1   Reading

a   Read the emails and tick (✓) the correct answer.

a   Brian isn’t sure if he should accept the job in Rio.

b   Brian has already accepted the offer of a job in Brazil.

 Brian wants to leave his bank and get a new job.

d   Brian has decided not to accept the job in Rio.

Hi Joe and Tom

My bank have offered me the chance to go to Brazil! Apparently, we’re going to open a new branch in Rio de Janeiro and my manager has asked me if I’d like to go and work there. They would want me to stay for at least two years. I think it would be an amazing opportunity to live abroad and to get some experience of working in a foreign country. It seems that they would provide me with free accommodation and pay for me to have Portuguese lessons. What do you guys think? Would it be good for my career if I worked in Brazil for two years?

Please let me know what you think.

Speak soon

Brian

Hi Brian

No wonder you sound so excited! Everyone says Rio is a fantastic place to live and that the Brazilians are such friendly people. I think you should definitely accept the offer. I’m pretty sure you’d enjoy living and working in Brazil and that you’d make lots of new friends. Also, it would look good on your CV if you worked abroad for a couple of years. And I’m sure it would be useful if you learned another foreign language. So, if I were you, I’d go for it.

Let me know what you decide to do.

Joe

P.S. I’d definitely come to visit you for a holiday!

Hi Brian

I’m not sure what I think about the opportunity you’ve been given to spend two years in Brazil. I can see that it would be exciting to live in Rio, but, if I were you, I’d think about it very carefully before making a decision.

I expect you’d have a great time in Rio but you also need to think about your career with the bank. You’ve worked for your bank for over five years now so maybe it would be better to apply for a management job either with them or with another bank in the UK? I’m not sure experience of working in a bank in Brazil would help when you come back to look for a better job in London. I think you should discuss with your manager what kind of job your bank would give you if you came back after two years.

Let me know if you want to meet up to talk about it in more detail.

Best

Tom

b   Read the emails again. Are the sentences true or false?

 Brian’s bank want him to be the manager of their branch in Rio de Janeiro.

 Brian wouldn’t have to pay to rent a flat or a house in Rio.

 Joe thinks that if Brian moves to Brazil he’ll probably feel lonely.

 Joe thinks it would be good for Brian’s career to work in Brazil.

 Tom doesn’t think Brian would enjoy living in Rio.

 Tom thinks working in Brazil for two years would definitely help Brian to get a better job in London.

Answer

a   a

b   True: 2, 4; False: 1, 3, 5, 6

2   Writing Skills – Advising a course of action

Complete the sentences with the words in the box.

should     better     definitely     would

I’d     pretty     expect     suggesting

1   If I were you, ………I’d……… apply for that new job in Marketing.

2   I’m not sure you …………………… enjoy working for that company.

3   It would …………………… be good for your career.

4   I’m …………………… sure you’d be a good manager.

5   Maybe it would be …………………… to try and get another job in London?

6   I …………………… you’d find that training course extremely interesting.

7   I think you …………………… definitely discuss it with your manager.

8   I’m just …………………… that you should think about it very carefully before you decide.

Answer

2 would   3 definitely   4 pretty   5 better

6 expect   7 should   8 suggesting

3   Writing

Read the email from Jane and write a reply. It can be positive and enthusiastic (in favour of her accepting the job) or more careful (advising her to consider going to university instead)

Hi

I’ve got some good news but I also need some advice.

I’ve just received my exam results and, fortunately, I passed all my subjects and even got a distinction in maths and IT. As a result, I’ve been offered a place at university to do a three-year degree in Business Studies. However, the problem is that my parents don’t think I should go to university. Although my dad didn’t go to university he’s become a very successful businessman with a chain of small hotels around the country. Anyway, he wants me to start working as a trainee manager in one of these hotels. I worked there during the summer holidays last year as a receptionist and I really enjoyed it. So, I’m thinking of accepting his offer of a permanent job now instead of going to university. Apparently, I could become a hotel manager within five years.

Please let me know what you think.

Speak soon

Jane

Answer

Suggested answer

Positive reply:

Hi Jane

That’s brilliant news about your exams! Congratulations!

I think you should definitely accept your dad’s offer of a job. I’m pretty sure you’d enjoy working in one of his hotels as a trainee manager. You’d probably become a hotel manager in a few years’ time and that would be fantastic. Also, I think it would be better to take a job now instead of going to university for three years. It might be hard to find a job when you finish in three years’ time. I think this could be an excellent opportunity for you, so, if I were you, I’d go for it.

Let me know what you decide to do.

Speak soon

Careful reply:

Hi Jane

That’s brilliant news about your exams! Congratulations!

I’m not sure what I think about your dad’s offer. I can see that it would be exciting to train as a hotel manager but, if I were you, I’d think about it very carefully before making a decision.

I expect you’d enjoy working in one of your dad’s hotels, but you also need to think about your career. Maybe it would be better to go to university and get a degree before you start working in a permanent job? If you take a degree in Business Studies, you’ll be able to apply for jobs in lots of different areas of business after you graduate. On the other hand, if you start working in the hotel industry now, you might find that it’s hard to get into another area in the future. I’m just suggesting that it might be better to go to university first and then decided what you want to do after you graduate.

Let me know if you want to meet up and talk about it.

Speak soon

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