

Active vocabulary

an advantage – перевага

destination – кінцевий пункт призначення

expenses – витрати

a fare – вартість проїзду

a landmark – орієнтир

a licence – ліцензія

part-time – неповний робочий день

safety – безпека

a vacancy – вакансія

a would-be taxi driver – майбутній таксист

no matter – нема значення

to apply – звертатися

to cope with – справитися, упоратися з чимось

to graduate (from) – закінчувати навчальний заклад

to offer – пропонувати

to be responsible for – бути відповідальним за щось

to be satisfied with – бути задоволеним чимось

to be well-paid бути – бути добре оплачуваним

to push – штовхати

previous – попередній

in advance – заздалегідь

Match the definitions  with the correct adjectives.

1. wants to get to the top                                             a. sensitive

2. open and friendly                                                    b. creative

3. doesn't get tired easily                                             c. attentive to detail

4. can change people's opinions                                  d. ambitious

5. doesn't get angry or irritated quickly                      e. adaptable

6. can produce new ideas                                            f. independent

7. thinks of other people's feelings                             g. outgoing

8. doesn't mind changing his/her habits                      h. energetic

9. can work alone                                                        i. persuasive

10. regularly checks the quality of his/her work         j. patient

 Match each word with its definition.

1. career                      a) a job with a high level of training and/or education

2. job                           b) the series of jobs you have in a particular area

3. profession                c) any work you do to earn money

Read the article about taxi drivers in London. Seven extracts have been removed from the text. Put an extract from A-H back in the right spaces to complete the text. There is one extract you will not need.

KNOWING LONDON INSIDE OUT

London taxi drivers know the capital like the back of their hands. Just jump into one of the city's 22,000 distinctively-shaped cars and tell the driver your destination. No matter how small and difficult to find the street is, the driver will be able to get you there without any trouble. 1 _ During this period, which can take from two to four years, the would-be taxi driver has to learn the most direct route to every single road and to every important building in London. To achieve this, most learners go around the city on small motorbikes, practising how to move to and from different points of the city. Going around London on a small motorbike can have its problems, especially during the winter. 2 __ ‘There was thick snow everywhere and I had to wear my mother's tights because I was so cold’’ he said. Learner drivers are not allowed to work and earn money as drivers. 3 __ The training period can cost quite a lot, because learners have to pay for their own expenses (getting around London using private transport), the tests they take and a medical exam. Once a new taxi driver has a licence, the next thing he or she has to cope with is the public. Drivers agree that most passengers are very pleasant, although occasionally they can be nasty. But, as Brian Turner, 53, a taxi driver for thirty years, explains: 'Your job is to take them where they want to go in a polite and pleasant manner, whatever they are like. After all, if you're unpleasant to your passenger, you won't get a tip. 4_ 'Colin Sinclair was once attacked by a passenger who did not want to pay the fare: 'He grabbed my hand and said, '1 am going to beat you up', and then he started pushing me towards the window. Luckily, I managed to reach the emergency radio and within five minutes twenty drivers had come to my aid.'

5_ The big advantage of this system is that drivers then know the name and the destination of their passengers in advance, which is very useful if something nasty happens. 6_ Celebrities and politicians often use taxis and this can add a bit of excitement to the lives of the drivers. Brian Turner once carried two princesses in his taxi - without even realising it! He recalled: 'They stopped me in front of the gates of Kensington Palace. I knew I had seen them in photographs but it was only after they left that I realised who they were!'

Talking and driving at the same time is not easy. 7___ They and their taxis are a landmark of the capital and are recognised throughout the world, along with the Queen and Big Ben, as a great British tradition.

A But sometimes it is not only the tip that is at risk; a taxi driver's job can also be dangerous.

B To avoid situations like this, more and more drivers are joining radio taxi companies, which only deal with customers who have telephoned for a taxi and who often have an account with them.

C Therefore, many of them keep their previous jobs until they get their taxi-driving licence.

D But this is the art that London's taxi drivers have brought to perfection.

E Colin Sinclair, 40, who has been a taxi driver for fifteen years, described his training period as a time of extreme physical discomfort.

F Learner taxi drivers are tested several times by government officers.

G However, not all unexpected meetings are nasty ones.

H The reason London taxi drivers are so professional is that they have all gone through a very difficult training period known as 'the knowledge' to get the special licence needed to drive taxis.

Watch the video and answer the questions:

1. What does a dentist do?

2. Where does a pharmacist work?

3. What does a housewife do?