Julia and Gabriela are two friends who know each other from high school. Right this moment they’re having lunch at a nice restaurant and catching up after not seeing each other for over ten years.Julia is telling Gabriela about her last job at a design company. She’s now unemployed because the company decided to downsize its staff, and she ended up being laid-off in the process.I'll search my client rolodexGabriela works in a public relations firm, and, as such, knows many people from all kinds of industries. So when she hears that Julia is unemployed, she asks:(G) Is your resume up-to-date?
(J) Absolutely.
(G) Great. Email it to me and I’ll search my client rolodex for design professionals. I’m pretty sure I can find a few people who would be happy to meet with you.
(J) Awesome! Thanks, Gaby.And now Gabriela is telling Julia all about her new job in the PR firm. She’s been with this company for six months now, after having worked for a manufacturing company for eight years. Julia asks Gabriela if there’s anything she misses about her old job. Gabriela says:(G) Well… I miss the hours. I used to work from 9AM to 5PM and not one minute longer. In PR it’s a whole different story. You just never know what time you’re gonna get home. Last night, for example, I left the office just before midnight – big crisis with a big client. Thank goodness I live alone and don’t have any kids or I don’t know what I would do!Julia is surprised to hear that. She had no idea PR hours sucked so much, and she says she’s happy her designer routine is usually a lot more stable than that. Gabriela assures Julia that she’s happy to be working in PR, however – she says she’s much happier now than she was before in her previous job.Julia and Gabriela chat for another five minutes and then it’s time to eat: their waiter brings them appetizers and bread while they wait for the main dishes.
Glossário
catching up = conversando após algum tempo sem se ver; contando as novidades
downsize its staff = diminuir o número de empregados (ou seja, mandar embora)
she ended up being laid-off = ela acabou sendo dispensada
resume = currículo
up-to-date = atualizado
as such = sendo assim
absolutely = com certeza
the hours = o horário; neste caso, de trabalho
sucked so much = eram tão ruins (eram uma droga)
Compreensão de texto: greetings
Quatro pessoas falam sobre como cumprimentam outras pessoas (a palavra greet, cumprimentar, é muito usada aqui e no quiz).
How do you greet people? It all depends on the situation, of course.Renata, from Brazil: I just kiss them on the cheek. Just one kiss, because I’m from São Paulo. I have friends from Rio and they always kiss twice. If it’s a friend or relative, and if I haven’t seen them in a while, I give them a kiss and a hug. I have never seen men kiss each other, except if they’re father and son. In formal situations… Maybe a handshake, but that feels a little strange to me. I guess I don’t participate in too many formal situations so I don’t know what I would do. I think I would let the other person lead the way and then I would just do what they did.Guillermo, from Chile: When it’s the first time I’m meeting someone, I shake hands. With my guy friends, I give them a hug or a pat on the back. If I’m greeting a female friend, it’s different: I give her a kiss on the cheek and sometimes I hug her. Women greet each other the same way: kissing and sometimes hugging.Marco, from Italy: I shake hands in formal situations. Where I live, kissing is acceptable. It’s OK for men to kiss each other, for men to kiss women or for women to kiss each other. But with my male friends I usually just give a hug or a pat on the back.Molly, from the USA: When I greet close friends I give them a hug. For casual friends, I just say “Hi”. For guys it’s a little different. Where I live they never hug each other, it’s just “Hey, man”. In formal situations I always shake hands, and it’s important to shake hands firmly. When I’m saying good-bye to people I’m not very close to, I also shake hands, be it a man or a woman. Kissing is not usual around here, unless it’s among really close family members or friends.
Glossário
cheek = face ou bochecha
lead the way = liderar a situação, mostrar o que deve ser feito
a pat on the back = um tapinha nas costas
a hug = um abraço
close to someone = próximo a, íntimo de alguém
be it a man or a woman = seja homem ou mulher
Compreensão de Texto: renting an apartment
O texto de hoje é sobre uma pessoa que está procurando apartamento para alugar.
[Jessie] Hi, I’m calling about the apartments for rent.
[Manager] Sure. What kind of apartment are you interested in?[Jessie] A two-bedroom. Do you have any available?[Manager] Well, I have plenty of one-bedroom apartments available. I have one two-bedroom that’s still occupied, but the tenant’s moving out in two days. When do you need it?[Jessie] Sometime around next week would be fine.[Manager] Next week the unit will be empty. It’s yours if you want it.[Jessie] What’s the apartment like?[Manager] Well, it’s got two bedrooms, the living room and the bedrooms have
hardwood floors and very large windows. The monthly rent is $960, with a $450 security deposit. Both the heat and stove are gas. You pay electricity only, gas and water are included.[Jessie] Excellent. Does it come furnished?[Manager] Nope, unfurnished.[Jessie] Does it include a parking space?[Manager] Sure thing. You’ll be assigned a sheltered parking space at no additional charge.[Jessie] Sounds good. What about the neighborhood, is it quiet enough?[Manager] It depends on what you call “enough”. On weekends it can get a little noisy, but during the week it’s definitely more on the quiet side. The residents are very friendly and respectful of each other and they usually keep the noise
to a minimum.[Jessie] Great! Can I come over tomorrow and have a look?[Manager] Sure, if you don’t mind that there are people still living in it.[Jessie] That’s fine by me. How about 9 AM?[Manager] Good. May I have your name?[Jessie] Jessie.[Manager] Jessie. I’ll see you tomorrow.
Glossário
rent = aluguel, alugar
a two-bedroom (apartment) = um apartamento de dois quartos
plenty of = muitos
What’s … like? = Como é ……?
tenant = inquilino
furnished = mobiliado
both the heat and stove = tanto o aquecedor quanto o fogão
sure thing = com certeza
hardwood floors = piso de madeira
security deposit = quantia paga no início e devolvida quando o inquilino sair do imóvel, se este for deixado em boas condições
a sheltered parking space = uma vaga coberta para o carro
it can get noisy = (lit.) pode ficar barulhento; (aprox.) às vezes é barulhento
more on the quiet side = mais para quieto
keep (something) to a minimum = tentam fazer/manter (alguma coisa) o mínimo possível
Compreensão de texto: summer jobs
O texto de hoje é sobre o summer job (trabalho de verão) de uma moça.
It’s easy to find a summer job in this town because there are plenty of restaurants and bars that need extra help in the tourist season.
I’ve had a lot of different jobs here – I’ve been a pizza delivery person, a babysitter, a kitchen assistant… but this is the first time I’ve worked in a bar. The pay is alright and people here are cool, but I have to put up with late hours… oh, and drunk customers once in a while.I’ve been here for about two months now. All in all, I like it, but the best part is – I have already saved enough money to spend a couple of weeks in New York visiting my old college roommate Christine.We have been best friends since we were eighteen years old.Chris has been here to visit me twice, so now it’s my turn to visit her. I’ve never been to New York before so I’m really looking forward to this trip.I’ve already booked the flight, bought new clothes and arranged with a neighbor to water my plants while I’m out. I can’t wait!
Glossário
plenty of = muitos
to put up with = aguentar
late hours = horas de trabalho tarde da noite
once in a while = de vez em quando
roommate = pessoa com quem você divide um quarto (também usada quando se divide a casa)
it’s my turn = é a minha vez
I’m looking forward to = quero muito, estou animada para isso
book a flight = reservar um vôo
arranged with a neighbor = combinei com um(a) vizinho(a)
water my plants = regar minha plantas
I can’t wait = não vejo a hora