Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Employment training and career guidance

First Day at School: A Child's Perspective

This section describes the first day of school for a small, three-year-old boy. He experiences feelings of fear, loneliness, confusion, and feeling tiny. As a young child, he perceives other children as very big and observes them playing aggressive games, often excluding him.

He misunderstands the concept of a 'teacher,' believing she is 'the girl who serves tea' (tea-cher). Initially, he believes school fences are there to keep out monsters or wolves. However, he later reflects on whether their true purpose is to keep the children away from school.

Key Vocabulary from "First Day at School"

• Be/feel at home: sentir-se com a casa (to feel at home)
• Rough: aspre, agressiu (harsh, aggressive)
• Swallow up: amenaça

Passive Voice

Present Simple: sell // are sold

Present Continuous: are selling // are being sold

Past Simple: sold // were sold

Past Continuous: were selling // were being sold

Present Perfect Simple: have sold // have been sold

Present Perfect Continuous: have been sold // have been being sold

Past Perfect Simple: had sold // had been sold

Future Simple: will sell // will be sold

Future Perfect: will have sold // will have been sold

Modals: can sell // can be sold

Modal Perfects: must have sold // must have been sold

Have to: have to sell // have to be sold

Be going to: are going to sell // are going to be sold

Causative Form

Have/get + something + done (v). Conjugate 'have' or 'get' according to the tense. Example: I always have my nails polished for New...

Disability Insurance: Income Protection & Coverage Options

What is disability insurance?

Disability insurance — Replaces all or part of your income if you cannot work because of disability.

• Underinsurance problem
  • Disability insurance is the largest category of basic insurance for which Americans are underinsured.
  • People mistakenly believe that other insurance they carry will protect them in case of long-term disability.

Elimination Period

Elimination period — A clause in your insurance policy that specifies how soon after the disability the policy will begin to pay benefits.

• A longer elimination period substantially reduces the premiums on disability insurance.

Financial Strategies

• Live below your means
• The two-career family

Reducing Risk of Disability

Reducing

Antonio's New York Adventure

Characters

Main Characters

• Antonio: A young man from Spain who moves to New York City.
• Jason: Antonio's best friend, an aspiring actor living in New York City.
• Elaine: A doctoral student at New York University who works as a waitress.

Secondary Characters

• George: A limousine driver who takes Antonio to Jason's house.
• Peter: A Hawaiian friend of Jason's.
• Lin: A shop owner in Chinatown.
• Elise: A piano player at a New Year's party.
• Scott: A fashion photographer.
• Jose Luis: A friend of Antonio's who takes him to Yankee Stadium.

New York City Landmarks

Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty was a gift from the French to the Americans in 1886 to commemorate the centenary of the Declaration of Independence of the United States and as...

Common English Phrasal Verbs

• To break up with: End a relationship.
• To bring about: To cause to happen (health, wealth, good fortune).
• To build up: To draw.
• To carry on: To continue.
• To carry out: To conduct.
• To catch up: Reach the same level.
• To cheer somebody up: Make somebody happy.
• To come out: To appear, to be seen.
• To come around: To change one's mind, to change one's opinion, agree.
• To come down on: To scold or punish.
• To come up: Appear (on the computer screen), happen, or arise.
• To come up against: Chocarse con.
• To come up with: To produce or supply (an idea, a plan).
• To come to (someone): Remember or recall.
• To come about: To happen.
• To come across: To find.
• To come down with: To become sick.
• To come off: Work.
• To cut back on: Reduce.
• To cut down: Reduce.

Business Vocabulary: Company Departments

• Logistics: Logística
• Technical Support: Soporte técnico
• Quality Control: Control de calidad
• Training: Curso de formación
• Finance: Finanzas
• Human Resources: Recursos humanos
• Marketing: Marketing
• IT: Tecnologías de la información
• Purchasing: Ventas
• Research and Development: Investigación y desarrollo

Grammar: Countable and Uncountable Questions

How much is used for uncountable nouns, such as rain or sound. How many is used for countable nouns.

Wh-Question Words

• Where: Dónde
• When: Cuándo
• What: Qué o cuáles
• Which: Qué o cuáles (used for limited groups, e.g., "Which do you prefer: language or math?")

Exercises

Exercise 1: Identifying Departments

• Who sells the products? Sales
• Who looks for new markets for new or existing

1. Verb Tenses

will have taken // had never seen // has been typing // will stay // is flying // was feeding // floats // will be waiting // met

2. Indefinite Pronouns

something // nobody // everyone // anything // anywhere

3. Pronouns and Possessives

his // him // mine // me // her // us // our // themselves // its // mine

4. Gerunds and Infinitives

shouting // to feed // smoking // to study // playing // getting up // working // to go

5. Conditional Sentences

• If I had had your phone, I would have called you.
• If you study hard, you will get good marks.
• If I hadn't advised you, you would have bought that house.
• If she hadn't driven too fast, she wouldn't have had an accident.

6. Passive Voice

A lot of money has been given to him // He has been given a lot...

Present Continuous

Vocabulary

• Hobbies: Chess (ajedrez), collecting things (coleccionar cosas), drawing (dibujo).
• Emotions: Annoyed (enfadado), embarrassed (vergüenza), excited (emocionado), frightened (asustado), jealous (celoso), pleased (contento), upset (disgustado).
• Places: Chemist's (farmacia), jeweller's (joyería), newsagent's (quiosco), post office (oficina de correos), shoe shop (zapatería).
• Chores: Clean the floor (limpiar el suelo), do the cooking (cocinar), do the ironing (planchar), do the shopping (hacer la compra), do the washing (hacer la colada), hoover the carpets (pasar

Critiquing the Modern Education System

I believe that education fails in some important ways. The issues are multifaceted:

• The weight of student backpacks is excessive.
• Classrooms are often not well equipped.

Teacher Accountability and Student Blame

Some teachers do not explain concepts clearly. Instead, they claim that students do not understand the explanations, shifting the blame entirely onto the students. Often, no further explanation is provided beyond telling students they must enroll in an external academy for tutoring.

Disruptive Student Behavior

Another critical point involves the students themselves—behaving like beasts rather than human beings—who constantly talk to each other. In a second, they create an atmosphere of chaos in the...