Unit 6 Page 56 Lesson B1A

Page 56

Lesson B

Problems and solutions

1. Building vocabulary and grammar

A. Read the life coach’s Web page. Complete the expressions with the correct form of do or make. Then listen and check your answers.

Ask the Life Coach

Do you have a personal problem that you’d rather not discuss with friends or family? Get some confidential advice from our online life coach.

Question 1:

Sometimes I think I ought to do some volunteer work in a school or a hospital, but I’m too busy just trying to make a living. I have very little free time, so I think I’d better not add anything to my schedule right now. Am I right?

Don’t make excuses. You don’t have to spend all your free time doing volunteer work- three hours a week is enough. Do some research and find an organization where you feel you can make a difference and do some good for other people.

Question 2:

My boss is a bully. He yells at me if I make a mistake, and he makes fun of me in front of my co-workers. I’ve tried talking to him, but it doesn’t do any good. He won’t listen. I guess I’m going to have to do something about this problem, but what?

It doesn’t make any sense to ignore this problem, and you’d better do something quickly before it gets worse. Make an appointment with your Human Resources representative. You might want to take a colleague with you, too.

Question 3:

I’m meeting my girlfriend’s parents for the first time next weekend. They’re invited me for dinner. I’m going to do my best to make a good impression on them, but I’m really nervous. Any advice?

Make an effort to dress nicely, and make sure you take them a small gift, such as flowers or chocolates. Make some nice comments about their home, the food, etc., but don’t overdo it. You ought to let them do the talking at first. The most important thing, however, is just to be yourself.

Question 4:

My boss recently offered me a promotion. I’ve done a lot of thinking about it, but I can’t make up my mind if I should take it. Sometimes I think I’d rather stay in my current job. I’ve got to decide by next week. What should I do?

Make a list of the pros and cons of each job, and give each one a score from 1 to 5 (5= the best). Then do the math- add up the points for each list, and subtract the con totals from the pro totals. Which job has the highest score? Does that help you make a decision?