1. Read the passage below quickly so that you can answer the following questions.

Do not try to fill in the

blanks yet.

a. What is the relationship between Christopher, Tom and Tony?

b Do they all have jobs?
c Do they all want to have jobs?
d Is the author sympathetic or unsympathetic towards them?

As a working man, Christopher MacLean counts himself among the fortunate. ............................ (1)
the exception of two years on the dole when he was just married, he has been ............................ (2) in the
docks ............................ (3) a boat handler for the best part of twenty years. A man needs to work; it is
his right. He doesn't have any respect ............................ (4) himself ........................... (5) he cannot
organize his life and support his own family.
His eldest boy, Tom ............................ (6) is married and lives with his wife and children
............................ (7) the road in a decaying pre-war house, is employed ............................ (8) the
moment, ............................(9) there is no guarantee of how ............................ (10) it will last. Before that
he was out of ............................ (11) for two years. He got himself qualified as a welder and
............................ (12) as he was about to change from apprenticeship to full wages, they gave him the
sack ............................ (13) broke his heart.
Christopher's younger son, Tony, has never ............................ (14) a job. Christopher understands why
his son can't get ............................ (15) of his bed until the afternoon ............................ (16) it irritates
him, hearing young Tony wandering around the ............................(17) in the small hours, turning night
into ............................(18). Tony has never asked his father or brother ............................ (19) a penny,
but he gets depressed because he is an able man, a willing ............................ (20) who wants to work.

2. In this passage there is one concern which affects the lives of all the MacLean family. Which of the
following phrases is the best description of that concern?

a Working in the docks

b Supporting the family
c The threat of unemployment

3. Read the passage again and complete the blanks.

4. Complete these sentences with words or phrases from the passage. NOTE: The words will not
necessarily be in the same form.
a It will take me six years to ............................as a doctor.
b She thought her boss had given her the ............................
c Many people work hard to ............................their families.
d I'm ............................at the moment. I've looked everywhere for a job and just can't find one.
e He got very............................when he was turned down for every job he applied for.
f I've been............................ by this firm for the last twenty-five years - ever since I left school.

Grammar Building Comparisons: so, such and too

1. Look at the sentences below and tick (V) them if you agree with them and cross (x) them if you
disagree with them.

a. A nurse needs to be fitter than a teacher is.

b. Gardeners live longer than businessmen.
c. Journalism is the toughest job in the world.
d. Teachers are usually more patient than shopkeepers.
e. The least stressful jobs are the most boring ones.
f. It is less tiring to sit at a desk than to stand on a factory floor.
g. Doctors are cleverer than dentists are.
h. The cleverest workers do not always get promoted.
i. Being a secretary is more interesting than working at home.
j. Police officers are always busier than traffic wardens.
2. Look at the sentences in 1 again and, depending on whether you agreed or disagreed with the
statement, make sentences using as . . . as or not as/so . . . as. For example:

A teacher needs to be as fit as a nurse. A teacher does not need to be as fit as a nurse.

or

Businessmen live as long as gardeners. Businessmen do not live so long as gardeners.

3. Look at these sentences and fill the blanks with so, such, or too.
a It was ..........................an interesting job that he applied for it.
b There were .......................... many applicants that he decided not to apply for
the job.
c He worked.......................... hard that he made himself ill.
d Her job was........................... a well paid one that it was very difficult to give
it up.
e He had .......................... little spare time that he decided to change his job.
f The job was ........................... hard for him to finish.
g Her work was ......................... boring that she thought she would go mad.
h His job was ........................... hard work that he resigned.
i. She worked .......................... well that she got promoted.
j. She had .......................... much work to go out that night.

Revision Transformations

Finish each of the following sentences in such a way that it means exactly the same as the sentence
printed before it.

1. John's salary was so low that he demanded a pay rise.

John had ........................................................................................................................
2. 'My other job was more interesting than this one,' Christine said.
Christine said that this job wasn't ....................................................................................................
3. Paul wasn't healthy enough to become a soldier.
Paul was ........................................................................................................................

4. The new director didn't have as much work as he wanted.

The new director wanted .................................................................................................................
S. Tom had such an exciting time working abroad that he never came back.
The time Tom spent ........................................................................................................................
6. She inherited such a lot of money that she didn't need to work.
Her inheritance was ........................................................................................................................
7. Maureen didn't have enough holidays to visit her aunt in Australia.
Maureen's holiday ........................................................................................................................
8. I've never had such a marvellous opportunity before.
This is ........................................................................................................................
9. Toshi worked harder than Makiko.
Makiko didn't work ........................................................................................................................
10. The training course was not so interesting as he had expected.
He had expected ........................................................................................................................